A section of local and international journalists was on Thursday locked out of State House during the visit by British Prime Minister Theresa May.
This was occasioned by a mix up in the names of those sent to State House to cover the said event.
It emerged that the journalists were locked out as the names that were being used were those of their counterparts who had covered an event which saw President Uhuru Kenyatta honour women trailblazers and the launch of former parliamentarian Phoebe Asiyo’s memoir It’s Possible: An African Woman Speaks.
Reporters were frozen outside for more than an hour as they tried to convince guards stationed at the gate that they were meant to be covering the event.
Dozens of journalists denied access to @StateHouseKenya including reporters from the largest media house in east and central Africa @dailynation so who is the news intended for? @10DowningStreet pic.twitter.com/SUmeW9jvmW
Calls to State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena went unanswered and in time, some got tired of waiting and left.
Among those locked out were photojournalists and reporters from Standard and Daily Nation, international media houses correspondents from SABC and CGTN amongst others.
Those remaining were eventually given access to the event though it happened after more than an hour of haggling.
May’s visit, which comes 30 years after her predecessor Margaret Thatcher, was meant to foster better trade between Kenya and Britain while also strengthening Britain’s global partnerships.
Nairobi is May’s last stop in her three-day tour that saw her visit two other African states, South Africa and Nigeria, in a bid to boost Britain’s post-Brexit export prospects.
