Deputy President William Ruto on Monday delivered a speech at the launch of the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.
While touting the multi-million shilling investment as an endorsement of Kenya's friendly business climate, he sought to address the matter of fake news.
Ruto declared that repression of a free press was just as bad as peddling fake news, slamming propagators of misinformation.
"Repression of the media is as bad as fake news, true journalism serves the society and any other is bogus and useless.
"Our society has never asked any more of the media than it stories be fair and true," he stated.
Ruto commended the BBC for putting up the bureau in Nairobi as he acknowledged Kenya's unique position in the region.
"The East African BBC Bureau is a validation of Kenya's capacity to deliver as an operational anchor for the region. This is a positive indictment on our investor friendliness and ability to deliver the infrastructure required by global corporations
"The BBC is at home here with more than 100 British companies doing business in Kenya; ensuring that the UK remains the largest investor in our country," he asserted.
The bureau in Nairobi is the BBC's largest outside the United Kingdom.
A number of leading Kenyan journalists were hired by the company in an aggressive recruitment push ahead of the launch.
