KTN News anchor, Ken Mijungu, was on Thursday, August 18, forced to apologise to his viewers after his live show turned chaotic.
The show featured a face-off between Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata and his Kitui counterpart Enoch Wambua.
However, viewers were unhappy with Mijungu's moderation of the debate - a number of them accusing the host and Senator Wambua of ganging against Kang'ata.
Mijungu had accused the Murang'a Senator of being dishonest and cagey with his responses to questions, accusations that did not settle well with a section of netizens who questioned his objectivity as a host and a journalist.
Kang'ata alongside Wambua discussed topical issues including the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), political coalitions and economic models being proposed by various political factions.
Mijungu apologized to his viewers following concerns by a section of the online community that his show lacked direction, objectivity and did not offer any substantive answers to issues that were being discussed.
"Senators, I want to thank you for coming, and to our viewers because we owe you a sense of responsibility on every show we have right here on KTN News. More so those views expressed tonight don't represent our views," Mijungu stated.
"As a host, I take full responsibility for some of the dishonesty you have been pointing out on social media talking about how Irungu Kang'ata has been speaking and I apologise for that and owe you a sense of responsibility and the truth in this country."
In his defence, Kang'ata stated that the host and his counterpart, Senator Wambua, ganged up and directed different sets of questions at him.
"It's you making the judgement, and I stated that I am facing two guys ganging up against the hustler, but it's okay I can handle it," Kang'ata told Mijungu.
Upon conclusion of the interview, a section of Kenyans online took to the platform to question the conduct of the guest and the host.
Some accused Mijungu of being biased and pushing Kang'ata in order to fit a certain narrative. Others, however, called out the Murang'a Senator, faulting him for equivocating in his responses.
Past TV interviews, particularly with politicians, have not been without their controversies.
In 2012, then Minister of Medical Services Anyang Nyong'o walked out of a live Citizen TV interview with news anchor Lilian Muli.
The interview was meant to discussing the health crisis within the country after doctors had gone on strike. Nyong'o left the interview midway after Muli asked him a question that did not sit well with him.
In 2017, saw a heated debate between activist Miguna Miguna and Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris on JKL interview.
The controversy surrounding the interview led to the show being cancelled and Jeff relocating to Citizen TV.
