Media Houses Will Not Be Allowed to Relay 2017 Election Results - Communication Authority Declares

The Communications Authority (CA) has declared that media houses will not be allowed to relay parallel results in the August 8 General Election.

Speaking at the launch of Media Council of Kenya's election reporting guidelines, CA Director General Francis Wangusi stated that no station would be involved in the transmission of the results.

According to Wangusi, the Authority will keenly follow to ensure the directive is followed in order to avoid triggering violence.

Wangusi maintained that CA would monitor all television stations in the country to ensure they follow all the laid down guidelines, adding that only IEBC has the authority of transmitting results.

“Some media houses have threatened to transmit their parallel results, but let them have this message clear that we are the watchdogs and we shall not allow it. There is only one body that can transmit election results, and that is the IEBC,” he affirmed.

At the same time, the Director-General noted that all media houses must provide equal coverage to political rallies especially those involving presidential candidates.

Wangusi further warned TV stations against being used for selfish interests in the electioneering period urging them to stick to their registration themes.

“We have licensed more than 60 TV stations. At this election period, they tend to throw away the themes they were licensed for and focus on elections. We are not going to allow these platforms to be used by people the way they want to,” the CA boss affirmed.

According to the Media Council of Kenya (MCA) chairman Charles Kerich, however, the new guideline of providing equal coverage to all political rallies is practically impossible.

“Though this law has been passed, I wonder how CAK will practically make it applicable. Individual media houses make their own decisions on what rally to cover, where and when, so a directive of equitable coverage may not just apply," he said.

Kerich observed that it's only the government-funded broadcaster that can afford to provide an equal coverage to all politicians.

 

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