This article is not an attack on the
Kenyan legacy media. Rather, it is a case I want to present to prove that the
Kenyan media has abandoned its watchdog role.
I have been following, keenly, the
news coverage by the three main dailies in the country, with special attention
on the stories given prominence by the print media.
From my observation, the Kenyan print
media has given politics, more so, the 2022 presidency succession debate, a lot
of coverage than any other important issue facing the country.
News print editors have given
prominence to stories about who is likely to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta
when his term ends in three years, instead of focusing on investigative pieces
on corruption, the ailing health sector and the long-ignored education and
creative arts industry, including sports, by the past and present
governments.
While the media has highlighted some
scandals such as the one on Pumwani Maternity Hospital’s dead babies found
stuffed in plastic bags, Kenya Power, and others, it has failed to keep the
conversation going by covering follow up stories on the scams and pressuring
the investigative agencies to ensure the real culprits are brought to book.
Of great concern is the lack of
holding to account public officials who have been accused of negligence,
corruption and failing to deliver on their campaign promises by the
media.
By monitoring the conduct of state
officials, their promises and keeping track of what they have delivered when in
office, the media ensures effectiveness in service delivery by governments to
its people.
Unfortunately, this has not been the
case with the Kenyan media. Journalists ought to rise to the occasion and play
this significant role.
For a developing country, the media
must put on the spot elected leaders whenever they engage in corruption or
failure to execute their manifestos. For example, I have not come across a
single media report analysing the Jubilee Party’s or county governors’
manifestos, and answering the following key questions - what did they promise
the citizens? What have they delivered? Why have they not delivered these
pledges? Do they deserve to be given a second chance by the electorate?
I would like to acknowledge having
come across a few good investigative stories among them the story about
supermarkets selling meat preserved using excess amounts of toxic chemicals.
Although the story did not name the supermarkets involved (it should have) in
the menace, it raised the red flag and pushed the country’s Ministry of Health
to crack the whip on the rogue outlets.
But has the same media house followed
up the story with the ministry and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to
ensure no poisonous meat is sold to Kenyans and the culprits who engaged in the
criminal act appear on the dock? No.
For the media to claim victory in its
watchdog role, it has to ensure that the investigative stories they air are
covered to the end, and public officers in charge of the sectors on the spot
answer tough questions on the same.
It is only by doing so that the
journalists can celebrate having done their job and helped the public who
deserve only the best from their government. Failure to ask tough questions
only means negligence of duties by the fourth estate.
Not long ago, I came across a video
on social media showing former KEBS Managing Director Kioko Mang’eli warning
the public that contaminated maize had been allowed into the market by the
government. In the video, Dr Mang’eli warned that cases of cancer will be on
the rise in 10 years. “I am more than 100% that it (maize with aflatoxin)
affects people and within 10-15 years we will also have serious cases of
cancer, based on this. And at that particular time may be our health
infrastructure would have worked, we will be having more people in hospitals,”
Dr Mang’eli said
when he appeared before a parliamentary committee in April 2011. Did the media question top state officials on the
issue of contaminated maize that was allegedly allowed to enter the market by
the government?
According to a World Health
Organisation (WHO) 2018 report, there are at least 47,887 new cancer cases reported in Kenya annually.
The country’s health sector has not been given enough attention by the government,
as most hospitals lack cancer screening machines and well-trained staff who can
handle special cases.
The hospitals are also understaffed,
despite thousands of medics graduating every year.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health Cicily Kariuki says that currently, only seven hospitals in the
country offer chemotherapy services to 48 million Kenyans. As if that is not
shocking enough, the country’s biggest referral hospital, the Kenyatta National
Hospital (KNH), recently tweeted asking Kenyans to donate Sh.230 million to
help build “a hostel that would offer temporary accommodation to cancer
patients undergoing treatment” at the hospital, and another Sh.200 million “to
support its operations”.
This is embarrassing because the
Ministry of Health has been clouded by corruption scandals that saw the loss of
billions of shillings, according to the country’s auditor general. No media
house questioned KNH or the health cabinet secretary on this.
The media has not played its role as
required in all these instances. By not focusing on the key issues affecting
the country, the legacy media has abandoned its watchdog role and must be
reminded that they exist to serve the public.
By holding public officials and
elected leaders to account and following up stories on the neglected health
sector and the rampant corruption cases, the media contributes towards the
strengthening of institutions of governance. This translates to good service delivery
and proper utilisation of taxpayers’ money in building well-equipped hospitals,
good roads, schools, supporting the agricultural, informal and creative sectors
for economic growth.
The legacy media still shapes agenda
in the Kenyan society, despite the rise of social media. Millions of Kenyans
still don’t have access to the internet every day and only rely on TV and radio
for news. The traditional media is, therefore, still powerful and what it
chooses to give prominence is taken seriously by the people.
Because the Kenyan media has chosen
to give prominence to political stories on who will ascend to power next and
neglecting its watchdog role, Kenyans have also remained hooked to political
debates and forgotten that they deserve better from their government.
For this to change, the media must
shift focus to ensuring that elected government officials and institutions
execute their mandate without failure, by giving prominence to stories on
service delivery.
Otherwise, the country will continue
to be in political moods as it has always been in the past decades, translating
to no meaningful development on the ground.
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