Revoke advertising directive, Kenya Media Sector demandsMedia practitioners plan to sue the government if it does not rescind its recent directive ordering all ministries, state agencies, independent commissions and public universities to exclusively air their TV and radio advertisements on national broadcaster KBC. The Kenya Media Sector Working Group (KMSWG), a coalition of more than 20 different media associations, termed the recent directive issued by Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary, Edward Kisangani, as a threat Kenya’s free media. The media practitioners accused the government of systematically undermining Kenyans’ freedom of expression, media freedom and freedom to access information in blatant violation of the Constitution. The journalists said restricting public sector advertising to a single, state-controlled channel will effectively restrict the reach and influence of independent media. He defended the move, arguing it is in line with the Treasury circular issued dated July 10, 2015, which communicated the cabinet’s decision to centralise public sector advertising.

Source: The Star March 13, 2024 14:51 UTC