President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered journalists who were covering his event to pack and leave.
He kicked out the journalists during the launch of the Inspector General Conference at Kenya School Government.
“Sasa na nyinyi si mzime hiyo mavitu yenyu na muende. Kazi imekwisha” (You guys switch off your gadgets and leave, your work is finished)
In a similar fashion, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i also ordered journalists covering a function he was presiding over to leave.
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Just before addressing stakeholders at the launch of National Dialogue on Education Quality and Learning Outcomes in Kenya, the no nonsense CS ordered journalists to remove their microphones from the podium.
When the journalists delayed, he shoved the microphones aside before starting his address. The event was at Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi.
The remarks by the President and CS Matiang’i are only but the latest form of hostility that the government is having towards the media.
Journalists were also shoved aside at the Communications Authority of Kenya offices, Nairobi, by plainclothes police officers.
They covering activist Okiya Omtatah trying to serve the commission with an order from the High Court to reopen TV stations that were forcefully shut by the government.
As all these go on, three leading TV stations in the country have remained off air since January 30th even after High Court gave a directive that they be reopened.