Kenya Editors Guild condemns senator Cheruiyot's utterances referring to media as cartel

Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot during a previous event. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) has condemned in the strongest terms utterances made by Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot who referred to the media as a cartel.

In a statement on his Twitter page on Monday, March 6, Cheruiyot said President William Ruto 'would succeed in crushing every cartel in the country save for two that are extremely powerful.'

"Kenya banks and Kenya media are very powerful, influential, and synergise so well to protect each other's interest. For public good, a way must be found," said Cheruiyot.

The Kenya Editors Guild president Churchill Otieno says Cheruiyot's utterances are an open threat to the media and a direct affront to media freedom.

"It is dumbfounding that the Senator sees the media as a cartel rather than a catalyst of Kenya's democratic discourse without which, many politicians of his like would never have emerged to become anything worth quoting," said Otieno.

He added; "If we are to take his comment seriously, the Senator is saying that the president is keen to crush the media. We hope he is wrong and that president Ruto and his government have no such designs."

Further, the guild has called upon the senator to approach the Media Complaints Commission should he have any competent claim against the media.