The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has addressed Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria’s recent comments on State agencies advertising with the Nation Media Group (NMG).
Kuria on Sunday attacked NMG, accusing them of being “an opposition party” before a roadside declaration directed at government agencies to stop advertising with the media house, failure to which they would be sacked.
He was seemingly responding to an exposé NMG ran over the weekend exposing an oil scandal allegedly orchestrated by his ministry.
EACC in a statement on Monday however rubbished Kuria’s declaration and noted that public procurement in Kenya is governed by the law and no public institution or official should be victimized for doing business with the media house.
“Pursuant to its advisory mandate, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) wishes to inform Kenyans that public procurement in Kenya is governed by the law and for that reason, no public institution or public official should be victimized, in any way, for engaging in any lawful dealings with other organizations, including the award of tenders within the law,” said EACC.
CS Kuria’s remarks, in which he also labelled the media house’s journalists “prostitutes”, angered many Kenyans who deemed it too low and juvenile.
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the Kenya Editors’ Guild issued statements on Monday castigating the CS’s utterances and his overall conduct as a State official.
KUJ said Kuria was “becoming a symbol of national shame” and condemned his reactions to media reports as an embarrassment to Kenyans.
The Kenya Editors’ Guild on its part termed Kuria’s remarks as “unwarranted, uncalled for and totally off the mark.”
KEG demanded an unconditional apology from the Trade and assurance from President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration that the sentiments expressed by Kuria do not represent the policy of the government.
The guild also sought assurance that the media enterprises will be accorded their space to execute their mandate.
