In a move which has been seen as a deliberate attack on press freedom, the ongoing anti-gonernment protests have seen Citizen TV’s senior reporters Seth Olale and Spephen Letoo prohibited from Parliament.
After the journalists covered the recent anti-Finance Bill protests which saw protesters storming the National Assembly buildings, the ban has been sanctioned by Parliamentary Service Commission and allegedly backed by Speaker Moses Wetangula.
Olale and Letoo have been accused of exposing MPs to security threats, but they have vehemently denied. They argue that their role is to inform the public about what transpires in Parliament, and that their coverage was objective and fair.
The government’s opposition and media rights activists have described the ban as an attempt to stifle dissent and control the narrative.
They have also warned that the move sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching implications for press freedom in Kenya.
Barring of the duo has also raised concerns about the public’s right to access information.
With two prominent journalists barred from covering Parliament, there are fears that the public will be deprived of crucial information about legislative processes.