Editor's Review

Ruto had accused the media of being unfair to him in coverage of stories saying he won't attend their presidential debate


Citizen TV Editorial Director Linus Kaikai has hit back at Deputy President William Ruto for attacking his media station and NTV Kenya for biased coverage of presidential candidates.

The Veteran Journalist in a tweet appeared to mock the DP accusing him of bias yet he was given full coverage while presenting his nomination papers to the IEBC for clearance.

 "DP @WilliamsRuto cites @citizentvkenya, @inoorotv @NationAfrica for unfair coverage. Speaking live now on Citizen TV."

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The comment saw many Kenyans throng to the comment section to react among them the office of the Deputy President Director of Communications Emmanuel Talam.

Talam appeared to dismiss Kaikai saying they covered him out of their own choice.

" You broadcast him LIVE! it was your decision!"

The reaction by Kaikai came minutes after the DP disparaged the media for favouritsm and bias.

Speaking to the media ahead of his clearance to vie for the presidency, DP Ruto clarified why he intends to miss the presidential debate.

He accused the media of favoring his oponents and termed the debate as "pre-rigged".

Deputy President with the Kenya Kwanza brigade at the Bomas of Kenya on Saturday, June 4. (Photo: Courtesy)

Ruto said he won't be a party to the presidential debate organized by media houses that have been favoring his opponents.

"If the presidential debate is being organised by a media house that has taken sides, by people who have skewed the playing field in favour of one side, what moral authority do they have to ask the rest of us who are not their candidates to attend a pre-arranged and pre-rigged debate."

He added: "If you have decided to choose a side, organise a presidential debate for that side. Don't expect us to come and sanitise a debate that you have already skewed with the coverage of your news".

On Thursday, the DP’s communication team announced that Deputy President William Ruto had been advised to bolt out for the president.

UDA Communications head Hussein Mohammed said this was due to media bias.

"We have noted with much concern the repeated and continued bias and propaganda in a section of Kenya’s mainstream media in abuse of statutory," he said.

"Under the current partisan media environment, we have advised our candidate against participating in the presidential debate."

Mohammed said Political news is a matter of public interest and its coverage therefore by journalists, media practitioners or media enterprises has to be done fairly, accurately and with all sides of the story being reported.

"This has been deliberately contravened, ignored, and bravely abused by the sections of the media," he said.