Spotlight on ongoing TV shutdown investigation

Could the statement by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i that the media were complicit in an alleged plot by the opposition to commit a “massacre” during the “swearing-in” of Nasa leader Raila Odinga as the “peoples’ president” join a list of past official allegations that have never been fully followed through, despite promises of investigation?

“What was witnessed at Uhuru Park was a well-choreographed attempt to subvert or overthrow the legally-constituted Government of the Republic of Kenya,” Dr Matiang’i said in a statement.

He added: “Some elements in the media fraternity participated in furtherance of this illegal act.”

MEDIA FREEDOM

Although he did not offer any evidence to support his allegations, only saying investigations were ongoing, Dr Matiang’i used the claim to justify a blackout on the top three privately-owned television stations: NTV, KTN News and Citizen TV.

The Media Council of Kenya said in a statement that it was unfortunate that “a political contest has turned into the greatest threat and assault on freedom of expression and media in Kenya’s recent history”.

But this will not be the first time the government is making such allegations, which are usually never followed through with thorough investigations as is usually promised.

ACCUSED

Late November last year, police pounced on Nasa strategist David Ndii while holidaying with his family in the South Coast. Dr Ndii is a fierce critic of the Jubilee government. 

He was released on a Sh10,000 bond three days later after police investigators failed to produce a charge sheet or documents to show why they took him to court.

This was unlike other circumstances where police take a person to court either with a ready charge sheet or with an application before a magistrate asking for more days to detain the person pending conclusion of investigations.

A month before this incident, policemen broke into the Muthaiga home of Nasa financier Jimi Wanjigi allegedly to recover firearms suspected to be in the house. The police have never charged him, but Mr Wanjigi secured an anticipatory bail. 

In June 2016, at the height of the opposition’s demonstrations against the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Nairobi Police Commander Japheth Koome said they had intelligence that a Pajero vehicle was to ferry grenades to Kibera for use in the demos.

But he neither produced the car nor the ammunition as he promised during the media briefing.

ALLEGATIONS

In May 2016, Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe claimed that two neighbouring countries were behind the recent heightened political tensions aimed at destabilising the government.

“Investigations into recent political activity have yielded intelligence to the effect that there are individuals within the country who are working with two neighbouring countries to subvert the government and create conditions of instability, insecurity, lawlessness and strife,” he said.

However, like his senior colleagues in government, Mr Kiraithe did not adduce any evidence, even though he promised to announce the findings of investigations into the claim.

“In due course the government will be revealing the results of our investigations, and unmasking these despicable traitors,” he said, but he has not done so to date. He did not respond to our request for comment.

CONSPIRACY CLAIMS

In 2015, Dr Matiang’i’s predecessor in the ministry of Interior, Major-General Joseph Nkaissery, who died last July, also alleged that a plot was underfoot to topple the government. He, too, never tabled any evidence.

At the same time, Maj-Gen Nkaissery ordered the arrest of three journalists from the Nation, Standard and Star who had written articles based on the Auditor-General’s report, which was tabled in Parliament.

He accused them of being part of a conspiracy to discredit the ministry.

The audit report raised questions on how more than Sh3.8 billion in the security budget went missing.

Some thought that the alleged coup plot mentioned by the CS was just a red herring to divert attention from the queries in the ministry.

NO CHARGES

In September 2014 the chairman of National Security Advisory Committee at the time, Francis Kimemia (now Nyandarua County governor), accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) of financing “clandestinely planned” demonstrations held to “pour vitriol” on the nation’s Parliament.

And in November 2015, Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet called a press conference in which he claimed that two Kenyans – Abubakar Sadiq Louw and Yassin Sambai Juma – were working with agents of the Iranian government to carry out attacks in Kenya.

The IG said Mr Louw admitted to working on behalf of the Quds Force, the clandestine external wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards.

However, Mr Louw’s family denied the allegations as baseless. Mr Louw and his alleged accomplice have never been charged.