The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has said the move to starve media houses of government advertising is premature and will result in a loss of independence and public accountability.
HumanIPO reported in March the Kenyan Ministry of ICT and the Office of the Attorney General had come up with amendments requiring state organisations to advertise on online platforms as opposed to newspapers, with the plans subsequently opposed by state governors, who said it was not popular, legal or practical given lack of internet penetration in rural areas.
COFEK has now joined the opposition to the scheme, with it said further hampered quality journalism.
“Already, mainstream media houses no longer carry heavy investigative stories against government. They are playing apologists for government’s poor show against public expectations,” COFEK said in a statement.
“The example of the hushed Ksh43 billion (US$489 million) procurement by Kenya Pipeline Corporation and the loud silence around the scandalous procurement.”
COFEK said the move to cut back on government advertising on broadcasting platforms is in contravention of the Bill of Rights, especially under Article 35 of the Constitution, which allows all citizens to have information held by the state.
“Under Article 46(1)(b), consumers have the right to information necessary for them to gain full benefit from goods and services including those from Government. Such information cannot be effectively and efficiently relayed through internet,” COFEK said.
According to COFEK, using the internet to relay this information amounts to discrimination because of low penetration rates and high costs.
“In our view, therefore, the government has a weak legal, moral and political basis to proceed with this move which must be rejected,” the organisation said.
