UDA Faults Biased Media Reporting, Calls on Practitioners for Accountability

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 3 – UDA Secretary General, Sen. Hassan Omar has accused sections of Kenya’s mainstream media of abandoning the principles of professional journalism and transforming newsrooms into platforms for partisan political activism aimed at undermining current regime.

Addressing the media at Party’s headquarters in Nairobi, Sen. Omar said the ruling party remains committed to constitutional freedoms, including press freedom, but argued that media freedom must be exercised alongside accuracy, fairness, impartiality and professional ethics.

“We reiterate first and foremost our unwavering commitment to constitutional freedoms, including the freedom of the media as guaranteed under the Constitution of Kenya”.

“A free press remains an indispensable pillar of democracy and public accountability, at the same time, media freedom carries an equally important responsibility to uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, impartiality and professional ethics,” Omar said.

Omar claimed that some media practitioners and media organisations had increasingly prioritised “sensationalism over verification, commentary over facts and speculation over reporting,” warning that such practices were eroding public confidence in the media.

“Kenyan media today have mutated into political hirelings and are conflicted. Kenyans have lost trust in their reporting,” he said.

He also accused some prominent journalists of advancing political interests instead of practising objective journalism, claiming they had “metamorphosed into political opportunists exploiting every situation as political scavengers.”

The Secretary General noted that politicians would increasingly use their own communication platforms to challenge what they consider inaccurate or politically motivated reporting.

“If you choose the path of politics with us, we shall also use our forums to respond, You shall not continue to hide under the fake veil that you erect of independent media,” he stated.

He urged media houses to commit themselves to the principles of factual reporting, editorial independence and accountability.

“You need to recommit your troops to professional principles that have historically defined credible journalism, factual accuracy, editorial independence, balance, accountability, fairness, intellectual rigor and respect for the public’s right to truthful information,” he said.

He further criticised what he described as attempts by some interviewers to create confrontational television moments instead of pursuing substantive discussions.

Subsequently, He defended the growing use of digital platforms by politicians, saying social media, blogs and podcasts would increasingly be used to counter narratives carried by mainstream media.

“We must respond in our podcasts, in our blogs, everywhere. We shall respond so that we can be able to give Kenyans alternative sources of information,” he said.

He further urged media organisations to avoid what he termed propaganda, innuendo and unverified allegations disguised as news.

Omar argued that public trust in traditional media had declined significantly because of misinformation and poor journalism.

“Kenya had one of the continent’s highest levels of fake news, alleging that misleading narratives and distorted reporting had undermined confidence in journalism”, said Omar.

“The erosion of professional ethics and intellectual integrity that has always been associated with journalism has diminished the credibility of journalism in some media houses and some journalists and undermined public confidence in the media as an institution,” he added.

Further, He urged Kenyans to verify information from multiple credible sources and rely on official government communication on matters relating to government policy.

On media practitioners he encouraged them to restore public trust by embracing professional journalism founded on factual accuracy, fairness, balance and responsible reporting.

“We advise Kenyans to cultivate media literacy by consulting multiple credible sources of information, verifying information before sharing it and relying on official government communication on matters of government agenda”.