The Media Council of Kenya will take disciplinary actions against Citizen Television JKL live program Presenter Jeff Koinange over his live Wednesday’s live interview with COTU Secretary general Francis Atwoli.
In a letter signed by the Media Council of Kenya’s Chief Executive Officer and Secretary to the Council David Omwoyo, Koinange did not adhere to the media regulations in Kenya and repeatedly invaded Atwoli’s private life.
Omwoyo in the letter said that Koinange was being vulgar and used extreme language that was not allowed during the watershed period according to the laws governing the media in the country.
The MCK Chief Executive Officer expressed his concerns in the manner in which Koinange handled the interview digging dipper and comparing the age of Atwoli and that of his second wife TV anchor Ms. Mary Kilobi openly saying that Kilobi was only a half of Atwoli’s age.
Omwoyo noted with concerns that Koinange repeatedly used words like Je, unaisoma katiba vizuri? Kazi unaiweza? Kazi unaifanya? With intentions of asking if Atwoli was good in bed at his age compared to that of Kilobi.
The Media Council of Kenya revealed that though at the beginning of the show Atwoli was courageous he later became uncomfortable and dismissed Koinange noting that his children were watching the show and he could not answer such questions.
[COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli during the JKL program on Wednesday. Photo/Courtesy]
Omwoyo noted that the host was persistent in discussing explicit material and he as well breached clause 13 of the code of conduct for the practice of journalism as it provided for protection of privacy.
The letter is also copied to Mr. Timothy Kariuki who chairs the complaints commission and the host Jeff Koinange, while Royal Media Service has been ordered to furnish the council with relevant measures it has put in place to circumvent such occurrences in future.
Koinange could not survive KTN News broadcasting policies after he entertained former Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Miguna Miguna gnashing and tainting the now Nairobi County women representative Esther Pasaris live on air.
