Media Council of Kenya: Investigation into Kameme FM Code Violations
Background & Controversy
Following a public complaint and subsequent monitoring between June 8 and June 15, 2026, the Media Council of Kenya investigated politically charged broadcasts on Kameme FM’s Arabuka Show and Canjamuka Show. Presenter Muthoni wa Kirumba (Baby Top) engaged in a personalized, derogatory on-air dispute with a political aspirant and made unverified allegations implicating political figures in a coordinated campaign against the station. This controversy escalated online, leading to the unauthorized exposure of the presenter's personal information and subsequent social media tensions.
The Council evaluated the station's conduct against the Constitution, the Media Council Act, and the Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025:
Fact Verification (Clauses 4a, 4b): Breached. The station aired serious allegations regarding political interference and illegal data collection as facts without prior verification or supporting documentation.
Offensive Language & Live Delays (Clauses 11, 15): Breached. The presenter used a direct personal insult ("You, dog, you are not God!") during a live broadcast. The station failed to demonstrate that its mandatory seven-second live transmission delay was utilized to intercept this offensive content.
Hate Speech & Independence (Clauses 8, 24): Not Breached. While highly charged and insulting, the commentary did not explicitly advocate ethnic hatred, discrimination, or violence, meaning it fell short of a hate speech violation. Evidence was also insufficient to prove that external actors successfully compromised the station's ultimate editorial independence.
Conclusion & Recommendation
The station's actions constitute a partial breach of the Code of Conduct, stemming from poor live-broadcast management and a failure to verify facts rather than hate speech. Ultimate accountability for these oversights rests on the station's editorial leadership. The Regulatory Affairs Directorate recommends issuing a formal Notice to Show Cause to Kameme FM regarding these specific compliance failures.
Story By Blessed Media
Post a Comment