Uasin Gishu County Assembly leader of majority Josephat Lowoi has faulted the move by the National Government to enact a bill that seeks to prohibit the media from reporting live national assembly proceedings.
The bill, which has passed to its second reading blocks the media from reporting live proceedings, unless granted permission by the speaker, failure to which it will attract a fine of Sh500,000.
Speaking at the county assembly on Thursday, Lowoi said the move by the national government is unwarranted, ill intended and will deny the media its freedom.
“The freedom of the press is guaranteed in the constitution and that the media has the right to collect information from any government or private information centre since the media has the mandate of educating, entertaining and informing the public without any interference from any arm of the government,” he said.
“Members of parliament decided to enact a bill to gag the media, they have been exposing them where most of them were sleeping instead of participating in debates meant for the betterment of mwanachi’s lives, I urge them to withdraw the bill with immediate effect before it becomes law since it will really infringe the rights of the media,” he added.