Newspaper stand in Kenya. Photo: BBC/bbc.com
Just a few days after the government canceled advertising on private media companies, the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) has now passed a law that no media house will be allowed to relay parallel results in the August 8th elections.
While speaking during the launch or media reporting guidelines in the general elections, CA boss Francis Wangusi said no station will be allowed to transmit election results adding that it is only IEBC who have that mandate.
"Some media houses have threatened to transmit parallel results but let them have this message clear, we are the watchdogs and we shall not allow it. There is only one body that can transmit election results and that is the IEBC," he said.
Wangusi also all media houses should be balanced when covering political events especially those touching on presidential candidates.
However, Media Council of Kenya (MCA) chairman Charles Kerich said the new guidelines are not practical.
"Though this law has been passed, I wonder how CAK will make it practical. Individual media houses make their own decision on what rally to cover, where and when, so a directive of equitable coverage may not just apply," said Kerich.
Will the new law affect the voting exercise and vote counting?