The government should closely monitor vernacular radio and TV stations whose broadcasts are inciting communities against each other, Nyaribari Chache MP Richard Tong’i has said.
Speaking when he met a group of IDPs who were affected during the 2007 election, the Mp said as the political climate intensifies towards 2017 general elections, such stations could be used by rogue politicians to incite Kenyans.
“The government should closely monitor these TV and radio stations because they serve no good for this country,” he said.
He said some of the vernacular stations fueled the 2007/2008 post-election violence that almost threw the country to the dogs.
“I am personally worried that the way some of our political class is making utterances can easily take us to 2007/2008 violence. It’s my sincere prayer that this does not happen,” he added.
The legislator said the vernacular stations have the most uncensored talk shows, and the only remedy is to close them down.
“One who listens to these stations wonders whether some of these presenters work under any code of ethics and conduct owing to the manner in which they engage with their listeners/viewers,” he said.
He added that these stations have the most uncensored discussions and that most of their presenters work in total disregard of the code of ethics.