Kenya’s Minister of Commerce, Moses Koria, faced severe backlash on Wednesday after launching a public tirade against the Nation Media Group (NMG), one of East Africa’s largest media conglomerates.
Koria accused the media group of working for the opposition and referred to its journalists as “prostitutes.” The opposition and journalists’ associations swiftly condemned his remarks and called for a boycott of the minister.
During a public event on Sunday, Koria threatened to terminate the employment of any government official engaged in business with NMG, questioning whether the media group was truly an unbiased entity.
He further insinuated that the group’s journalists were coerced by their superiors to write anti-government articles, claiming it was part of a scheme funded by a former president.
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NMG responded by highlighting that the minister’s outburst followed NTV’s broadcast of an investigative report into a potential import scandal within Koria’s ministry.
The media group characterized his attack as not only an affront to press freedom but also a denigration of democracy itself.
Opposition senator Edwin Sifuna tabled a motion of censure against Koria, stressing that assaults on one media outlet often lead to broader attacks on press freedom. In protest, members of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s party staged a walkout during a Senate session where Koria was present.
Despite the mounting criticism, Minister Koria refused to apologize, asserting that he saw no reason to do so. The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) branded Koria as a symbol of national shame, while the Media Owners Association called for his disqualification from holding any public office.
This incident comes amidst ongoing tensions between the media and President William Ruto, who previously accused the press of biased coverage during last year’s presidential election.
