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Dear Uhuru, If You Don’t Want Criticism Then Do The Right Thing, Buying Media Won’t Help

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Photo- courtesy: Alleged fake professor Mutahi Ngunyi one of the shameless Jubilee defenders

If you read Magesha Ngwiri’s not so coherent column in the Nation on Saturday, you would have noticed the intellectual dishonesty of the Kenyan conservative class.

True, the 8 columnist who resigned did so in a questionable way, but if you read their letter, they stated their reasons, key among them, the Nation’s sacking of Dennis Galava and Gado, two of the most independent media voices in the country. The discontinuation of David Ndii’s authoritative column too played a part. Nic Cheeseman complained about many things among them the obituary of Jimi Wanjigi that left a rotten egg on the Nation’s face (In Nation’s defense, if you know how obituaries are placed, you will cut them some slack, but hopefully they learnt their lessons.)

It is true the 8 columnists have civil society links. It is true they were overly critical of the government but who is not.

In 2013, after CORD’s defeat, I gave UhuRuto a chance, hoping however forlon, that a miracle would happen. I was foolish. Their first term took us back to 1992. Their second term will take us to God’s knows where.

Part of a healthy democracy is a noisy critical media.

If Ngwiri expects a media that caresses the government, then his wealth of experience as a long serving editor are totally wasted.

The beauty of the media is that everyone gets heard. Even the government. The government has its mouthpieces. But if your first line of defense is Peter Kagwanja, Mutahi Ngunyi, Dennis Itumbi, then honestly you don’t expect them to hold a candle to an army of some of the sharpest minds in the continent, if not globally.

Jubilee should hire better brains. And while at it try to do the right thing, if they don’t want criticism.

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