JOE MODIE
Right from the word go, the story surrounding Denis Itumbi’s alleged abduction has been filled with controversy, innuendo, political propaganda and, at times, outright deception.
Adding to this confusion has been Kenyan media, which clearly appears to have abdicated its role of non-partisan reporting.
It was obvious, right from the beginning, when the alleged abduction surfaced online, that this was a story couched in political undertones.
While the Tanga tanga wing, which Itumbi is the official spokesman, claimed that the State was behind the alleged abduction, the Kieleweke/Azimio side retorted that the whole thing was stage-managed to attract sympathy.
The accusations and counter accusations, from both sides, have been flying fast and furious.
This is where the media, as an independent arbiter should have come in and brought sanity to the whole issue by exposing the side that has been feeding Kenyans with untruthful information.
One of the cardinal rules in journalism is that media should, at all times, treat information it gets with a healthy sense of scepticism.
That way, journalists give themselves the much needed space to conduct their own investigation, to ascertain the veracity of the information flying around.
Sadly, our media have so far acted as catalysts of the disinformation being peddled around; uncritically regurgitating information they are getting from the Tanga tanga side, on Itumbi’s developments.
How has media failed Kenyans, so far, on this issue:
When it was reported that Itumbi had been abducted from a barbershop in Thindigua, where Itumbi lives, media houses despatched crew to the place and took footage of the blogger’s vehicle that had been abandoned there.
On getting there they had to rely on evidence from Josiah Murigu, an associate of Itumbi. Why did media people come all the way and fail to interview any of the workers at the barbershop?
The barbershop is in a pretty open space, facing the busy Kiambu Road, with an equally busy supermarket on the opposite side. If as they claim that there was an altercation between Itumbi and his alleged abductors, surely a number of people in the vicinity would have witnessed it. Was is so hard for the media people to get views of onlookers?
How come the media has not insisted on interviewing the said boda boda rider
Much later information came through to the effect that Itumbi was allegedly discovered by a boda boda rider, who reportedly called a taxi driver that took Itumbi to hospital.
How come the media has not insisted on interviewing the said boda boda rider or taxi driver? Why is it that they are happily consuming information being given to them by Tanga tanga operatives unquestioningly?
Why hasn’t the media insisted on certified medical reports from the hospital?
What is the true extent of Itumbi’s injuries? After Itumbi was taken to hospital, uncoordinated reports, including from Tanga tanga MPs claimed that Itumbi had both hands and legs broken, yet no media house sought to get this information from a doctor at the hospital? Why hasn’t the media insisted on certified medical reports from the hospital?
How can a patient in the ICU be subjected to an operation on the legs?
Early Christmas morning further information from Tanga tanga indicated that Itumbi had developed pneumonia and had been rushed to the ICU, only for them to claim that an operation procedure had been conducted on his ‘fractured’ legs!
How can a patient in the ICU be subjected to an operation on the legs? These questions can only be answered by a certified medical officer, yet no media is seeking such information. The question WHY.
Why wasn’t this ‘rogue doctor’ arrested for questioning?
In the evening, again, Tanga tanga sources alleged that a person purporting to be Itumbi’s family doctor had tried accessing the patient with malicious motive. This, according to the Tanga tanga sources had led to the hospital banning all visitors to Itumbi. Again, no media house sought to clarify this report with the hospital.
Why wasn’t this ‘rogue doctor’ arrested for questioning? While one cannot believe counter information coming from the Kieleweke/Azimio side for obvious reasons, one cannot help but start questioning the confusing, often contradictory information coming from the Tanga tanga side.
On this issue, Kenyan media has totally failed in their role. They have reduced themselves to glorified rumour mongers. It is a big shame.