NATION MEDIA FORCED TO APOLOGIZE TO THE GOVT

The Daily Nation has issued an apology relating to its coverage of the alleged raid on the residence of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

The Nation Media Group (NMG)-owned paper reported that a police Land Cruiser and a Subaru vehicle were present at Matiang’i’s home. It was, however, later established that the Subaru was registered to a corporate entity and was being driven by a resident.

Nation on Tuesday, February 14 published an apology over the story published in the February 10 edition of the Daily Nation.

“In a story published in the Daily Nation on February 10, 2023, on the incident at the residence of former Interior CS, we erroneously implied that a vehicle bearing the registration plates (withheld) which was captured on camera entering the estate, belonged to the police.”

“We have since established that the vehicle belongs to a corporate entity and was being driven by a resident of the estate. We apologise to the corporate and resident,” the Daily Nation apology read in part.

The apology comes days after the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) tasked media houses with providing evidence of police presence at the Matiang’i residence as was widely reported. The coverage by media houses had sparked controversy, as government officials and the police maintained that no officers were deployed to arrest the former Cabinet Secretary.

“We request you to provide the Council with actual footage collected by your crew at the scene and the identity of the editors/reporters who were sent there,” MCK wrote to media houses in a statement issued on Saturday, February 11.

Prior to Nation issuing the apology, DCI boss Amin Mohamed had also told reporters that  investigations were ongoing to ascertain whether the vehicles identified by the newspaper belonged to the police service.

“As I have stated, we are on with the investigations and we are yet to ascertain whether the vehicles belonged to the police service,” he stated at the time.

By Business Daily