This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
On August 10, 2019, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga spoke out in defense of the media, urging journalists to continue their work in exposing corruption without fear or favor.
Speaking at the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards, Odinga praised the role of the media in governance, stating that only individuals with questionable characters are uncomfortable with truthful reportage.
His comments come at a time when the media has been under attack from politicians who claim to be victims of a witch hunt in the coverage of corruption.
However, Odinga urged the media to press on, saying that the attacks are attempts by corrupt individuals to prevent the public from differentiating between truth and lies.
He also criticized the parliament for attacking the media over a reported delegation to a US conference, calling on them to explain how much was spent during the trip.
ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng reiterated the government's commitment to free and independent media, but urged journalists to practice responsible journalism.
The 8th edition of the AJEA awards saw Africa Uncensored's John Allan Namu named the top journalist of the year.
