Boycott Media Houses: Esther Passaris Urges Kenyans

The lawmaker particularly singled out Standard Group Limited and Nation Media Group, claiming they dislike the country and that their daily reporting screams being hellbent on seeing the country fall.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jul 4, 2025 - 16:34
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Boycott Media Houses: Esther Passaris Urges Kenyans
Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris speaks in Nakuru during a National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) meeting on July 3, 2025. /ALLAN KE

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has sparked fresh controversy by now urging Kenyans to boycott media houses in the country.

Speaking in Nakuru during a National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) meeting on Thursday, July 3, in a video that has now gone viral, Passaris accused media outlets of publishing and airing stories intent on destabilising the country.

The lawmaker particularly singled out Standard Group Limited and Nation Media Group, claiming they dislike the country and that their daily reporting screams being hellbent on seeing the country fall.

During the meeting, she opened up on a Bill she introduced, claiming President William Ruto did not know of its existence until learning of it via the internet. 

"When I introduced the Private Members Bill, William Samoei Ruto did not know about it. He read it on the internet, but these gutter press outlets that we have, that we call Nation Media Group and Standard Media Group, they don’t love Kenya," she addressed.

Still, she called on members of the public to boycott all media houses and to cease purchasing or subscribing to newspapers that don't positively report on the current government.

"They want to make our country fall. I’m asking Kenyans to kindly boycott media houses. Don’t buy those newspapers that want to give you bad stories every day. They don’t want to report that the government is doing its work," she continued.

Her remarks come at a time when the media has faced government criticism over live streaming of the June 25 Gen Z anniversary protests, with the government, via the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), responding by switching off signals of major TV and radio stations, that is, before the courts intervened.

The High Court, on the same day, granted conservatory orders putting the directive on hold after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) contested its legality. At the latest court session on Wednesday, Justice Chacha Mwita extended these orders and set the next hearing for October 27. LSK is pushing for the directive to be completely nullified, arguing it violates the constitution.

While appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Delegated Legislation on Thursday, Information, Communication, and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) William Kabogo explained that the government’s actions were guided by the principles of the watershed period, aiming to shield children from live broadcasts showing injuries, fatalities, and property damage during the protests.

“Generally, the main reason for switching off was within the parameters of the watershed period. There was a lot of violence being aired on national TV, and the violence was aired when children and such like people are watching TV,” said Kabogo.

“When the violence became too much, a committee responsible for advising me told me there was excessive violence on air."

Harsher Rules For Kenyan Media Houses

Meanwhile, Kabogo disclosed that his ministry is finalising tougher regulations to oversee media content, with a particular focus on live broadcasts during sensitive national events. He explained that the proposed reforms aim to modernise Kenya’s media standards to keep pace with global developments and emerging digital challenges.

Under the draft code, strict rules would govern media operations, including hefty penalties for misusing Artificial Intelligence (AI) or distributing misleading AI-generated material.

The code also specifies that betting or gambling-related content must be separated from standard news reporting.

Kabogo noted that media outlets would face consequences for publishing headlines that mislead audiences or do not accurately reflect the story’s content.

Additionally, a mandatory seven-second delay has been proposed for live broadcasts to block inappropriate or non-compliant material from being aired.

However, lawmakers led by Committee chairperson Robert Gichimu and Chepkong’a expressed concern, warning that if enforced, the code might unfairly punish individual journalists while leaving media owners off the hook.

Journalists in Kenya during a past media coverage. /NTV

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