We will not - President Ruto on plans to switch off media, internet ahead of Azimio demos

02 April 2023

• Addressing the nation from State House, Ruto said that Kenyan has come a long way and the era of switching off the media is long gone.

• He went on to assure the media that his government will support them in whatever they are doing.

President William Ruto has refuted claims that his government is planning to switch off the media ahead of Azimio demos.

Addressing the nation from State House, Ruto said that Kenyan has come a long way and the era of switching off the media is long gone.

He went on to assure the media that his government will support them in whatever they are doing.

"For the record, because I have seen some people say ooh sijui what will be switched off media? We will support the media irrespective of how biased they will be. My door still remains open for honest, objective, and sincere deliberations based on the rule of law and the Constitution, " he said.

He expressed commitment to enhancing the freedom and rights of the media saying he has no plans to pin them down.

“Kenya has come a long way. And we are hearing that the government is planning to switch off the media. We will not switch off the media in fact we support the media regardless of how unbiased they are,” he said.

"I do not think there was any deliberate attack on the media. We believe the media should be left to carry out its duties irrespective of how unfair they may be. Media has our absolute support. Any engagement that puts media in danger is not accepted."

Kenya Media Sector Working Group and the media stakeholders earlier called out Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for attempting “to deny the free flow of information to the public."

“We have received reports of plans to shut down the broadcast media and the internet and throw the country in information darkness ahead of tomorrow’s demonstrations," President of Kenya Editors Guild, Churchill Otieno said on Sunday.

Otieno said the move is ill-advised and a grievous assault on Kenyan democracy.

"From a media perspective, taking this route will sink us all as a country,” he said.