Kenya’s media regulator, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), has sounded a warning to fraudsters reportedly masquerading as journalists.
In a press statement seen by Presshub Africa, MCK’s CEO David Omwoyo, has said that only accredited journalists will be allowed to practice in Kenya.
The statement reads in part: “It has come to our attention that there is an escalation of fraudsters masquerading as journalists and media practitioners who get access to events to extort and harass people.”
The council now says they are planning to hold a stakeholders meeting scheduled for Friday, January 27, 2023, to discuss the deepening crisis.
The stakeholder’s forum, MCK observes, intends to “provide a platform to deliberate on the matter and agree on practical measures to enhance professionalism.”
The call by MCK comes in the wake of a global proliferation of fake news and disinformation that continues to threaten democracy and efficient governance by spreading inaccurate news.
Two years ago, police in Nakuru arrested three people masquerading as Citizen TV journalists. The three allegedly contacted former Nacada chair John Mututho seeking an interview but were busted before they could con anyone.
