Judge declines to have NMG journalists gagged for “demonising” Ngiritas, former PS

Nation Media Group (NMG) on October 31 received a boost after Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Douglas Ogoti rejected an application to have two of its reporters cross examined for what defence lawyers in the National Youth Service (NYS) trial termed as biased reporting.

Reporters Brian Wasuna (Daily Nation,Courts) and Sam Kiplagat (Business Daily) had been summoned by Justice Ogoti following the complaints by the lawyers.

The reporters however have been quoting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Defence lawyers including Cliff Ombeta, Davis Odero, Stephen Ligunya and Migos Ogamba wanted NMG gagged for what they describe as “extremely biased reporting” that has led to opinions to be formed against their clients even before they set foot in court.

In its reporting of NYS cases, the publisher has splashed the faces of key suspects in its front pages accompanied by punchy headlines, the latest being on Thursday November 1 when their top story was How Ngiritas supplied air and made a killing, Mr Wasuna reported the story for Daily Nation while Kiplagat reported it for Business Daily.

The lawyers wanted the media house barred from covering the trial citing lack of balance .

Mr. Ligunya also wanted NMG barred from further reporting on his client, former Youth Affairs PS Lilian Omollo saying that Ms. Omollo has become a “revenue generator” for NMG. He was complaining that journalists at the twin towers are happy to “defame” her in order to push sales.

It is also not a secret that the Ngiritas in particular have borne the brunt of The Nation’s reporting since the story on the theft of Ksh 8 billion first broke.

According to the lawyers, NMG’S headlines have served to batter the suspects’ reputations.

On May 24, 2018 Daily Nation’s headline for their top story was Its Kabura Season II with the story largely describing how Ann Ngirita was a key beneficiary/ conduit of the plunder at the agency.

Former PS Omollo has not been spared either, on June 7, the newspaper’s headline was For Omollo, its fish fingers at breakfast.