Homa Bay county assembly bars journalists from covering its proceedings

Homa Bay residents are questioning transparency in their county assembly following action by the assembly administration from last week, to bar journalists from covering their proceedings after reporting misappropriation of Sh51 million from their county budget.

Last Thursday, six journalists were barred from covering the assembly proceedings for unclear reasons.

Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti with Senator Moses Kajwang. The County Assembly has barred journalists from attending proceedings. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

Security guards who were manning the gate during the proceedings said no journalist could be allowed to enter the assembly premises except one who works for a vernacular radio station.

"We don't have any authority to deter you from entering this assembly but we were instructed by our bosses that only the vernacular radio reporter should be allowed in," a security guard told journalists.

The journalists were forced to return after the security guards failed to honour their Media Council accreditation cards and their employers' identification cards.

The restrictions began mid last month when the journalists reported a scandal in which the assembly clerk Bob Kephas failed to account for sh51million before the senatorial committee on Public Accounts chaired by Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale.

A number of the area residents expressed concern that barring journalists from covering the assembly proceedings will culminate in corruption.

Homa Bay County Bunge la Wenye Nchi Speaker George Okiki and the organisation's Organising Secretary Okano Nyasanga and ODM youth in Mbita constituency Kepher Otieno, said transparency can hardly be exercised in a public office where the public are barred.

"The county assembly is also responsible for oversight besides legislation. Gagging the media simply means that there are some irregularities they are hiding," said Okano Nyasanga.

Okiki said the action will thwart public participation among the county residents.

"If a journalist already belongs to the Media Council, and their company identification card, what letter from the employer does the Clerk require from journalists? Let them tell us where sh51 million was taken instead of gagging the press," said Okiki.

On his part, Otieno expressed concern that the situation will take Homa Bay County back to the dark days where Kenya has come from.

"Gagging the press means denying us an opportunity to get information and this is going to make us rely on rumours because many area residents rely on the media for information from the county assembly due to distance," Otieno said.

This came after County assembly Clerk Bob Kephas served journalists who are based in Homa Bay town with copies of a letter requiring them to apply for a county assembly press pass.

In his letter dated August 18, 2015, Kephas told journalists, "You are hereby advised to put your applications to the Clerk of the county assembly enclosing therewith: a letter from your employer, copy of Media Council accreditation card and a copy of National Identity card."