Media geniuses should save us the ‘investigations’

Over the last couple of days, the Kenyan online community has had its guns pointed towards Mugo wa Wairimu. For those who have no idea, Mugo wa Wairimu is a typical Kenyan imposter who has been, allegedly, sedating his female patients before raping them. In fact, he is an extreme case of Kenya’s renowned ‘team Mafisi’ sect.

However, one thing that I’m failing to understand is why Citizen Television had to let the crime happen and then use it as a big story to expanding their viewership. I find their action both unethical and illegal. As a matter of fact, they should have protected the woman from the ordeal instead of letting the crime happen then reporting it.

I acknowledge the fact that our Kenyan media industry is doing well in the region, thanks to their controversial investigative stories. However, I am particularly concerned by the fact that some of these stories are unnecessary and totally misguiding. Whereas I know it is their goal to get such big stories in order to expand their coverage, they should not let some crimes happen and then air them pretending to be doing the right thing.

In this case, Citizen Television had a witness who testified in a voice recording. With this victim, they should have made their story big and, on the other hand, they should have made her narrate her story to the relevant government authorities. This would have facilitated investigations in a more decent way.

But, by letting a mother, a wife and a respected member of the Kenyan society to be raped so that they can prove their ingenuity in media business, they not only displayed the rot in some media houses but also degraded the current position of our Kenyan mothers.