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{
    "id": 818281,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/818281/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 80,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Endebess, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1458,
        "legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
        "slug": "robert-pukose"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, I rise under Standing Order No.255 which provides for the Press representatives infringing Standing Orders or the Speaker’s rules as read together with the First Schedule regarding broadcast rules. My point of order will also be drawing your attention to the precedent of this House, as contemplated under Standing Order No. 1 and 2, which provides for the precedent on matters not provided for. Hon. Speaker, I know that the Standing Orders prohibit us from referring to newspaper articles on matters of this House. However, the matter I am about to raise relates to one headline titled, “House of Bribes”, which was published in the People Daily of yesterday, 30th July 2018. The story was carried on page 6 of that newspaper under the title: “Bribery den: When watchdogsturn predators” . The newspaper even carried your picture as if to authenticate the story. Many colleagues may not have any problem if there was any evidence or iota of proof to support the sensational story. However, it was a blanket condemnation of all the 416 Members of the National Assembly and the Senate calling them predators. This is an affront to the entire House and it is not acceptable. Even though Article 34 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of the media, that freedom must come with responsibility. Freedom on one party should not mean maligning other people. It is unfair for the newspaper to hide under parliamentary privilege which has been provided by this House to attack the same House. I am informed that up to and until the 10th Parliament, media did not have accommodation in Parliament. It was operating under a Press Tent near the current Senate Chamber. Today Parliament, through the PSC, has provided office space, TV sets, computers, printers and other equipment to private media houses and given them almost unfettered access to parliamentary business and proceedings. Parliament to this day uses its budget to undertake local visits and seminars with the media officers and the Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association (KPJA). All this is aimed at opening up our proceedings and facilitating the media reporters so that they can report accurately and promptly. What do we get in return? We are called predators. We are not asking for any favours from the media. What we demand is accurate reporting. I recall during the 9th Parliament, the late Waweru Mburu used disparaging language against Parliament in his morning show: ‘ Yaliyotendeka’ . The then Speaker, Hon. Kaparo, meted out sanctions against that media house, the Royal Media Services (RMS). Further, during the 10th Parliament, a popular presenter with Kiss FM similarly drew sanctions of the Speaker against her media house for maligning the House collectively. Speakers of the House, including Hon. Marende, did not hesitate to mete out sanctions against media houses whenever they went overboard. I know many media houses and reporters who are beyond reproach, but there are few whose intentions are ill-intended and will give a bad name to the entire flock. Hon. Speaker, I humbly request you to take action against this media house immediately and also request that the relevant committee takes up the matter and gets to the bottom of it. Thank you."
}