Any attempt to block the access of information especially by the fourth Estate raises eyebrows. It is the first smoking gun that that something fishy is cooking.
But in Kenya media has been called names. The freedom of the press is only verbal but in action their is a big mess. Many a times the media has been tongue -tied and forced not to have access of information which is paramount as clearly stated by the constitution.
But what do you sense when an institution that is meant to protect integrity of the state does the same thing to our media house?
A lobby group has questioned the legality of a decision by interviewers to bar the public from witnessing the vetting of individuals who have applied to fill the vacancy of chief executive officer at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Journalists who went to EACC’s Commission House headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday were barred from accessing the interview room.
Spokesperson Yasin Amaro told reporters that the process was not open to the public.
He added that he had tried his best to secure access for the media but the response he got was that, after the interviews are over, the media may only be briefed of what had happened there.
Reacting to that turn of events, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya, an organisation that lobbies for good governance among other causes, said that there is no law that bars the public from accessing such interviews.
ICJ executive director Samwel Mohochi said that the irony of it all was that the recruitment of an EACC boss should be an example to Kenyans on how open recruitment should be done.
“We cannot have any law that says the media is not allowed, because we are all about trying to promote transparency of not only the process but the outcome,” said Mr Mohochi.
“Recruitment to the office of chief executive officer of the EACC should showcase our national intent to tackle vices that include patronage, corruption, nepotism,” he added.
In Mr Mohochi’s view, the recruiters should be at the forefront in demonstrating that EACC takes the lead when it comes to fighting some of the vices that have plagued the public service.