Kenya: Moi and the Media - How Kenyan Journalism Suffered Under His Iron Heel

analysis

Kenya's political leaders have always had a vested political interest in the control of the country's media. But no president has had a more terrifying presence in Kenyan newsrooms than Daniel arap Moi, Kenya's president from 1978 to 2002.

The Sunday broadcast news in the 1980s and 1990s was a familiar ritual of Moi's diary. Kenyans were told which church service he attended on the day. They were also told the colour of his suit and tie. Moi's media persona was larger than the man. He populated every public space like a fetish. His omnipresence was felt across newsrooms, all of which had his framed picture strategically placed to ensure journalists were aware he was watching them.

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