It seems that Deputy President William Ruto is not about to slow down any time soon, or will he?
The man flew straight into the city after his high octane tour of the Nyanza Region’s Migori County where he spent the entire day and oversaw the opening of various development projects among them electricity, roads commissioning and a milliard of promises.
In the evening, Ruto was the chief guest as global media giants the British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC] officially commissioned the African Bureau in Nairobi which is the largest outside of Britain.
The DP had nothing but good words for the media firm insisting that the new bureau will revolutionize the way information is shared across the region. He however cautioned the media to remain balanced and responsible in its work even as the government ensures that there is freedom of the press.
“I commend the BBC for setting up and tremendously modernizing its regional headquarters in Nairobi. Freedom alone is not what makes the media valuable to society. Responsible journalism is the only kind that serves society. It demands accuracy, truth and balance.” he stated.
“The media in Kenya has grown exponentially over the last 15 years and claimed its rightful place in our society. This transformation has also seen a rise in the standards of training and development of journalists. We believe in a vibrant, free media. We also believe that to be truly free, media must be truthful. Repression of the media is as bad as fake news. Our society has never asked any more of the media than it stories be fair and true,” he stated.
During the launch of the BBC News Regional Headquarters, Nairobi County. #MeetBBCEastAfrica pic.twitter.com/6i9IZg29o0
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) November 5, 2018
The BBC went for some of the best media talents in the country during its recent hiring charm offensive and the deputy president believes that indeed Kenya is a hub of these and many more talents, encouraging more investors to set base in the country.
“The East African BBC Bureau is a validation of Kenya’s capacity to deliver as an operational anchor for the region. This is a positive indictment on our investor friendliness and ability to deliver the infrastructure required by global corporations
“The BBC is at home here with more than 100 British companies doing business in Kenya; ensuring that the UK remains the largest investor in our country,” he asserted.
“The East African BBC Bureau is a validation of Kenya’s capacity to deliver as an operational anchor for the region. This is a positive indictment on our investor friendliness and ability to deliver the infrastructure required by global corporations. The facility we open today is the BBC’s largest hub outside the UK, with capacity to serve diverse audiences over a far-flung constituency with information, education and entertainment of the highest quality through multiple platforms, he stated.
The BBC is at home here with more than 100 British companies doing business in Kenya; ensuring that the UK remains the largest investor in our country. This is good for the economy, our people and the media industry. #MeetBBCEastAfrica
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) November 5, 2018
During the launch of the largest BBC bureau in the world outside the UK. This will create significant investment in the future of African Journalists thus generate new content for Africa. @WilliamsRuto pic.twitter.com/9Wslj6hxOm
— Hon. Aden Duale (@HonAdenDuale) November 5, 2018
Do you think Kenya has achieved press freedom over the years?