BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula on Monday clarified that the media has not been barred or denied access to Parliament Buildings.
He explained that only the media center has been relocated to adjacent Red Cross building.
Addressing a press conference at his office on Monday, Speaker Wetang’ula explained that, following repairs to the Parliament Buildings, the management has allocated space for the media covering Parliament at the Red Cross building across the road.
“I’ve been seeing the media allegations that there is any restriction on the media coming to Parliament. Nothing is far from the truth. And the testimony to that is, you’re being here before me, that you have come to Parliament to do your work as you always do,” Dr. Wetang’ula told a press conference at Parliament Buildings.
“The only issue is that, following the extensive damage to Parliament, we, as the management of Parliament, have allocated space for the media across the road,” he added.
He further explained that Parliament, through the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit (PBU), will facilitate live coverage as it has always done as well as continue to have access to any material from Parliament.
To ensure the safety and security of Parliament, parliamentarians, visitors, and the media, the Speaker assured that their safety is guaranteed at all times without any inconvenience.
“We have a duty as a Houses of Parliament to ensure that whatever we do is open to the scrutiny of Kenyans wherever they are in the world through media circulation and coverage,” he stated.
The Speaker noted that Parliament has already budgeted for the construction of a state-of-the-art media center within the parliamentary precincts, following consultations the leadership of the Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association (KPJA).
“We have rolled out plans for a state-of-the-art media center. We have identified a suitable location within this parliamentary compound, and we will soon go to tender. We have been advised that the construction will begin, once the tender process is complete.” he stated.
