Northern Kenya is often portrayed as a region of resilience, hardship, and deep marginalization. Its people have endured decades of conflict, drought, insecurity, and political neglect. For this reason, the region has always needed strong journalism media that amplifies its pain, exposes injustices, and forces the state to respond.
But what happens when journalism itself becomes part of the problem?
The recent incident involving a planned joint media interview with a former deputy President was supposed to be a milestone. It was an opportunity for Northern Kenya’s media to finally show the nation that the region could host serious political conversations, that it could hold power accountable, and that it could represent its people professionally and responsibly.
Instead, the event turned into a national embarrassment. It exposed a crisis that is deeper than the interview itself: the collapse of journalistic ethics in Northern Kenya, the rise of political mercenaries, and the emergence of online platforms that operate as political propaganda tools.
This is not just about one event or one group of journalists. It is a systemic failure that reflects the state of media in the region and its consequences are far-reaching.
THE INTERVIEW THAT FAILED: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND WHAT IT REVEALS
The planned interview was not a casual arrangement. It was a carefully negotiated event that involved multiple platforms, coordination between local media houses, and a commitment to give the people of Northern Kenya a chance to directly challenge a controversial leader. The intent was not to praise or promote the leader, but to interrogate him on issues affecting the region and the country.
The process began with genuine effort. A team of journalists reached out to the leader’s office through official channels and secured a date and time. The leader accepted the invitation and the interview date was confirmed. Journalists from different counties were involved in the planning, and several online platforms were selected to live stream the event. Everything was ready, and the public was informed through posters and official announcements.
However, the interview collapsed because political interference and financial manipulation took over. After the interview date was announced, certain political actors began to exert pressure, questioning the motives behind the interview and seeking to control the narrative. They began contacting journalists, pressuring them to withdraw and threatening them with political consequences. The real turning point was when some journalists were allegedly offered money to boycott the event. Instead of refusing and reporting the interference, they accepted the offer and disappeared. They did not communicate their withdrawal to the public, the host, or even their colleagues who had traveled to Nairobi in good faith.
The biggest damage was not the cancellation itself, but the way the cancellation happened. The boycott was not communicated as a principled stance or a professional decision. It was done in secrecy, leaving other journalists and the public in confusion. The journalists who disappeared did not explain why they pulled out. They abandoned the colleagues who had traveled and prepared to represent the region. They left the host waiting. They left the public without answers. Their actions proved that their decision was not based on principle but on political manipulation.
What made the situation even more damaging was the fact that the interview continued without them. Another journalist stepped in, and the session proceeded successfully. This clearly showed that the boycott was not because the interview was impossible, but because the boycott was demanded by political players who wanted to control the narrative. The event did not collapse due to logistical issues or lack of readiness; it collapsed because the journalists were no longer acting as journalists but as political operatives.
The incident is not a single mistake. It is a symptom of a deeper issue. When journalists can be paid to disappear, when the truth becomes negotiable, and when the public is denied access to accountability, the media ceases to be a public institution. It becomes a political weapon.
The public’s biggest loss in this scenario was not the missed interview. It was the denial of accountability. Northern Kenya’s people have the right to hear tough questions and strong answers. They have the right to demand accountability from their leaders and from national leaders who make claims about the region. By abandoning the interview, these journalists denied the public a chance to know the truth and they chose to serve politics instead.
The problem is not limited to one event. It reflects a pattern of political control over media in the region. In many parts of Northern Kenya, media is not independent. It is controlled by political networks. Journalists are pressured to defend politicians, even when those politicians are wrong. Platforms become mouthpieces for political factions, and news becomes propaganda. The incident reveals that journalism in Northern Kenya is no longer a profession it has become a political business.
THE REAL MEDIA CRISIS IN NORTHERN KENYA: WHY THE REGION IS FAILING ITS OWN JOURNALISTS
To understand the collapse, we must examine the deeper reasons behind it.
Northern Kenya’s media ecosystem is shaped by several factors that together create a toxic environment for professional journalism. These factors are not excuses, but they are real issues that have allowed the collapse to happen.
A large portion of media practitioners in Northern Kenya operate without formal accreditation, training, or accountability. The rise of online media has made it easier for anyone to become a “journalist” without any training, ethics, or oversight. This creates a dangerous environment where unverified information spreads easily, rumors become news, tribal narratives become accepted facts, and political loyalty replaces journalistic integrity.
The result is that the region’s media is increasingly dominated by online platforms and bloggers who operate like political campaign offices. Many of these platforms are funded by politicians or political interests, and they exist not to inform the public but to shape political narratives. As a result, news becomes a weapon, not a public service.
Financial dependency on politicians is another major issue. Many media platforms in Northern Kenya depend on politicians for survival. They receive funds, access, and opportunities from political networks. This dependency destroys independence. When a journalist depends on a politician for survival, they cannot report objectively. They cannot ask tough questions. They cannot expose wrongdoing. They become part of the political system.
In many parts of Northern Kenya, political identity is tied to tribal identity. When a politician from a certain community is criticized, the media becomes defensive, not because the criticism is wrong, but because it is politically uncomfortable. This results in a media culture where the public is not served, facts are replaced by loyalty, and truth is sacrificed for identity.
Journalism becomes a tool for defending a tribe rather than defending the truth.
When journalism is not regulated, and when journalists are not accountable, ethical standards disappear. The profession loses its credibility. In Northern Kenya, this is a major issue: journalists do not face consequences for unethical behavior. They can disappear from a project and never explain why. They can accept payments from politicians without being held accountable. They can abandon their colleagues without any professional penalty. This is a collapse of ethics, and it is destroying the profession.
The collapse of journalism in Northern Kenya is not a regional issue. It is a national issue. Because Northern Kenya’s media is the voice of a region that has historically been ignored. When that voice becomes corrupted, the entire country loses.
The public loses trust in media when journalists act like political mercenaries. When they disappear, when they accept payments, when they protect politicians, the public begins to believe that the media is not a public institution but a private political tool. This destroys the role of media as a democratic institution.
Northern Kenya has always struggled to be heard. But when its media becomes propaganda, it loses the power to influence national narratives. Politicians from outside the region will continue to shape the narrative, while the region’s voice becomes a mouthpiece for politicians.
Media plays a role in development by exposing corruption, demanding accountability, and advocating for services. When the media fails, corruption thrives. Public resources are misused. Projects are delayed. Communities suffer. Northern Kenya is already vulnerable. The region cannot afford to lose the only platform that can challenge the state.
Northern Kenya is rich in culture and history. But when its media becomes a political tool, the region loses its identity. Instead of being a voice of resilience, the region becomes known for political manipulation, tribal propaganda, unethical journalism, and money-driven loyalty. This is not the Northern Kenya people deserve.
The region needs a serious reformation of its media ecosystem.
This is not impossible but it requires courage, leadership, and a commitment to professional ethics. Media practitioners must be trained and accredited. Ethical standards must be established and enforced. Journalists must be accountable for their actions. There must be consequences for accepting payments from political actors, abandoning assignments, spreading propaganda, and refusing to explain unethical behavior.
Media must reduce financial dependency on politicians. This can be done through media grants, advertising standards, independent funding, and community-supported journalism. The region needs media leaders who can defend the profession. Leaders must be willing to challenge unethical behavior, even when it is politically dangerous. Journalists must understand that they serve the public, not politicians. They must be accountable to the people.
The collapse of the interview is not the real story. The real story is the collapse of journalism in Northern Kenya. The region is losing its voice because its media has become a political tool. Journalists are being paid to disappear, to sabotage events, and to protect politicians instead of serving the public.
This is not an attack on the region or its people. It is a call to action. Northern Kenya deserves better. Its people deserve truth. Its journalists deserve professional ethics.
If the region wants to develop, it must rebuild its media integrity. Because without truth, there can be no justice and without justice, there can be no development.