Africa-Press – Kenya. A video of veteran journalist and Spice FM presenter Eric Latiff correcting Former Nairobi Deputy Governor Jonathan Mueke for factual misrepresentation has gone viral on social media platforms.
Mueke appeared on the Situation Room show claimed that the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) Kenya had not met since the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga in 2018.
The aspiring Kitui Governor claimed that the meetings had not taken place since Deputy President William Ruto was sidelined from government functions.
“When the Deputy President was working, he used to chair an organization called IBEC together with the 47 governors…After the handshake, that committee has not met,” the former Deputy Governor stated.
Latiff immediately stepped in to correct him stating that the revenue council has had meetings with DP Ruto chairing those meetings.
“That committee has met. It has met because it is the one that determines the revenue share. The last meeting which was held agreed on how much money was going to the counties in this budget,” the journalist boldly interrupted.
“It was chaired by the Deputy President. He has chaired IBEC this year and he chaired IBEC last year,” he added.
The radio journalist went further to give evidence of a newspaper article that was written over the state agency meeting.
“This was a story that was written in the Standard by Roselyne Obala this year on the 11th of February, and it was after the meeting of IBEC. There is a picture here of the Laikipia Governor, the Deputy President and the Treasury CS after the meeting,” Latiff stated.
After the video was posted on social media, it immediately went viral as netizens celebrated the journalist for standing up to a politician.
“This is exactly what we need for live debates. Not those sponsored interviews where panellists get wowed with flu English as they nod their heads like Ice Cube,” Nation columnist Gabriel Oguda stated.
Oguda’s remarks stirred online conversations with other social media users voicing their opinions. Journalist Dennis Onsarigo also stated that there were many lies that are spread in the media.
“This country is littered with half-truths. This fellow nearly got away with a lie,” Onsarigo remarked.
National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed took advantage of the moment to take a dig at Deputy President William Ruto’s team which Mueke recently joined.
“Let’s have mercy on Mueke. He just left Wiper Party where he never had to lie to UDA where he must lie. In six months he will be fine,” Junet opined.
