NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 12 – Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo has reflected on the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s complex relationship with the media, describing resistance as a defining feature of the veteran politician’s public life.
Speaking during the RAO2026 memorial conference at Daystar University, Omwoyo drew on his personal encounters with Raila to recount a leader who could fiercely challenge journalists while recognising their importance in a democratic society.
“For me, when you think of Raila, what comes to mind is resistance,” he said, recalling his long association with the former Prime Minister.
He recalled Raila’s objections to media coverage he considered unfair, including a 2021 call for a media boycott that attracted the Media Council’s intervention.
“He would complain when the media got things wrong or when he felt he was not being favourably covered, but he would always stop at that,” Omwoyo noted, adding that Raila understood the media was not his enemy.
Omwoyo also cited Raila’s participation in the Council’s 2018 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards as evidence of his engagement with journalists and appreciation of their work.
He said Raila’s experience of political detention and political repression informed his understanding of the dangers of restricting the press and limiting public discourse.
Omwoyo said those lessons remain relevant as journalism confronts new challenges in the digital information environment.
The MCK Boss observed that the former Premier’s experience of detention and political repression helped shape his appreciation of resistance and the dangers of controlling public discourse. He recalled Raila’s observation that limiting the press would ultimately limit the country’s thinking.
That relationship, he said, offered lessons that remain relevant as the information environment evolves.
“We must resist State censorship, administration censorship. Freedom is resisting and fighting back. We must resist algorithm bias,” he said, pointing to emerging challenges including algorithmic manipulation and the blurring of the line between journalism and propaganda.
For Omwoyo, one of the enduring tests of democracy is whether those in positions of power can tolerate scrutiny and criticism.
“A leader who cannot accept criticism must never ask people for a vote,” he said.
He described press freedom as the freedom to question, challenge and, where necessary, annoy those in power, arguing that the strength of a democracy should be measured by how safely journalists can operate.
LABAN WANAMBISI
Laban Wanambisi, is a journalist, who specializes in reporting Parliamentary and Political Affairs. He likes telling stories in a way that makes a difference in people's lives and the world.