The government will write a “strong protest” to the US over a story run by the PBS on corruption in Kenya, spokesman Eric Kiraithe has said.
Issues raised “were not backed by any evidence”, Kiraithe said during a press conference on Thursday, adding a video that accompanied the story is misleading.
On his Twitter handle, he wrote: “This particular video footage prepared by Nick Schifrin and Zach Fannin is part of a propaganda machine driven by parts of civil society.”
“The video’s agenda is to continually discredit the ongoing war against corruption.”
Kiraithe condemned the producers of the video and their “local collaborators”, and asked the public not to be swayed by the contents of the story.
He said focus must remain on developing a better, corruption-free country, devoid of people with selfish interests.
Referring back to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s State of the Nation address , he said the Jubilee administration is committed to the war against corruption.
He said there will be no sacred cows in Kenya’s fight against the vice.
The 10-minute video aired by US Public Broadcasting Service on Monday tells of the rampant corruption in institutions ranging from sports to banks.
The documentary, which is part of the ‘Inside Kenya’ mini series, starts with an account by athlete Hillary Kiplimo of how their earnings are sometimes taken away.
Athletics Kenya CEO Isaac Mwangi was accused by two athletes, who failed drugs tests, ofseeking bribes to reduce their doping suspensions.
Kiplimo said he received a medal but not a cent of his $3,500 (Sh354,000) earning, which he said vanished among officials of Athletics Kenya.
Interviewed Eastleigh residents said they are used to the bribery. They referred to the estate as an ATM machine “because police take so much money”.
A police officer interviewed said what they earn is not enough so they cannot refuse to take what residents offer.
Among the people interviewed was activist Boniface Mwangi who has in the past tried to fight corruption by taking to the streets.
The Sh250 billion Eurobond scandal was not left out on the documentary, former Governance Permanent Secretary John Githongo saying: “We steal from ourselves”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCr5RGUeKG4
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