The Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), COTU (K) boss Francis Atwoli has written a protest letter to the Media Council of Kenya and the Kenya Editors Guild over a headline that appeared in one of the local dailies on Monday, which he alleged to be irresponsible and reckless.

In a statement, Atwoli called upon the Media Council of Kenya and the Kenya Editors Guild to reign in on senior editors of the newspaper whom he accused of blackmail

The union is the second largest trade union in Africa, with a membership of over four million workers.

COTU (K) said it believes in the principles of social dialogue, tripartism, and peaceful conflict resolution.

He said it is incumbent upon the media to provide accurate and balanced information to the public, particularly when reporting on matters as critical as trade union activities and labour relations.

Read More

  1. Private Security Firms ordered to cease remitting trade union fee deductions
  2. Media stakeholders rally for better pay for journalists amid increasing risks in media
  3. MCK recalls all media accreditation cards in bid to tame influx of quack journalists

Atwoli said the content of the contentious article was not on par with the headline it bore.

"The content of the article did not align with the headline, thereby potentially misleading the readers and creating an inaccurate perception of COTU (K) and its positions," Atwoli said.

Atwoli requested the Kenya Editors Guild to conduct a probe into the editorial practices of the Daily Nation to assess how headlines are determined and whether there are any instances of clickbait tactics being employed.

"We believe that such an investigation would be essential in upholding the principles of journalistic ethics and maintaining the credibility of media outlets in Kenya," Atwoli said.