PUBLIC PRESSURE FORCES MP PETER KALUMA TO DELETE POST CALLING FOR BBC AFRICA BAN

Homa Bay Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma has been forced to delete a social media post in which he mocked and called for the banning of BBC Africa following backlash from Kenyans online.

In a now-deleted post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Kaluma described the documentary which investigates alleged police killings of protesters during the June 25 anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations as “twisted, partial, reckless, and intended to incite chaos in Kenya.”

The MP went further, urging Kenyan authorities to revoke BBC Africa’s license, “Ban @BBCAfrica in Kenya. The role played by the media in any democracy is too important to be discharged irresponsibly… Lest we forget, the Rwanda Genocide would not have occurred were it not for reckless media.”

Kenyans swiftly condemned Kaluma’s remarks, accusing him of attempting to suppress media freedom and dismiss credible allegations of police brutality. Under mounting pressure, the MP deleted the post, but screenshots continue to circulate.

The BBC Africa Eye investigation, released earlier this week, presents harrowing footage and testimonies suggesting that police officers extrajudicially shot and killed unarmed protesters during the nationwide demonstrations against the controversial Finance Bill 2024.