When a Police officer secretly filmed a video clip of outspoken Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter threatening and insulting police officers and workers at the Gilgil weighbridge on the Nairobi-Nakuru road, he did not send the video clip to any of the Kenyan Media houses including some of the biggest in the region. Instead, the officer chose to send the clip to Blogger Robert Alai who went on to upload it on  YouTube and tweet about it, in the process exposing the Nandi Hills MP abuse of office.
@R2Pindex —> Alfred Keter in trouble over weighbridge drama: Blogger Robert Alai posted the video on … http://t.co/BxIg42TOea #Kenya
— R2PindexAfrica (@R2Pindex) January 26, 2015
Mr Keter was accompanied by his URP colleague, nominated MP Sunjeev ‘Sonia’ Kaur Birdi, whose truck, which was fitted with a drilling rig, had been detained because it lacked an exemption permit as required by law. The 5 Minute video clip captures Keter clearly invoking President Uhuru Kenyatta’s name even when on the wrong side of the law and using expletive rants using words such as motherf****r.
The clip elicited an immediate statement from The Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Keriako Tobiko, who put out a statement within hours directing the police and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the Gilgil incident. Acting Inspector General of Police Samuel Arachi also asked Mr Keter to report to the police for investigations. The clip also started the debate on why the police officer who filmed the incident from his cell phone chose to share it with a Blogger and not an Mainstream Media or Journalist.
You will not hear the media acknowledging the video of Keter was first uploaded on Kahawa Tungu and Youtube by blogger Robert Alai.
— Dikembe Disembe (@LeftistPolitics) January 25, 2015
There has been continuing criticism from media analysts, critiques and ordinary Kenyans online regarding what most term as ‘Media Houses receiving their instructions from State House on what to make known public’. Many Kenyans no longer think that media houses are giving them unbiased coverage of news and stories especially on governance, corruption and anything that might paint the current government in bad light.
Mainstream media is where authenticity and truth goes to die. Probably why the guy who shot the Keter video gave it to a blogger.
— kisauti ® (@kevoice_) January 25, 2015
When James Smart asks why a blogger got the Keter clip before a media house i wonder if he works in France or Uganda. @C_NyaKundiH
— Dennis Migono (@IamDMig) January 25, 2015
If it was any of Kenya’s top media houses who found Keter video, we would never have heard of it. Thank God it was a courageous blogger…
— Harrison Murbi (@HarrisonTalent) January 25, 2015
The role of Kenyan blogs is now increasing and filling the void of a platform that Kenyans can publish information on corruption as well as easily access and share such information. Kenyan Blogger Abraham Mutai was recently detained in police custody for questioning and later released for exposing corruption in the Isiolo County through his Blog and tweeting about it.
That Keter video was given to a blogger. The mainstream media should genuinely feel threatened and more so, somehow, less trusted.
— Jeremiah Kiplang’at (@jere_kiplangat) January 25, 2015
So Keter was given prime air time to spin his cluster fuck? And you wonder why the clip went to a blogger first and not the media
— Master Wong (@kiruik) January 25, 2015
Robert Alai has been quite outspoken through his blog Kahawa Tungu as well as through his twitter page that has over 145,000 followers. Alai was in December last year charged with undermining the authority of Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta.
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