Journalist Barred From Full Council Meeting

Journalist Elia Ntali from 263Chat faced a concerning setback in his pursuit of press freedom today when he was denied access to the Ruwa Local Board full council meeting.


The individual responsible for this denial was Josephine Mwaitirwa, the Public Relations Officer of the board.

According to Ntali, Mwaitirwa informed him that the board's corporate manager had advised her to restrict press access to the meeting.

Despite Ntali's efforts to reason with Mwaitirwa, she maintained that he should have notified her in advance about his intention to cover the proceedings.

The journalist accompanied by a colleague, arrived at the council premises fully prepared to report on the meeting.

Initially, they approached the Public Relations Officer, who acknowledged their presence and requested them to wait briefly as the Councillors attended to other matters.

After a significant wait outside, Mwaitirwa returned and allowed the patiently waiting residents to enter the boardroom.

Ntali followed suit and introduced himself as a journalist. 

However, to his surprise, Mwaitirwa promptly requested a private conversation outside.

It was during this conversation that she revealed her superior had instructed her to exclude journalists from the meeting.

Ntali argued that Section 87 (1) of the Urban Councils Act granted him the right to cover full council meetings, but Mwaitirwa remained resolute in her decision, citing his failure to inform her beforehand.

Expressing his desire to escalate the matter to Mwaitirwa's superiors, Ntali was informed that it was not possible since she held the position of Public Relations Officer.