Primitive Kaluma Threatens To Sue For A Depicting Cartoon

Mangele · March 16, 2025, 2:35pm

MP Peter Kaluma Issues Ultimatum to Nation Media Over Editorial Cartoon

by Maurine Kirambia on Sunday, 16 March 2025

Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma has threatened to take legal action against the Nation Media Group over an editorial piece depicting him in a cartoon form in their Sunday Nation issue of March 16.

In his response, the lawmaker took to social media seeking an apology from the media house before Monday, March 17, failure to which legal action would be taken as had been reportedly done to Standard Group.

“I hope Nation Africa knows what this means and will mean to their purse if they don’t apologise by tomorrow,” Kaluma stated.

“They have up to tomorrow to cross-check with the Standard Group the court determinations, fines, and pending actions on these matters they are lazily repeating and apologise before it is late.”

Kaluma and an editorial cartoon published on Sunday Nation on March 16, 2025.

The headline accompanying the cartoon read, Peter Kaluma: The rabblerousing MP not relieving pain in social media, House antics.

The piece further described the MP as, “The Homa Bay Town MP George Peter Opondo Kaluma is an interesting man, one worth a mention or two in the annals of ‘clownism’,” further angering him.

Earlier in the day, Kaluma had also sent a warning earlier in the day stating, “The Nation Media Group is provoking war with me this Lent season - Okay, we will see!”

This is the Sunday Nation’s second piece of the day that has faced criticism after their front page headline drew criticism for quoting former Prime Minister Raila Odinga saying that he saved President William Ruto from an attempted military coup.

Taking to social media several politicians affiliated with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader called out the publication for reportedly misquoting him.

Most notable of them was Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei who called on Odinga to demand an apology or sue the media house for the headline. He also rebuked their decision to draw the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) into politics.

“Nation media either is becoming sensational or they are misquoting PM Rt. Odinga on the issue of a military coup against H.E. Ruto government,” Cherargei stated.

“PM Odinga must demand an apology or sue them for this non-objective/sensational reporting through brown envelope journalism. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is the most disciplined, and non-partisan and doesn’t do politics; dragging them to such serious accusations is malicious, uncouth, barbaric, and primitive just for political expedience.”

Man_From_Kitale · March 16, 2025, 2:36pm

These pussies are easily triggered

Lionheart · March 16, 2025, 5:04pm

Here there is nothing to apologize for

Mangele · March 17, 2025, 1:44pm

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has flagged as fake a notice to media houses warning them against sensational and inflammatory reporting.

“Please be aware that the claim circulating about the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) cautioning media houses against inflammatory reporting is fake. Always verify information from official MCK sources,” the statement read.

In the fake notice purportedly signed by the MCK Registrar of Complaints Commission, Eric Ngaria, a warning was specifically sent to the Standard Group for sensational headlines threatening censure.

“MCK reminds all media practitioners that press freedom comes with a duty to report accurately, fairly, and responsibly,” the fake notice read.

“Recent patterns of unverified claims and provocative headlines have raised concerns about ethical violations in political and economic reporting.”

It also outlined three directives to all media houses in order to maintain professional standards.

Media houses were urged to ensure they backed their claims before reporting, avoid sensational headlines, and balance political coverage to prevent bias or manipulation.

The statement concluded with a call on all media houses to prioritise factual reporting and refrain from content that might incite divisions or erode public trust in institutions.

Although it bore the MCK logo, the document also had several spelling errors raising clear concerns over its authenticity.

Over the past few weeks, both Kenyans online and subjects of news articles have raised concerns over news headlines, especially on the front pages of local dailies.

Just a day ago, the Sunday Nation caused a stir after a headline quoting former Prime Minister Raila Odinga purporting that he had saved President William Ruto from a military coup during the Gen-Z protests of June 2024.

The headline, Raila: I saved Ruto from military coup, was not the only piece that raised eyebrows as a news piece in the same issue about Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma threatened legal action over an editorial cartoon depicting him.

KDF Refutes Report Raila Saved Ruto From Attempted Military Coup

The Ministry of Defence on Monday, March 17, issued a strong statement criticising Daily Nation for an article claiming former Prime Minister Raila Odinga prevented a military coup against President William Ruto.

In its statement, the Ministry dismissed the report published in Sunday Nation titled “Raila: I Saved Ruto from Military Coup”, alongside another article in Taifa Jumapili titled “Nilivyozima Mapinduzi Dhidi ya Ruto”, as misleading.

“The Ministry of Defence notes with concern the inaccurate news article in yesterday’s Sunday Nation,” the statement read.

The articles in question cite an undisclosed source and suggest that Raila revealed in an exclusive interview that Kenya was on the verge of military rule were it not for his intervention.

While labelling the claims as “false, baseless, unfounded, misleading, and reckless,” the Ministry further emphasised that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) remained a professional and apolitical institution “that upholds the highest standards of integrity, discipline, and service to the nation.”

“The KDF remains committed to its constitutional mandate and has no involvement in political affairs,” the statement read in part.

The Ministry also accused Daily Nation of sensationalising matters of national security, urging the media house to uphold ethical journalism by ensuring accuracy, fairness, and responsibility in reporting.

In the alleged exclusive interview, Nation reported that Raila claimed the deployment of the military during the anti-Finance Bill protests in 2024 could have escalated into a situation where the military fully seized power.

“If the military had taken over, then Ruto would not be in power today. Once soldiers leave the barracks, they never go back,” Raila allegedly told Nation, adding, “The country was on the brink. If the protests had continued the way they were, the military would have taken over, and that would have been the end of civilian rule.”

The article also states that Raila refuted claims of betraying the Gen-Z, with the ODM leader asserting that his focus shifted to de-escalating tensions in the country, even if it meant engaging President Ruto, who was not very popular during the protests.

Notably, the article was published at a time when there were political uncertainties, with sections questioning Raila’s game plan after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the President earlier in March.

In one of Raila’s latest public addresses, the former Prime Minister told off politicians urging him to take on Ruto in the 2027 polls.

Speaking during the burial of veteran retired Pilot Colonel James Nguyo Gitahi in Maanzoni, Machakos County, Raila insisted he was focused on the present, adding that ousting Ruto would do little to solve the fundamental issues biting Kenyans.