“We Are Not Eating Stones”: Unapologetic Jagero Defends Influencers Working with Govt

Journalist Oduor Jagero has challenged Kenyans, questioning influencers and podcasters who work with the government, arguing that taking money for legitimate business does not automatically mean someone has been bought.

Speaking on the Iko Nini Podcast, he pushed back against the idea that politicians or the government can purchase a podcaster’s loyalty simply by paying for their services.

“Politicians can come to your studio and then you do a conversation and they give you some money. It does not mean that they have bought you,” Jagero said.

The journalist, who runs KoaMedia and hosts Dialogues with Jagero and Political Headache, said the amount paid for a particular engagement should not be mistaken for control over the person receiving it.

“You cannot claim to give me Ksh 200,000 and say that you bought me. You cannot buy me,” he added.

Jagero Questions Who Gets Government Advertising Money

His argument, however, went beyond politicians paying podcasters for appearances. Jagero questioned why podcasters should be expected to reject government business when other media platforms receive advertising money from state agencies.

He cited government advertising budgets, pointing to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as examples of institutions spending money on media and civic education.

“NSSF right now is spending millions in the media. IEBC is going to be unleashing a war chest in civic education and everything, almost worth KSh2 billion. Are podcasters getting it? No,” he said.

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Jagero argued that podcasters should also be considered when public institutions are looking for platforms through which to reach audiences, particularly as digital media continues to attract large numbers of viewers.

His position was that payment for advertising or other services should be treated as a commercial transaction rather than automatically labelled political bribery.

“If IEBC says we are going to be placing an advert and I say IEBC has brought money to inform people about one, two, three, that is government giving us money, but we haven’t been bribed,” Jagero said.

Who Is Actually Working for the Government?

Jagero then turned the criticism back on Kenyans who oppose podcasters working with government institutions while relatives and professionals across the country depend on government employment.

He questioned why podcasters should be held to a different standard when government workers include people from different communities and political backgrounds.

“People say they don’t want government, but who is working for the government? Who is actually working for the government?” he asked.

Jagero went on to mention teachers, doctors and other professionals, arguing that Kenyans routinely interact with government institutions and earn their livelihoods through them.

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“So, we podcasters are the ones who are not supposed to work with the government?” Jagero asked, before challenging young Kenyans who insist they cannot work with the government.

Jagero also took aim at young people chanting one term and insisting they would not work with the government, questioning how such a position fits with their own circumstances.

“Right now, the young people saying, ‘one term’ and saying they cannot work with the government — aren’t they sleeping at their mothers’ homes? They are sleeping in their mothers’ bedrooms,” he said.

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Journalist Oduor Jagero who runs KoaMedia and hosts Dialogues with Jagero and Political Headache. PHOTO/ Courtesy