The Star Defends Its Top Investigative Journalist Against Claims Of Being on Waiguru’s Payroll

The Star newspaper has come out strongly defending the integrity of one of its leading investigative journalists.

The journalist, Mr Kamore Maina published a series of articles exposing the NYS corruption plot. This defense comes after the bombshell affidavit which was released by one Josephine Kaburu claimed the journalist was one of a crew of newsmen under Waiguru’s Payroll who were used to push her agenda through the media and who received a considerable payout.

In an era when leading media houses throw their own under the bus, or leave them to arrange their own defense, the Star instead took a bold step and said it will stand by all stories published and was very much sure their journalist was above the accusations leveled.

The affidavit continues to cause quite a furor given its detail and names it mentions and has turned the NYS saga into a new twisting plot claiming numerous victims in it. Here it the statement from the Star Editor

PRESS STATEMENT

ALLEGATIONS BY JOSEPHINE KABURA

Yesterday, Josephine Kabura, one of the suspects in a court case regarding the alleged theft of Sh791 million from the National Youth Service, filed an affidavit in court.

In her affidavit, among other allegations, Kabura claimed to have met Star journalist Kamore Maina and another journalist at the Runda home of former Cabinet Secretary for Devolution Anne Waiguru.

Waiguru allegedly referred to them as “her media gurus.”

Kabura claimed that Waiguru directed her at the meeting to give Sh10 million to the other journalist (not Kamore) for consultancy services.

We cannot take these accusations lightly as they question the integrity of The Star newspaper and our reporter.

We respond as follows:

It was the Star that first broke the story of the fraudulent dealings at NYS.

Under the headline ‘Central Bank Questions Huge NYS Payments’ on June 18, 2015, the Star launched a series of investigative articles that would eventually lead to the resignationof Waiguru and multiple prosecutions of those involved in the NYS transactions.

Over the last eight months, Kamore wrote many of the Star’s investigative stories on the NYS scandal.

At no time did he seek to protect Waiguru or Kabura from investigations.

Kamore even went to Kabura’s rural home in Murang’a to seek an interview with her parents. Kabura accused him of harassment and in November sent Kamore a lawyer’s letter warning him to desist from writing about her and the NYS transactions.

Kamore insists he has never met the former CS let alone attended a meeting with her.

“I have never been to Anne Waiguru’s home and we have never met face to face. If I stood before her today, she would not even be able to say who I am. I have also not received any money from Waiguru, Kabura or anyone else to kill or water down the NYS or any other story,” he said.

Star Editor Charles Kerich commented: “Kamore kept the news desk appraised every time he was gathering material for the NYS stories

that he wrote and which were published. We always knew whom he was meeting, when and where. That is the hallmark of a trustworthy reporter. It is unbelievable that he could have been so two-faced as to continuously unearth exclusive information on the NYS scandal while simultaneously receiving payments to protect Waiguru and Kabura.”

The Star stands by all the stories it published regarding the NYS payments.

Charles Kerich

Editor

The Star