Kenyan TV station regrets calling Magufuli ‘stubborn’

Kenya’s most-watched TV station has admitted it “regrets” calling Tanzania’s president, John Magufuli, “stubborn”, when covering his response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a broadcast statement, Citizen TV said that their use of the word stubborn was “unwarranted”.

Tanzania has not enforced strict lockdown measures, unlike the rest of the East Africa region and much of the world.

During a report aired on 22 March, Citizen TV quoted Mr Magufuli saying the coronavirus “should not be used as an excuse to harm Tanzania’s economy”.

The broadcast statement, read out in Swahili, said the station’s report was “not meant to mislead Tanzanians”.

It went on to say, “On 22 March, we reported about strategies the Tanzanian government had put in place to combat Covid-19. In the report we referred to Mr Magufuli as ‘stubborn’.

“In an interview with Citizen TV, Tanzanian ambassador to Kenya said Mr Magufuli supported regional and international efforts to fight the pandemic.

“Our use of the word ‘stubborn’ in reference to the president was therefore unwarranted”.

Tanzania has so far confirmed 88 cases of the coronavirus.

Photo: Picture-Alliance/AAB/B. E Gurun