The Media Complaints Commission (MCC) has determined that Nation Media Group (NMG) breached the Code of Conduct for Journalism with an NTV documentary that falsely linked the mainstream Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church to religious extremism.
The media house was found to be in violation of Clause 2 (1) of the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya, concerning Accuracy and Fairness, which states that “A person subject to this Act shall write a fair, accurate and unbiased story on matters of public interest.”
Following the adoption of a revised Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025, this clause has been renamed Accuracy, Balance and Fairness, which compels journalists to make all attempts to verify facts for accuracy and authenticity before publication or broadcast.
The decision by the MCC stems from a complaint by Nehemiah Stone Bic Misiani, an SDA member and owner of Stone Bic Schools, regarding the documentary Holy Betrayal: Full SDA Cult Exposé, aired on 7 April 2024.
Mr. Misiani argued that it incorrectly associated the SDA Church with cults, religious extremism, and the Shakahola Massacre, violating the code’s accuracy and fairness clause.
The MCC found the programme’s overarching narrative, sensational title, and repeated unsubstantiated parallels between the SDA Church and extremist groups to be unfair.
In the ruling, the NMG has been ordered to publish a prominent disclaimer within 14 days on all online versions of the documentary, stating that there is no proven link between the SDA Church and the extremist groups mentioned, including the Shakahola tragedy.
However, Mr. Misiani’s request to permanently remove the documentary was rejected, as was his claim that it harmed his schools, which were not mentioned in the broadcast. The MCC also found no breach regarding coverage of religious conflict, as no such conflict existed.
The ruling highlights the media’s responsibility to report on public interest issues with precision and fairness. The MCC stressed that investigative journalism must not sacrifice accuracy for impact. pact.
The Media Complaints Commission (MCC) has determined that Nation Media Group (NMG) breached the Code of Conduct for Journalism with an NTV documentary that falsely linked the mainstream Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church to religious extremism.
The decision stems from a complaint by Nehemiah Stone Bic Misiani, an SDA member and owner of Stone Bic Schools, about the documentary Holy Betrayal: Full SDA Cult Exposé, aired on 7 April 2024. Mr. Misiani argued it wrongly tied the SDA Church to cults, religious extremism and the Shakahola Massacre, violating the code’s accuracy and fairness clause.
The MCC found the programme’s overarching narrative, sensational title and repeated unsubstantiated parallels between the SDA Church and extremist groups to be unfair.
The MCC has ordered NMG to within 14 days publish a prominent disclaimer to all online versions of the documentary stating that there is no proven link between the SDA Church and the extremist groups mentioned, including the Shakahola tragedy.
Mr. Misiani’s request to permanently remove the documentary was however rejected, as was his claim that it harmed his schools, which were not mentioned in the broadcast. The MCC also found no breach regarding coverage of religious conflict, as no such conflict existed.
The ruling highlights the media’s responsibility to report on public interest issues with, precision, and fairness. The MCC stressed that investigative journalism must not sacrifice accuracy for impact.