Standard Team
5 March 2006
Nairobi — Police yesterday allowed the civil society and Orange Democratic Movement to hold a demonstration in Nakuru on Tuesday to protest the muzzling of the press by the State.
However, the demonstration will be restricted to areas outside the Central Business District. ODM activist Mr William Atinga and councillor Gibe Kassim of Bondeni ward told The Sunday Standard that the street protest would be followed by a political rally at the Shabab grounds.
Atinga said they would demand for the immediate resignation of Internal Security minister John Michuki, his Information counterpart Mutahi Kagwe and CID chief Joseph Kamau.
The demonstrators will also burn Michuki's effigy and listen to speeches by local politicians.
A member of the organising committee Mr Philip Ndeta said they would demand action against those who sanctioned the raid at the Standard Group offices.
"We know the illegal raid has divided the Government and we will demand for action to be taken against those involved," he said.
And two MPs yesterday vowed to lead demonstrations against the Government's attempts to muzzle the media. Kasarani MP William Omondi and his Alego-Usonga counterpart Sammy Weya said the crackdown on the media by the Government was unfortunate for a country that has struggled for decades against oppressive laws.
Omondi said he would lead his supporters in Kasarani, Nairobi, on Tuesday to protest over the raid on Standard offices during country-wide demonstrations announced by ODM leaders led by former Roads minister Raila Odinga. Speaking in Siaya town, Omondi said the media had a right to access and disseminate information to the public. He challenged Kibaki to come clean over the Standard raid.
Weya called on the Government to stop ganging up against the media, adding it should have followed other channels if it felt aggrieved.
Nyeri lawyer Jimmy Riika wondered if Michuki fully understood the impact of his "political semantics" when he used the snake analogy.
In a statement delivered to our Nyeri newsroom, the lawyer said Michuki's statement, "more than the actions of his dogs of war was a study case in the utter depravity that have become of Kenyan politics".
Said the lawyer: "A snake by its symbolism is Satanic. Ordinary Kenyans would find it hard to live with satanic leadership. Why demonise the very government he is such an integral part of?"
Riika cautioned the media against biased reporting saying Kenyans had been treated to "sensationalised, gutter, opinionated, unsupported, passionate and even hateful journalism throughout the Kibaki presidency and it does no good to sell a dirty story that carries no probative value and when the damage is done, try to invoke the doctrine of press freedom".
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