Maseme Machuka And Alex Ndegwa
7 November 2007
Nairobi — African journalists are exposed to many hazards, including death.
Participants at an editors' conference heard that many journalists have died in the line of duty in the recent past.
Speaker after speaker gave heart-rending accounts on how governments had muzzled the Press and orchestrated killings.
The most poignant experience came from Mr Musa Saidykhan, a Gambian now in exile in Senegal. He narrated to an attentive audience at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre how the Gambian government, which came to power on the platform of free Press, turned against the media, killing journalists and forcing others to exile.
The former editor-in-Chief of the defunct The Independent newspaper told the African Editors Forum of violent attacks on media houses and arbitrary arrest of journalists perceived to be critical of the government.
Burning of journalists' houses was also common, he said.
Ms Jane Godia, Standard Weekend Editions deputy managing editor at the third Biennial African Editors' meeting at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, on Tuesday. Picture by Boniface Mwangi
He said the Gambian case showed that most governments and their agents paid lip service to media freedom and the African Union charters.
Head of Association of Somali Journalists, Ms Hinda Mohammud Hussein, said the country was one of the most dangerous places for journalists. They are targets of militiamen and government agents.
She said some media owners used their organisations to push sectarian agenda. "The Media Bill in Somalia is a threat to our existence for it has clauses that limit freedom of information," she added.
But despite the raging war, journalists were the only voice left to tell the story.
Mr Ibrahim Sscmujju, political editor of Uganda's Observer Weekly, said endless court cases were the biggest threat to media freedom, adding that they had thrown the media into financial crises.
The Judiciary, he said, was being used to frustrate journalists. An editor with the New Vision of Uganda, Mr John Kakande, said huge court awards against media houses limited freedom of speech.
Sscmujju said broadcasters and print media perceived to be against the Sategovernments have been closed or their frequencies jammed.
The government had planted moles in media houses perceived to be opposed to the regime, he said. A government Bill pending in Parliament, which seeks to allow security agents tap journalists' telephones and access their emails, was another threat.
"This is great danger because the Government has control over Parliament. The Bill will soon become law and send journalism to the grave," he said.
Managing Editor of Sunday Citizen of Tanzania, Mrs Sakina Datoo, said the country had made positive strides in Press freedom since President Jakaya Kikwete came to power two years ago.
But she faulted the government over the media Bill.
"Some of the clauses suggest that graft cases being investigated by the corruption body were not subject of debate in the media," she said.
Datoo, who is the chairperson of Tanzania Editors' Forum, accused former President Benjamin Mkapa, a former journalist, of gagging the Press.
Mr Benjamin Thompson said government-friendly journalists had spoilt the profession.
"There are cases where journalists are accorded presidential trips abroad, which in turn leads to skewed reporting," he said.
Media Institute Director, Mr David Makali, said the conference was a moment for African editors to find ways of improving reporting.
Speakers called on governments to be tolerant.
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