allAfrica.com

Kenya: New Media Law Provokes Protest, Arrests

Katy Gabel

12 December 2008


staff blog

Nairobi — Kenyan police on Friday arrested several well-known media personalities who had gathered in Nairobi to demonstrate against a new media bill passed by Parliament this week.

The bill, which is now awaiting presidential ratification, would allow the government greater freedom to seize journalists' equipment and would empower government agents to open and search postal mail.

The arrests occurred shortly before the official celebration of Jamhuri Day, the Kenyan national holiday marking the end of British colonial rule.

During the official celebrations at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, a well-known comedian was arrested while attempting to pass a note to a person on the main stage, and a ruckus broke out in the stands. Later, spectators booed President Mwai Kibaki's speech, which addressed food prices, technology development and fuel prices, promised more funds for youth education and expressed commitment to a new constitution.

In a live broadcast of proceedings, KTN television, which is owned by the East African Standard media group, ran an advertisement over Kibaki's image which read "Protect Media Freedom. Protect Your Right To Know." The broadcast also showed a demonstrator being arrested and removed from the stadium. Kibaki ended his speech shortly thereafter.

Protesters are demonstrating their general dissatisfaction with the coalition government, formed in March to appease the country's two largest political parties after ethnic violence and widespread rigging of polls following the December 2007 presidential elections. Earlier this week, American Ambassador Michael Ranneberger called for the immediate implementation of reforms and urged MPs to pass "relevant legislation that is in the interest of all Kenyans."

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Author: paddo
Fri Dec 12 16:04:20 2008

A Moment Of Truth For Kenya And Africa by Peter E Adotey Addo .

The violence that rocked the world Reached horrific levels resulting everywhere With loss of children, women, and men for days Burned in a church as they were seeking sanctuary And sanctuary was denied In flames by mobs infuriated by votes. The innocent victims faced their rage Seeking help from locked doors and homes ending As charred bodies and trash in the once silent streets No water from kinfolks and no food from neighbors With nothing gained to be sure. Only we can save ourselves from this rage

Dedicated to those who lost their lives in the post Election Riots, Jan .2008

Author: putdown08
Sun Dec 14 14:54:14 2008

If dismantling all the media houses will save our contry from the events of last january never occuring again just do it. If it will help our children from seing all the filth in our tv screens nowadays just do it

Author: jallohlaw
Mon Dec 15 21:58:33 2008

What a morbid OPINION?

What happened to parental control? Or, did the children buy the the television sets?

It is the responsibility of parents to determine what their children watch on television. Or, do you disagree?

Author: putdown08
Tue Dec 16 10:23:28 2008

We have seen parental control how it works wonders in the west.

Author: jallohlaw
Tue Dec 16 12:01:43 2008

Your sentence is meaningless. Please rewrite it.

Cheers from the Language Crew.

Author: putdown08
Tue Dec 16 13:22:54 2008

Check out this headline from the sun (SEAN Mercer, 18, has been found guilty of killing innocent schoolboy Rhys Jones) This is the link

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2026708.ece?#EMC-Bltn Sir this is what you are calling parental control i suppose. We dont want our kids to be like yours.

Author: jallohlaw
Tue Dec 16 17:25:47 2008

Your post plainly circumvents my position. Moreover, it is completely unresponsive to the averments in my post.

Thus, I stand by my original thesis.

Author: native
Tue Dec 16 17:40:03 2008

I sympathize with the media on their concern on the Kenya Communication Amendment, Bill 2008 (not Media Bill) and agree with those calling for a rethink of the Kenya Communication Act,1998. However, is the media not being a little bit melodramatic and outright hypocritical? The media has the responsibility of analyzing issues for the wananchi-not to incite animosity between them and their elected leaders for media’s selfish reasons. The “holier than thou” Kenyan media have very short memory! They are engaging in chicanery. The Ministry of information in the print media today has appropriately called the media bluff! kenyan forget that some media houses are mentioned in the Waki, Kreligler and in KNCHR reports as having been active and party to inciting post election violence resulting to the deaths of more than 1500 kenyans. The media solicited, and happily accepted, thirty pieces of silver- to betray their country and send it up in frames. These thirty pieces of silver came from the very politicians they are now crucifying. No wonder the MPS feel betrayed. They paid the media to sing praise songs for them and to incite communities against each other in the name of democracy. The media went to bed with murderous! Then some of these media turned around to shed crocodile tears when the fire they helped light devoured the entire country and ironically, threatened to reach their Media Hse studios when some of their employs were caught in the mayhem . How many of these so called wananchi saviours have been seen on the streets agitating for the resettlement of IDPS , for the post election murderous to be prosecuted? Kenyans, don’t be fooled! These so called activists are on the streets not to protect Kenyans against bad laws but to protect their own jobs. They are no different from the ECK employs who are on hunger strike to protect their jobs despite their role in messing up 2007 Elections, (whether they were small clerks or big clerks). Where on earth, say, do you have absolute freedom? Freedom comes with responsibility, which is generally lacking in the Kenyan media today. A country must have values with which to guide its youth, otherwise we will soon be a lost society if we adopt the slogan 'anything goes' as being advocated by our Kenyan media and other activists with own agendas. Why is our media bent on aping rotten foreigners values to destroy family values?


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