Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
6 January 2009
President Mwai Kibaki's recent decision to approve a law to gag the broadcast media has continued to outrage the country, further soiling the now debated legacy of the man who was swept to power in 2002 by a wave of hope for democratic reforms.
The media fraternity has roundly condemned the new legislation as draconian and vowed to fight it in the interest of freedom of expression.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, Kenya Journalists Association, Eastern Africa Journalists Association, Kenya Correspondents Association, Article 19 and the Association of Media Women in Kenya said the law goes against the spirit of nurturing free and independent media in Kenya.
"We are firmly committed to the protection of the freedom of the press and expression in Kenya and therefore strongly and unreservedly oppose any legislation that seeks to emasculate these freedoms," the media organizations said.
They promised to remain committed to "the relentless campaign to ensure that the contentious sections of this Act are either amended or altogether expunged."
In addition to stringent licensing requirements, the new law vests excessive power in the Communications Commission of Kenya, empowering it to determine the time, manner and content of broadcasts. The law also allows the state to switch off stations and seize equipment in case of "public emergency or in the interest of public safety and tranquility."
On Monday, Kibaki's coalition partner, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, distanced itself from the president's action and pledged to block implementation of the new law.
Kibaki assented to the Kenya Communications Amendments Bill 2008 despite media protests and appeals for further discussions by his power-sharing colleague Prime Minister Odinga, members of his own Cabinet, the media industry, religious leaders, local and international civil society groups and ordinary citizens.
The president acknowledged receiving "numerous appeals from the media industry stakeholders that I should not assent to this Bill." But after careful consideration, he decided there was nothing to worry about as the law posed no threat to freedom of expression.
But in a startling move on Monday, Kibaki's government which last month unleashed police on journalists protesting peacefully against the bill, resorted to propaganda, distributing virulent leaflets that accused the media of fighting regulation at the expense of public morality. "Let us protect our children. Say no to pornography," the leaflets urged.
At the sametime, the government called for a meeting with the media to discuss the contentious law.
In their statement on Tuesday, media organizations called for the establishment of a stakeholders' forum to spearhead discussions aimed at identifying and emending the offensive sections of the new law in collaboration with parliament, the ministry of information and the Attorney General's office.
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Kenyan media would rather the coalition government collapses with the possible accompanying mayhem than they lose their jobs, yet the same media applauded when ECK lost their jobs despite the fact that politicians benefited from ECK shortcomings. Kenyan media had their shortcoming too-they rigged the Elections by being shamelessly partisan and erecting an alternative ''KCC'' somewhere. Not ECK! Those "bought" journalists who helped pluge this country to bloodshed deserve to lose their jobs too. This not withstanding, Kenyans deserve a responsible media that respects the right of individuals to preserve common decency. As things stand today, every Kenya,self respecting or not - be he/she young, old , child or even infant, is being subjected to KOINANGE STREET CULTURE by the media. Bedroom language is being discussed liberally on air to all and sundry! Children are Not being afforded their human rights- their cardinal right to enjoy a period of innocence.-The media would rather tell them Koinange Street culture is the universal cultural norm. KNCHR should be in the forefront fighting to reclaim the rights of children to innocence. The only animal species in Kenya that devours its young is the Kenyan human species, particularly of the male gender.
Soon we are going to overtake the west on Divorce cases. The youth of this country have been brainwashed by the media that they have no decency. There are some actions which i can not do because my soul can not allow me to do them but the media has detroyed all the self sensorship human beings were given by God. If being obscene and vulgur in the name of freedom is the in thing, let me become a slave.
Whatever the reasons spare has the crap. When the bill was being debated where were they? The did not see it for all the months it stayed in the house? Why did they not propose any ammendments which they are championing now? Kenyas should be the most gullible people on this world.
The ODM seems to prefer a form of government which has an open house policy where cats can seat on the same table with mice, lions party and dance with gazelles, robbers strategise robbery with those to be robbed, spies discuss spying mission with those to be spied, murderers inform their victims in advance, etc. In short, a govt with no secrets. By extension, a government where the media would be free to do anything under the sun including encouraging men to rape their infants and rape own mothers!
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