Journalists send strong message to Uhuru over draconian media Bill

By ROSELYNE OBALA

Kenya: The media Tuesday delivered a firm statement to the Government of its opposition to the draconian and oppressive Information and Communication (Amendment) Bill 2013 meant to gag journalists.

In a show of unity, journalists turned out in their hundreds across the country, honouring a call to go to the streets to express their displeasure with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s memorandum to the National Assembly on the offensive Bill.

Journalists hit the streets in Mombasa, Nairobi, Eldoret, Nyeri, Embu, Meru, Nakuru, Malindi, Busia and Kilifi, among other towns.

In Nairobi, they staged a protest in the central business district, taking issue with Members of Parliament for passing the Bill and challenged them to show their respect for the Constitution and freedom of expression by turning up in large numbers to shoot it down.

Journalists accused the Jubilee Government of seeking to erode the democratic gains realised over the years, many of them due to the media.

In Nairobi, the protest began in the centre of the capital and made its way to Parliament through the busy Kenyatta, Moi and Harambee avenues, with journalists waving placards and sealing their mouths to symbolise the Government’s gagging of the media.

“The draconian provisions contained in the KICA Bill is an attack on us,” they shouted.

In their appeals to the President, Deputy President William Ruto, Attorney General Githu Muigai and the National Assembly, the journalists outlined the issues of concerns and urged the Government to address them.

Their petition to Uhuru was handed over to the Director of Public Communications, Munyori Buku, a former journalist, the Director Digital Dennis Itumbi and the Director of Communications in the Interior Ministry Mwenda Njoka, by the Kenya  Editors’ Guild Vice-Chairman David Ohito and Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) Chairman Janak Oloo.

Mr Buku assured the journalists that the petition would reach Uhuru.

At Parliament, Mr Ohito and Mr Oloo delivered the petition to officials in the Sergeant-at-Arms’ office.

Ohito said the president’s memorandum did not adequately address the concerns of media stakeholders and appealed to MPs to consider effecting the changes.

Media representatives categorically stated that they want the president to facilitate a quick reassessment of the Bill and take into consideration the stakeholders’ input.

“We have submitted to the National Assembly Committee on Energy and Communications our proposals and we are particularly concerned that the Bill undermines the provisions of the Constitution, Article 34 (5) in relation to the establishment of an independent body to manage media regulation,” read part of the petition.

The Kenya Editors Guild, KCA and the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) signed the petition.

The Bill will give the Communication and Multi Media Tribunal power to impose punitive fines of Sh500,000 for individual journalists and Sh20 million for media houses.

“We have discussed this matter with the committee and asked them to reduce the fine to Sh100,000 and Sh500,000 respectively,” said Ohito.

“We also object the tribunal handling complaints, and instead want Media Council of Kenya to continue executing this mandate or have a Professional and Ethics Committee to undertake the role.”

Ohito and Oloo warned the fines on journalists and media houses would force many to close down due to litigation and many journalists would lose their jobs.

Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi also voiced his concerns over the Bill.

“Media freedom is entrenched in the Constitution, attempting to gag journalists will amount to denying them an opportunity to cover sensitive and crucial stories of national importance,” he said.

Mombasa Senator Omar Hassan, while flagging off the protests yesterday, said the media needs an independent instrument for self-regulation.

“The Media Council needs to be strengthened to carry out this task,” Omar said.