Journalists up in arms over State efforts to stifle sector

By FELIX OLICK

Kenya: Journalists have raised the alarm over attempts by the Jubilee administration to stifle their freedom even as senior officials claimed the Government respects the rights of the media.

The Editors Guild and Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) said the new administration had passed some of the most repressive laws and insisted that the Government is now keen on regulating the industry.

“The President’s commitment to media freedom must not be seen as mere words,” Editors Guild Chairman Macharia Gaitho cautioned.

“We are concerned because some of the laws that have been passed by this administration are oppressive and designed to exert State control.”

Speaking Friday as the country marked World Freedom Day, Mr Gaitho and Kenya Correspondents Association chairman Ollo Janak warned of the Government’s “underhand tactics” to control key institutions concerned with media regulation.

The two said there are fraudsters, allegedly sponsored by the State, who have been masquerading as legitimate officials of Media Owners Association, Editors Guild and KCA to influence nomination of new candidates to these new institutions.

“We as the legitimate industry leaders see the hand of Government in trying to manipulate the registration documents in an attempt to fraudulently change our leadership,” Mr Janak told The Standard on Saturday on the sidelines of a conference to mark media freedom.

But in a more scathing attack, Gaitho termed the Government scheme as “unbecoming”, insisting they are trying to “rig the appointment process to control media regulation”.

The new institutions are the Multimedia Appeals Tribunal, the Complaints Commission, the Communication Authority of Kenya and the yet to be reconstituted Media Council of Kenya.

Janak said they have protested to the Information Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i together with the Registrar of Societies.

Earlier, President Uhuru Kenyatta graced the opening of regional journalist convention in Nairobi and assured of media freedom.

However, Gaitho who was scheduled to speak before the President’s keynote address was edged out due to what officials said was lack of time.