MPs kick media out of Parliament to ‘create space’

By ALLAN KISIA

Kenya: Parliament has closed its Media Centre and limited access for journalists to cover House business.

Among the hot issues the media has been covering is the clamour by MPs for higher pay, which has been roundly condemned by independent commissions, civil society and the public.

The Standard has learnt that the decision to kick out journalists from the Media Centre in Parliament Buildings yesterday featured at a meeting of the House Business Committee (HBC) on Tuesday evening. But the MPs appear to have contravened Article 118(1) and (2) of the Constitution just to strike back at the Fourth Estate.

National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi also ordered that future coverage of House proceedings would be “by invitation only.”

Article 118(1) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 states: “Parliament shall— (a) conduct its business in an open manner, and its sittings and those of its committees shall be open to the public; and (b) facilitate public participation and involvement in the legislative and other business of Parliament and its committees.”

And the Constitution goes further in Article 118(2) to state: “Parliament may not exclude the public, or any media, from any sitting unless in exceptional circumstances the relevant Speaker has determined that there are justifiable reasons for the exclusion.”

Bundi, who ordered journalists to vacate the Media Centre, said the decision was occasioned by pressure for office space to accommodate MPs.

Eject journalists

This despite the fact that the Media Centre was built using donor funds at the request of journalists who cover the National Assembly.

But Leader of the Minority in the National Assembly, Francis Nyenze said the order to evict journalists was in bad taste and has to be reviewed by Parliament. He said House Speaker Justin Muturi would have to make a ruling on the matter.

“Freedom of the media and unlimited access to cover both House proceedings, committee and other news from the precincts of Parliament is allowed in the Standing Orders,” said Nyenze, a member of HBC where the matter was reportedly discussed, but it is unclear whether he attended the meeting.

A member of the team, who asked not to be named due to House rules regarding discussion of committee deliberations, told The Standard that MPs are fed up with the “constant negative publicity” over the salaries row.

“We are not going to create a residence for journalists at Parliament Buildings,” said Bundi, who was accompanied by officials from the Sergeant-at-Arms. He said the two rooms, where journalists file their stories from, and the adjacent one that MPs use for press conferences, would be converted into committee meeting rooms.

Transparency

Bundi ordered the five desktop computers removed from the room and new furniture brought in to transform the Media Centre into committee rooms. He claimed Parliament is faced with a shortage of committee rooms thus the need to eject journalists. “They cannot occupy all this space when we do not have space for MPs. They have to stay out so we can invite them as and when there are activities.”

The establishment of a fully equipped Media Centre was among the reforms rolled out during the last Parliament designed to demystify the House by promoting transparency.

The opening of the first Media Centre, located a few metres from Parliament’s Old Chambers, where the 10th Parliament held its sittings as the main Chamber was under refurbishment, was a high profile affair. The then House Speaker Kenneth Marende, former US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger and then vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) Walter Nyambati officially opened the station in May 2009.

Marende cited live broadcast of parliamentary proceedings and the Media Centre as among measures to open up Parliament and invite public scrutiny.

The Parliamentary Strengthening Programme (PSP), a project that has been working towards increasing the effectiveness of the Kenyan Parliament, was behind the Media Center.

PSP, which is implemented by State University of New York, Center for International Development (SUNY/CID) supports Departmental and Oversight Committees as well at the implementation of the Kenyan National Assembly’s (KNA) own recently-adopted Strategic Plan 2008-2018 for modernisation.

Circumstances

It supported live broadcasting of House proceedings, which introduced live audio and television broadcasting of proceedings from the main Chamber, and established the Media Centre.

After completion of the refurbishment of the main Chambers, the Media Centre was relocated to a lawn adjacent to the entrance of the National Assembly.

On Wednesday, the directive prompted condemnation from former Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara, who served as a member of the Speaker’s Panel in the 10th Parliament.

Quoting the Constitution, Imanyara, a lawyer, said: “Media coverage of Parliament is not a privilege. It’s a right that cannot be denied save in ‘exceptional circumstances’”.

The Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association described yesterday’s events a sad day for parliamentary coverage by the media in the country.

In the past, there were instances when committee meetings were held in the Media Centre temporary when there was not much activity.