New media law: Religious leaders and lawyers voice concern

Religious leaders have condemned the President’s decision to sign the Kenya Communications Amendment Bill into law. Teachers and lawyers, among others, also criticised the move.

They even asked the international community to suspend President Kibaki from attending international meetings in a bid to force him to respect press freedom.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya said that the public consensus on the Bill was a clear indication that the country didn’t need such a law.

Through the national chairman, Bishop Eliud Wabukala, the church implored the President not to take the country back to the dark ages.

“The country is not happy with such a move,” said Bishop Wabukala, advising that the implementation of the new law be withheld.

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims deputy national vice-chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Kiptonui, and the South Rift Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Secretary, Mr Gideon Mutai, faulted President Kibaki’s move to assent to the controversial Bill.

The pair said that the President had taken the country back to the dark ages that Kenyans had fought out of.

Speaking separately to the press in Kericho town, the two officials supported the call by the Media Council of Kenya chairman, Mr Wachira Waruru, not to allow the government to infringe on its independence.

The officials said that it was sad for the President to ignore genuine concerns by Kenyans to take the Bill back to Parliament so that it could be discussed and contentious issues sorted out.

The Rev Japheth Sugut and the Nandi North Knut secretary, Mr Josephat Serem, said the international community should not allow President Kibaki and his advisers to attend global fora.

Mr Serem asked President Kibaki to look beyond the days when he would be out of power and told him that the media had highlighted his struggle against the Kanu regime. ‘‘He should not go down in history as the person who helped kill press freedom in his rule.”

The Rev Sugut said that millions of Kenyans were happy with the work of the media in the country. “Many scandals would not be known today if the media remained controlled by the executive,” said the Rev Sugut.

The leaders said that the Prime Minister and the Vice-President  had assured Kenyans that the Bill would not be signed into law.

In Migori district, church leaders said it was sad for the gains made in press freedom to be reversed. Led by Pastor Isaya Owak of the Church of God the Eternal, the clerics said the new law gave State actors a lot of power to interfere with the independence of the media.

Stories by Benjamin Muindi, Sollo Kiragu,Tom Matoke and  Elisha Otieno