Media snub Poghisio meeting

Media practitioners on Tuesday rejected a proposal for a meeting with the Information minister on the newly enacted Kenya Communication (Amendment) Act, 2008.

They demanded a public proclamation to suspend commencement of the Act as a sign that the Government was committed to the industry’s grievances before they could agree to such a meeting.

Mr Linus Gitahi, the Media Owners Association chairman, said they had held several meetings with the Government before the offensive Bill was assented to, and wondered why the minister, Mr Samuel Poghisio, wanted to meet them now.

“We’ve had many meetings, but there’s never been a fruitful outcome from the Government... they also ignored our proposals to the Communication Bill,” Mr Gitahi said.

Against regulation

Media practitioners also defended themselves against allegations that they were against regulation.

At a separate news conference on Tuesday, the Kenya Editors’ Guild said the media welcomes regulation on issues such as ethics and journalism standards.

Guild chairman Macharia Gaitho noted that the events leading to the presidential assent of the new law, show that the action was in “bad faith.”

“It is not for the minister, himself a politician, to dictate what is acceptable to be broadcast and what’s not,” he said.

Mr Gaitho said the Media Council of Kenya was competent to effectively address all the issues raised in the new law.

The MOA and the Editors’ Guild said they would lobby MPs to eliminate the offensive clauses. However, the editors said they would go to court to have the new Act suspended.

“This step will be invoked at an appropriate time should there be no let-down from the Government side,” said Mr David Makali, the director of the Media Institute.

The industry players said they were not opposed to the whole Act, but the offending sections, adding that although the new law was progressive, it had basic flaws and weaknesses that needed to be fixed.

The offensive section gives the Information minister power to seize equipment and dictate the content and broadcast times for media houses.

“We’d like regulation, but it has to be done by an independent body... the CCK as constituted in the Act would be manipulated by Government,” Mr Makali said.

In the new Act, the commission would be managed by ministerial appointees, in effect putting it under the ruling regime.

The editors also said they will develop a proposal on their grievances, which they would present to the Attorney-General Amos Wako, Justice minister Martha Karua and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication, Transport, Energy and Roads.

Distributed leaflets

Meanwhile, the practitioners have expressed disappointment over the propaganda being waged by the Government.

MOA vice-chair Martin Khafafa said all the media houses had accorded the Government “a full right of reply” through the various platforms.

“Even though we may not agree with what the Government wants to disseminate, we still publish all that they say without interference,” Mr Gitahi said.

For the past three days, the Government has placed two full-page advertisements to drum up public support for the Act.

On Monday, Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua distributed leaflets attacking the media’s position on the Bill.

In a related development, five media organisations yesterday criticised the assent of the controversial Communications Act.

This comes as the organisations announced that a stakeholders’ forum to discuss the contentious Act will be take place in Nairobi next week.

Minister Poghisio, MPs and other leaders are some of the participants expected to attend the meeting, Kenya Journalists Association chairman Bob Wekesa said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, the officials from the five media organisations accused MPs of letting Kenyans down by failing to examine Bills before passing them in Parliament.

Also present at Tuesday’s news conference were officials from Eastern Africa Journalists Association, Kenya Correspondents Association, Article 19 and Association of Media Women in Kenya.

Additional reporting by Mike Mwaniki