Raila to meet media on law

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Attorney-General Amos Wako are set to meet media industry representatives to agree on changes to the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008.

Speaking to journalists after a function at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi, Mr Wako said the meeting would possibly be held on Friday.

“We have finished the documentation of the original petition of media owners and comments by the minister for Information and Communications,” Mr Wako said.

The memorandum was presented after President Kibaki asked the AG and the Information and Communications minister Samuel Poghisio to liaise with media stakeholders so that clauses the industry considers repressive can be reviewed.

On Monday, media spokespersons expressed disappointment over lack of progress on their proposals for removal of laws that allow the government to raid radio and TV stations and also interfere generally with broadcast content. The Standard Group this week marked the third anniversary of the raid on their offices.

Mr Linus Gitahi, the Media Owners Association chairman and Nation Media Group chief executive officer, said the government had not made any efforts to act on the changes as promised by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga.

Running out

“We have been presenting document after document ... Indeed, the media do not know where we are headed. Our patience is running out,” Mr Gitahi said.

The chairman of the parliamentary committee on Energy and Communication, Mr James Rege, said they looked forward to expunging section 88 to allow the media to work freely.

The chairman of Kenya Editors’ Guild, Mr Macharia Gaitho, said the media had been conned into entering negotiations that were leading nowhere.