University  and middle-level colleges on Saturday said they would organise a series of peaceful demonstrations to protest against what they called an attempt to muzzle the media.

They said they would also protest against rising food prices and MPs’ failure to pay taxes. “This action is the only option left to instil a  sense of responsibility in the Government,” they said.

The group calling itself Student Leaders Forum took issue with the MPs’ decision to vote in favour of the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill which they said is aimed at gagging the Press.

“We believe the Bill, if passed into law in its current form, will interfere with the democracy Kenya is enjoying, including freedom of the Press, which has done us proud by exposing the shoddy deals and scandals that we might not have known were it not for the media,” said their spokesman, Mr Mohammed Yosuf.

He added that arrangements had been made for young people across the country to converge on Nairobi on Monday to bring pressure to bear on the President not to assent to the Bill.

The students termed the proposed law “draconian in its current form unless it is returned to Parliament for the necessary amendment.”
They vowed not to pay taxes in future unless MPs do so in order allocations to the Higher Education Loans Board may go up.