Kenya: Kibaki changes stand on media bill

  1. Posted on Thursday 8 January 2009 - 10:00
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    Alex Kiarie, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    President Kibaki of Kenya early on Wednesday ordered the country's Attorney General and the Information Minister to look at the contentious clauses in the recently passed Communication Act, with the aim of reaching a compromise, as opposition to the law mounts. He signed the bill earlier on.
    mwai_kibaki
    According to a statement faxed to various media houses, the president said that he had listened to the issues raised by the media stakeholders, hence his decision to have the clauses looked at afresh.

    The two main clauses that have put the government one one side, and the media, civil rights organizations and the religious groups on the other at loggerheads are section 88 and 46.

    The former clause gives the information Minister sweeping powers to raid and dismantle broadcasting equipments from a media house that is deemed to be a threat to national security and tranquility.

    The latter clause, on the other hand, gives the state to power to regulate contents to be aired and published by electronic and print media respectively. A meeting called on Tuesday by the Information Minister Samuel Poghisio with the media stakeholders did not take place, after they (Stakeholders) snubbed him.

    This move by the president comes at a time when criticism over his decision to sign the bill into law on. Some of the organisations that have taken issue with that decision include the Media Owners Association, the Editors Guild and a host of other civil rights organisations. Most of them have welcomed the president’s move.

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