The journalists who took to the streets to express their opposition to the Government sponsored Media Bill wondered what prompted the drafting of the Bill, which also seeks to take away the democratic gains.

“This Bill represents a real threat to the press freedom and is real set back to freedom of expression in a country where democracy has widely been achieved”, Odingo Ayieko, a journalist with the Daily Nation said.

Yesterday, the Attorney General was seeking to return the Bill back to parliament for possible amendments to the controversial clause which seeks to compel editors to reveal their sources.

The government appeared to have softened its stance after Information and Communication minister Mutai Kagwe announced that he has considered to advice the president not to give assent to the Bill.

In hurriedly press conference at parliament building, Information and Communication minister Kagwe raised concern that the Bill was bound to be abused if passed into law.

“The way it stands, the Bill can be misconstrued to include news sources”, Kagwe told journalists.

More than 1000 journalists from various media organizations marched to the office of the Attorney General before proceeding to parliament building where they read a petition calling for the president not the sign the Bill into law.


Evans Wafula is Director Africa Interactive Kenya. Visit his weblog