By David Ochami and Maseme Machuka
The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008 vests immense powers in the President and ministers of Information and Security.
An evaluation of the ICT Bill by the Kenya Editors Guild, Eastern Africa Editors Forum and Media Institute stated that Parliament was rushing to enact the law that negates democracy by curtailing press freedom and usurping roles of the Media Council of Kenya and the Penal Code.
The Kenya Correspondents Association on Monday called for the Bill’s unconditional withdrawal over what it considers, incurable flaws, through its chairman Oloo Janak.
The editors conclude that the Bill (an amended version of the 1998 one), is a fleeting proposition leading to a dangerous law in the hands of a regime with a proven vendetta against the press.
This they say was shown by the torching of The Standard Group’s newsroom in 2006 and January’s illegal shut down of telecasts after last year’s disputed presidential polls. The editors said the Bill was unconstitutional, retrogressive and draconian.
They threatened to challenge it in court for flouting Section 79 of the constitution which they say, guarantees free speech and access to information.
In their evaluation the journalists said the Bill usurps the roles of the Media Council of Kenya and Penal Code for lumping together professional issues of editorial content and technical ones.
The editors said it is an invasion of editorial discretion for section 46 (c, h) to impose local content on the media and section of 46 (i) of the same Bill to define and determine vulgarity or immorality.
