Government bent on stifling media practice, says Musalia Mudavadi

By Standard Digital Reporter

Nairobi, Kenya: UDF  party leader Musalia Mudavadi has critised government’s move to grant Signet and the PANG exclusive rights to content transmission signals, saying it serves the negative perception of government intent to control media output.

Mudavadi reiterated Court of Appeal’s view in digital migration that migration should not be instant, but rather a process to the June 17, 2015 deadline.

“I do not see a crisis necessitating the drastic action contemplated in rushed deadlines and threats by government,” said Mudavadi.

The Amani coalition co-principal said the migration to digital should be planned gradually and staggered over a definite period to serve the purpose of change since most Kenyans have analogue TV sets and they need time to gradually phase them out.

Quoting the two outwardly unconstitutional media laws, he said the recent trend cautions that Acts of Parliament should not be designed to subvert the constitution but to expedite its functioning.

“The government should begin to regard and treat media as an institution of great social and economic value than a political inconvenience,” said Mudavadi.

Friday, the Court of Appeal ordered retention of the analogue TV signal, for 45 days, in the long drawn out battle to migrate to digital platform.