Jailing of journalist may make media houses to fear reporting on graft

Kenyan journalists demonstrating against draconian law seen to be curtailing the freedom of press passed by Parliament in Nairobi. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

I wrote a piece last week criticising Tuko.co.ke Editor Didacus Malowa's sentencing for contempt of court after a Kiambu Magistrate found him guilty. In one of the infamous National Youth Service corruption cases, Tuko and other media outlets published a story questioning the source of wealth of state witness David Muthee Mbogo.

In his capacity as editor of Tuko.co.ke, he was ordered to pay Sh50,000 or serve a six-month custodial sentence. An apology and a retraction similar to that of the alleged offending article was also ordered by the trial magistrate. Though Malowa was listed as the only defendant in the contempt of court proceedings, the sentence directed the media house to publish an apology and retraction within three days.