Media Council: Bill is meant to intimidate journalists

Media Council of Kenya boss Haron Mwangi

NAIROBI: The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has termed the bill passed by Parliament that seeks to gag journalists as an affront to media freedoms in the country.

The Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Bill, 2014, is retrogressive and meant to silence critical reporting of Parliamentary happenings  and scrutiny of MPs' performance.

A clause in the bill prescribes heavy fines and jail-terms for journalists who publish 'libelous' material about Parliament.

The clause is likely to hamper effective reporting on governance, integrity and accountability.

MCK Chief Executive Officer Haron Mwangi condemned Parliament for its continued passing of legislation that is hostile to the establishment of free and independent media.

"The effect of this is to shield MPs from public scrutiny, deny citizens a constitutional right to demand accountability of their elected leaders and limit media coverage," said Mr Mwangi in a press statement sent to newsrooms.

MCK further noted that the clause will give Parliament a loophole to contravene Chapter Six of the Constitution, which calls for the auditing of the conduct of elected leaders, without question.

"By passing these clauses, Parliament has gone against all the best practices in media freedom across the globe. This will have a chilling effect in inhibiting the media's role as a watchdog for society," said Mwangi.