KCA, Editors Guild Congratulates journalists for solidarity over oppressive Media Bill

Journalist urged to stand against anti-media laws

By Eunice Kavutha

The Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) and Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) have  congratulated journalists and the media fraternity for showing solidarity in its opposition to the passage of the oppressive media Bill, the Kenya Information and Communications Amendment Bill 2013 which seeks to undermine media freedom and freedom of expression for Kenyan.

In a statement to the media, KCA Chairman William Janak and the Vice Chair of the Editors' Guild David Ohito said the journalists would resist attempts to portray them and the media negatively by sections of the Kenyan leadership just because they had continuously and without fear, pointed out ills bedeviling the country and demanded accountability.

 The two journalists’ organizations said they had noted with satisfaction the growing level of consciousness among journalists of their rights as demonstrated through their response to the attempts by the executive and the National Assembly to work in tandem to undermine press freedom and by extension the democratic space Kenyans have fought and died for over the last three decades.

"This is the time to show the Government, all Kenyan leaders and Members of the National Assembly that the media, as the Fourth Estate - should not be treated with the casualness and disdain that we continue to see and which is now being entrenched into law with the aim of intimidating this important Estate into silence," said KCA Chairman William Oloo Janak

The Vice Chairman of the Editors Guild David Ohito said the media in Kenya had matured into a solid group and important stakeholders in this country which had been at the forefront of the fight for freedom and accountability.

"It is unacceptable that some people within the government and the National Assembly should suddenly choose to misrepresent this role and claim the media is irresponsible and pass laws to intimidate it into silence when efforts have been made by the industry at achieving effective self regulation," said Ohito.

The two leaders said the media industry was in agreement that all previous laws touching on the industry be aligned with the Constitution of Kenya 2010 adding that extensive consultations had been made and consensus reached.

“Media stakeholders have been taken aback by the lack of honesty and goodwill on the part of the government and the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Communications which has manifested itself in their choice to completely ignore the stakeholders input and come up with provisions that not only hurt the media but violate the constitution," the two said in a statement.

They said consultations were underway on various options to be adopted by media stakeholders to deal with this “determined onslaught on media freedom and which is an attempt to deny Kenyans channels of free expressions to exercises their civil liberties as enshrined in the constitution,"

They urged journalists to remain vigilant and united adding that the media industry was still lobbying the president to return the Bill to the National Assembly for amendments and further stakeholder input and agreement.

"We would like Members of the Senate, to also play their complimentary role of checking on the laws being passed by their colleagues in the National Assembly to ensure the gains made under the new constitution are not eroded and Kenyan taken back to the dark days," the two added.