Last week the Standard Group alerted the country and the world at large on continued threats to harm three of its journalists on account of its reportage on matters of public interests in both television and newspaper. The latest victim is said to be a journalist — Robert Wanyonyi based in western Kenya on his reportage in The Standard newspaper on a coffee scandal that so far has seen 11 murders.
In previous weeks other journalists who are said to have been under direct and indirect threat are Mohamed Ali and Denis Osarigo of the popular Jicho Pevu and The Inside Story — undercover investigative series on Kenya Television Network (KTN).
Represent darkness
It is now evident these acts of intimidation are aimed at stopping the journalists from performing their critical role of serving public interests — in highlighting corruption and human rights abuses, among other ills in society.
Whilst, it can be said that Kenya has made progressive strides in the area of press freedom, emerging evidence suggests continued intolerance of media freedom. This indelible hallmark is represented by the infamous raid and paralysis of the Standard Group’s media operations that eventually emerged as government-orchestrated action.
What, then, are the compelling issues and actions?
First, it must be absolutely clear, that press freedom represents indispensable rights guaranteed in our Constitution given its central role in our national democratisation, assurance of justice to all and protection of human rights.
As a people, we must always be alert to any efforts to meddle and undermine press freedom by State actors or any other vested interests whatsoever aimed at closing a critical window of information.
Why? Because all those seeking to silence the media have other motivation but to deny the public the right to know in order to perpetuate corruption, abuse of human rights and/or justice against the dictates of our Constitution.
Critical window
True, these lords of power choosing to lord it over journalists represent darkness and pose a major threat to Kenya’s democratisation process and access to fair allocation and distribution of resources.
It is a continued challenge, that all of us Kenyans and members of the international community must resist by all available legal means.
All media houses, not just the Standard Group must demonstrate resoluteness in defence of press freedom as without it, the world would be denied the right to know.
Second, the Director of Public Prosecutions must initiate immediate action by constituting a high level investigative team and appoint an independent prosecutor to bring to account those threatening journalists.
Hard reality
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Whilst this is our expectation as Kenyans, we wait to see whether the Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions would elect to defend the Constitution through decisive action.
Action must taken against those who use positions of power and/or as members of this country’s security teams not to safeguard the fundamental rights of every citizen, including journalists, but instead infringe upon these rights.
Yes, there cannot be any impunity against violations that go against the dictates of our Constitution no matter what power anyone claims to hold or influence thereof.
Third, the hard reality that journalists across media houses — and more so those at the Standard Group — have demonstrated that intimidation does not work and cannot work, but only increases their resolve in pursuing their crucial role of informing and reporting no matter the risk.
Indeed, such resolve can only be achieved if media houses and the population at large stand always on side of the journalists in order to build confidence and courage in defence of press freedom.
Public Watchdog congratulates those brave journalists who have resisted being captive of vested considerations and have elected to pursue wider public interest issues with enormous risk to life and limb.
Everyone, yes everyone, knows who among Kenyan journalists have proved to be leaders in pursuit of public interest and must be acknowledged day in day out. Unfortunately, a small minority of our journalists, have been unable to resist temptation of being captured as advocates of vested agendas.
Even, then, the public is able to see through such gimmicks.
Finally, as for those who choose to pursue a course of harassment of journalists, whether in government agencies or outside, whether in position of power or pursuing such dreams must be warned, they are doomed to fail.
Quick and fair
In the end, perpetrators of threats against journalists and abuse of human rights must certainly know that they shall be held to account for their actions, however long it takes, as the world has proved its ability to defeat against those who undermine the rights of others and public good.
The Judiciary must also rein in those found gullible in abusing the rights of others by dispensing quick, yet fair and impacting sentences, this being a matter of compelling public interest!
The author is an opinion leader who prefers to remain anonymous.
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The Standard Group Plc is a
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Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
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