[Kictanet] Kenya ICT Action Network Condemns Overnight Raid on STANDARD AND KTN Offices

[alice at apc.org]

Press Release

Kenya ICT Action Network Condemns Overnight Raid on STANDARD AND KTN Offices

3 March 2006





We the members of the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), a multi
stakeholder group of organisations and networks from civil society, private
sector, media, academia, and development partners are shocked and outraged
by the recent actions meted by the government on the standard group.



On Wednesday, 1 March 2006, the Government of Kenya launched an
unprecedented and vicious attack on the STANDARD GROUP premises, harassed
the journalists, confiscated equipment, interrupted TV transmission and
burned copies of the day’s newspaper edition.



The Government has detained and continues to hold in detention three
Standard journalists apparently for misreporting that a leading opposition
politician had secretly met the President at State House.



When interviewed, the Internal Security Minister Hon. Muchuki did not deny
the government’s involvement in this horrifying event of March 1st stating
state security as the reason behind the government’s actions.



We see this as crude and gross abuse of power and our constitution.

At a recent ICT strategy conference held at the safari park hotel his
Excellency the president of Kenya unveiled Kenya’s ICT strategy, whose main
objective is “ transforming Kenya’s economy through promoting and
facilitating the private sector to serve as the driver for economic
development”. This crude action contradicts the government’s recent
objectives to maintain a favourable climate for investment and creation of
jobs for Kenyan’s.  No investor would place their money in an environment
where the rule of law and order is disregarded with utmost impunity.





This action is also reminiscent of the dark days in Kenya when the media was
constantly harassed in order to suppress the freedom of expression, thought
and association.  The action demonstrates that the Government, which is the
custodian of law and order is not committed to the rule of law as the basic
foundation for a modern and civilised society.



Whereas the Government may be validly aggrieved, there are established and
internationally acceptable mechanisms for seeking redress through the courts
of law.  The Kenya Telecommunication Act (1998 revised 2001) clearly spells
out the procedures that should be followed in the event that a Media House
needs to be shutdown.

KICATNet translates this action as an attempt to frighten the independent
media, limit Kenyan’s political space and erode our human rights. It is also
a gross violation of our constitution.



KICTANet therefore strongly condemns the government’s actions and stands in
solidarity with the Kenyan media and particularly our colleagues at the
standard media group.  We take this opportunity to remind the government of
Kenya that the foundation of a sound democracy is the right to information
and freedom of press.



It is therefore imperative that the Government quickly moves to restore not
just investor confidence but also citizens’ confidence in protection of our
fundamental human rights and democratic space that has been gained largely
due to a free press.



KICTANet is appalled by the actions and urges the Minister(s) and the
Agency/ies involved to publicly apologise and expeditiously restore the
services of the Media House as well as paying for all the losses that the
standard group have incurred.





Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet)





Contact Details for the network

Judy Kimiti

jkimiti at email.kictanet.or.ke