[kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Kenya communications (amendment)Bill: Is media overacting?

Mon Dec 15 19:29:40 EAT 2008

Wanaina,

I've been wondering why you are so stuck to one position and so dismissive of others even when people have constructive ideas! Debate is a two-way affair and respect for other views. We respect your view, even if we don't agree with it, but don't railroad everyone in one direction.

Aduda

> ----------
> From: 	kictanet-bounces+daduda=nation.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke on behalf of Wainaina Mungai
> Sent: 	Monday, December 15, 2008 7:06 PM
> To: 	David Aduda
> Cc: 	KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: 	Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Kenya communications (amendment)Bill: Is media overacting?
> 
> Crystal et. al.,
> 
> Other than for a few if any, you are preaching to the choir on matters
> of the need for a "free and fair" press. We have been on the job as
> stations were shut down but that does not cloud our objectivity. We
> must discuss a fair way forward on specifics scenarios pointed out by
> Bill Kagai and others. Do not forget that the media has not been
> acting "free" and "fair". A fair press would have been objective and
> would not conspire and document their intention to sway public opinion
> through biased reporting (see the Action Plan in this thread).
> 
> Way forward:
> 1. President fails to ascent: We are stuck with Section 88 for another
> 6months at a very minimum. No guarantee we'll make progress on the
> other aspects after losing 6months of much needed reforms.
> 
> 2. President ascents. We still have Section 88 but this time, we are
> better off as a country on all other aspects of the Bill. If the media
> wants support in 6months for a separate Bill to repeal Section 88,
> then they can lobby us and the MPs for support.
> 
> Note that the media you call "free and fair" abused their licence
> provisions through the "Action Plan" to manipulate the public to
> support them. The one-sided reporting continues except on K24 TV.
> 
> Let's be very fair and honest in our proposals.
> 
> Wainaina
> 
> 
> 
> On 12/15/08, Crystal Watley <crystal at voicesofafrica.org> wrote:
> > Brian,
> >
> > The meeting was not made public knowledge. If it had been then possibly more
> > would have attended. Myself included.
> >
> > The Communications Bill contains many well thought out policies that will
> > benefit Kenya in its quest to become an leader in information and
> > communications technology in the region. I read the bill when it came out in
> > its first draft form and twice more during the consultation and amendment
> > period. The bill is still not ready to be passed into law. As it is a
> > serious piece of legislature it needs more discussion especially in open
> > public forums. Once the general public and the media take an issue with a
> > piece of legislation it should be tabled and discussed until necessary
> > revisions are made. I would like to reiterate this bill is not ready to be
> > passed into law. If it is I would encourage the media institutions to
> > challenge its legality in court. It has already been rejected in the court
> > of public opinion.
> >
> > If what Dr. Ndemo and others say about the ability of the president to amend
> > the act, although Kibaki is in a catch 22, he should see that the media
> > stays free. What Kenyans should be afraid of is giving the government the
> > power to decide on what dictates a "state of emergency". This has been used
> > in other countries to suppress the masses and give all control to a few
> > powerful individuals. The control of the many by the few is something we
> > already see in Kenya. Information and communications technologies are to
> > improve INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS. The proliferation of Kenyan content
> > cannot be stilfed by the law or many will shy away from their use due to
> > fear.
> >
> > Crystal
> >
> > On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 6:36 PM, Brian Longwe <blongwe at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> I too, feel that this is overreaction and misrepresentation by the media.> 
> >> How many of the very vocal media personalities who appeared protesting
> >> have
> >> even read the proposed legislation? If they did, they would see that the
> >> powers granted are only applicable during a state of emergency. Other laws
> >> set out the process and conditions by which a state of emergency can be
> >> called.
> >>
> >> Our experiences with the post-election crisis this year exposed how
> >> partisan and instrumental media can be to fuel discontent and in many
> >> cases,
> >> media related information was used to take lives.
> >>
> >> Have the more responsible media houses forgotten so quickly the regret and
> >> guilt they expressed, when they started crying out for peace - after they
> >> realised how seriously wrong their transmissions were taken by the public?
> >>
> >> It is true that when Govt invited stakeholders to make representations
> >> regarding the bill, the media houses that bothered to send personnel sent
> >> only very junior officials - there's no knowing what kind of
> >> feedback/representations these underlings took back to their bosses.
> >>
> >> How many media houses sent representations to the house committee that was
> >> responsible for the bill when they were invited to do so? To what extent
> >> did
> >> they engage with informed contributions, proposed modifications or even
> >> proposed text to replace the offending sections?
> >>
> >> People need to realise that things like this don't happen overnight,
> >> law-making is a process that provides any citizen with the right and the
> >> opportunity to make their views felt and known. The masses that have been
> >> mobilised by the media houses should have been in Mombasa when govt, the
> >> house committee and stakeholders were meeting to among other things look
> >> at
> >> sections of the Kenya communications amendment act - not now, when their
> >> elected representatives have yielded to the due process and submitted the
> >> bill to the President.
> >>
> >> my two-pence,
> >>
> >> Brian
> >>
> >>
> >> On 12/13/08, Grace Bomu <nmutungu at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I had signed up for the mars group protest yesterday on the
> >>> representation that it was a protest on food prices and MP'S refusal
> >>> to pay taxes.
> >>> I am disgusted that the media have used our voices for their causes
> >>> exclusively, disregarding ours.
> >>> As a Kenyan, i think there should be a review on cross-ownership of
> >>> media if democracy is to thrive. Also, considering the role of the
> >>> media in fueling ethnic/ regional backlash since 2003,  isn't there
> >>> need for a check on them?
> >>> There may be misgivings on the arbitraly powers conferred to the
> >>> Minister in charge of security but media has to be checked.
> >>> The media should give suggestions on alternative ways to check them
> >>> instead of using all their airtime and acres of newspapers to win
> >>> public sympathy.
> >>> Finally, they should stop branding it ' media bill' as the bill is not
> >>> a conspiracy against media but a bill to amend the communications act.
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com
> >>>
> >>> Grace L.N. Mutung'u
> >>> +254721898732
> >>> +254736091242
> >>>   Kenya
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> ke-internetusers mailing list
> >>> ke-internetusers at bdix.net
> >>> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Brian Munyao Longwe
> >> e-mail: blongwe at gmail.com
> >> cell:  + 254 722 518 744
> >> blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
> >> meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> kictanet mailing list
> >> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
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> >>
> >> This message was sent to: crystal at voicesofafrica.org
> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/crystal%40voicesofafrica.org> 
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Crystal "Naliaka" Watley
> > Voices of Africa
> > crystal at voicesofafrica.org
> > http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
> >
> > "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
> >
> 
> -- 
> Sent from my mobile device
> 
> ---
> http://www.bungesms.com
> 
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> 
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> 
> KAMPALA Workshop presentation -
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> 
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