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

Mon Dec 15 19:39:57 EAT 2008

Ok Aduda,

Suggest an alternative informed direction.

Wainaina

On 12/15/08, David Aduda <daduda at nation.co.ke> wrote:
> 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
>> >>> _______________________________________________
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>> >>> 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
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>> >>
>> >> This message was sent to: crystal at voicesofafrica.org
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>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Crystal "Naliaka" Watley
>> > Voices of Africa
>> > crystal at voicesofafrica.org
>> > http://www.voicesofafrica.org/
>> >
>> > "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi
>> >
>>
>> --
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>>
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