[kictanet] Kenya: The Media is Not Innocent

Thu Feb 14 22:51:59 EAT 2008

Wainaina

This is funny. On one hand you are describing how KTN/Standard did incite
the public and ignore the fact that All Royal Media outlets including
RamogiFM, Kameme, and KBC have gone to become Kikuyu chauvinist and not
ready to protect the interest of Kenya. On another hand you claim ho the
current Kenyan problem is political. *THE PROBLEM IS NOT POLITICAL BUT
ETHNIC. *I have just come from a tour which took me from Tigoni, Juja,
Nyeri, Naivasha, Eldoret, Kisumu, Yala and Busia. I travelled with the IDPs
and listened and cried of what I heard. Kenyans are being denied their
rights because they are not Kikuyu. I have the word of MPs and confirmed
with IOM that the government explicitly informed the Redcross and IOM not to
serve some communities. I have horror tales of women whose husbands were
hacked with pangas inside Tigoni police station and the police couldnt save
because they are not Kikuyu. I have talked to Abbas of IOM of how different
Redcross is treating IDPs. kikuyu IDPs are treated with all care and others
ignored. I personally snatched blankets from Pamela who is the regional
redcross manager in Kisumu when she refused to give them to mothers and
chidren I transported from tigoni and naivasha. I brought 17 buses and
called redcross and informed them of my mission. I had a meeting with Dr
Simiyu and Abbas Guled and they agreed to prepare the ground. After a whole
day travel I got redcross not ready and when they saw the buses is when they
started cutting the mbogas and meat. We handed over 4 children whose mother
was admitted to Agha khan with serious illness and redcross took the
children to a police station in Siaya.

Kenyan problem is tribal and not political. We cannot have one tribe running
roughshod and even the religious leaders from Kikuyu preaching the Kikuyu
superiority. We cannot have one tribe killing and maiming Kenyans while
claiming there is a genocide against Kikuyus. No Kikuyu was killed in
Kisumu. Infact they were protected and even I have Mwangi, and Kuria who are
my friends living and working in Kisumu even now when they cant work
anywhere else. But Kibaki is ordering NGOs not to serve non Kikuyus. Kikuyus
enjoy greater access to loans and even humanitarian assistance. Go to
Kondele in Kisumu where the Kikuyu IDPs are housed. You will find that there
is a bigger difference with Moi stadium where redcross dont want to even put
basic facilities forcing the local community in Kisumu to house the IDPs at
St Stephens.

kenyans, these theories of Bitange and Wainaina only works for the few they
serve. Bitange was key in selling 51percent shares of Telkom Kenya to the
french consortium at 26 Billion Ksh. Before that the government cleared a
debt of 69 billion. if 51% shares were sold at 26 it menas that Telkom Kenya
was just worht 52 Billion. Why settle a debt of 69 billion? What is the
mathematics here? telkom Kenya was worthless? Shame on you Bitange. Only
people who dont know your inner dealings will respect what you say. You
really like to please masters and never acts proffesionaly.

Alai

On Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at 7:03 PM, Wainaina Mungai <wainaina at madeinkenya.org>
wrote:

> I believe Waruru has raised an important question especially as relates to
> .....should Media houses be partisan? or must Media houses remain neutral
> independent of the preference of their owners?
>
> My take is that Media is too critical as a part of society that it must
> not be partisan. We call the Press the "Fourth Estate" and we should make
> the press non-partisan  just as we require the judiciary or other statutory
> bodies to be non-partisan  even though the individuals running those
> institutions may be free to support different political leanings.
>
> Dear Alai, let's all admit we have erred no matter what party or ideology
> we support. The political bias of the media is the problem we turn our focus
> to as it has brought us to the crisis we find ourselves in. My example of
> KTN/Standard also pointed out that other media houses (the same that you
> mentioned), have to deal with the fact that they are perceived as partisan
> in favour of the establishment. I also chose to deflect the debate to "way
> forward". Please let us not trivialise it as a matter of tribal chauvinism
> coz we will lose sight of the issues at hand. Let's work together for a
> win-win solution.
>
> I would like to venture into analysing the role of SMS and the Internet
> but that would divert my atention from the unsolved problem of a Media that
> can destroy Kenya if left untempered.
>
>
>   On 2/13/08, Robert Alai <alai.robert at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >   Kenyans and Friends of Kenya
> >
> > The Media shuldnt have media council. The media must go the way of the
> > SA broadcast complaints commision which must be independent of the media and
> > the gvernment. And guys and especially Wainaina. Please dont bring the PNU
> > vs ODM politics in this forum. We are going to that direction and it wont
> > help us. Lets all know that KTN has a duty to inform people just the way
> > Royal Media and KBC and the Kameme 24 has been sending Kikuyu enthnic
> > chauvinism in our ears. We have situations in this country where even
> > Redcross and IOM have been called and informed by the government not to
> > transport some IDPs. Please know that Kenya cant be in an imagined peace
> > state. And peace exist only where justice is. Even if Raila and Kibaki
> > agrees know that thre will be no peace without the people's right protected.
> >
> > Alai
> >
> >  On Feb 13, 2008 2:49 PM, Kanja Waruru <kanjawaruru at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > hi all,
> > > i like mungai's line of thought and i would like to
> > > contribute an additional point.
> > >
> > > for media houses to be transparent during elections
> > > the media council should insist that each media house
> > > state their position's publicly and declare the
> > > parties/presidential candidates that they
> > > support/endorse or if they intend to remain neutral
> > > and independent.
> > >
> > > this way the public will be making informed decision
> > > when they tune/buy into a particular media.
> > > Kanja
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Wainaina Mungai <wainaina at madeinkenya.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Allow me to re-deflect the issue away from a
> > > > specific media house and state
> > > > the following as a way forward:
> > > >
> > > > 1. Journalists must work with all Kenyans to make
> > > > the press free from undue
> > > > influence from Media Owners. Press Freedom will not
> > > > be achieved until we
> > > > liberate the journalists from the editorial biases
> > > > of the media owners.
> > > >
> > > > 2. Editors must be held responsible when media
> > > > houses publish/broadcast in
> > > > an unethical manner. For this to hold, we must
> > > > ensure that the media owners
> > > > are not the 'final' editors.
> > > >
> > > > 3. Journalists/reporters have developed a culture of
> > > > accepting inducements
> > > > in order to edit stories as requested. This must be
> > > > treated as a crime due
> > > > to the privileges society accords the press.
> > > >
> > > > 4. Media houses must employ and retrain qualified
> > > > and ethical staff. There
> > > > must be standards that ensure professionalism.
> > > > Engineers, Doctors and others
> > > > submit to standards that the media continues to
> > > > dodge.
> > > >
> > > > 5. Kenya needs a Media Council "with teeth"...that
> > > > will be a watchdog that
> > > > acts in the interest of the public not as a
> > > > affiliate lobby for Media
> > > > Owners.
> > > >
> > > > The verdict should be a clear message to all of us
> > > > in the media circles.
> > > > It's time to look inwards and liberate the
> > > > profession of journalism from the
> > > > businessmen who own the media houses.
> > > >
> > > > Wainaina
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On 2/13/08, Wainaina Mungai
> > > > <wainaina.mungai at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks Farida,
> > > > >
> > > > > We should not consider the presence of lessos in
> > > > ballot boxes in Kajiado
> > > > > or Kamukunji as evidence that your story was true.
> > > > The pre-marking or
> > > > > ballots and the lesso story are what would be
> > > > considered mutually exclusive
> > > > > events. The use of lessos as indicator of accuracy
> > > > is at the very least
> > > > > speculative. The fact that [it is possible] for an
> > > > election to be stolen
> > > > > does not mean that and election [will be] stolen.
> > > > >
> > > > > For KTN/Standard, the more direct issues as you
> > > > vouch for the integrity of
> > > > > your story would be:
> > > > >
> > > > > 1. Did you have [evidence] that the ballot boxes
> > > > were stuffed with
> > > > > pre-marked ballot papers? or were you speculating
> > > > because someone came
> > > > > forward as a "witness"?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > 2. Do you believe that the killings of the
> > > > Administration Police in Nyanza
> > > > > were a direct result of the story you authorised?
> > > > If so, what have you done
> > > > > to at least console the families of the bereaved
> > > > policemen?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > 3. Did you have evidence that the Citi Hoppa buses
> > > > that were carrying APs
> > > > > to various parts of the country were meant to be
> > > > used for a rigging mission?
> > > > > and would you consider that your story was
> > > > responsible for the burning of
> > > > > Citi Hoppa buses?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Most voters know that ballot boxes are checked
> > > > before the start of voting
> > > > > and sealed infront of witnesses (agents, ECK
> > > > officials etc).  It is
> > > > > therefore unlikely that rigging would only take
> > > > place is unless there is an
> > > > > elaborate conspiracy involving [all]
> > > > officials/agents at a polling station.
> > > > >
> > > > > Overall, the "vibes" KTN/Standard fraternity must
> > > > contend with is not that
> > > > > they are a model of "free press" but that it is
> > > > biased against the
> > > > > government or pro-ODM. The vibes stations such as
> > > > Royal Media, Kameme and
> > > > > KBC contend with is that they have given Kenyans
> > > > reason to be seen as
> > > > > pro-government/PNU. Those are the issues the press
> > > > must address honestly and
> > > > > not hide behind tags and clichés such as 'press
> > > > freedom' and 'muzzling the
> > > > > press'.
> > > > >
> > > > > NOTE: I work for a competing media house but that
> > > > is not my motivation for
> > > > > the issues i have raised on KTN/Standard. I
> > > > respect journalists for the
> > > > > effort that goes into writing even the simplest
> > > > story. However, I am aware
> > > > > that media houses and journalists have continued
> > > > to allow their political
> > > > > and other biases to influence the way they report
> > > > stories.
> > > > >
> > > > > Wainaina
> > > > >
> > > > > On Feb 14, 2008 12:09 AM, Farida Karoney
> > > > <fkaroney at ktnkenya.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >  Wainaina
> > > > > > I personally authorised the story you are
> > > > blaming KTN for and can vouch
> > > > > > for the integrity of that report  any time. If
> > > > indeed you believe it is not
> > > > > > possible to steal an election, how come that
> > > > ballot boxes were found with
> > > > > > lessos, and election materials in some polling
> > > > stations?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > We cannot resolve explosive issues by hiding or
> > > > supressing  the truth,
> > > > > > and no one is trying to exonerate the press. Let
> > > > us not pretend that we do
> > > > > > not know why we are where we are, it is
> > > > definately not because of KTN or the
> > > > > > Standard Group.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > And it is certainly  not  an academic excercise,
> > > > afterall most of us do
> > > > > > not have another place to call home except
> > > > Kenya. Believe me, any Country
> > > > > > which calls itself democratic must be able to
> > > > live with a free press, no
> > > > > > matter how much of a nuisance it is.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > By all means industry players need mechanisms to
> > > > promote responsible
> > > > > > behaviour in the media but aggression against
> > > > media houses in light of the
> > > > > > current political crisis is in my opinion
> > > > misplaced.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > regards
> > > > > > Farida
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > >  *From:* Wainaina Mungai
> > > > <wainaina.mungai at gmail.com>
> > > > > > *To:* fkaroney at ktnkenya.com
> > > > > > *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> > > > <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> > >  > > > *Sent:* Tuesday, February 12, 2008 9:53 PM
> > > > > > *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Kenya: The Media is
> > > > Not Innocent
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Like Dorcas, I am not surprised that the media
> > > > has for the umpteenth
> > > > > > time, failed to take responsibility for their
> > > > role. Allow me to cut to the
> > > > > > chase on how the media fueled the conflict.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The issue of "self regulation" has come up as
> > > > journalists remind us how
> > > > > > effective they were during the election period.
> > > > I would like to know what
> > > > > > the Media Council would say about KTN/Standard
> > > > Group having published and
> > > > > > aired sensational stories of a very unlikely
> > > > vote rigging two or so days
> > > > > > before the election day. Editors must have known
> > > > that it is no longer
> > > > > > possible to stuff ballot boxes prior to the
> > > > voting day and get away with it.
> > > > > > That unsubstantiated story led to the death of
> > > > five Administrative
> > > > > > Policemen. How would KTN/Standard Group justify
> > > > the deaths of the APs
> > > > > > especially because the accuracy of that rigging
> > > > story
> > > === message truncated ===>
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