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<TITLE>RE: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Kenya communications (amendment)Bill: Is media overacting?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Wanaina,</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">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.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Aduda</FONT>
</P>
<UL>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">----------</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">From:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">kictanet-bounces+daduda=nation.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke on behalf of Wainaina Mungai</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Sent:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Monday, December 15, 2008 7:06 PM</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">To:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">David Aduda</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Cc:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Subject:</FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Kenya communications (amendment)Bill: Is media overacting?</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Crystal et. al.,</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Other than for a few if any, you are preaching to the choir on matters</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">of the need for a "free and fair" press. We have been on the job as</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">stations were shut down but that does not cloud our objectivity. We</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">must discuss a fair way forward on specifics scenarios pointed out by</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Bill Kagai and others. Do not forget that the media has not been</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">acting "free" and "fair". A fair press would have been objective and</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">would not conspire and document their intention to sway public opinion</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">through biased reporting (see the Action Plan in this thread).</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Way forward:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">1. President fails to ascent: We are stuck with Section 88 for another</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">6months at a very minimum. No guarantee we'll make progress on the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">other aspects after losing 6months of much needed reforms.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">2. President ascents. We still have Section 88 but this time, we are</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">better off as a country on all other aspects of the Bill. If the media</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">wants support in 6months for a separate Bill to repeal Section 88,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">then they can lobby us and the MPs for support.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Note that the media you call "free and fair" abused their licence</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">provisions through the "Action Plan" to manipulate the public to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">support them. The one-sided reporting continues except on K24 TV.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Let's be very fair and honest in our proposals.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Wainaina</FONT>
</P>
<BR>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">On 12/15/08, Crystal Watley <crystal@voicesofafrica.org> wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> Brian,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> The meeting was not made public knowledge. If it had been then possibly more</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> would have attended. Myself included.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> The Communications Bill contains many well thought out policies that will</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> benefit Kenya in its quest to become an leader in information and</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> communications technology in the region. I read the bill when it came out in</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> its first draft form and twice more during the consultation and amendment</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> period. The bill is still not ready to be passed into law. As it is a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> serious piece of legislature it needs more discussion especially in open</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> public forums. Once the general public and the media take an issue with a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> piece of legislation it should be tabled and discussed until necessary</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> revisions are made. I would like to reiterate this bill is not ready to be</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> passed into law. If it is I would encourage the media institutions to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> challenge its legality in court. It has already been rejected in the court</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> of public opinion.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> If what Dr. Ndemo and others say about the ability of the president to amend</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> the act, although Kibaki is in a catch 22, he should see that the media</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> stays free. What Kenyans should be afraid of is giving the government the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> power to decide on what dictates a "state of emergency". This has been used</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> in other countries to suppress the masses and give all control to a few</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> powerful individuals. The control of the many by the few is something we</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> already see in Kenya. Information and communications technologies are to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> improve INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS. The proliferation of Kenyan content</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> cannot be stilfed by the law or many will shy away from their use due to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> fear.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> Crystal</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 6:36 PM, Brian Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com> wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> I too, feel that this is overreaction and misrepresentation by the media.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> How many of the very vocal media personalities who appeared protesting</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> have</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> even read the proposed legislation? If they did, they would see that the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> powers granted are only applicable during a state of emergency. Other laws</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> set out the process and conditions by which a state of emergency can be</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> called.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> Our experiences with the post-election crisis this year exposed how</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> partisan and instrumental media can be to fuel discontent and in many</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> cases,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> media related information was used to take lives.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> Have the more responsible media houses forgotten so quickly the regret and</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> guilt they expressed, when they started crying out for peace - after they</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> realised how seriously wrong their transmissions were taken by the public?</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> It is true that when Govt invited stakeholders to make representations</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> regarding the bill, the media houses that bothered to send personnel sent</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> only very junior officials - there's no knowing what kind of</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> feedback/representations these underlings took back to their bosses.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> How many media houses sent representations to the house committee that was</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> responsible for the bill when they were invited to do so? To what extent</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> did</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> they engage with informed contributions, proposed modifications or even</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> proposed text to replace the offending sections?</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> People need to realise that things like this don't happen overnight,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> law-making is a process that provides any citizen with the right and the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> opportunity to make their views felt and known. The masses that have been</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> mobilised by the media houses should have been in Mombasa when govt, the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> house committee and stakeholders were meeting to among other things look</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> at</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> sections of the Kenya communications amendment act - not now, when their</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> elected representatives have yielded to the due process and submitted the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> bill to the President.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> my two-pence,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> Brian</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> On 12/13/08, Grace Bomu <nmutungu@gmail.com> wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> I had signed up for the mars group protest yesterday on the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> representation that it was a protest on food prices and MP'S refusal</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> to pay taxes.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> I am disgusted that the media have used our voices for their causes</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> exclusively, disregarding ours.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> As a Kenyan, i think there should be a review on cross-ownership of</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> media if democracy is to thrive. Also, considering the role of the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> media in fueling ethnic/ regional backlash since 2003, isn't there</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> need for a check on them?</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> There may be misgivings on the arbitraly powers conferred to the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> Minister in charge of security but media has to be checked.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> The media should give suggestions on alternative ways to check them</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> instead of using all their airtime and acres of newspapers to win</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> public sympathy.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> Finally, they should stop branding it ' media bill' as the bill is not</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> a conspiracy against media but a bill to amend the communications act.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> --</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> Grace L.N. Mutung'u</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> +254721898732</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> +254736091242</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> Kenya</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> _______________________________________________</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> ke-internetusers mailing list</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>> ke-internetusers@bdix.net</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>></FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers">http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers</A></FONT></U>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> --</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> Brian Munyao Longwe</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> e-mail: blongwe@gmail.com</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> cell: + 254 722 518 744</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> blog :</FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://zinjlog.blogspot.com">http://zinjlog.blogspot.com</A></FONT></U>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> meta-blog:</FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://mashilingi.blogspot.com">http://mashilingi.blogspot.com</A></FONT></U>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> _______________________________________________</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> kictanet mailing list</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</A></FONT></U>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> This message was sent to: crystal@voicesofafrica.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>> Unsubscribe or change your options at</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/crystal%40voicesofafrica.org">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/crystal%40voicesofafrica.org</A></FONT></U>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">>></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> --</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> Crystal "Naliaka" Watley</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> Voices of Africa</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> crystal@voicesofafrica.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://www.voicesofafrica.org/">http://www.voicesofafrica.org/</A></FONT></U>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">> "You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">-- </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">Sent from my mobile device</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">---</FONT>
<BR><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://www.bungesms.com">http://www.bungesms.com</A></FONT></U>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">TWITTER -</FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://www.twitter.com/bungesms">http://www.twitter.com/bungesms</A></FONT></U>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">KABISSA.org -</FONT><U> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://www.kabissa.org/about/news/member-spotlight-made-kenya-network">http://www.kabissa.org/about/news/member-spotlight-made-kenya-network</A></FONT></U>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco">KAMPALA Workshop presentation -</FONT>
<BR><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Monaco"><A HREF="http://m4d.kcl.co.ug/sites/default/files/presentations/BungeSMS_MadeinKenyaNetwork.pdf">http://m4d.kcl.co.ug/sites/default/files/presentations/BungeSMS_MadeinKenyaNetwork.pdf</A></FONT></U>
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