<b><br>A LEGAL OPINION ON
THE LEGISLATIVE PROBITY AND PROCEDURE FOR THE KENYA COMMUNICATIONS (AMENDMENT)
BILL 2008.</b><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><style>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span><span style=""></span><b style="">For Kictanet through Mediacorp</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span><i style="">By Haron M Ndubi, Advocate</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008 was
introduced by the government through the minister for Information to
parliament. The object of the new amendment is found primarily in both the
preamble and the memorandum of Objects and Reason explaining the Bill.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The preamble is herewith reproduced:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><i style=""><span style=""> </span>"….An ACT of Parliament to amend the Kenya
Communications Act, 1998, to make minor amendments to the statute law, and for
connected purposes"</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The long title of the 1998 Act provides thus:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><i style="">"….to facilitate the development of the
information and communications sector (including broadcasting, multimedia,
telecommunications and postal services) and electronic commerce</i>"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Generally speaking and found in the memorandum of objects
and reasons, the Bill proposes to and indeed does affect three major sectors.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>Communications</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>E
Commerce</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>Media
and Broadcasting</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>Criminal
and evidence<span style=""> </span>law</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>(Possibly
inadvertently, the Constitution of Kenya).</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The
objects proposing to bring developments in technology within the law so as to
provide for investments in technology and to acknowledge and deal with cybercrime
can hardly be faulted.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Actually
this has been long in coming. However, one needs to look into the cause(s) of
the public and loud disquiet that has characterized debate leading to the
petitions to the President to refuse to sign the Bill and return it to
parliament as provided for under section 46 of the Constitution.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Simply
put, that section of the constitution provides the procedure for making law.
Once a Bill is introduced, it goes to the House committee responsible for the
matters therein for consideration. At this time the Bill is not in the house
yet.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The
committee may make such changes as it may deem fit then approve it for the
house.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Upon,
the tabling of the Bill, parliament debates it and decides one way or the
other. If the Bill is rejected in toto. Then it may not be reintroduced onto
the floor of the house until the expiry of six months. If the House amends it
then it may pass with the amendments.</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Then
it may go through the various readings until it becomes a proposed law awaiting
the signature of assent from the President.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">(It
must be noted though, that the House recently passed a raft of amendments to
the Standing orders. One such is the time lapse before re introduction of a
rejected bill into the house. The new rules become operational in March 2009.
The new procedures allow faster, if not immediate reintroduction of a rejected
Bill.)</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Once
a Bill has been passed, on the other hand, it will be presented to the
President by the Speaker for his Assent. In event the President refuses to
assent to the bill, he is expected to return the bill to the Speaker, within
fourteen days of such refusal. He has to accompany the refused bill with a
memorandum or reasons for the refusal.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Parliament
is expected to; within twenty one days reconsider the Bill in consideration of
the President's objections.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">If
the House is convinced, they will make the proposed amendments and return the
same to the president who SHALL then sign it into law.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">In
event that the parliament rejects the president's objections, the bill will be
returned to the president who may sign it. If he declined to sign it
automatically becomes law within fourteen days of such presentation to the
President.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">That
the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008 was proposed singularly to amend
the 1998 Act is in no doubt. Therefore, the opportunity to amend the obnoxious
section 88 of the 1998 Act indeed lay before the house. However, we are told
that the proposal to amend section 88 of the 1998 Act was rejected at the
committee stage. It was therefore not debated by the house.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The
question that then emerges is this; can the President take the bill back to ask
that Parliament reconsiders that section 88 for repeal? My answer is YES. He
can. In doing so, the president will be dealing with another function that the
Attorney General would have performed. That of advising that the section 88
would be unconstitutional. He didn't in 1998, he hasn't now.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">If
the President assents to the Bill he will do so having failed to promote the
deletion of section 88 in the 1998 Act, yet he will have protected the gains
relating to ICT rather than broadcasting and other media.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">If
he refused to assent, then the question is how long will it be before it
becomes law? If the Parliament stays in recess until March as envisaged, then
the president may withhold his decision on the Bill until parliament resumes.
This is because time will be expected to run as soon as he advises the speaker
of his rejection.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Should
he assent, it will not be said to automatically come into force immediately.
The Bill contains provision for phased implementation of the law. The minister
may appoint <i style="">effective</i> dates either
for the whole law or diverse dates for various sections. This means that the
concern on time on the part of Kictanet is not resolved by the mere passing of
the Bill.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">But
there are other reasons for which the media, some political leaders, civil
society and others have sought the President's refusal to assent to the law.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Broadly
stated the issues are three fold. </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>The
power on the minister to confiscate equipment</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>The
power of the government to control and regulate content</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>The
lack of independence of the Regulatory body.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">On
1 above we have the foregoing text has a response. Without going into the
merits of the other two concerns, it needs to be acknowledged that they are
legitimate questions but have the potential of hamstringing one sector in
favour of another. </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">On
the issue of 2 above for instance, the regulator needs to be able to help the
media and the public classify material and allow it to be available for the
respective client without undermining the public good. Therefore, an argument
for a free hand will be inimical to public good. That said, and related to 3 a
regulatory authority must be legitimate and credible. Therefore representation
and greater presence of the diverse sectors responsible is a valid and
legitimate concern.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The
initial error may have occurred when the ICT investment and advancement issues
were mixed up with telecommunications and broadcasting. But that is debatable
by the experts in the respective areas.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">In
conclusion,, I would opine for two options:</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">A).
The President should be requested to expedite the decision on the Bill either
way</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">B)The
President should be requested to recall parliament earlier than March so as to
deal with the outstanding business. This way, if he assents to the Bill, those
members of parliament opposed to the Bill could use their privileged position
to move amendment motions.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">c)The
affected sectors opposed to the existence of section 88 of the 1998 Act can
move to the constitutional court and seek the judicial declaration that the
section is unconstitutional thus it be repealed.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- <br></p>Bildad Kagai<br>MD - MediaCorp Limited<br>Nairobi Stock Exchange Authorised Information Vendor<br>Suite B2, Tetu Court, State House Avenue<br>P. O. Box 20311 - 00200<br>Nairobi, Kenya<br>Tel. 254 20 272 8332<br>
Fax. Rendered Obsolete<br>S - 1°17'13.8" <br>E - 36°48'22.7"<br><a href="http://www.mediacorp.co.ke">www.mediacorp.co.ke</a> <br>---<br>