<div dir="ltr">There is no law, principle or human right that safeguards anyone from 'being offended'. However, I have seen some of the posts by these bloggers and they are not in good taste! It appears to me that being a blogger in Kenya gives one the licence to make statements without minding the consequences! All the same, let the courts decide...<br>
</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 28 March 2013 10:17, Ali Hussein <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke" target="_blank">ali@hussein.me.ke</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<font face="georgia,serif">George</font><div><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif">Agreed.</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif">Thanks for the lesson in History..:-) I guess that usually does happen. Like the statement that is mostly attributed to JFK - Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country - That was actually made by Khalil Jibran, A Christian Arab philosopher.</font></div>
<div><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font><div><div class="im"><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"">Ali
Hussein</span></b></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"">CEO, 3mice interactive media ltd</span></b></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">
<font><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"">Partner, </span></b>Telemedia Africa Ltd<br></span></b></font></p>
<font>
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font> </font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>T<font>el: +25471360<font>1113</font></font><br></span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Twitter: @AliHKassim</span><span></span></span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">
</span></font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Skype: abu-jomo</span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a></span><a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"></span></a></span></font></p>
<font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"></span></font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">
</p><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Blog: <a href="http://www.alyhussein.com" target="_blank">www.alyhussein.com</a></span></span></font><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"></span>
<span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""></span></div>
<br><br></div><div><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 8:56 AM, George Nyabuga <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:george@afrinic.net" target="_blank">george@afrinic.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div style="text-align:left">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Thanks Ali for posting this. I have always wondered whether there is a
crime called 'posting annoying statements'? Any statute or case law that we can
rely on? I think the DPP should give direction on this as this wastes a lot of
court time and ultimately our money (paying for investigations, prosecution
etc.). But could be wrong but not aware of any statute or case law (common law)
that makes it a crime to make annoying statements? I also saw the guy involved
with Tuju being charged with making statements to 'annoy' him. I am about to
sue so many people for making statements that 'annoy' me including <span style="color:#262626">he director of Public Communications, Ms Mary Ombara
and Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia (the latter has also 'annoyed'
VP Kalonzo Musyoka and PM Raila Odinga). Take my last statement with
a pinch of salt but you can see how the charges are annoying to those of us who
cherish free speech.</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(38,38,38)" lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On a lighter note, the statement that 'I disapprove of what you say,
but I will defend to the death your right to say it' is often wrongly
attributed to Voltaire but was in fact first made by S.G. Tallentyre (real
name Evelyn Beatrice Hall) who wrote </span><span lang="EN-US">Voltaire’s biography.</span><u></u><u></u></p>
</div><div><br><div>
<div style="text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-wrap:break-word;word-spacing:0px">
<div>Dr George Nyabuga Tel: +230 403 51 00<br>Head, Communications and PR, AFRINIC Fax: +230 466 67 58</div><div><a href="mailto:george@afrinic.net" target="_blank">george@afrinic.net</a> - <a href="http://www.afrinic.net/" target="_blank">www.afrinic.net</a><br>
<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>Please join us at the Africa Internet Summit, Lusaka, Zambia, 9 – 21 June 2013<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
</div>
</div>
<br><div><div><div><div>On Mar 28, 2013, at 9:27 AM, Ali Hussein <<a href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke" target="_blank">ali@hussein.me.ke</a>> wrote:</div><br></div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div>
<font face="georgia,serif">Listers</font><div><font face="georgia,serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia,serif">Voltaire, the Famour French Historian and Philosopher once said </font></div><div><font face="georgia,serif"><br>
</font></div><div><span style="line-height:26px;font-size:20px"><font style="text-decoration:none" face="georgia, serif">"<a title="view quote" href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/voltaire109645.html" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank">I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.</a>"</font></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">I am writing this post due to the interesting times that we live in. There is a lot of emotions, bigotry, outright tribalism and jingoism being bandied around the country in many channels - Online responses to media stories, FM Station talk shows, social media, work places, bars etc. Whilst I abore the very nature of some of the discussions we have fought too hard for freedom of expression and association to blanketly condemn everything whole sale. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif">I have just read a story in today's nation titled <b>'14 Bloggers linked to hate messages'</b>. </font></div><div>
<font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif"><a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/News/14-bloggers-linked-to-hate-messages/-/1056/1732288/-/cut5kvz/-/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.nation.co.ke/News/14-bloggers-linked-to-hate-messages/-/1056/1732288/-/cut5kvz/-/index.html</a></font></div>
<div><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif">The gist of the story is that the bloggers are using the anonymity of the internet to spread hate, tribalism etc.and they are being 'hunted down' like rabid dogs. What I found interesting is this particular paragraph:-</font></div>
<div><font face="georgia, serif"><br></font></div><div><span style="line-height:21.625px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px"><b><font face="georgia, serif">Mr Robert Alai, a well-known blogger was on Tuesday charged with posting “annoying” statements on social media sites, Twitter and Facebook.</font></b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">For those of us who follow Robert on Social Media you may be forgiven if you think he is the 'Village Mad Man'. However he is a Kenyan and has a right to free speech. I do not excuse some of the stuff being posted online but I sincerely do hope that when one is being charged at our law courts the charge sheet does not say that he or she is charged in court for posting 'Annoying Statements'!!</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">A few months ago Eric Hershman (<a href="http://whiteafrican.com/" target="_blank">whiteafrican.com</a>) posted a blog defending Robert's right to his unique brand of 'journalism' and I am one of those who commented on the blog saying that one needs to take responsibility for his actions. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif"><a href="http://whiteafrican.com/2012/08/22/kenyas-slippery-censorship-slope/" target="_blank">http://whiteafrican.com/2012/08/22/kenyas-slippery-censorship-slope/</a></font></div>
<div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Now I see where Eric was going... Oh the power of Retrospection.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><br>
</span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif">I urge the Powers That Be to delicately balance and be circumspect on how they use the tools of state lest we run rough shod on the very freedoms that allow us to freely comment, post online our opinions. As Voltaire said - I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.</font></div>
<div><br></div><div><font face="georgia, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;line-height:21.625px">Let us all take a step back and ensure that we do not fall victim to the tyranny of the few who have decided to interpret for us what is good or bad for our beloved nation.</span></font></div>
<div><font color="#333333" face="georgia, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;line-height:21.625px"><br></span></font></div><div><div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"">Ali
Hussein</span></b></font></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"">CEO, 3mice interactive media ltd</span></b></font></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">
<font><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""><b><span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif"">Partner, </span></b>Telemedia Africa Ltd<br></span></b></font></div>
<font>
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font> </font></p><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">T<font>el: +25471360<font>1113</font></font><br></span></font></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">
<font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Twitter: @AliHKassim</span><span></span></span></font></div><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">
</span></font><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Skype: abu-jomo</span></font></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a></span><a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"></span></a></span></font></div>
<font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"></span></font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">
</p><font><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span>Blog: <a href="http://www.alyhussein.com/" target="_blank">www.alyhussein.com</a></span></span></font><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"></span>
<span style="font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif""></span></div>
</div></div></div>
_______________________________________________<br>kictanet mailing list<br><a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br><a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
<br>Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/george%40afrinic.net" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/george%40afrinic.net</a><br>
<br>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.<br>
<br>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.</blockquote>
</div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></div>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
<br>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mouzmuyer%40gmail.com" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mouzmuyer%40gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.<br>
<br>
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.<br>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Kind Regards,<div><br></div><div>Moses M.G.</div>
</div>