Journalists Tuesday held protests in Nairobi and other major towns over changes in the media Bill that curtail press freedom.
Editors’ Guild vice-chair David Ohito led journalists in peaceful picketing in Nairobi.
The protests were also held in Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru and Eldoret.
In Nairobi, the journalists converged outside Nation Centre before starting the procession on Kimathi Street, Moi Avenue and later joined Harambee Avenue before presenting their memorandum to the Office of the President, Deputy President, Attorney General and to Parliament.
The media personnel bound their mouth and camera lenses with tapes.
Mr Ohito said journalists would move to court if Parliament passed memorandum proposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta “which worsened an already bad Bill.”
Mr Ohito said the country requires free and independent media and that regulations should only be through the Media Council or a professional body composed of journalists.
“The clauses in the media Bill should be in tandem with the constitution and reflect modern society,” Mr Ohito said.
WITHDRAW PROPOSED LAW
He said Parliament should raise at least 233 MPs to overturn the changes proposed by President Kenyatta or the Head of State should withdraw the proposed law and send a proper one to the House.
Media Owners Association said President Kenyatta’s memorandum of refusal on the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2013, should be taken to a parliamentary departmental committee on Energy and Communication.
MOA on behalf of the Nation Media Group, Radio Africa Group, Royal Media Services, Kass and Standard Group said the Bill as passed by the National Assembly on October 31 fundamentally violates the Spirit and Letter of Article 34, Freedom of the Media and is thus unconstitutional.
“In some respects, the proposals by H.E. the President in his Memorandum to the National Assembly are even more violative of the Media Freedom, enshrined in Article 34, than the Bill as originally enacted by the National Assembly,” the MOA said.
It said Article 259 requires implementation of the Constitutional Right of Media Freedom in Article 34 in a manner promotive not restrictive, of the purposes, values and principles set out in the Constitution.
“Media Freedom is part of the Bill of Rights Chapter Four which can only be amended through a referendum. That is how importantly the drafters of the 2010 Constitution regarded Media Freedom, no doubts informed by our history including raids and vandalisation of Media Houses; KTN/Standard and Royal Media Services jump to mind,” MOA said.
MOA said the amendments by Parliament and in the President’s memo do not promote the values and principles behind Article 34 of the constitution on media freedom and that they restrict “and in a very real sense obstruct, negate and reverse media freedom.”
The Bill, MOA said, seeks to exercise control and to interfere with broadcasting and the production, circulation and dissemination of information in both print and electronic media.
MOA wants clause 3 (2) (a) (b) (c) (d) and (e) of the Media Council Bill be deleted and clause 8 (9) and 10 amended.
“The limits to Media Freedom are set out in Article 33(2) of the constitution. Those limits cannot constitutionally be extended via an Act of Parliament,” MOA said.
MOA said media freedom is an important pillar in Kenya’s democratic development and helps people to hold their leaders accountable.
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