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Is Big Brother watching us?
by Miano Njoka 18 Feb '08

18 Feb '08

A while back, the government announced that it would prosecute anyone sending hate messages via SMS. Safaricom's CEO mentioned in a post to this list that they were working on a filtering system to stop hate messages, pornography, etc. Are these actions right? Is Big Brother (in George Orwell's 1984) watching us? I guess valid arguments can be made both for and against the government invading its citizens privacy in the interest of national security, what I'd like to know is, are these actions legal? Are there laws in Kenya to protect the right to privacy? Are communication companies bound by law to protect their customers information? Are these laws, if any, enforced? Miano Njoka.

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The Truth about Telkom
by Victor Maloi 18 Feb '08

18 Feb '08

The truth about Telkom I worked for Telkom Kenya, I know Telkom's problems from the 1980's, I knew Telkom players but last week's e-mail in this forum directed at Dr. Bitange Ndemo regarding Telkom (see the last paras of the e-mail) was purely a smear campaign. I have not met Ndemo in person but the day I meet him, I will hug him for playing part in saving this National asset. Throughout the 1980's my cousins from the Rift Valley blundered the giant telco. Nine thousand of their kin with barely standard seven certificates were employed to hang around corridors. At one point there were ten tea girls in the MD's office. Managers built magnificent real estate properties in Nairobi using the resources from Telkom. The state corporation owed everybody including KRA and employee pension fund. At one time KRA was owed 30 billion. When Alai implies that the Government used 69 billion to restructure then sold 51% of the corporation for 26 billion as rip off, he only shows us how naïve he is. Did he expect the French to retire the debts? In my view this Alai man is being used to cover up things in Telkom. Remember in the run up to the election ODM opposed the sale. Now the truth has come out. My cousins did not want anybody to unravel the blunder of public resources they had stolen. They used some of this resource to oil the ODM campaign. This the same money the Kauleis are using to pay militias in the Rift Valley. For sometime now my cousins tightly kept the secrets at Telkom and were jittery when one of theirs Munsonic was bundled out and later Kirei. To date these cousins of mine still hold the corporation at ransom having created small companies with long term contracts with the corporation. The link between these people and Alai's people was clearly articulated in a rift valley FM station by a Mr. Sang. He called the Luos the "Bridge" the Kikuyu the "weeds" the Kisiis and Luhyias "madoadoa". The Bridge was to be used to bring them to the Promised Land. The one in which most us were dubbed that we were part of the larger Kalenjin. Today we suffer in Transmara where the Kalenjin are threatening to take even our local leadership. You guess what happened to the weeds and madoadoas. This brings me to a conclusion that Alai is not alone although he may me working foolishly not knowing that he is being used as a stepping stone. We eagerly await for the Truth Commission to bring all this out before we start attacking people who may not have been party to the destruction of Telkom and other state corporations. Victor Alai's e-mail 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

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Re: [kictanet] Fibre Optic Cables
by Eric Osiakwan 17 Feb '08

17 Feb '08

Nothing against all the big guns establishing in Kenya but what about a long term objective of building our own version of Akamai,googles, Limelights etc. Dont forget the real winners in the knowledge era are those who produce their own not use others. So our long term objective should be to have our own alongside others because it is a free market economy. Eric here ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: Michuki Mwangi <michuki(a)swiftkenya.com> Reply-To: michuki(a)swiftkenya.com Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:14:04 +0300 > > >bitange(a)jambo.co.ke wrote: >> Good news is that Etisalat (our partners in Teams) in conjunction with >> Akamai are building an Internet Point of Presence (POP) in Fujaira thus >> eliminating long distance needs for Internet in this region. > >The long term objective should be to have the likes of Akamai, Limelight >and google collocating their nodes in Kenya. This will essentially keep >at least 50% of our Internet traffic local. > >Regards, > >Michuki. > >_______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >This message was sent to: eric(a)afrispa.org >Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eric%40afrispa.org > -- Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now" --

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Kenya: The Media is Not Innocent
by alice 16 Feb '08

16 Feb '08

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=41049 KENYA: The Media Is Not Innocent Kwamboka Oyaro *NAIROBI, Feb 2 (IPS) - The media was partly blamed for the Rwandan genocide 14 years ago which left nearly one million people dead in 100 days. "Kill the Inkotanyi [cockroaches]!" a local radio station urged its listeners at the time. * "30 Days in Words and Pictures: Media Response in Kenya During the Election Crisis" -- a workshop organised here last week by California-based media advocacy group Internews -- enabled media professionals to conduct a "self-audit" of the role local media played in the post-election violence. The audit revealed that media -- especially vernacular radio stations -- might be partly to blame for the on-going violence sparked off by the announcement of Mwai Kibaki as winner of the Dec. 27 elections. The violence has reportedly claimed over 1,000 lives and displaced some 250,000 people since the December election. David Ochami, a commissioner with the Media Council of Kenya, told IPS that long before the elections were held, vernacular radio stations had ignited ethnic consciousness among the listeners "making them support leaders from their own tribe and harbour bad feelings about people from other communities." "The ethnic hate our radio station was propagating about those from outside the community was unbelievable. I can’t repeat any of those expressions at this forum," said a journalist with a vernacular radio station. "The unfortunate thing is we let these callers speak vile and laughed about it." "We took sides in the issue and we became subjective, forgetting our professional tenet of objectivity and neutrality. In fact, this polarization was so bad in the newsrooms that some broadcast journalists refused to cover or read news that wasn’t favourable to the candidate or party they supported," said a journalist. In fact, leading up to the elections the local media conveyed inflammatory campaign messages as advertisers’ announcements. "Both print and broadcast media put money ahead of responsibility by accepting and conveying paid-for hate material," Mildred Baraza, a Nairobi- based journalist told IPS. "This could have incited the audience, and when they got a chance they avenged as a result of the pre-election messages," she said. Redemtor Atieno, another Nairobi-based journalist who also helped to organise the workshop, is confident that the media’s biased reporting contributed to the mayhem in the country. "Professionalism was thrown to the dogs as tribe and partisanship carried the day. We failed our audience by conveying interests of politicians without questioning the impact of our stories," Atieno told IPS. Participants at the workshop also blamed media owners for playing a major role in encouraging the violence. "They had vested interests in either camp of the political divide," a reporter with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) said, adding that he and his colleagues wanted to tell the real story but they couldn’t because the stories could portray the government in a bad light. "We had beautiful clips and stories from the field, but we went back to the newsroom knowing that the story would never be used," he said. Even privately owned media owners who backed different political parties had a hand in the stories that were carried. If it was about the party they supported, they exaggerated the story and generally depicted the opponents in negative ways. "The media organizations refrained from telling the world the truth about what was happening," Ochami told IPS. "There has been a tendency of portraying the Kenyan crisis as a problem between two ethnic groups -- where one [Kibaki’s Kikuyu] is victimized by another [opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Luo]. Any other story on the contrary is downplayed or ignored," Ochami explained. There are those who believe the media is innocent and the violence currently rocking the country was bound to happen anyway -- that historical economic inequalities among the Kenyan communities had to boil over at some point in time. "The public vented long bottled-up anger. It was meant to explode whether the media encouraged it or not," said a journalist at the workshop. "Many people voted last year for change and it was a protest vote against years of inequalities. When they realized this would not happen when Kibaki was declared winner, they exploded." Mitch Odera the moderator of the workshop and media consultant said one of the causes of Kenya’s unrest is the immaturity of its democracy. "There hasn’t been competitive democracy in our country. That is our problem," Odera told the participants at the workshop. The government was also blamed for the chaos because it slapped a blanket ban on live broadcasters soon after violence broke out in the country. "The ban did not extend to international media including the Internet which many Kenyans accessed and spread the word. This led to skewed information and hence panic and more destruction and deaths," said one journalist from the electronic media. The Editors Guild -- an organization of editors from all media organizations -- went to court this week to challenge the ban on broadcasters. Participants at the workshop also heard the first hand experiences of journalists who covered the post election violence. Practioners complained about threats to their lives and complained that they felt segregated from the rest of the country. As the workshop was taking place participants were well aware that several political writers and analysts had received death threats for writing stories that were viewed as unfavourable towards the government. (END/2008)

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Re: [kictanet] Media
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

Dear Ms. Karretts-Makau, Perhaps I should start by thanking you and Edith. In all honesty, we want an evaluation that will attract ownership from all stakeholders. That is why we want distinguished members of the media fraternity plus a few others from organizations with high moral ground to conduct it. A lot has been writen in this forum but it is only you two who bothered to provide some guidelines. We shall ensure that the committee gets your comments and hopefully at the end of it all, we'll all be happy. Asante sana and have a great weekend. > I trust then that we can leave it in your capable hands to at least ensure > that the task force consider that structure and the format of the > questions > and that they reflect international standards in evaluation procedures. > > Permit me to reiterate Edith's comments: > > > âThe four internationally recognized evaluation standards: > > 1. Utility - who are the intended users? The evaluation should serve > the information needs of intended users, who should be defined from > the > outset. > 2. Feasibility - it should be realistic, prudent, diplomatic and > frugal. > 3. Propriety - it should be conducted legally, ethically and with due > regard for the welfare of those involved in the evaluation, as well as > those affected by its results. > 4. Accuracy - it will reveal and convey technically adequate > information about the features that determine the worth or merit of > the > subject being evaluated. > > Lastly, the purpose would need to be clear is it? "on improving rather > than > on proving, on understanding rather than on reporting, and on creating > knowledge for action/policy change rather than on taking > credit/punishing." > > > On 15/2/08 4:55 PM, "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: > >> The format of the questions will be decided by the task force. >> >> Ndemo >> >> >> Sent from my BlackBerryÂ® >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Monica Kerretts-Makau <mkmakau(a)yahoo.co.uk> >> >> Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:02:07 >> To:<bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> >> Cc:'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kict ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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Re: [kictanet] Media
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

Edith, I have taken your views. The Task Force will collate the widest variety of views of both the producers of media content and the consumers i.e. the practitioners of journalism and the reading, viewing and listening public. It will also take into account the findings and recommendations of other independent audits of media conduct and content placed in the public domain, including the views of Kenyas worldwide Diaspora. The purpose of the study is to assit the Government come up with an appropriate policy intervention. At the Editors' forum on this subject, Government was criticised for lack of clear ploicy on Information. I promised a comprehensive review of the ICT Policy which was largely focused on the new media. We are in this together throughout because I intend to involve stakeholders in coming up with a well informed comprehensive policy framework. I must admit here that in the past I have enjoyed the discourse in this forum but if we turn it into a name-calling arena, then in my view let Government be Government and activism be what it is. We have a wonderful opportunity to change the ways things have always been done. Ndemo. > Dr Ndemo, > > It appears that you're not open to suggestions as much as you seem to ask > for suggestions from your last communication. > > In other words, I'm suggesting that the purpose of the study and how the > results would be applied be included as part of the TOR. I don't see where > I'm being critical. > > Kind regards > > -----Original Message----- > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke [mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke] > Sent: 14 February 2008 18:06 > To: Edith Adera > Cc: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' > Subject: RE: [kictanet] Media > > Dear Edith, > I can only work within my boundaries. The Clergy have made their > apologies and practically pre-empted detailed findings as to how they > behaved. The review of politicians is ongoing and are faced with a > possibility of constitutional and legal changes. Some investigative > journalist may find it interesting to put all these efforts into > perspective. > > Rather than criticise, please make recommendations. I would not be > participating in this forum if I did not want stakeholder views. The > semantics have nothing to do with the objectives of the exercise. We > simply want to make informed policy decisions. We are not ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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Re: [kictanet] [Fwd: Re: Kenya: The Media is Not Innocent]
by Bill Kagai 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

Hello Robert, Having googled you and realising that you have been attached at the Kigoma Logistics Base with the UN Mission in Congo, I would tend to believe that your experience has taught you processes of handling such a matters diplomatically rather than 'venting' at the wrong persons. Your accounts deserve a story and would encourage you to visit the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to write statements. The Commission has over 40 officers in the field currently collecting evidence and am sure they would be pleased to listen to you and the victims of the violence so as to build a full picture that will eventually point to where the buck stops. http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143981924&cid=4&PHPSESSID=b1d4f0299b4ea… Bill

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Re: [kictanet] Media
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

Dear Edith, I can only work within my boundaries. The Clergy have made their apologies and practically pre-empted detailed findings as to how they behaved. The review of politicians is ongoing and are faced with a possibility of constitutional and legal changes. Some investigative journalist may find it interesting to put all these efforts into perspective. Rather than criticise, please make recommendations. I would not be participating in this forum if I did not want stakeholder views. The semantics have nothing to do with the objectives of the exercise. We simply want to make informed policy decisions. We are not Policing anybody here. The police will or may have already moved on those who broke the law. Ndemo. > Dr Ndemo, > > The wording of the TOR appears more of "an inquiry into" rather than what > has been the subject of discussion - "evaluation of". Again, the main > purpose of this "something" including how the results will be used need to > be spelt out from the outset. It's not included in the TOR. > > An integrated approach to examining the issues, in my view, would be more > helpful than specifically targeting the media per se....as the study would > appear to have pre-empted the findings without allow an objective and > holistic assessment of what occurred taken into consideration what I > called > "key boundary partners". Is there room to change the approach? > > Edith > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke [mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke] > Sent: 14 February 2008 13:39 > To: Edith Adera > Cc: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' > Subject: RE: [kictanet] Media > > Dear Edith, > History is always a good teacher. When Rwanda had a political crisis, > some FM station worsened the situation. In our case, no one denies the > fact that we were in a crisis towards the end of December. It was > desperate and we too desperate measures. No one can say what would have > happened if we let media inflame passions of our people. Further you very > well know that media was liberalized withou putting a legal framework in > place. We for example have no regulatory mechanism for electronic media. > We are the least regulated (electronic media) country in the World. This > is not good for a developing country like ours. > > Media h ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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Re: [kictanet] [Fwd: Re: Kenya: The Media is Not Innocent]
by Robert Alai 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

Alice Did it touch you? Who again did you warn. Do you see like you are cutting my oxygen when you ban me? Ban, kwani? If Wainaina brings politics know that I will answer him politically and threats from you or Ndemo wont scare me. Kenyans know the truth and thinking that ogre mentality will scare me from saying what it is as it is then you are in for a suprise. By the way how important is KICTANET? Alice, you are just behaving like Michuki who was Bitange's boss. Thinking that killing the messenger will stop people from getting the truth. Hell NO. KTN and Standard are more stronger than ever and with or without government lincenses we watch it in Kisumu through sattelite. Shame on you and your stooge, Ndemo. Alai unedited On Fri, Feb 15, 2008 at 8:27 AM, alice <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: > Dear Robert... > > This is a warning to you. Respect KICTAnet mailing list rules especially > these ones: > > *WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE LISTSERV?** *The > listserv should *not* be used at this time for personal > advertising of services or the advertisement of services available > from someone else. Please do *not* send updates of your addresses > or other personal contact details to the listserv. Greetings to > your friends, etc only flood mailboxes and should *not *be done > through the listserv. Gender inappropriate or other references > that may be offensive to some groups or individuals should not be > posted, of course. > * *Mailing list manners you must mind*: Don't send rude, political, > tribal and offensive e-mails or postings. * Be polite - virtual > members are real not a cyberspace dunderheads with no feelings.* > Watch your words - We can't see your face, and the emotions in > words can get misinterpreted.* Kick the bad language - People are > listening.* Laws are laws - What's real in the real world are the > same in cyberspace. Be ethical in your posting, don't lie, > plagiarize, or deliberately do harm to another KICTANet forum user. > > > > > if you repeat these offences we shall ban you from this list. > > regards > > alice munyua > > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Kenya: The Media is Not Innocent > Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:51:59 +0300 > From: Robert Alai <alai.robert(a)gmail.com> > To: alice(a)apc.org > CC: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > References: > <fb2c60220802130416x356f9e9ap82debaf42c1e8407(a)mail.gmail.com> > <453375.42402.qm(a)web36201.mail.mud.yahoo.com> > <21ca13ee0802130755if502766jfafb1e0376853656(a)mail.gmail.com> > <fb2c60220802140803l3b7d322meef08c0bcd42964c(a)mail.gmail.com> > > > > 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(a)madeinkenya.org <mailto:wainaina@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(a)gmail.com > <mailto:alai.robert@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(a)yahoo.com > <mailto:kanjawaruru@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(a)madeinkenya.org > <mailto:wainaina@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(a)gmail.com > <mailto:wainaina.mungai@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(a)ktnkenya.com <mailto:fkaroney@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(a)gmail.com <mailto: > wainaina.mungai(a)gmail.com>> > > > > *To:* fkaroney(a)ktnkenya.com <mailto: > fkaroney(a)ktnkenya.com> > > > > *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > <mailto:kictanet@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 ===> > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: kanjawaruru(a)yahoo.com > <mailto:kanjawaruru@yahoo.com> > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kanjawaruru%40yahoo.com > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: alai.robert(a)gmail.com > <mailto:alai.robert@gmail.com> > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alai.robert%40gmail.com > > > > > -- > --------------------------------- > www.kazi-africa.com <http://www.kazi-africa.com/> > polls2007.blogspot.com <http://polls2007.blogspot.com/> > ---------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org > <mailto:wainaina@madeinkenya.org> > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya… > > > > > -- > Made in Kenya Network > P. O. Box 72031 - 00200 > Nairobi. Kenya > Tel: +254-20-780669 > Cel: +254-722-811171 > www.madeinkenya.org <http://www.madeinkenya.org/> > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: alai.robert(a)gmail.com > <mailto:alai.robert@gmail.com> > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alai.robert%40gmail.com > > > > > -- > --------------------------------- > www.kazi-africa.com <http://www.kazi-africa.com> > polls2007.blogspot.com <http://polls2007.blogspot.com> > ---------------------------------- > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: alice(a)apc.org > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org > > > -- --------------------------------- www.kazi-africa.com polls2007.blogspot.com ----------------------------------

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Re: [kictanet] Media
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 14 Feb '08

14 Feb '08

Dear Edith, History is always a good teacher. When Rwanda had a political crisis, some FM station worsened the situation. In our case, no one denies the fact that we were in a crisis towards the end of December. It was desperate and we too desperate measures. No one can say what would have happened if we let media inflame passions of our people. Further you very well know that media was liberalized withou putting a legal framework in place. We for example have no regulatory mechanism for electronic media. We are the least regulated (electronic media) country in the World. This is not good for a developing country like ours. Media has taken advantage of the vacum and if you recall last year we lost a case against a leading media house when we tried to stop them from airing movies of adult nature during prime time. There is no problem showing reality. However, jounalistic principals and ethics must be observed. You watched the whole episode of twin towers and inspite the fact that many people died, you did not see a single body. I rather not delve into the bribery issue which is a reflection of our society and must be dealt with by all. Why can't we be the leading light in this endeavour? Our hypothesis on the fourth estate is that its important role in society is serously threatened by multiple factors including tribalism, lack of ethics, poor training, poor pay etc. Below please find the proposed TOR for the Tast force. I would appreatiate it if you added that which we may have omitted. 1. To inquire into the role of, and make recommendations about, the conduct, performance and professionalism (or lack thereof) of the media sector prior, during and post the 10th General Election 2. To inquire into the role of, and make recommendations about, vernacular FM radio broadcasting during the same period and their contribution to, and or complicity in the preparations for violence, the conduct of violence and its aftermath 3. To inquire into, and make recommendations about, the impact and dynamics of media ownership vis a vis the 10th General Election 4. To inquire into, and make recommendations about, the employment criteria and the working conditions of journalists vis a vis their commitment to professional standards and conduct as contained in the Code of Conduct of Journalism in Kenya 5. To inquire into, and make recommendations about, the education and training of journalists and the training institutions that certify journalists as professionals 6. To inquire into, and make recommendations about, the training of journalists as regards the coverage of national democratic events such as general elections and referenda 7. To inquire into, and make recommendations about the impact of the phenomena of opinion polling and political advertising on media content and conduct 8. To inquire into, and make recommendations about, the role of foreign correspondents and news agencies during the 10th General Election 9. To inquire into and make recommendations about the accreditation of journalists both local and international. Ndemo. ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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