Press Release Kenya ICT Action Network Condemns Overnight Raid on STANDARD AND KTN Offices 3 March 2006 We the members of the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), a multi stakeholder group of organisations and networks from civil society, private sector, media, academia, and development partners are shocked and outraged by the recent actions meted by the government on the standard group. On Wednesday, 1 March 2006, the Government of Kenya launched an unprecedented and vicious attack on the STANDARD GROUP premises, harassed the journalists, confiscated equipment, interrupted TV transmission and burned copies of the day’s newspaper edition. The Government has detained and continues to hold in detention three Standard journalists apparently for misreporting that a leading opposition politician had secretly met the President at State House. When interviewed, the Internal Security Minister Hon. Muchuki did not deny the government’s involvement in this horrifying event of March 1st stating state security as the reason behind the government’s actions. We see this as crude and gross abuse of power and our constitution. At a recent ICT strategy conference held at the safari park hotel his Excellency the president of Kenya unveiled Kenya’s ICT strategy, whose main objective is “ transforming Kenya’s economy through promoting and facilitating the private sector to serve as the driver for economic development”. This crude action contradicts the government’s recent objectives to maintain a favourable climate for investment and creation of jobs for Kenyan’s. No investor would place their money in an environment where the rule of law and order is disregarded with utmost impunity. This action is also reminiscent of the dark days in Kenya when the media was constantly harassed in order to suppress the freedom of expression, thought and association. The action demonstrates that the Government, which is the custodian of law and order is not committed to the rule of law as the basic foundation for a modern and civilised society. Whereas the Government may be validly aggrieved, there are established and internationally acceptable mechanisms for seeking redress through the courts of law. The Kenya Telecommunication Act (1998 revised 2001) clearly spells out the procedures that should be followed in the event that a Media House needs to be shutdown. KICATNet translates this action as an attempt to frighten the independent media, limit Kenyan’s political space and erode our human rights. It is also a gross violation of our constitution. KICTANet therefore strongly condemns the government’s actions and stands in solidarity with the Kenyan media and particularly our colleagues at the standard media group. We take this opportunity to remind the government of Kenya that the foundation of a sound democracy is the right to information and freedom of press. It is therefore imperative that the Government quickly moves to restore not just investor confidence but also citizens’ confidence in protection of our fundamental human rights and democratic space that has been gained largely due to a free press. KICTANet is appalled by the actions and urges the Minister(s) and the Agency/ies involved to publicly apologise and expeditiously restore the services of the Media House as well as paying for all the losses that the standard group have incurred. Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) Contact Details for the network Judy Kimiti [email protected]