KENYA: THE BEGINNING OF AN ERROR

On the 26^th December 2007, Kenyans went to cast their votes in large numbers for the sake of bringing a change to their lifestyles. Last year general elections were the most important that Kenyans have witnessed from their accession to independence. Apart of what have just been said, we would also add that the turnout to last year elections was the most important ever.

It is important to say that the world has significantly changed compared to 1992 when the first elections were held after introduction of multiparty. One of the sectors that top the list is the communication sector. Well constructed roads, availability of air transport at a fair price, introduction of mobile communication and high speed internet etc. All of these have played a major role to boost the number of voters. Nevertheless, the print and electronic media have also made the last general elections what it is.

Elected to power or not, politicians must be grateful to the media for the coverage given to them. It revolts to hear politicians showing lack of respect towards the media with disobliging statement that the media will broadcast and publish.

Back to the Kenyan political scene; during the campaign period both the opposition and the government were reproaching certain media outlets of being bias towards them in front of media personnel who took the statements to newsroom and later published.

I do not really care about who has risen to power. I only have issues with those abusing the media.

On the same note, the TAITA (in the Coast region) super District Commissioner in the name of His Excellency, Eminence, Honorable KANG’ETHE THUKU went on to exercise one of duty by evicting one of our colleagues RENSON MNYAMWEZI of the Standard Group (second largest distributing daily) from a district development committee meeting on allegation that the journalist’s paper has always been biased against the government since it came to power in 2003. He allegedly said: “We cannot allow you in this meeting since your coverage is biased against the government. I can not allow one against the government to sit in a meeting that I am chairing”. WAO!! WHAT A SUPER MAN? Why at the first place do you invite the media to your meetings? I do not care about the house policies of media houses in Kenya. Because we can’t force people to believe in what we think is right. Informing people is a very expensive enterprise that requires very good business skills to run and also information need to be balanced. We can’t all be leaning on one side for the sake of satisfying people like KANG’ETHE. This incident comes barely two weeks after His Excellency, Eminence, Honorable D.C KANG’ETHE ordered immediate arrest of  the same MNYAMWEZI that He accuses of having written a story that allegedly fuel ethnicity animosity in his district. Thanks God his attempt failed because he could not produce evidence.

If nothing is done at this right moment, we are going to witness the worst abuses of the media history here in Kenya. Because an era of abusing journalists has started and any sane person can see that it is only one of the many Errors that politicians make.   

KENYA: THE BEGINNING OF AN ERROR

On the 26^th December 2007, Kenyans went to cast their votes in large numbers for the sake of bringing a change to their lifestyles. Last year general elections were the most important that Kenyans have witnessed from their accession to independence. Apart of what have just been said, we would also add that the turnout to last year elections was the most important ever.

It is important to say that the world has significantly changed compared to 1992 when the first elections were held after introduction of multiparty. One of the sectors that top the list is the communication sector. Well constructed roads, availability of air transport at a fair price, introduction of mobile communication and high speed internet etc. All of these have played a major role to boost the number of voters. Nevertheless, the print and electronic media have also made the last general elections what it is.

Elected to power or not, politicians must be grateful to the media for the coverage given to them. It revolts to hear politicians showing lack of respect towards the media with disobliging statement that the media will broadcast and publish.

Back to the Kenyan political scene; during the campaign period both the opposition and the government were reproaching certain media outlets of being bias towards them in front of media personnel who took the statements to newsroom and later published.

I do not really care about who has risen to power. I only have issues with those abusing the media.

On the same note, the TAITA (in the Coast region) super District Commissioner in the name of His Excellency, Eminence, Honorable KANG’ETHE THUKU went on to exercise one of duty by evicting one of our colleagues RENSON MNYAMWEZI of the Standard Group (second largest distributing daily) from a district development committee meeting on allegation that the journalist’s paper has always been biased against the government since it came to power in 2003. He allegedly said: “We cannot allow you in this meeting since your coverage is biased against the government. I can not allow one against the government to sit in a meeting that I am chairing”. WAO!! WHAT A SUPER MAN? Why at the first place do you invite the media to your meetings? I do not care about the house policies of media houses in Kenya. Because we can’t force people to believe in what we think is right. Informing people is a very expensive enterprise that requires very good business skills to run and also information need to be balanced. We can’t all be leaning on one side for the sake of satisfying people like KANG’ETHE. This incident comes barely two weeks after His Excellency, Eminence, Honorable D.C KANG’ETHE ordered immediate arrest of  the same MNYAMWEZI that He accuses of having written a story that allegedly fuel ethnicity animosity in his district. Thanks God his attempt failed because he could not produce evidence.

If nothing is done at this right moment, we are going to witness the worst abuses of the media history here in Kenya. Because an era of abusing journalists has started and any sane person can see that it is only one of the many Errors that politicians make.   

 

Media role in Kenyan chaos

Posted on africanews  Tuesday 15 January 2008 – 16:51

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Jerry Nguwa

After what we have witnessed during this post election period in Kenya, I think THE MEDIA MUST ALSO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHAOS IN KENYA

I am not a big name in the media world, I have never been hired as an editor in a big media house and I have never won any award in the media field. But I believe that I have the capability of telling when a media house is bias because of its house policy or a ownership factor that makes it become a rota agency.
Sometimes back toward the end of the year 2007, I was one among the short listed applicant retained for the position of media expert assistant with the European Union’s Election Observation mission EU/EOM in Kenya. I can recall that on the 15th of November at 10h30’ I presented myself for a test to the International Organisation for Migration head office – IOM- where EU/EOM was operating. I presume you are wondering why I have to write about all this.
The reason why I’m writing this is because among the three test questions asked to me, two were clearly foreseen the current situation here in Kenya. I wish I could remember the exact formulation of the questions and the exposé I did. Unfortunately I can’t. I only remember that one of the questions was to talk on the fairness of news reporting in Kenya and the second was about the clashes in kuresoi.
As I mentioned earlier, I am just an unidentified small fish in the media ocean but I can judge the media and particularly in Kenya where I am based. As you know, the media is a helpful tool and also a dangerous one if not well managed. Many can remember the destruction power of the media that lit the flame of hatred in Rwanda in 1994.
Back to Kenya, after what I observed during the campaign season and the post elections period, I can allow myself to say that all media houses are bias. This sounds better than ROTA agencies (formal or informal). I’m afraid that the laying down of my arguments won’t be possible in this column but I am ready to prove it to whoever would doubt. Putting all media houses in one box seems a bit rude, but what would you say of a television presenter clearly showing his/her sides on live transmission? Did he/she jump the house policy and went ahead for more than 48 hours. What about historical televisions series and political actor’s biographies that went ahead and dug up some old issues. Even foreign broadcasters received in Kenya were trying to influence voter’s preferences a few days before the election exercise.
Now that the situation is becoming untenable, so many things are happening. The media is broadcasting advertorial peace messages and gospel lyrics to calm down the citizen spirit. News anchor are reciting peace appeals, church leaders are investing themselves thoroughly in attempts to bring Kenyans to reason.
Honestly, I see nothing wrong with all these initiatives that deserve praises but where were all these good ideas when the fire was being lit? One should know that after you have set your house into fire, trying or putting it off does not restore your house to the original state. The same should apply to the Kenyan situation where several people have lost their lives and properties.
I think that apart of blaming politician about the current chaos, and complain about the roughness with which we were ousted out of the KICC(Kenya International Conference Centre) where the ECK(Electoral Commission of Kenya)media centre was, the Kenyan media community should accept it’s part of responsibility and blame so that it focuses to the future in dignity.
I might be wrong in my judgment, I think sometimes but just looking at a large growing number of listener tuned to foreign broadcasters gives me confidence.

ANOTHER EL BACHIR’S VICTIM

Many of those interested in the Sudan crisis have diverted their attention from the happenings in the Darfur region to the arrest of Gillian Gibbons. Gillian Gibbons 54 a British national from Liverpool who went to teach natural science to children of an English school in Sudan. Some months back, Gillian asked her pupils to find a name for a teddy bear that every student had to carry home and write a short story about the experience shared with the teddy bear. Having dealt with kids she knows better than anyone in this world that to impose a denomination for something that a kid cherishes is not always the best way to go. That is the reason she asked her class of 23 aged between 6 and 7 years to vote for a name they could adopt. Twenty (23) out of 23 opted Mohammad as their favorite name and it was given to the famous teddy bear. When children started going randomly with the bear home many parents did not like the name given to the teddy bear. That is where everything started.
Omar el Bashir is under pressure from the international community that is asking him to solve problems with the South and allow the hybrid peacekeeping force in the darfur region. He first started by allowing his close ally China to bring in an engineering contingent that is preparing the ground for the rest by building roads, wells etc. His intention was to create a scandal that will delay the deployment because China cannot be the ally of the oppressor and the advocates of the oppressed. His attempt did not receive much attention as planned so he chose to play a game with British who are close ally of the United States of America. Unfortunately Gillian happened to be the victim. The kids chose the name Mohammad for the appreciation they have for the prophet. Why can’t we take it that way?
I have a lot of respect for Muslims and their religion but I think it is tolerable to have teddy bear named Mohammed by innocents kids than a grown up called Mohamed who sniffs glue, masturbate himself, steals and abuses, takes hard drugs etc. Muslims should understand that this is an other El Bashir trick to continue with atrocities in Sudan. If you think I’m wrong why is he calling a Bin Laden close ally to appear as an expert witness?

WELCOME TO JERRY NGUWA’S BLOG

You have probably read or heard about my litteratures work. Many of you(my readers) have also complained alot on the lack of my own blog where everything that have written and haven’t sold to anyone can be published. Your requests have not fallen on deaf ears, that is why I have decided to start this blog for the sake of honoring you.
This blog means a lot to me. I want it to become a plateform that brings together citizens from all over the world. Because not only we will be publishing political articles but all also everything that happen in our social lifes, so watch this space.