PROTEST LETTER TO PRESIDENT MWAI KIBAKI OF KENYA ON NEW MEDIA BILL
Your Excellency, as members of the Kenya Online Journalists’ Association –KOJA, we join our voices with those who have already gone public in protest while pleading that you do not append your signature to the controversial Media Bill. While we appreciate the role of parliament in enacting laws, we totally feel that this legislation will erode all the gains our country has made in the path of democracy. Your Excellency , as someone who has stood up against oppression, tyranny and excesses of those in authorities, it is our belief that you will once again demonstrate these virtues by sending back this bill to parliament so as to be debated afresh with a view to expunging the offending part. While the spirit of the bill is good, we are dismayed by the amendment moved by the Honorable Muriuki Karue, the MP for Ol Kalou which we feel will deal a mortal blow to the practice of journalism in our beloved nation. The part we take exceptional issue with reads thus: “When a story includes unnam