Media Freedom in Kenya: Nation Suspends Top Editor

[Onyango Oloo]

Denis Galava the Managing Editor for Special Projects penned an editorial which appeared in the Daily Nation on January 2, 2016.

He was immediately suspended.

Keep in mind that that Kenya's largest circulation daily in NOT owned by Kenya government, but by the Aga Khan, a major private investor in Kenyan economy.

Your Excellency, 2015 was a bad year for Kenya. All the pillars of our nationhood were tested and most were found wanting. Some collapsed, some were seriously weakened, while others were desecrated beyond repair.

We are talking about the presidency, economy, security and, most importantly, the people.

We acknowledge the fact that it has been a tough year for leaders across the world — what with global economic upheavals and terrorists wreaking havoc everywhere.

However, we reject the almost criminal resignation and negligence with which your government has responded to our national crises this past year. We need not recount the number of lives lost, the losses incurred by businesses and opportunities wasted for millions of Kenyans due to the incompetence of the Executive.

With the exception of a few family businesses and tenderpreneurs who raked in billions of shillings — thanks largely to political patronage — everyone is losing money in this country.

EXECUTIVE MYOPIA

The stock exchange is brewing losses instead of creating wealth. Companies are sending workers home to stay afloat, while small businesses are shutting down mainly because of Executive myopia.

The people losing jobs are joining millions of desperate youth who have never known a job, despite having an education. This growing army of disgruntled youth and middle-aged people pose a grave risk to the country which, unfortunately, the government seems to understate.
Mr President, unemployment, corruption, bureaucratic incompetence and economic paralysis are the bane of your regime. The country today is crying for action — practical measures to guarantee the citizens that the government has been seized of their concerns.

Instead of providing this leadership, you and your lieutenants — the Deputy President, THE Cabinet, MPs and Senators — have adopted a default campaign mode of regaling the public with tales of largesse to come.

Your Excellency, three years is a long time to live on hope. On more than one occasion you have addressed the nation and promised to fix the fundamentals of statehood once and for all. However, nothing has come of it. Your Excellency, why do you make promises that you cannot keep?

Remember November 24, 2015, when you reshuffled the Cabinet? You promised to constitute a budget office at State House to address the financial mess that’s Jubilee’s hallmark in two weeks. Almost six weeks later, nothing has been heard of it. And this is not the first time.

RELUCTANT LEADER

Mr President, these half-measures are harming the presidency and your authority as the First Citizen of Kenya besides tormenting Kenyans. Among other challenges, it creates an impression of a reluctant leader, one who enjoys the trappings of office but is not ready to get the work done.

Worse, it suggests that you are being held captive by some forces you cannot disentangle yourself from. You swore to uphold the national good, Mr President, what is it that is holding you hostage?

Mr President, this newspaper supports the presidency as the symbol of national unity. However, we will not sit back and cheer when the very pillar of nationhood threatens its very sustenance.

Mr President, there comes a time when the rhetoric must stop and some work gets done. We challenge you, Mr President, to walk the talk of executive probity and nationhood this year.

For close to three years, you have been declaring your tigritude on rooftops, it is now time to pounce. Not least because your legacy hinges on it, but it is the only decent thing to do.

Happy New Year, Your Excellency."

Tom Mshindi, the NMG's Editor in Chief said this to explain the action:


“We have asked Denis Galava, the Managing Editor for Special Projects, to take some time off to allow us time to review the circumstances of the writing and filing of the editorial for Saturday Nation, January 2, 2016.

"We are investigating whether proper consultation and review of the editorial material was done before the piece was sent to press.

“A full length editorial, a Page One commentary or an editorial expressing particularly strong views must first be discussed by senior editors in conference as well as with the Editor-in-Chief to prepare the leadership of the company to deal with the consequences, if any, of that publication.

“The lack of consultation where one writer takes a strong position on such an important issue single-handedly without broad discussion and consultation is a significant departure from established procedure.”


Later, in an interview with Odeo Sirari of BBC Swahili,



Joe Muganda the Nation's CEO compared Galava to a "bank robber". Listen to audio file below:

soundcloud.com/odeo-ekareut-sirari/interview-with-nation-media-groupd-ceo-joe-muganda-on-the-suspension-of-dennis-galava

[Onyango Oloo]

The NMG's suspension of Galava led to a flurry of protests on social media:

Check out this story from Nyakundi:

cnyakundi.com/2016/01/nation-media-group-under-fire-on-social-media-for-suspending-journalist-who-criticized-uhuru/

Ahmednasir Abdullahi ‏@ahmednasirlaw Jan 6

It is simply scandalous and utter shame that nation media has suspended a senior editor for writing a smashing editorial @dailynation
142 retweets 45 likes

Gladwell Otieno ‏@gladwellotieno Jan 7

@tmshindi @johngithongo @machariagaitho

Not only spineless, just plain stupid


mere mortal ‏@mortal_mere Jan 6

@wmnjoya @business_KE It's a sad day when a supposedly independent newspaper throws it's employees under the bus to please the establishment


Zinduko ‏@zinduko 21h21 hours ago

@nationmediagrp can only blame itself for this fiasco. Brings to mind misinformation role on JM's assassination. #ReinstateGalava @tmshindi


The Star reported that:

Two former editors at Nation Media Group have criticised the suspension of the Managing Editor for Special Projects saying it could have been "handled quietly and internally".

Macharia Gaitho, former Special Projects ME, said the suspension will prove more damaging than the original offence as it has served to reinforce the view that the media house is pro-government; a perception NMG has long fought to lose.

"Never in the history of the Nation has an individual responsible for a leader been publicly outed. As it is, action taken against an individual has doubly exposed Nation Media Group," Gaitho said via Facebook on Wednesday.


Charles Onyango-Obbo, former Convergence ME at NMG, also expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the issue was handled.

"I have researched a precedent for a case where a leader writer - as opposed to the editor or publisher - was punished in this way and I have come up empty," Onyango-Obbo said.

"It's like punishing the guitar for a bad song."

[jakaswanga]

Macharia Gaitho did not even bother to mince words. Jaindi Kisero meandered a bit. Gekara or Gekoro, the man of law, couldn't be bothered to sugar coat the bitter pill.

There is no brainy commentator left in public punditry supporting corruption any more. Conservative or progressive, left or right, they all demand a moral reform now. The dice is cast.

–----

Also, it all means there is something the popular pundits are seeing in their daily lives which is scaring them, spurring them to change tune, to adopt a radicality, a trenchant oppositional mentality to authority, in effect a militancy otherwise not their cup of tea


Read more: jukwaa.proboards.com/thread/9368/njoroge-politics-central-bank-imf?page=2#ixzz3wfc66ULj

methinks this something, which increasingly makes the commentator's seats a very hot one –--boiling them over into a trenchant militancy otherwise not their cup of tea, has now entered the boardroom.

Tom Mshindi becomes a hyena at the crossroads. Suck up to power, or suck up to thought!?

So Tom Mshindi in saying

"We are investigating whether proper consultation and review of the editorial material was done before the piece was sent to press.

“A full length editorial, a Page One commentary or an editorial expressing particularly strong views must first be discussed by senior editors in conference as well as with the Editor-in-Chief to prepare the leadership of the company to deal with the consequences, if any, of that publication.

“The lack of consultation where one writer takes a strong position on such an important issue single-handedly without broad discussion and consultation is a significant departure from established procedure.”

is responding to, I am sure, advertisers pressure and their power-related hints.

Recently in the United Kingdom, a leading newspaper heavily dependent on advert from the HSBC bank, an whose owners were indebted to the same in other business and behind on repayment, completely ignored the big story in which the banking giant was found to have abetted tax-evasion and money laundering!

They killed the story as the saying goes! Problem is others covered the story, and the culprits were asked, why is this story not big by you guys?

They replied: that is our business, you do not tell us which stories to cover, nor how to cover them. Unconvinced, others peered deeper!

Daily Telegraph claims put spotlight on Barclay brothers

Henry Mance and Claer Barrett. February 20, 2015 7:42 pm

Why would a newspaper owned by two billionaires compromise its editorial integrity for a couple of million pounds in advertising money?
That question has circulated this week following allegations that the Daily Telegraph, Britain’s best-selling quality newspaper which is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, had censored its journalists for commercial reasons.

www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7cf387ae-b91e-11e4-98f6-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3wfwOIWaT

So a deeper look into Tom Mshindi reveals a scared CEO. That is okay in harsh economic times. The problem is if he tilts too far as he has, yet wants to keep up the appearances of a daily newspaper with and independent and objective reporting, as, O God, a newspaper like the daily nation ought ---with the erudite likes of Wiliam Ochieng' and Macharia Gaitho on board!

But he can still sleep easy, even the New York times was bribed if not bought by Dick Cheney to lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and uranium from Mauritania! It was a good business decision for the NYT, but a bad decision for its reputation. Since then, political blogs ran by independents have become the leading opinion shapers. The NYT is just another rumour site, but as an elite mouth piece, fatly patronised, enough to pay very well!

Not a bad prospect for the Daily Nation. Cutting edge commentary can be left to bloggers on the net. That is the international trend. Newspapers are hobbies for reclusive tycoons like the Aga Khan, Murdoch, or the above Barclay brothers, and they obey orders or go bust. They pay they have the say!

But Tom Mshindi cannot say that! (pay cheque gags!)

[kamalet]

Happy new year folks!!!

It is actually very rich and hypocritical for Oloo to headline this thread as a media freedom issue!!

Many times he has had to eject posters on this forum for exactly the same reasons....failure to follow rules of the board.

In the Galava case, the media house has said that the problem they have is not to do with the contents of what he wrote, but failure to actually follow the rules of penning and publishing the editorial. NMG has published stuff a lot more critical from its political writers some of whom are clearly beneficiaries of brown envelopes so this "attack" on the president cannot surely be deemed the reason for the 'stepping aside' decision. Trying to bring in the foreign ownership angle only makes it worse.

The hypocrisy I see in this thread is amazing!

[Onyango Oloo]

Jan 17, 2016 11:29:16 GMT 3 kamalet said:

Happy new year folks!!!

It is actually very rich and hypocritical for Oloo to headline this thread as a media freedom issue!!

Many times he has had to eject posters on this forum for exactly the same reasons....failure to follow rules of the board.

The hypocrisy I see in this thread is amazing!

Kamalet:

Although it is still early in the year, I think you are Jukwaa's runaway winner for the MOST HUMOUROUS post of 2016.

Only you can TWIST the Galava issue completely out of recognition. A top editor is censored and censured from criticizing the Jubilee government. How can that be equivalent to kicking out a cyberdelinquent for sophomoric, reckless postings on Jukwaa?

Onyango Oloo
Administrator

[kamalet]

Jan 17, 2016 12:15:28 GMT 3 Onyango Oloo said:

Jan 17, 2016 11:29:16 GMT 3 kamalet said:

Happy new year folks!!!

It is actually very rich and hypocritical for Oloo to headline this thread as a media freedom issue!!

Many times he has had to eject posters on this forum for exactly the same reasons....failure to follow rules of the board.

The hypocrisy I see in this thread is amazing!

Kamalet:

Although it is still early in the year, I think you are Jukwaa's runaway winner for the MOST HUMOUROUS post of 2016.

Only you can TWIST the Galava issue completely out of recognition. A top editor is censored and censured from criticizing the Jubilee government. How can that be equivalent to kicking out a cyberdelinquent for sophomoric, reckless postings on Jukwaa?

Onyango Oloo
Administrator

Oloo

The only thing that had me smiling in my post was the salutation for the new year!

First Galava was not sacked he was suspended. Secondly the employers reason (perhaps you will call it an excuse) was that he did not follow the rules regarding editorials i.e. consultation by committee. Literary the man was hang out to dry by his editorial colleagues as they appear to have denied holding a meeting to discuss the contents prior to publication. The NMG Public Editor was at pains to explain the situation last Friday.

The equivalence in the story to your expulsion of "cyberdeliquents" is that you have argued before that it was not the content that you chucked guys out for, but failure to follow rules of the board. You being a Raila adherent as are those 310/- followers of Pastor Kanyari have not expelled anyone critical of Raila, but you expelled those that criticised him in an uncivil manner.....still cannot see the difference or you are still laughing at something not funny?

[jakaswanga]

Jan 17, 2016 12:15:28 GMT 3 Onyango Oloo said:

Jan 17, 2016 11:29:16 GMT 3 kamalet said:

Happy new year folks!!!

It is actually very rich and hypocritical for Oloo to headline this thread as a media freedom issue!!

Many times he has had to eject posters on this forum for exactly the same reasons....failure to follow rules of the board.

The hypocrisy I see in this thread is amazing!

Kamalet:

Although it is still early in the year, I think you are Jukwaa's runaway winner for the MOST HUMOUROUS post of 2016.

Only you can TWIST the Galava issue completely out of recognition. A top editor is censored and censured from criticizing the Jubilee government. How can that be equivalent to kicking out a cyberdelinquent for sophomoric, reckless postings on Jukwaa?

Onyango Oloo
Administrator

Happy new Year folks!

May be Oloo should revise the headline to include retired KANU-obsolete fossil Nkaissery! he ordered Boinett to arrest and jail anybody who shares photos of dead KA personnel in Somalia. That is now censorship!

[podp]

Jan 18, 2016 21:54:31 GMT 3 jakaswanga said:

Jan 17, 2016 12:15:28 GMT 3 Onyango Oloo said:

Kamalet:

Although it is still early in the year, I think you are Jukwaa's runaway winner for the MOST HUMOUROUS post of 2016.

Only you can TWIST the Galava issue completely out of recognition. A top editor is censored and censured from criticizing the Jubilee government. How can that be equivalent to kicking out a cyberdelinquent for sophomoric, reckless postings on Jukwaa?

Onyango Oloo
Administrator

Happy new Year folks!

May be Oloo should revise the headline to include retired KANU-obsolete fossil Nkaissery! he ordered Boinett to arrest and jail anybody who shares photos of dead KA personnel in Somalia. That is now censorship!

happy new 2016 with best wishes to Jukwaa contributors.

thinking of the above highlighted.

'In Hungary, Ecuador, Turkey, Kenya, and elsewhere, officials are mimicking autocracies like Russia, Iran, or China by redacting critical news and building state media brands. They are also creating more subtle tools to complement the blunt instruments of attacking journalists.

Stealth censorship appeals to authoritarian governments that want to appear like democracies—or at least not like old-style dictatorships. In illiberal democracies, of which there are a growing number, the government aims to keep a grip on the news media while concealing its fingerprints. A global survey of attacks on the press today shows governments mixing direct and indirect pressures as part of a booming emerging market in information control.'

www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/02/government-censorship-21st-century-internet/385528/

media owners face a difficult relationship with the government. When they approve stories containing potentially embarassing information, government officials often try to censor it.

media.about.com/od/mediaethics/a/How-Media-Censorship-Affects-The-News.htm

going back to 2007/2008 post election violence the excerpt below shows the dangers of censorship

Preaching is not a journalist’s main job. Blatant fraud in a presidential election was clearly an urgent matter for the media and its journalists. But in the interests of restoring public order they deliberately chose to ignore it while thousands of Kenyans poured into the streets in search of “truth” and “justice.” After weeks of violence and killings that have exhausted the country, still nobody knows who really won the election, who cheated and how, and why social and tribal divisions cracked the foundations of the great Kenyan democracy that was seen as unbreakable.

www.article19.org/data/files/pdfs/publications/kenya-how-far-to-go.pdf

after a brief dalliance between the media and Jubilee leadership in 2013, a reward for the former came.

'"These media laws will force journalists and news outlets to self-censor to survive. They are a severe blow to investigative reporting in Kenya,"

cpj.org/2013/12/kenya-parliament-passes-draconian-media-laws.php

so the Interior CS is just applying what is on paper i.e. Act signed by PORK and the challenge of the Itumbis holed in the presidency is to try and hack into anyone who disobeys the CS

[kamalet]

Jan 18, 2016 21:54:31 GMT 3 jakaswanga said:

Jan 17, 2016 12:15:28 GMT 3 Onyango Oloo said:

Kamalet:

Although it is still early in the year, I think you are Jukwaa's runaway winner for the MOST HUMOUROUS post of 2016.

Only you can TWIST the Galava issue completely out of recognition. A top editor is censored and censured from criticizing the Jubilee government. How can that be equivalent to kicking out a cyberdelinquent for sophomoric, reckless postings on Jukwaa?

Onyango Oloo
Administrator

Happy new Year folks!

May be Oloo should revise the headline to include retired KANU-obsolete fossil Nkaissery! he ordered Boinett to arrest and jail anybody who shares photos of dead KA personnel in Somalia. That is now censorship!

why would we want publish pictures of dead KDF soldiers...glorification of their deaths or aiding the propaganda machinery of the al-kebabs? Did you see pictures of dead bodies in Paris..? There is something sensible called self censorship for the greater good and being a tactless and thoughtless society we have to inscribe it into LAW to deter the miscreants that think posting such photos is fun....ntk

[jakaswanga]

Jan 18, 2016 22:55:46 GMT 3 kamalet said:

Jan 18, 2016 21:54:31 GMT 3 jakaswanga said:

Happy new Year folks!

May be Oloo should revise the headline to include retired KANU-obsolete fossil Nkaissery! he ordered Boinett to arrest and jail anybody who shares photos of dead KA personnel in Somalia. That is now censorship!

why would we want publish pictures of dead KDF soldiers...glorification of their deaths or aiding the propaganda machinery of the al-kebabs? Did you see pictures of dead bodies in Paris..? There is something sensible called self censorship for the greater good and being a tactless and thoughtless society we have to inscribe it into LAW to deter the miscreants that think posting such photos is fun....ntk

Kamalet,

Why would we want to publish the photos of the dead at war? you ask!

Such are newsworthy, and we humans have a morbid curiosity to be satisfied, not to mention a healthy Voyeurism. War porn is very attractive, and that is why war films are ever popular. Death and forms of it are fascinating to man. We all know we will die eventually, but do not know how, and so we humans are mighty curious how others are after they are done, met their fates, especially very dramatic ones. It moves us emotionally, in empathy, disgust, horror or whatever. We just cannot help that because we are human.

No, I did not see dead bodies of Paris. But I also know why, ever since the Vietnam war, the American army adopted to show a false view of war. Embedded journalists who report what the army wants reported, not what is. When the public see for real what war is, they do not want to send their children to it. A real picture of war undermines morale, and worse, if it is a war in a foreign country and you are filling body bags for the journey home.

People then ask a disturbing question: what really are we doing there? Is it worth it? Is there a less horrendous way to achieve our aims? Is it really worth sacrifing our sons in a foreign land whose parliament has voted to kick us out!?

The French authorities did not, can not let heaps of dead Frenchmen be seen in Paris. The public backlash would very well be the end of men like Hollande.

Kamalet, it was fear which informed the censorship, not good taste ---you know the words of the French Anthem!?
And closer to home too, it is fear which informs Nkaissery's gag. The pictures of ordinary Somalis –-whom we are there to save from terrorism and should supposedly be thankful, dragging dead young Kenyan soldiers in black-hawk down reminiscent scenes, would raise a question at the back of every Kenyan' mind; a question outside the competence of our rulers.

There is a mind-game going on, and controlling images is a life and death fight. Keep alert Kamalet, know to separate the real from the official reasons given by power for a decision to control information.

[Onyango Oloo]

standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000188689&story_title=Kenya:uncertainty-and-agony-grip-kdf-families-over-fate-of-their-loved-ones-in-the-army

[mashazack]

Manze this country is headed in the ditch from cps beating up journalists and not being prosecuted to media houses being forced to kick out their own because of political propaganda, hizi ni nini sasa 

www.nairobigossips.com/2015/05/ntv-and-citizen-tv-expose-gsu-officers.html
Nairobi

[kamalet]

And 'thankfully' in an act of discipline NMG fires Galava who goes on twitter to announce he has been sacked.

This sad event shows the lack of wisdom in some of our journalists - he made a mistake of not consulting (as opposed to one of criticising) but since active opposition members and their lynch mob were convinced the was being harassed for daring challenge the president, he now thinks he is some kind of celeb.

Which is why the mzungu said that people living in glass house never throw stones! Poor Galava lived of a salary (unless this was supplemented by brown envelopes)and it is on record unless you are a radio DJ with a massive following (and ratings) writer journalists are paid a pittance and barely make ends meet. So our Galava is out of a job and must hope that some big media house will pick him up to carry on the job of calling the president out - if this does not work out he has to find a way of feeding himself and his family. Which begs the question, at what point do you make a sacrifice for a pointless cause at the risk of your own personal well being?

[mwalimumkuu]

Jan 20, 2016 22:58:33 GMT 3 kamalet said:

And 'thankfully' in an act of discipline NMG fires Galava who goes on twitter to announce he has been sacked.

This sad event shows the lack of wisdom in some of our journalists - he made a mistake of not consulting (as opposed to one of criticising) but since active opposition members and their lynch mob were convinced the was being harassed for daring challenge the president, he now thinks he is some kind of celeb.

Which is why the mzungu said that people living in glass house never throw stones! Poor Galava lived of a salary (unless this was supplemented by brown envelopes)and it is on record unless you are a radio DJ with a massive following (and ratings) writer journalists are paid a pittance and barely make ends meet. So our Galava is out of a job and must hope that some big media house will pick him up to carry on the job of calling the president out - if this does not work out he has to find a way of feeding himself and his family. Which begs the question, at what point do you make a sacrifice for a pointless cause at the risk of your own personal well being?

Allegations have been made (especially by Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who even declared on national TV that he was willing to take both political and legal responsibility for his assertions, which have not been challenged by anyone including Galava himself), that the so called editorial was written elsewhere (the supposed author had nothing to do with NMG) and passed on to Galava for publication.

By Tom Mshindi coming out to claim that there were no discussions on the publication or otherwise of the said piece, it gave credence to the view than Galava did what he did for his own reasons. Was he paid by forces outside NMG for the piece? For what reasons? What does it say about him as a professional? Is there any employer out there who cares about their reputation, business processes and procedures that could keep such a loose canon on their payroll?

~~ Mwalimumkuu @nyumbakubwa ~~

[jakaswanga]

Jan 17, 2016 12:15:28 GMT 3 Onyango Oloo said:

Jan 17, 2016 11:29:16 GMT 3 kamalet said:

Happy new year folks!!!

It is actually very rich and hypocritical for Oloo to headline this thread as a media freedom issue!!

Many times he has had to eject posters on this forum for exactly the same reasons....failure to follow rules of the board.

The hypocrisy I see in this thread is amazing!

Kamalet:

Although it is still early in the year, I think you are Jukwaa's runaway winner for the MOST HUMOUROUS post of 2016.

Only you can TWIST the Galava issue completely out of recognition. A top editor is censored and censured from criticizing the Jubilee government. How can that be equivalent to kicking out a cyberdelinquent for sophomoric, reckless postings on Jukwaa?

Onyango Oloo
Administrator

Onyango Oloo Yo,

This thread of yours is becoming an uncomfortable fit, like a womb meant for a single baby suddenly housing quintuplets and swelling in rapid growth.

Conside the following ---all to do I think with MEDIA FREEDOM IN KENYA, AND JUBILEE'S TAKE.

Is there enough data pursuing censorship to talk about an established/FACTUAL tendency? A tendency to persecution, persecuting even if not prosecuting those disseminating information the government would rather hide? A tendency widespread enough as to prove a decided state of general intimidation? A mobilised judicial apparatus to cut off tongues? ---we already saw Nkaissery foaming in the mouth fingering blogger Yassin Juma, formerly of Nation media house. when odd-ball-hard-ball nutty ex Generals like Nkai- foam at you ... that is not nothing!

Here is some recent data.

Outcry as Kenya police target and arrest bloggers “critical” of government

By Cyrus Ombati . January 24th 2016 a

NAIROBI: Concerns have been raised over growing arrest and detention of bloggers perceived to be “critical” of the government. The latest to be arrested was blogger and journalist Yassin Juma. He spent his nights in police custody after his arrest on Saturday night from his Donholm home. He was booked at the Muthaiga police cells for misusing a licensed telecommunication gadget under section 29 of the Information and Communication Act.

Leading blogger Robert Alai is expected to present himself before a team of Directorate of Criminal Investigations along Kiambu Road. Alai said he was summoned for grilling after he tweeted about the president. “They summoned me on Friday over a tweet I had posted on my timeline but I told them I will be there on Monday. I don’t know what they want but it seems you can’t criticise the government,” said Alai.

See also: Jubilee agenda to transform Kenya on track

Another blogger Patrick Msafari popularly known as @moderncorps was arrested and detained in custody overnight before being released on Friday. Msafari said he was ordered to return to DCI headquarters Monday for further grilling. “They were asking me why I criticise the government and if I knew where other wanted bloggers are. We are under threat,” said Msafari. He added the officers also confiscated his mobile phones and defaced his accounts, which he termed as illegal and impunity. Cyprian Nyakundi spent two days in police custody before being freed on intervention of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution. He said he was being questioned on the whereabouts of other wanted bloggers and why he was critical of government at large.


www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000189225/outcry-as-police-target-and-arrest-bloggers-critical-of-government?articleID=2000189225&story_title=outcry-as-kenya-police-target-and-arrest-bloggers-critical-of-government&pageNo=1

Orengo to lead lawyers in defending 10 bloggers targeted by police

By Cyrus Ombati January 25th 2016

Nairobi: Siaya Senator James Orengo will Wednesday lead a team of lawyers in representing 10 bloggers wanted by police over a variety of criminal allegations. The bloggers have all been summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for grilling for allegedly misusing a licensed telecommunication gadget under section 29 of the Information and Communication Act.

This was after the bloggers posted on their Facebook and Tweeter accounts information that the authorities deemed provocative and criminal.

They include Robert Alai, Cyprian Nyakundi, Patrick Msafari, Seth Odongo, Charles Dienya, Anthony Mburu, Eddy Illah, Phelix G-Cord, George Nyongesa and Yassin Juma.

Juma was Monday released from police custody without charge. Some of the bloggers were summoned while others were arrested for their alleged crimes. See also: Senators eye governorship as more aspirants declare interest According to Alai, the bloggers, lawyers Orengo, Harun Ndubi and the head of investigations at DCI John Kariuki agreed they all appear on Wednesday for further questioning.

“We agreed to reappear on Wednesday for further grilling and Orengo will lead other lawyers in representing us. We feel we are being harassed for no reason,” said Alai. Concerns have been raised over growing arrest and detention of bloggers perceived to be “critical” of the government. But police said the targeted individuals had flaunted the law by posting provocative and criminal information and pictures.

www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000189361/orengo-to-lead-lawyers-in-defending-10-bloggers?articleID=2000189361&story_title=orengo-to-lead-lawyers-in-defending-10-bloggers-targeted-by-police&pageNo=1


www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktnnews/index.php?videoID=2000102711&video_title=blogger-and-journalist-yassin-juma-arrested-over-social-media-posts-on-the-alshabab-attack

KTN Weekend Prime / 22 hours ago
Blogger and journalist Yassin Juma arrested over social media posts on the Alshabab attack


Blogger and former NTV journalist Yassin Juma is spending a second night in police custody. Yassin who was arrested last night over his social media posts on the Alshabab attack on the KDF camp in Somalia, was today grilled by detectives for over four hours. He is being detained at the Muthaiga police station and will be arraigned in court tomorrow over misuse of communication gadgets. ...

So, Oloo, where are we?

Corporate boardrooms in concert with an increasingly authoritarian regime?

Remember Joe Kadhi? he was arrested for a front page editorial denouncing the one party state! --I guarantee Uhuru Kenyatta does not recognise he is repeating old steps. And there are ven sayings about that: farce, tragedy and the rest!