Even as the world marks World Press Freedom Day, it has emerged
that journalists are operating in an environment that is becoming
increasingly intolerant.
Governments across Africa have heightened efforts of reigning in the media and limiting free speech.
In East Africa alone, around 25 journalists have been interrogated by the police and security agencies.
On
April 23, 2015, the Director of Criminal Investigations, Ndegwa
Muhoro’s office wrote to the Nation Media Group (NMG) to compel two of
its editors to appear for questioning, in a letter signed by Mr Joseph
Ngisa.
The two were summoned over the publication of two articles in the Daily Nation on April 21 and April 22, indicating involving an intelligence officer.
K24 reporters were also summoned by the DCI for questioning over the coverage of the recent Garissa massacres.
In Eldoret, John Kituyi, editor and publisher of the Mirror was murdered by unknown assailants.
Nehemiah
Okwemba of NTV and Reuben Ogacha of Citizen TV were attacked by the
General Service Unit (GSU) officers while reporting on a story in Galana
Kulalu Ranch in Tana River County.
Since January 2015,
at least 20 newspapers have had editions of their publications
confiscated on 45 different occasions by the country’s National
Intelligence and Security Service.
In January 24, the
leading regional newspaper, the East African was been banned from
circulation in Tanzania, 20 years after it was launched to cover the
region for 'circulating in the country without being properly
registered, contrary to section 6 of the Newspaper Act number 3 of
1976’.
BURUNDI RADIO STATIONS SHUT
In
Burundi, the Government has this past week prevented private radio
stations Isanganiro, Bonesha and Radio Publique Africaine (RPA) from
broadcasting live coverage of the protests against decision by the
incumbent Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term.
The
RPA is now shut down, together with mobile access to Facebook, Twitter
and WhatsApp with the government accusing the media of inciting an
insurrectional movement.
“A number of media outlets
have come under direct attack from their governments, facing
intimidation and harassment, with some media houses being shut down.
“We
have seen systematic attacks against journalists during election
periods. This must stop,” said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s
Director for East Africa.
According to a study
conducted in 2013 on the safety and security of journalists in Kenya,
state (police) ranked third among those who posed the greatest threat
journalists.
Media Council Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mr Victor Bwire told the Nation that since the March 2013 elections, they had received 38 complaints of harassment from across the country.
“Sadly,
the scenario we are witnessing in Kenya now is that the media is being
turned from a watchdog to a lapdog and by extension guard dog by making
the work of journalists illegal or impossible,” he said.
Mr
Bwire stated that securing a conviction had proven elusive as little
action is ever taken whenever journalists report the cases while some
are intimidated into silence.
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