The protests against the media bill and the rhetoric of the MPs are indeed a deja vue. In fact am not entirely interested. Like the wicked sages say, men always make their beds to lie on them. The same people who made all the bad laws against multi party in the 80s were the very same people who suffered in subsequent years due to trained authoritarianism.
What am more concerned about though is where this places us bloggers. I have read of bloggers in china and other places being detained without trial. Does it mean that after the bill becomes law, I will be required to seek editing by government before I publish my thoughts here? Or that before you comment on a particular company , you find out who the owners are and so on?
Like the last time this was debate, the media also handicap themselves by hiding the bill from public scrutiny, If it so offensive, they should publish the whole bill (even in small font) for the rest of us (public) to read and understand
ReplyDeleteEven those that hate the media don't get it. We are in danger here of falling under the "boiling a frog" analogy as nation.
ReplyDeleteGoK starts off by appointing 42 minister cabinet-no noises.
MPs refuse to pay taxes- no complaints
MPs hoard ugali-no complaints
Media bill- no complaints
Nyayo house dungeon-no compaints
No new katiba- no complaints
Open corruption-no complaints
One morning we'll wake up and discover we are back in the 80s again.
I agree with you Mainat, they are passing it now because it fit them now. a few years down the line they will be crying foul for their own short-sightedness. I say kill it!
ReplyDeleteThey're opening a very undesirable pandora's box here. We need a better system in passing some of these bills. The bills need to pass through 2 separate bodies - for checks and balances. We also need a requirement that there has to be a certain majority in parliament, let's say 2/3, before anything can be voted in.
ReplyDeleteBy the way - giving the post office blanket powers to open any "suspicious" mail is just about the most dangerous thing I've ever heard. Where is this headed?
ReplyDeleteAs MainaT said, as long as we continue taking whatever is dished on us calmly, these goons will continue with this unfettered rogue behavior.
It's a bit Ironic though, that the media would suddenly realize that Kenya has Archaic laws.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of a kid throwing tantrums after dropping his Ice cream - which you warned him will melt and fall down.
PEV incitement aside (unnecessary loss of lives), they played into the politicians tactics in 2005 and ignored their civic duty to educate Kenyans about the Proposed vs Current constitution.
Have you read the news lately? These guys "shape politics" by CREATING NEWS.
Most of them are corrupt and have no sense of ethics or professionalism.
When did you last see CNN/BBC talking crap about their governments? Even during the Iraq war, they were nyoroshwad by their leaders.
I say screew the media. Nyorosha those fundas kabisa.