“Freedom of Expression is Your Right”–Subversive NGO Solganeering in Kenya’s Neighbor Uganda
“Opposition to controversial Kenya Media Bill heats up” Sabahi Online via AllAfrica.com
“Cuts in foreign funding for NGOs intended to silence critics–Human Rights Watch” from Trust.org
“William Ruto and his Ethiopian host had chilling message on media freedom” from Macharia Gaitho in The Daily Nation.
“Kenya attempts to silence civil society“, Freedom House Spotlight on Freedom.
For perspective (not just to say I warned you so) see my post about Kenyatta and media freedom from December 2009: “More Government of Kenya action to muzzle media”:
The Standard reports that it has been enjoined from publishing stories regarding Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and the purchasing of government vehicles. Uhuru sought the temporary injunction to protect his interests and reputation. Seems like a classic case of a high gov’t official using prior restraint to avoid challenge to his job performance.
This is to me another example of fact that the media environment in Kenya is not quite as free as international commentators frequently suggest. While there is quite a bit of reporting on corruption, the fact remains that it hasn’t dented impunity, and there is a great deal that is known but not reported, and many stories get started but never followed to conclusion.
After the paramilitary raid on the Standard Group in mid-2006, the US eventually made peace with impunity for this attack on the media. By the summer of 2007, then-Internal Security Minister Michuki–who famously said of the Standard raid that the Standard, having “rattled a snake” should have expected “to get bitten” for its reporting–was the featured speaker at the Ambassador’s Fourth of July celebration, talking of his recent security cooperation tour in the US. With this background for its critics in the Government, the press can’t help but wonder how far it can go.
And from March of this year: “Attacks on Kenyan Civil Society prefigured in Jubilee ‘manifesto'”