Press Freedom: Letter to Kibaki

thanks for spreading the word - copied your wording.

As Adrian said on Keguro’s blog - this is our way of demonstrating since we cannot be on the streets of Nairobi.

I wonder if Kibaki doesn’t know all these stuff that is going on.

Happily copied and pasted too - thanks Mental.
*Walks away holding a placard*

Hii tabia ndiyo ile kwa kiswahili inaitwa kiburi. Yaani takabur imejaa kwenye nyoyo za hawa jamaa (tuchukulie wana mioyo) mpaka wanafikiri wanaweza tenda lile watakalo bila kujali leo wala kesho. Ni ukosefu wa ustaarabu katika nafsi zao chafu na ujinga uliojenga kwenye bongo zao. Hivi ni vitendo vya aibu kabisa ambavyo havina nafasi katika ulimwengu wa leo. Wale ambao wanajitia shughuli ya kutetea serikali hii kwa sababu ya udugu, basi pia wanadunisha jamii zao. Hawa ni wakora watupu na wakiondoka kesho ingekua bora zaidi kwa wakenya. Mambo ya aibu kabisa.

Let me begin by quoting the official police statement

“Evidence pointed to an intention of inciting ethnic hate and animosity leading to a breach of the peace,” the statement added. “The police have evidence of monetary inducement being used to perpetuate this activity which involves a series of fabricated articles aimed at achieving instability.”

It is always easier to react emotionally to situations instead of critically analyzing situations before making statements, demands or even parading yourself in the streets demonstrating against things you do not understand.

Let it be clear that I have never been a supporter of the kibaki government from the beginning (when you all refused to vote for the project)but as a policy analyst in public administration let me say that the state has every right to use what ever means at its disposal to safeguard the country. Having said this it is upon both sides to act responsibly. The fact that the government reacted so sternly makes me wonder and think that they could be telling the truth. Why does the standard print false stories how do we know that the government isn’t right that it is being used to create conditions that can lead to instability.
What we should be demanding is that the proper channels we used to bring to justice anyone found to be breaking the law. The government has the right to act pre-emptively but after the fact the people have the right to see this evidence that the security organs have. Accountability must be ensured. If the evidence can not be produced for security reason, the parliamentary standing committee on security which is bi partisan should be fully briefed.

Some have claimed that this is an attack on the intellectual freedoms of Kenyans but intellectual freedom as you put it comes with responsibility. We as intellectuals can not always run behind the cover of intellectual freedom if we cannot practice that freedom responsibly like Americans always say the cost of freedom is not free. We all know about the media in Kenya, we have even at times been critical of their irresponsible journalism. So let reason reign and maturity have its way.

(magaidi enters, placard in hand)

I copied mine from your site mental. Thanks.

This is idiocy of monumnetal proportions. I’ll take it a step further and even call it terrorism. That’s what it is. It is state sanctioned, politically motivated TERRORISM. Isn’t the aim the same? To intimidate, inflict harm and damage using violence?To harrass, threaten and cause injury (bodily, materially or otherwise!) ? Comments likening the government to a snake that bites when rattled are surface sentiments of a deep rooted iron-fist government mentality of our office bearers. It’s a cliche but it’s true: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Mental, yes I told Joe the same thing on my blog - but not as eloquently as you.

@Joe - yes, I realise you are in public policy and deal with these issues - so are you saying that in layman’s terms, if your neighbour threatened to expose your secret, you walk over there and burn their house and terrorise his wife and kids and walk over all smug coz he threatened you. I bet you would go to the police and/or higher a authority especially if you had nothing to hide. This heavy-handedness smells of guilt and intimidation.

I stand behind my huge placard - this is the same government that ‘initiated’ the KACC and sings of accountability - where is their accountability now eh? Right behind an AK47 and masks? Give me a break.

Sorry Mental, I should be shouting from my doorstep

Eh I was hurrying down to respond to Joe but I see you’ve done it quite well Mental.

Joe, I am not attacking you but really, even if it is the government’s prerogative, isn’t the fact that the media house was raided AT NIGHT not a pointer to you that something stinks??

The fact is yes, press freedom does carry with it a lot of responsibility. But to claim that any of the stories printed recently had anything to do with national security is LUDICROUS.

*taking a break to laugh out loud*

You mentioned proper channels. Midnight raids, by people in SKI MASKS!!! does not proper channel make.

*Joining my placard carrying self with Ms K*
I am aware that ‘next day’ papers are printed the ‘night before’ - but .. but… ok all the but(t)s have been covered.

you know for the amount of time i have spent today trying to put out this fire i should get a pay check from kibaki himeslf . but because i believe in truth and i am not ashamed to say when i make a mistake . i say the truth shall always prevail. even if it takes 5 years it will all come out .kenyans we are all politicians and we think we can all run the government. Being an insider take it from me being in government is a complex balancing act that the ordinary man who thinks he knows what to do acn not even begin to comprehend. when people criticised moi he often said that leading kenyan is not a joke . the behind the scenes things you do not see i tell you can shatter your view of events. we are living in dangerous times but we can not see. mark my words the truth will always prevail and i think that is all we all want .

Joe, we are not that dumb not to understand the fine line you’ve been trying to point out with your repeated posts. Please remember that. I tend to think that most of us bloggers here online know about the difference between sleeping leaders and police brutality - and that the truth will always prevail.

Kibaki will be judged by what he has done, oops I take that back, I mean what he has not done as far as being leader of this country. He has proven time after time, incapable of taking control of any situation, let alone his own wife. I don’t understand how a man without control of his own backyard got to assume this high office we call the presidency. How he got to where he is amazes me, I’m even more amazed by the pain and conflict his incompetence cost our Nation. I believe our leadership is not representative of our national face and should be abolished. Indeed I am not promoting violence in any way, but freedom and national harmony must reign at all costs. Any forces against this means must be trampled without regard to who the oppressor is. In my opinion, what we need is a rebirth with a new face, new blood, young blood and a new beginning. The dogs have taken our country and it is time for the true patriots to steer us back on-course. Let us not sit and wait for 2007, action toward this new transformation begins today. Every Kenyan with a clean conscience can play a role; we can boycott state functions and leave them to the dogs, the civil service can seek mass action. Any entity in support of the current regime should be shunned and not patronized. We can all speak with one voice and send the dogs to their kennels where they belong.