Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Chapter 4: Press Freedom in East Africa
Press Freedom and Globalisation
The press in colonial East Africa had to serve the purposes of the colonial rulers. Therefore
the press brought the information they needed, and was turned into propaganda to promote
their interests. The new African elite who succeeded as rulers after independence contin-
ued to use mass media to consolidate their positions. However, democratisation in East
Africa have resulted in increased press freedom.
The notion of press freedom in East Africa is to a large extent fashioned on
Western concepts and can be examined in two main parts. First, is the East African context
on how press freedom developed, forces influencing the growth of press freedom, and the
of position mass media in societies. Second, are the four aspects of press freedom that
include media’s role, freedom to gather information, freedom to publish, and protection of
journalistic activities.
The East African Context
The East African countries Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have a similar history as
colonies. Despite differences after independence, there are many similarities in democratic,
legal and cultural traditions as well as notions of press freedom and mass media’s position
in these countries. Kenya is to some degree representative of these East African countries.
Growth of Press Freedom
The missionaries started, and then white settlers and the colonial administration introduced
printed press to Africa. 1 Patterns and trends of media and press freedom history in East
Africa are similar. 2 The first printed periodical in East Africa was probably Taveta
1 Abuoga, John Baptist and Mutere, Absalom Aggrey, The History of the Press in Kenya (Nairobi: The
African Council on Communication Education, 1988), pp. 4-5 and 109.
2 Makali (ed.), Media Law and Practice, p. 57.
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