Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Press Freedom and Globalisation
with press freedom in Kenya. 45 From 1990 restoration of freedom of expression became a
condition for the United States’ aid to Kenya. 46
In 1991 multi party system was introduced and a corresponding growth of plurality
in media followed. 47 The alternative press mushroomed, which also proved Kenya as an
ethnically fractured society. In this way the alternative press became means of partisanism
and ethnic journalism. 48 Critical journalism started to recur in mainstream media. 49 One
issue that illustrated the press’ new role was how the state was no longer the only actor in
making laws. Civil society participated in a public debate in media and started to influence
law making. 50
However, three examples illustrate that these still operated under difficult
circumstances. First, in 1993 the police dismantled vital parts of Fotoform Ltd.’s printing
machine and seized what they considered as seditious publications. Fotoform printed
Society, Economic Review, Finance and Nairobi Law Monthly. The latter was banned at
that time. Several people were arrested in related cases. 51 Second, a new Defamation Act
was passed in 1992 that was seemingly designed to protect politicians. In the wake of the
murder of Foreign Minister Robert Ouko in 1990, several media reports ended up in court.
Nairobi lawyer George Oraro was in 1993 awarded about US$ 19,000, fifteen times more
than in any other libel case. In 1999 Justice Evans Gichuru of Court of Appeal was
awarded US$ 28,000 and Minister Nicholas Biwott was awarded US$ 390,000. The
45
Munene, Macharia, “Africans and Intellectual Adventurism: East African Intellectual Warriors”, paper
presented in the University of Illinois NEH Seminar, African Studies in Africa, 11 th – 15 th November,
2002, p. 8.
46
Makali (ed.), Media Law and Practice, p. 79.
47
Karanja, “Growth of print media in Kenya”, p. 39
48
Kadhi, “Anglophone Africa: Puppets of the proprietors?”, p. 103; and Omwanda, Lewis Odhiambo, “The
mass media and democracy: Understanding the problem of objectivity in multicultural settings” in Odero,
Mitch and Kamweru, Esther (eds.), Media culture and performance in Kenya (Nairobi: Eastern Africa
Media Institute and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2000), pp. 203 and 219.
49
Ochieng, I Accuse the Press, p. 189.
50
Mute, Lawrence Murugu, “Media policy in Kenya” in Odero, Mitch and Kamweru, Esther (eds.), Media
culture and performance in Kenya (Nairobi: Eastern Africa Media Institute and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung,
2000), p. 148.
51
Ibid., p. 145; and Makali (ed.), Media Law and Practice, pp. 301-304.
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