Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute
Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute
Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute
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<strong>Press</strong> <strong>Freedom</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Globalisation</strong><br />
is that Kenyans shall enjoy unlimited press freedom because it entrenches development<br />
structures. 61 The government has stated that it supports a system of self-regulation. 62<br />
Ug<strong>and</strong>a encourages private actors in the media <strong>and</strong> the print media operate like<br />
other businesses. Nevertheless, in Ug<strong>and</strong>a the government is frequently hostile to media. 63<br />
Common methods of control are questioning, charging, imprisoning as well as demonising<br />
or sc<strong>and</strong>alising journalists. For instance, the Ug<strong>and</strong>an journalist <strong>and</strong> editor Charles<br />
Onyango-Obbo was, between 1997 <strong>and</strong> 2003, arrested three times <strong>and</strong> brought before court<br />
120 times. Ug<strong>and</strong>an journalists, however, have not been targets of assassinations as was<br />
the case during the regimes of Obote <strong>and</strong> Amin. 64<br />
Broadcast media have to pay fees. For non-commercial actors these fees are a<br />
heavy burden. A radio station in Kampala has to pay US$ 1,500 annually. Many<br />
broadcasters are struggling to avoid bankruptcy. 65 The Penal Code still bans publishing on<br />
a wide range of information. 66 Unexpectedly, in 2004 Ug<strong>and</strong>a’s Supreme Court ruled that<br />
Ug<strong>and</strong>a’s laws, from the colonial era, on ‘false news offence’ were unconstitutional. 67<br />
Tanzanian press freedom is far behind Kenya <strong>and</strong> Ug<strong>and</strong>a. There is freedom of<br />
expression in the Constitution, but about 40 laws make up a web of hindrances against free<br />
press. After pressure, the government started a process to review media laws <strong>and</strong> prepare<br />
61<br />
The Kenyan Government, “Why Mwai Kibaki does not speak out on everything” in Daily Nation (Nairobi:<br />
Nation Media Group), advertisement, 2 nd March, 2005.<br />
62<br />
Daily Nation, “Government set to review press laws, says Kiraitu” in Daily Nation (Nairobi: Nation Media<br />
Group), news article, 5th April, 2004.<br />
63<br />
Wakabi, Wairagala, “Kenya <strong>and</strong> Ug<strong>and</strong>a Still Have Though <strong>Press</strong> Laws” in The East African (Nairobi:<br />
Nation Media Group), news article, 19th April, 2004.<br />
64<br />
Oral interview with Charles Onyango-Obbo, Managing Editor of Convergence <strong>and</strong> Syndication, Nation<br />
Media Group Ltd. in Kenya, e-mail: cobbo@nation.co.ke. Former editor of the newspaper The Monitor in<br />
Ug<strong>and</strong>a. Interview with him in his office in Nairobi 21 st February, 2005, about press freedom in Ug<strong>and</strong>a.<br />
65<br />
Nakkazi, Esther, “Ug<strong>and</strong>a Cracks Down on Radio, TV Stations” in The East African (Nairobi: Nation<br />
Media Group), news article, 12th January, 2004.<br />
66<br />
Kemigisha (ed.), The State of the Media in Ug<strong>and</strong>a, pp. 7-8.<br />
67 th<br />
Supreme Court of Ug<strong>and</strong>a, judgement dated 11 February, 2004, on an appeal in Monitor v. Constitutional<br />
Court, judgement published 21 st July, 2000. The judgement is published in full by The East African<br />
(Nairobi: Nation Media Group), 1 st March, 2004, pp. 8-10 <strong>and</strong> 16-17.<br />
89
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