Kenyan columnists quit in protest

– Eight prominent columnists working for Kenya’s biggest media group quit yesterday over what they said was increased meddling by government and a loss of media freedom.

The columnists include George Kegoro, executive director of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission; Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki, Africa director of the Open Society Foundation; and Nic Cheeseman, professor of democracy at Birmingham University.

“I resign to protest the growing infringement on media freedom. I resign to show solidarity with the voices that have been silenced. I resign because we must live our beliefs,” Cheeseman wrote on

Nairobi

Twitter.

In a statement, the eight highlighted several incidents in recent years that they said pointed to meddling in the independence of the Nation Media Group (NMG).

These included the firing of a managing editor after an editorial critical of the presidency and failing to renew the contract of popular cartoonist Gado, who regularly took aim at government.

Last month, NMG fired the manager of its NTV station, Linus Kaikai, after he said there had been collusion between media owners and government to censor coverage of the mock swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who maintained he won elections last year.

NTV and two other TV stations were pulled off air for a week – despite court orders directing they be put back on – as they attempted to cover the ceremony.

The media suspension was attacked by the UN, the United States and rights watchdogs.

“A worrying pattern has emerged where it appears the executive [government] is able to influence who works for or contributes to NMG,” read the joint statement.

“Censoring individual columnists signals official intolerance for dissenting views and suggests executive willingness to go to any length to achieve its aims.” –