MwanaFalsafa1
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- Feb 26, 2008
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By Citizen correspondent, Nairobi
Kenyan media have been praised for their role in urging for a return to peace at the height of post election violence in 2007.
Two envoys have said it was through the media that the voices of Kenyans were heard calling on President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to come to a political solution when the country was burning.
"We saw two leading newspapers work on the same headline throughout the post election period telling President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga that enough was enough," said US ambassador Michael Ranneberger.
"Their editorial commentaries for the two principals to come to a political solution were also pivotal."
The two coalition partners contested the presidency during the 2007 General Election. Mr Odinga disputed the results, claiming he had been rigged out of victory by President Kibaki.
The stand-off triggered a wave of violence that claimed at least 1,000 lives and displaced 350,000 others.
The two later agreed to share power under a coalition government.
His German counterpart Walter Lindner said by covering the post election violence last year, the media had also relayed real happenings in the country at the time.
The two who were speaking during a media workshop at Laico Hotel in Nairobi Monday said the media was playing a sizeable role in the transformation of the country and called for more media freedom.
Mr Lindner said the passing of the recent media Bill was a threat to democracy and aimed at limiting the independence of the media.
He said media freedom remains the backbone of any democratic society and wondered why Kenyan lawmakers were keen to gag the media.
"Any kind of regulation needs to be done very carefully. It is funny how politicians seek media limelight but haunt it when put to task," said Mr Lindner.
He added: "A free media remains the backbone of any society. Anything touching on it needs wider consultations but the media should also be responsible."
Kenyan media have been praised for their role in urging for a return to peace at the height of post election violence in 2007.
Two envoys have said it was through the media that the voices of Kenyans were heard calling on President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to come to a political solution when the country was burning.
"We saw two leading newspapers work on the same headline throughout the post election period telling President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga that enough was enough," said US ambassador Michael Ranneberger.
"Their editorial commentaries for the two principals to come to a political solution were also pivotal."
The two coalition partners contested the presidency during the 2007 General Election. Mr Odinga disputed the results, claiming he had been rigged out of victory by President Kibaki.
The stand-off triggered a wave of violence that claimed at least 1,000 lives and displaced 350,000 others.
The two later agreed to share power under a coalition government.
His German counterpart Walter Lindner said by covering the post election violence last year, the media had also relayed real happenings in the country at the time.
The two who were speaking during a media workshop at Laico Hotel in Nairobi Monday said the media was playing a sizeable role in the transformation of the country and called for more media freedom.
Mr Lindner said the passing of the recent media Bill was a threat to democracy and aimed at limiting the independence of the media.
He said media freedom remains the backbone of any democratic society and wondered why Kenyan lawmakers were keen to gag the media.
"Any kind of regulation needs to be done very carefully. It is funny how politicians seek media limelight but haunt it when put to task," said Mr Lindner.
He added: "A free media remains the backbone of any society. Anything touching on it needs wider consultations but the media should also be responsible."
