The Kenya Union of Journalists has strongly condemned the sacking of journalists by media houses under the pretext of redundancy. The union says it sees the hand of the government in the sackings as media houses are targeting journalists critical of the establishment.
In a statement released at the weekend by KUJ chairman Juma Kwayera and Secretary Genera Eric Oduor, the union says managers of media houses have become the new threat to press freedom. “In a span of two months,” the say, “at least four senior editors have been kicked out of newsrooms on the grounds of redundancy and flimsy grounds to please those who pay the piper.”
It began last year when Standard cleaned its newsroom through a deep retrenchment and early voluntary retirement call that were used to pick out what it considered critical journalists in the newsroom. It was followed by Mediamax in November and lately, Roya Media Services and Nation Media Group.
Nation is, however, being closely watched especially after forcing out Denis Galava for writing an editorial that did not please the government wing of the political divide. Last week, it sacked Sunday Nation news editor Mugumo Munene and investigations editor Andrew Teyie.
“We must warn that this unacceptable trend is only meant to intimidate journalists who work hard to feed the country with information,” say the officials.
“Against this backdrop we appeal to the real friends of media and fathers of this noble profession to stand up and defend our journalists from harassment and intimidation for the sake of democracy, which is a key pillar in any country’s development agenda. Evidently, the Bill of Rights a contained in the constitution is under serious threat from the executive arm of government.”
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Here is the full press release
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) wishes to raise the red flag over a new threat to press freedom in the Kenyan media industry. In a span of two months, at least four senior editors have been kicked out of newsrooms on the grounds of redundancy and flimsy grounds to please those who pay the piper.
We must warn that this unacceptable trend is only meant to intimidate journalists who work hard to feed the country with information. In January, it was Denis Galava, a brilliant journalist whose editorial published by The Saturday Nation breathed life into the noble profession that is slowly being deflated by enemies of good journalism.
We are shocked beyond point of comfort by the sacking Mugumo Munene and Andrew Teyie, journalists whose service to this nation will forever be used to mentor young journalists.
While Employment Act acknowledges that under specific circumstances an employer may resort to terminate a contract on account of redundancy, media houses have taken advantage of this law to clamp down on journalists who are critical of the system. Some of these actions must be consistent with local laws and international instruments, especially ILO Convention 87 and 98.
Royal media continued the trend started by Standard Group seven month ago that through retirement and retrenchment of some of the best brains in the profession to protect runaway graft in the top echelons of the government.
Last week, Royal Media too inexplicably sent home some its best reporters that built a strong connection with television viewers because of their incisive reporting – again acceding to pressure from some quarters of the government where corruption seems to be the system’s Holy Communion. State-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is also on the spot for some unprofessional and unqualified dismal of staff, besides intimidation to force those suspected of not believing in official lies by the state.
We will stand to defend our forte and no amount of intimidation will cow us into submission. We did this in the 1990s under the brutal KANU regime; we will do it against for the sake of the ordinary Kenyan and the journalists who put their lives on the line to inform the public. The Constitution grants us the right to inform and keep the other three arm of government – judiciary, legislature and executive – in check.
Against this backdrop we appeal to the real friends of media and fathers of this noble profession to stand up and defend our journalists from harassment and intimidation for the sake of democracy, which is a key pillar in any country’s development agenda. Evidently, the Bill of Rights a contained in the constitution is under serious threat from the executive arm of government.
The government assault of free media is not only regressive, but a pointer to degeneration into authoritarian rule. The media will no longer stand-by and watch public resources plundered and the plunderers enjoy the protection of an intricately corrupt regime. Wanjiku is bleeding ceaselessly; the media is determined to halt these heinous deeds by those in power. As a nation we cannot free ourselves from the chains of corruption and gross human-rights abuses if there is no free press.
The expanded democratic space Kenya boasts of was achieved as a result of a resilient media during the clamour for political pluralism in the early 1990s and before. KUJ will defend jealously media space and put on notice enemies of good journalism and media freedoms, who are hell bent on limiting the freedoms that for the first time in our history are enshrined in the Constitution under Article 34.
JUMA KWAYERA and ERICK ODUOR
KENYA UNION OF JOURNALISTS
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