Kibaki shoots down media bill

2007-08-23 12:58

Nairobi - Kenya's president rejected a contentious media bill late on Wednesday after journalists took to the streets in silent protest at a clause that could force them to reveal their sources, said reports on Thursday.

President Mwai Kibaki said words in the bill could be misinterpreted and that the contentious clause that had journalists up in arms should be deleted.

The independent Daily Nation quoted Kibaki as saying: "The meaning can be construed to include subjects of a story as well as sources of information. This could act as a great inhibition of press freedom and undermine the democratic strides we have made as a nation."

A clause that could see journalists reveal their sources should the story become the matter of a legal battle was inserted by a parliamentarian shortly before the bill was passed in parliament.

More than 300 journalists, students and activists descended on downtown Nairobi last week with their mouths gagged with tape and handkerchiefs, symbolising what they said the bill would do to their profession.

Anonymous whistle-blowers had been credited with bringing to light the numerous graft scandals that had rocked the East African country by exposing them through Kenya's robust media.

Kibaki was set to run for a second term in December elections.

Sapa-dpa

- SAPA