East African media suffers blow

15 Jan 2010

Press freedom in Kenya is under threat, according to media owners, after the government reintroduced measures to limit press freedom despite earlier agreeing to water down proposals.

The new laws include provisions for censoring content, limiting talk about sex on FM radio stations, banning cross-media ownership and setting rules for political coverage during general elections.

Paul Muite, who is the counsel for the Media Owners Association called on Kenyans to reject the new laws saying they will stifle press freedom. Meanwhile, the Tanzanian government has closed one newspaper and suspended another for alleged violations of journalism ethics. The Leo Tena is accused of publishing obscene photographs, while the Kulikoni is suspended for the next three months after infringing national security laws by publishing a story on the army.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa in Tanzania has condemned the government's actions and called for the cases to be brought to the country's media council.

Source: Panos London