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| People demanding freedom of the press. Photo/Courtesy |
I usually don't like to write controversial stories, but sometimes situations force me to do so.
As one of the members of the fourth estate, the president has convinced me beyond any doubt that Kenya is not a democratic country.
The press started well with the president after 2013 elections, but things have since changed. The people who used to share cup of coffee together and exchange pleasantries at the state house are nowadays enemies to an extend the president saying "the newspaper is only good for wrapping meat".
This is so unfortunate in a country where a new constitution defending freedom of the media was promulgated hardly five years ago.
For the first time in Kenyan history, Kenyan leaders were asked during African Union summit in Ethiopia last year why they were interfering with freedom of the media by introducing controversial laws. That was a big embarrassment and it is even bigger now because Kenya is wrangled at number 100 of 190 counties across the world when it comes to safeguarding freedom of the media.
Any government will start to fail if it criticises the works of the media. The media has capability to tarnish the image of any individual by saying the truth of many matters happening in their lives.This can also happen in government. Jubilee government should strive to corporate with journalists and try to support them by defending their rights.
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