Anglican Bishop Julius Kalu of Mombasa told Ecumenical News International from the coastal city, “We expected the principals to speak with one voice, but they don’t seem to communicate with each other. Kenyans fear it [the coalition] may collapse.”
Signs that the government rift is increasing came after President Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity on January 2 signed into law the Kenya Communication (Amendment) Bill, despite pleas from its main coalition partner, the Orange Democratic Movement. Media organizations say the law will reverse democratic gains and will control what is watched, read and listened.
The coalition government was set up following widespread violence that came after disputed election results at the end of 2007. Two commissions that investigated the violence mentioned that reporting by the media in some instances could have fanned ethnic animosity, through the airing of hate speeches, before and after the disputed poll.
On January 7 after a number of protests about the communication law from media owners, Kibaki directed his attorney general and his information minister to study possible amendments to the law for consideration by the government.
“In his response, the president says he has noted concerns by the media regarding the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act 2008 and the Kenya Communications Act 2008 and asked the A.G. and the information and communications minister to study the proposed amendments and consult with
the media representatives,” a government statement said.
When he signed the bill into law, President Kabaki said he had carefully considered the concerns raised by the media about the government’s power to
restrict their operations during a state of emergency. “I wish to appeal to the media to recognize that freedom must go hand in hand with responsibility,” the president said. Kibaki added that press freedom as a cardinal pillar of democracy must be “counterbalanced” with other freedoms and the overriding interest and the safety of Kenyans.
But Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who leads the Orange Democratic Movement, had said on January 5 the offensive clauses in the law were unacceptable to his party and were contrary to the tenets of a democratic society.
The bill was passed in parliament on 10 December at a sitting attended by a minority of lawmakers, prompting journalists, some politicians and civil society groups to appeal to Kibaki not to give his support to the measure.
The ODM is threatening to seek a renegotiating of the coalition pact if it considers that Kibaki’s PNU is continuing to take decisions unilaterally.
Church leaders have said they fear if the rancor continues, violence such as that at the beginning of 2008 could return.
