World Press Freedom Index 2013

The term “tyranny of numbers” is increasingly losing its innocence by the day as Kenyans witness reason being sacrificed on the altar of emotions. The electoral governance tools borrowed from the West by Kenya and Africa have yielded greater exclusion from the center. Political mobilizations along ethnic lines give way to “tyranny” of those in power over the rest.  It takes organized groups, visibility and money for the center to respond to the periphery.  It has taken the Kenyan media to suffer the consequences of this evil tyranny to come out fighting.

It is commendable how the media has come out strongly to defend their turf. While at it, the media must urgently review its involvement in reinforcing negative narratives in Kenya. The Kenyan media was accused of disastrous coverage that partly fanned the 2007/08 Post Election Violence in various post conflict reports. In 2012/2013, the Kenyan media spearheaded Prayers for Peace but ignored calls to expose Kenyans to the use of reason in electoral processes. The resultant effect: the country is split down in the middle between the #WEAREONE and #WEARENOTONE hash-tags.

The contentious Media Bill seeks to impose strict controls on radio and television broadcasts and huge fines against journalists and media houses that violate the government’s set code of conduct. The opposition to the passage of this draconian law arises from memories of the Moi Era when individual freedoms were curtailed in the guise of protecting national security. In a world driven by emotions; anyone in power would celebrate tight controls of media outlets as an additional tool to lord over the masses.

The country’s 50th anniversary since independence (The Jubilee Year) has presented great challenges to Kenyan media. A keen observer will recall the mind-control type of reporting shortly after the March 4th elections and the unfortunate Westgate Terror Attack. In both incidents, Kenyans were subjected to static images; one of electoral results charts and the other of a street in Westlands in Nairobi. It is despicable that Kenyan Members of Parliament are keen to formalize these very acts of disinformation that have been the hallmark of the Jubilee Year.

In a world driven by reason, Kenya and by extension Africa will realize that they need a free press to drive state unification; state authority and political equality. In a unified state, the state stands to protect individual rights. The converse is true in a disunited and captured state. Where a state plays its proper role to safeguard its citizens, its authority effectively drives political equality. One cannot achieve the three goals by simply using media ownership and media laws to push for one group to dominate over the rest. For a country celebrating 50 years of independence with questionable #WEAREONE credentials; the tyranny of numbers will only yield chaos.

The media has demonstrated that organized groups can fend off onslaughts from the tyranny of numbers. Individual Kenyans should emulate the media and organize to open Kenya up for all Kenyans. A divided Kenya will have a difficult time navigating the rough global seas presented by competing interests from the East and the West. Divisions within the country will force individuals to reenact the lives of the country’s ancestors who had to surrender to outsiders in order to survive tyranny from their own leaders. 

The Kenyan media should take the frontline (just as it did in pushing for prayers) to avail a platform for the country to open up to itself. No group should be allowed to tyrannize others. The country looks up to the media to drive the voice of reason amidst the political sea of emotions and bigotry. The publicly owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation should be subjected to the independence enjoyed by other public commissions so as to rely less on advertisement revenue in exchange for objective news coverage. This is the time to activate the spirit and law of Kenya’s new constitution to restore the country back to its path to freedom and prosperity.

By James Shikwati

The author [email protected] is Founder Director of the Inter Region Economic Network and Publisher of The African Executive Magazine.