DATE=05/10/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-289664

TITLE=KENYA / MEDIA LAW (L ONLY)

BYLINE=KATY SALMON

DATELINE=NAIROBI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Human rights groups and media organizations are expressing concern that a law passed (Wednesday) by Kenya's parliament could greatly limit press freedom in the country. Critics are also questioning the timing of the new law, as Kenya will be holding presidential elections at the end of the year. Katy Salmon has more on the story from Nairobi.

TEXT: The government says the law is meant to restrain the country's "gutter press" (tabloid or alternative media). But critics say it is meant to muzzle all the press.

President Daniel arap Moi has yet to sign the bill into law. In an interview with V-O-A, Binaifer Nowrojee of Human Rights Watch says her organization is urging the president not to sign it.

/// NOWROJEE ACT (MARGINAL QUALITY) ///

This is a bill designed to mute public criticism in the run-up to national elections to be held at the end of the year. One of things that we are calling for is that the president should not sign the bill. It's still not actually been enacted and we're hoping there'll be one last reprieve. It's clearly not a good thing for freedom of expression.

/// END ACT ///

The new law increases an insurance bond that publishers must pay for libel damages to one-million shillings, almost 13-thousand dollars. The law also imposes a fine, or six-month prison term, for vendors and distributors who do not establish whether publishers of publications they sell have paid the bond.

Media owners warn that the new law, if signed by President Moi, is likely to drive small and provincial publications out of business because they will not be able to afford the increased cost of the insurance bond.

The government says the legislation is needed to restrain Kenya's press, which regularly prints stories about cabinet ministers' private lives.

Ms. Nowrojee says the government should give the media the chance to regulate itself.

/// 2ND NOWROJEE ACT (MARGINAL QUALITY) ///

There are alternate ways that you can (establish) standards for the press, including allowing the press themselves to self-monitor which is what they have proposed. But by raising the amount of fines and penalizing vendors and distributors, basically what they are doing is silencing the press at a time when freedom of expression is critical in Kenya.

/// END ACT ///

The Kenya Union of Journalists has announced that it plans to go to court to block the law. (Signed)

NEB/KS/KL/RH