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From: INTER PRESS SERVICE
Subj: KENYA-MEDIA: FREEING AIRWAVES DEBATE REKINDLED

DATE: 02-20-95 (14:59)

BY CHARLES WACHIRA

NAIROBI, FEB 20 (IPS) - KENYA'S INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
MINISTER FAILED TO ENDEAR HIMSELF TO THE COUNTRY'S OPPOSITION
AND CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS WHEN HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD NOT
LICENSE NEW BROADCASTING STATIONS.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FORUM FOR RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY (FORD)-
KENYA, KIJANA WAMALWA, DEFIANTLY DECLARED THAT HIS PARTY WOULD
LAUNCH A CLANDESTINE 'RADIO FREE KENYA' BY JUNE.

SLAMMING MINISTER JOHNSTONE MAKAU'S DECISION, HE BOASTED:
"WE ARE NOW TRAINING ANNOUNCERS AND OTHER STAFF AND SHALL
OPERATE THE INDEPENDENT RADIO JUST OFF KENYA'S TERRITORIAL
WATERS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN."

THAT WAS BACK IN DECEMBER. THE ROW, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN RE-
KINDLED FOLLOWING REMARKS LAST WEEK BY THE US AMBASSADOR HERE,
AUREILA BRAZEAL.

PAYING A COURTESY CALL ON THE INFORMATION MINISTER, SHE SAID
WASHINGTON WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE THE KENYAN PARLIAMENT DEBATE AND
ENACT A LAW FREEING AN ELECTRONIC MEDIA CURRENTLY CONTROLLED BY
THE STATE AND THE RULING KENYA AFRICAN NATIONAL UNION (KANU).

"THE INFORMATION AGE IS HERE WITH US AND THERE IS NO WAY OF
STOPPING IT. IT IS THERE IN THE FORM OF COMPUTERS, TELEVISION,
RADIO AND FAX MACHINES," SHE TOLD MAKAU.

A WEEK EARLIER WHILE ADDRESSING A RADIO AND COMMUNICATIONS
SEMINAR, THE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT, "IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH
THE PACE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, AFRICAN COUNTRIES MUST
REASSESS THEIR POLICIES IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

THERE ARE PRESENTLY HAS OVER 200 APPLICATIONS FROM PRIVATE
ENTREPRENEURS IN KENYA WILLING TO LAUNCH RADIO AND TELEVISION
STATIONS.

"LICENCING OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE, APART FROM BEING AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT
OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT IS VERY CRUCIAL FOR NATIONAL
UNITY AND SECURITY," RETORTED MAKAU IN A STATEMENT SOON AFTER
MEETING THE US DIPLOMAT.

KANU SECRETARY-GENERAL, JOSEPH KAMOTHO, SAID THE GOVERNMENT
WOULD LIBERALISE WHEN IT WAS APPROPRIATE AND IN THE INTERESTS OF
KENYANS.

"THE RULING PARTY WOULD WISH TO REMIND THE AMBASSADOR THAT
KENYA IS A FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATE AND THAT PUBLIC POLICY
MATTERS ARE FORMULATED IN THE INTEREST OF THE MAJORITY OF
KENYANS," HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, KAMOTHO STRESSED, "ANY EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE IN
THE LICENCING OF RADIO AND TELEVISION IS TANTAMOUNT TO
INTERFERENCE WITH OUR SOVEREIGNTY AND FREEDOM".

HOWEVER, THE US AMBASSADOR'S SENTIMENTS HAVE WON SUPPORT FROM
OTHER ENVOYS HERE.

ACCORDING TO THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR, RUUD TRAFFERS, THE
"FREEDOM OF PRESS IS THE CORNER STONE OF DEMOCRACY. IT IS ONLY
A WELL-INFORMED CITIZENRY WHICH CAN MAKE CHOICES AND PARTICIPATE
FULLY IN A MULTI-FACETED SOCIETY."

JAPAN'S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, MASAHIKO HORIE, MAINTAINS ''THE
MORE PRIVATE AND SEMI-PRIVATE RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS THAT
ARE LICENCED, THE BETTER THE FLOW OF AND ACCESS TO RELIABLE
INFORMATION WILL BE FOR KENYANS."

MANY KENYANS TUNE IN TO THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
(BBC) AND VOICE OF AMERICA (VOA) FOR NEWS ABOUT THEIR OWN
COUNTRY.

ALTHOUGH 233 PUBLICATIONS HAVE BEEN LICENCED AND A MULTI-
PARTY SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE DECEMBER 1992, THE
GOVERNMENT STILL HAS A STRANGLE HOLD ON WHAT IS PRINTED AND
BROADCAST.

"THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED SO MANY ASSURANCES IN
THE PAST THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DETERMINED TO BUILD A
PLURALISTIC SOCIETY WHICH IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF WE DO AWAY WITH
MONOPOLY OF THE MEDIA," SAID GERMANY'S AMBASSADOR, DR. BERND
MUTZELBURG.

"NOBODY WHO HAS GOT MONOPOLY CONTROL IS QUICK TO LET GO OF
THEIR POWER, BUT TO ATTAIN A PLURALISTIC SITUATION, WE NEED TO
HAVE COMPETITION. AND NOT JUST COMPETITION OF IDEAS BUT ALSO OF
POLITICAL IDEAS. PEOPLE MUST HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE."

BUT ACCORDING TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY VICE CHAIRMAN, AGNES
NDETIE, COMPETITION IS WHAT THE KENYAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT
TO SEE.

"THEY (GOVERNMENT) ARE SIMPLY PROTECTING THEIR NARROW,
LITTLE WORLD OF SELF-INTERESTS," CHARGED THE OPPOSITION PARTY
LEGISLATOR.

"THEY ARE AFRAID THEY WILL NOT SURVIVE IN A COMPETITIVE
WORLD AND THAT NEW RADIO AND TELEVISION CHANNELS WOULD BE USED
TO ATTACK THE GOVERNMENT.

"DONORS CAN BE ASSURED THAT THE SILENT MAJORITY WANT MANY
DIFFERENT RADIO CHANNELS AND THEY ALSO WANT MORE MEDIA MOVED
INTO THE RURAL AREAS," SAID THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.

PRESIDENT DANIEL ARAP MOI, AFTER PRESIDING OVER AN
AUTHORITARIAN ONE-PARTY STATE SYSTEM, BOWED TO DONOR AND
DOMESTIC PRESSURE AND ALLOWED DEMOCRATIC POLLS IN 1992.

HE AND HIS KANU PARTY BEAT A DEEPLY DIVIDED OPPOSITION IN
CONTROVERSIAL ELECTIONS AND CONTINUES TO EMPLOY STRONG-ARM
TACTICS AGAINST OPPONENTS. (END/IPS/CW/GK/OA/95)