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"id": 238501,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
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"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this chance to contribution to this very important Motion. From the outset, I support it. It is a fact that information is a tool for development. It is also a fact that information is power. I subscribe to the belief that the right to know is a fundamental human right. An informed society can make good decisions on business issues, education and socio- political activities among others. Many examples on the oppression of the people who are sources of information have been given by the previous speakers. Those people should be protected. The recent case concerns the employees of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) who gave information about malpractices at Charterhouse Bank. Those employees have sought asylum in the United States of America (USA) because of informing members of the public the malpractices in that bank. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot has been said about the importance of having free information flow. However, very briefly, let me talk about the mode or medium through which information reaches the end users. It is very important to have a free medium or mode of information transfer but as another hon. Member has said, we need to have accurate, precise, timely and non-biased information. Members of the public should make proper decisions based on correct information. When we talk about transfer of information, the Press which is the medium mostly used, says that bad news is good news. They always give this example:- \"When a dog bites a man, it is not news.\" However, when a man bites a dog, it is news and it ought to be reported.\" It is time that we defined the mode through which information reaches the end user. Members of the public also need good information in order to make informed decisions that will have a positive impact to their lives. The people who pass on information to others should also be patriotic. They should not report negatively. As we seek leave for the introduction of the Bill entitled \"Freedom of Information\", it is important to note that we need to be responsible. Members of the public should demand to be provided with correct information. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, recently, as a group, we visited the USA and a presentation about media and media relations was made to us. The presenter made it very clear that the Kenyan media is one of the most biased in the world. That is what we were told in Washington DC after discussing what is supposed to be reported. That is why I am saying that we should receive correct information. Some of us do not just need negative information. Sometimes, we talk about monopoly of the people who own media houses. If you look at the scenario in our country, you will find that every electronic media house is engaged in the print media. That promotes monopoly. It is high time that those media houses either engaged in the electronic or print media. It is through this that we can get a variety of reports. Other hon. Members have talked about propaganda, which is mostly brought about by October 18, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2997 vernacular radio stations. We should discourage the setting up of vernacular radio stations and become nationalists or find a way of ensuring that those stations which have the widest coverage report objectively. This is because during the Referendum period, most of those radio stations incited Kenyans against others. As we welcome the free flow of information, it is also important to be responsible. As other hon. Members have put it, we should not classify information into secret, top secret, private or public in Kenya. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support the Motion."
}