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{
    "id": 402570,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/402570/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kanyua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 981,
        "legal_name": "Priscilla Nyokabi Kanyua",
        "slug": "priscilla-nyokabi-kanyua"
    },
    "content": "the ideals that the Constitution requires us to implement without really putting a lot of our personal emotions into the laws that we are passing. The Kenya Information and Communications Bill provided for a tribunal. There is nothing stopping this Parliament from allowing the Media Council to then create a first instance hearing body at the Media Council level. So, the appeal in the Kenya Information and Communications Act level can really become a second instance hearing body. Every time you are wronged by the media, the first place you should go to should really be the Media Council. I, therefore, disagree with the Report of the Committee that requires us to delete Part IV on the complaints commission of the Media Council Bill as drafted. I urge this House to pass a comprehensive Media Council Bill and the proposals that will come in the Presidential Memorandum on the Kenya Information and Communications Bill can be addressed at that time. We, therefore, should return Part IV; the complaints commission. The other issues that we should look at is registration of newspapers. I am sure you know what happens to the alternative Press. They register today as “Sharpener” and when you complain they close “Sharpener” and register “Sharpener 2000”. When you complain again, they close “Sharpener 2000” and open “Sharpener 2013”. When you complain and you have judgment, they close “Sharpener 2013” and open “ Wembe ”. When you complain again they open “ Wembe Weekly” and so they take you through a run around that you cannot even manage to catch up with them legally. It is important that the Media Council is allowed to register newspapers in this country. We need to look at the Books and Newspapers Act and make sure that we amend it accordingly. In terms of the education standards, a lot of the media schools now are on top of bars. I have a problem with educational institutions that are on top of market centres. Educational institutions should be properly situated, so that people can be properly educated as envisaged. In terms of media education, there is a very delicate balance between press freedom and responsibility. Only those who have been properly trained, including on matters of taste and tone, are able to carry out the media freedom that we expect in this county. Test and tone can really be a controversial issue. I do not know how many of us are willing to see dead people. A lot of us are not willing to see dead people. It is really in bad taste to put on the front media people who are dead. That is in bad taste. Even describing the style and manner of death is really in bad taste. Therefore, those who go to media schools are able to learn the balance of taste between tone. If we get the Media Council to regulate the education standards of media schools, it will really be helpful. In this country, we have journalists who never went to journalism schools. This kind of education is not static. It is continuous education, so that you learn how to be a responsible media person. So, the definition of “journalist” will become important as we look at this Bill. Regulations of media education standards should be in line with the Commission for Higher Education that we have. As I wind up, I would like to say that the code of conduct needs to be tightened and continuously revised. We now have ICT and the controversial question of patriotism. So, there is need for the Media Council to also have power to continuously revise the media code of conduct. Lastly, we need to keep to the constitutional parameters and the constitution of the Council. The membership of the Council should have regional balance. Gender concerns also have to be taken care of. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}