05/02/2023
Even though Kenya ranked 102 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, there has been an emergence of voices in the digital space who are speaking their truth fear of the constraints faced by mainstream journalists.
A visit to YouTube will leave you appreciating the role internet has played in granting independence to content creators and journalists who showcase talents and amplify views that would ideally be suppressed by mainstream media.
One channel that will make you further appreciate the role democracy enjoyed in Kenya unlike other African states is Bunge La Wananchi that reports direct from either Jevanjee gardens or Jacaranda Grounds where its Public Barazas are conducted by rather disgruntled citizens.
This channel is the poster child for freedom of speech and media since the views are raw and unfiltered coming from Kenyans from all walks of life and political camps. However the lack to moderate and project their arguments in a civilized manner whereby they often retreat to using vulgar language to sensationally appease the crowd exposes them to claims of spreading incitement and violence which is a crime in Kenya.
Moreover, they also raise questions as to the limits of freedom of expression under Article 10 of the Kenyan constitution and the role and responsibility of the independent press as it exercises its freedom as enshrined in the constitution.
You see when the government asked the opposition to do its role and keep it in check, they asked them to do so with decorum and objectivity. However when you listen to the contributions of some members of this mock August house starting from its president, it is not a surprise to hear a speaker spew hateful words showing disregard and total disrespect towards The Presidency and his family.
Instead of using the platform to ask serious issues that will benefit their lives while correcting the government, they have turned the platform into an avenue where they mock the whole government and its officers with others even going to the extent of suggesting treason. They have turned the platform into an anti-government avenue where any contribution showing support for the government is met with stiff opposition.
Facts are often lacking in their arguments since sensationalism is King. All you need is confidence because the louder you are and able to make crowd laugh, the more popular you become. This has led them to have poor choice of words some of which are extreme and could easily be misinterpreted by different quotas as calls for violence which is detrimental to the country’s peace.
Hatungojei 2027..Hiyo iko mbali...Tunaenda statehouse cha lazima...Wa kukufa akufe lakini hatuwezi ngojea..” Omosh a popular speaker says.
Since Kenya is quite a political volatile nation, having statements like these doing rounds on social media could be dangerous. You might argue that it’s not the responsibility of the media to regulate these speakers but a quick glance at the events of 2007 will make you understand its impact.
These statements influence the opposition and at the same time irk those who support the government. They are careless and letting them do rounds on social media could be dangerous since people are often influenced by what they see for long periods of time under the Cultivation Theory of Mass Communication.
This can be seen by how popular contributors have scaled the ranks of opposition even having the leader of opposition Raila Odinga and others gracing their event while still rubbing shoulders with the state due to their reckless statements e.g. the recent arrest of president Gaucho and claims by his deputy Nuru Okang'a that government sleuths are trailing him.
In addition its clear biasness towards the government and lack of objectivity but constant ridicule will bring about the emergence of similar but pro-government platforms which will be used to counter each other hence increasing the political temperatures of the country.
Since prevention is better than cure, the necessary media regulators need to check these independent media channels before its too late.
