Give CORD demos total black out, media told

The Kenyan Film Classification Board (KFCB) has called for total black out to the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) weekly demos to eject the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners from the office.

The Board said the demos were being glorified by the media as heroic, while they were undermining the values and the moral fabric of the country.

“This is my appeal to the media, please withdraw your cameras from the Monday drama. Please cover those meetings responsibly.”

“There is no dignity for the country or for your media house when you are showing the kind of scenes that we are witnessing. If you must do it, then we probably need to sit with the media owners to see if we can take the news to 10 o’clock, because I think we are influencing children in the wrong way,” said KFCB Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua.

Mutua expressed fear that unless the Media minimizes highlighting the on- going tendencies of revolution build up emerging through radicalized politics, eruption of chaos like 2007/2008’s post election violence might not be avoided.

“The NCIC, the Communications Authority, the Media Council and Media Owners need to sit together and start discussing this issue, because in 2007, it started this way, by politicians inciting the public and insulting each other and the cameras covering.”

“When you make politicians think that they will not make news until they insult each other, or they perform that kind of drama they will never stop. So give them a blackout. Anybody insulting another leader give them a blackout, anybody committing crime or lawlessness give them a blackout. You guys have the power to change the behavior and the manners of our politicians,” stated Mutua.

Police Spokesperson Charles Owino made the comments at the end of a sensitization Forum for Film Classification law enforcement agencies in Embu where he underscored the government’s commitment to safeguard law and order.

“If you breach the law in any way, then definitely, we must take action,” said Owino.

He emphasized that the constitution allows peaceful demonstrations and picketing but does not accord anybody the right to proceed with destruction of property, adding that it amounted to violating the rights of other members of the society.

He reiterated that Law enforcement agencies will remain neutral during on going engagement regarding IEBC but this must be done within the confines of the law.

“We are up to the task to protect all Kenyans. We don’t want confrontation; we want to avoid confrontation as much as possible. But if that is the only alternative left for us, then our hands are tied. We have to do what is necessary,” said the police spokesman.

The Film Classification Board (KFCB) forum is part of National-wide sensitization seminars intended to bring on board law enforcement agencies in the war against acts of radicalization through film and other media related content.

The forum was organized by the Film Board in conjunction with the Embu County Commissioner and was attended by police commanders, commanding officers of Police Stations, OCPD’s, administration police and intelligence officers, all affiliated to the county security committee.