On 20 August 1996, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs and International Co- operation Minister, Kalonzo Musyoka, was reported by the “East African Standard” (the second largest selling English daily in Kenya) as having said he would no longer be granting interviews to the print media because of the role they have played in fanning the constitutional reform […]
On 20 August 1996, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs and International Co-
operation Minister, Kalonzo Musyoka, was reported by the “East
African Standard” (the second largest selling English daily in
Kenya) as having said he would no longer be granting interviews to
the print media because of the role they have played in fanning
the constitutional reform debate. He reportedly singled out the
“East African Standard”, and claimed the paper had a hidden agenda
in its reporting.
The minister, who is also the Kenya African National Union party
(KANU) national organising secretary, was apparently angered by a
story attributed to an opposition leader from his constituency who
recently asked the provincial administration to account for some
money collected for the construction of the District Mortuary.
Musyoka was reported to have threatened to have the reporter
transferred from his constituency.
Background Information
A cross-section of Kenya’s opposition leaders and politicians have
called for a review of the constitution before the next general
election, expected to be held in 1997. President Daniel arap Moi
and members of the ruling KANU party have opposed constitutional
review, saying there is no time for such reforms before the
forthcoming elections.
