NDIMA

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Gacheru Kamau, a journalist from the “People Daily”, based in the Molo Division of Nakuru District, in the Rift Valley, was released on a bond of Kshs 50,000 (approx. US$636) after presenting himself to a Nakuru court, fearing arrest over a story he wrote last week. Kamau was released by Chief Magistrate Gladys […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Daniel Mjema, a journalist from the Kiswahili language daily “Majira” and a member of the Association of Journalists and Media Workers’ Executive Committee, has been threatened with being re-arrested and facing trumped-up charges, brought against him by Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander (RPC) Mohammed Chico. On 23 July 2001, Mjema was arrested by three […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 7 September 2001, Nairobi-based Nation Media Group was ordered by the High Court to pay a Nairobi lawyer Kshs. 10.2 million (approx. US$131,000) for libel. Justice Kasanga Mulwa ruled that the media group, which publishes the daily “Nation”, the largest circulating English daily, had defamed advocate John Patrick Machira in a picture […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 4 September 2001, a High Court in Nairobi extended an interim injunction restraining Text Book Centre from further distributing the book “Rogue Ambassador” by former United States Ambassador to Kenya Smith Hempstone. Commissioner of Assize Jeanne Gacheche also blocked the bookseller’s agents and servants from further circulating or selling copies of the […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 4 September 2001, prison authorities at King’ong’o prison in Nyeri District, in Kenya’s Central Province, prevented journalists from covering the hearing of a case against the only survivor of an incident in which six inmates died. The visit to the prison came during the first anniversary of the incident in which six […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Thobias Mwanakatwe, a journalist working for the privately-owned news agency “Press Services Tanzania” (PST) in Tanga, Tanzania, was summoned to appear before the region’s security committee on 28 August 2001. The journalist was asked to clarify a story about an alleged frustrated investor in fruit processing and a related early August demonstration by […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Samuel Kamau Macharia, the proprietor of Citizen Radio and Television, has urged a court in Nairobi to dismiss all criminal charges against him on the grounds that they are unsound and illegal. Macharia has filed a notice of motion through his lawyer, in which he requests that all of the Royal Media Services’ […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – The following is a 27 August 2001 NDIMA press release: Nairobi, August 27 2001 Three journalists arrested On August 22, 2001, three journalists were arrested by police in the Mara region while following up on ethnic clashes in the Tarime district. The arrested journalists are Dismas Ayuke of the daily Kiswahili private paper […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 22 August 2001, the High Court in Nairobi barred the Nation Media Group from publishing reports on President Moi’s son Jonathan Toroitich arising from the sittings of a parliamentary watchdog committee. The ruling came only one day after another judge prevented the “Daily Nation”, a publication of the media group, from publishing […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 20 August 2001, Royal Media Services (RMS) lost its bid to resume broadcasting after high court judge Alnashir Visram dismissed its application with costs. RMS sought the return of broadcasting equipment that was seized in April by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). In his 98-page ruling, Justice Visram said RMS had […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – The serialization of a book authored by former US ambassador to Kenya Smith Hempstone titled “Rogue Ambassador”, which the Nation Media Group (NMG) in Nairobi had planned to start this week, has been stopped. On 20 August 2001, lawyers acting for President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi and Cabinet Minister Nicholas Biwott threatened to […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 17 August 2001, a Sudanese professor filed a court action in Nairobi, the country’s capital, against the leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), Colonel John Garang. The professor is seeking damages for defamation. Professor Bona Malwal, a senior research fellow at Oxford University in Britain, also sought an injunction to […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – A fraudulent search warrant, purportedly issued by the chief magistrate, was used by police to raid the offices of Citizen Radio and Television and dismantle the station’s broadcasting equipment, lawyer Gibson Kamau Kuria, acting for the Royal Media, said in Nairobi on 14 June 2001. Kuria also told Civil Division Judge Alnarshir Visram […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On the night of 23 May 2001, photographer Chris Omolo, who works for Kenya’s leading English language daily “Daily Nation” was injured and his camera was damaged after he took photographs of police arresting revelers in a bar in Nairobi. Omolo was slapped and kicked by armed policemen who also beat “Daily Nation” […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 May 2001 NDIMA statement: Nairobi, May 21 2001 Police seize newspapers Police and Nairobi City Council guards impounded numerous copies of newspapers from newsvendors on Saturday, May 19, 2001. Most newsstands downtown were empty as newspapers and magazines had been taken away. Some of the vendors were arrested. […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Police officers who raided Citizen radio and TV station on 25 April 2001 have been summoned to appear in court next week to explain why they vandalised the Royal Media Service’s broadcasting equipment. Citizen Radio and TV station has been off the air since 26 April when their offices at Ambank House Nairobi […]