NDIMA

(NDIMA/IFEX) – A guard working for “The Star” newspaper, who had been hijacked outside the newspaper’s offices in Nairobi by people who turned out to be plainclothes police officers, was released on 29 July 1998, after twenty hours in custody. No charges were brought against him, but police told him they would carry out further […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 28 July 1998, two people believed to be plainclothes policemen attempted to impound copies of a bi-weekly Nairobi newspaper, “The Star”, and threatened to shoot a staff photographer who took photographs during the incident. **For background, see IFEX alerts of 24, 23, 17, 15 and 14 July 1998** Sources said the two […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Two Kenyan magazines and one bi-weekly newspaper that were recently threatened by the registrar general’s refusal to register them are now in circulation. “The Star”, “The Post on Sunday” and “Finance” magazine were on sale in the streets of Nairobi on 21 July 1998, although vendors expressed fear over harassment and possible confiscation […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 8 July 1998, Zegeye Haile, publisher and editor of “Genanaw”, a weekly newspaper, was fined Ethiopian Birr 10,00 (US$ 1,430) and handed a two year suspended sentence for publishing articles considered “libellous” by the Ethiopian government. The suspended sentence will be enforced if Mr. Haile publishes any story considered “offensive” by the […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 16 July 1998, the High Court in Kakamega (in western Kenya) ordered Police Commissioner Duncan Wachira to impound editions of “Finance” magazine, which is published by Opposition politician Njehu Gatabaki. Resident judge Barabara Tanui directed that the Commissioner or his representatives should keep in police custody any issue or editions of “Finance” […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 16 July 1998, the “Star” editor-in-chief Magayu K. Magayu said that the bi-weekly newspaper has not been banned, contrary to recent reports in the media. Mr. Magayu said the paper did not require registration and had complied with the necessary qualifications befitting an ordinary newspaper. **Updates IFEX alerts of 15 and 14 […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – According to NDIMA, on 13 July 1998, Star Publishers Limited went to the High Court seeking to quash the Registrar-General’s recent decision rejecting the registration of the bi-weekly newspaper “The Star.” They also want the registrar and the commissioner of police to be prohibited from interfering with or stopping the printing, publication and […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Siad Wabera, a journalist for the “Daily Nation” who is based in Marsabit, in North Eastern Province, has been receiving telephone calls from anonymous people threatening him with death. “We know who you are, we shall deal with you shortly. You must know what you should write and what you should not”, one […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 10 July 1998, Mr. Imanene Imathiu, a correspondent for “Nation”, Kenya’s leading English-language daily, which is based in Meru (in Eastern Province, northeast of Nairobi) was treated at a local district hospital for injuries sustained following a beating. Imathiu had been investigating allegations of corruption in an administration police camp. His camera […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Members of the opposition National Development Party(NDP), which has recently established a working relationship with the ruling KANU party, have threatened to hamper the commercial activities of, or start hostilities against Nation Newspapers Ltd after accusing the group’s newspapers of engaging in a smear campaign against their party and its leader. According to […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – Patrick Mayoyo, Mombasa correspondent for “The Nation” newspaper, reports having received threats from people suspected to be involved in a story he had written about corrupt practices in the government customs department. Mayoyo, whose reports on the affair have led to widespread investigations in which senior customs officers and clearing and forwarding agents […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – The editor of a Nairobi weekly magazine “Post on Sunday”, Tony Gachoka, locked himself up in his office to avoid being arrested by police on 8 July 1998. About ten plainclothes policemen had visited Gachoka’s office at about 10 am. Gachoka said that he and his lawyer, Philip Murgor, had talked to the […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – NDIMA has established that Mr. Tesfaye Tadesse who was the editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine “Mastawat”, was killed on 7 June 1998 (as was reported in CPJ’s IFEX alert of 10 June 1998), and not 9 June 1998 as sources had earlier indicated (see NDIMA’s IFEX alert of 6 July 1998). **See IFEX […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – According to NDIMA, a freelance journalist has been stopped from publishing articles or information on three brothers. On 2 July 1998, the High Court sitting in Nairobi directed that the order remain in force until the suit filed by the brothers, Mr. Gideon Kaburu Mwobobia, Mr. John Karimu, and Mr. Erastus Mwongera, against […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – According to NDIMA, Tesfaye Tadesse, former editor-in-chief of a monthly Amharic-language magazine, “Mestawet”, was stabbed to death by unknown assailants on 9 June 1998. His two attackers escaped in a Toyota pick-up truck, and so far no one has been arrested in connection with the murder. “Mestawet” had been out of circulation for […]

(NDIMA/IFEX) – On 1 July 1998, the Kenya High Court, sitting in Nairobi, restrained “The Post on Sunday” magazine from publishing any matter touching on Nairobi businessman Joshua Kulei. The interim injunction was issued by High Court judge Roselyn Nambuye after Kulei’s advocate, Simon Chepsiror Lilan, successfully applied for the injunction. The court ordered the […]