(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) – 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 of the publications by police
**Updates IFEX alerts of 17, 15, and 14 July 1998**
The publisher of “The Post on Sunday”, Mr. Tony Gachoka, wrote to the
Attorney General urging him to stop continued police harassment and the
“illegal attempt” to stop the publication of the “Post”, “The Star” and
“Finance” magazine.
Background Information
It was reported that on 10 July 1998, Registrar-General Omondo Mbago
announced a clampdown on the three publications by rejecting their
registrations, thereby effectively banning them from the streets. However,
the editor-in-chief of “The Star”, Magayu K. Magayu later stated that the
newspaper had not been banned, contrary to reports in the media. Magayu said
that the paper did not require registration and had complied with the
necessary qualifications befitting an ordinary newspaper (see IFEX alerts).
