Owner of the Royal Media Services SK Macharia. PHOTO / FILE
By EMEKA-MAYAKA GEKARA (gmayaka@ke.nationmedia.com)Posted Monday, February 21 2011 at 18:24
Enough. Stop driving this country to the precipice and let common sense prevail.
That is the poignant message of media owners to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga following their standoff over nominations to key posts in the justice system and Treasury.
The Media Owners Association {MOA) hold the two squarely to blame for the stalemate that threatens to stall implementation of the new Constitution.
“We are seeing very ominous signs that we hardly moved from the precipice that this country nearly plunged into. We hold the principals responsible for this very dangerous status,” they told journalists in Nairobi on Monday after a three-hour meeting.
“Through their actions or inactions, they are encouraging a slide into very risky space for this country. We demand that our leaders rise above pettiness and deliver the promises of the new Constitution.”
The also cautioned against plans by a section of MPs to censure House Speaker Kenneth Marende for rejecting President Kibaki’s nominees.
“We are standing up to say that actions like the ones contemplated against the Speaker will only exacerbate an already polarised country.”
They were led by their chairman, SK Macharia (Royal Media Services), Mr Kiprono Kittony (Radio Africa), Mr Tom Mshindi (Nation Media Group), Joshua Chepkwony (Kass FM), Paul Coogan (Family Media) and Mr Hannington Gaya (Media 7).
Demi-gods
“We are expressing public concern and we expect President Kibaki and Mr Odinga to listen to us,” said Mr Macharia.
The group put politicians spreading hatred on notice, saying Kenyans expected leaders to behave responsibly.
“We will not stand by and play the role of public megaphones to allow media platforms to spread negative messages of hate and divisiveness.”
They also reminded the two principals that the era in which leaders assumed the roles of demi-gods who rode roughshod on institutions came to an end with the enactment of the new Constitution.
Mr Kittony asked the two to implement and live the spirit of the new Constitution.
“We have not seen the spirit of the Constitution manifested in the events that followed the naming of the Ocampo Six and controversial nominations.”
They pointed out that at the heart of the quarrels in the coalition were “political considerations that have little on nothing to do with what Kenyans need”.
The media magnates also raised concern that squabbles at top levels of government had seen an “astonishing meltdown” of public goodwill that followed the proclamation of the new law.
“This breakdown is a result of lack of goodwill, brinkmanship, dishonesty and refusal by leaders to concede ground," said the media owners.
Moreover, they sounded dismissive the Kenya’s diplomatic effort to withdraw from the Rome Statute and highlighted public disappointment with the political elite.
“People who are not supposed to be in public office still are; public money is being used for dubious purposes and we are campaigning to disengage from the ICC."
They accused the political elite of forgetting horror and economic impacts of the post-election violence as well as the plight of internally displaced families.
“We are see a leadership that is all too wiling to divide Kenyans by rallying them around tribal causes and whipping up negative emotions about their communities and their leaders.”
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