SMSes to be CHECKED before being SENT

The Kenyan DAILY POSTPolitics07:50

Wednesday 22^nd AUGUST 2012 -According to the new rules drafted by the Communication Commission of Kenya, political parties will be required to submit political messages for approval by mobile phone operators 48 hours before they can be sent out.

The new rules also state that the political messages will be only in either Kiswahili or English. The CCK also went ahead and gave a time frame which is within 6am and 6pm and that the transmission must also comply with the laws of political campaign periods.

According to the guidelines, political parties will have to make a request to mobile operators two days before the message are sent out. Mobile operators who are unable to ascertain whether the message is inflammatory can refer the matter to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission for further vetting. The draft says that the content service provider will have to submit a signed authorized letter from the political party or individual sponsoring the message.

The move by Communication Commission of Kenya is aimed at controlling political messages during the March 2013 elections campaign period. The commission had invited the members of public to give their views on the draft guidelines before Tuesday next week.

The Kenyan DAILY POST