Mission Journal:
Sue Valentine/CPJ Africa Program Coordinator
President Barack Obama is expected to address a range of topics when he arrives in Kenya tomorrow. The Kenyan government says it plans to discuss security and trade, while opposition parties and civil society want good governance and human rights added to the agenda, according to news reports. We hope the discussion includes the commitments to improve press freedom that the Kenyan government made to CPJ last week.
On July 15, we released our special report, “Broken Promises: How Kenya is failing to uphold its commitment to a free press,” in Nairobi to a room full of more than 50 Kenyan and foreign journalists. The report found that a combination of legal and physical harassment, as well as concentration in media ownership, is making it increasingly difficult for journalists to work freely in Kenya.
Kenya’s potential-including strong economic growth and stability and openness relative to neighbors like Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea-will be on full display for Obama. His arrival has seen a flurry of work, such as upgrading the Mombasa Road that connects the airport to downtown Nairobi. But alongside these improvements, Kenyans are grappling with corruption, land-grabbing, and a series of deadly terrorist attacks. CPJ’s report found that journalists who cover these and other sensitive topics are subject to harassment and violence, and that attacks on the press in Kenya happen with almost complete impunity.
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CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
Contact:
Sue Valentine
Africa Program Coordinator
Tel: +1 212-300-9004
Email: [email protected]
Kerry Paterson
Africa Research Associate
Email: [email protected]
Peter Nkanga
West Africa Representative
Email: [email protected]
Tom Rhodes
East Africa Representative
Email: [email protected]