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2009/2510(RSP) Resolution on press freedom in Kenya

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 144

Events

2009/01/15
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
Documents
Results of vote in Parliament
2009/01/15
   EP - Debate in Parliament
Documents
Debate in Parliament
2009/01/15
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

Following a debate which took place during the sitting of the same date, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on press freedom in Kenya. The resolution had been tabled for consideration in plenary by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament regrets the signing on 2 January 2009 of the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008 by President Kibaki, who neglected to take widely reported reservations about it into consideration at the time of its signature. It notes that the 2008 Act, as it stands, disregards the rights to freedom of expression and press freedom as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and echoed in other international conventions which Kenya has signed and ratified, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The two main problematic sections are Sections 88 and 46. The former gives the Information Minister considerable powers to raid media organisations that are deemed to be a threat to national security and to dismantle their broadcasting equipment. Section 46 gives the State the power to regulate contents to be aired and published by electronic and print media respectively.

Parliament welcomes, however, President Kibaki's recent move to revise the Act and his gesture to consider amendments to the legislation proposed by members of the media. It reiterates its commitment to press freedom and the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, information and association, stressing that access to information representing a plurality of opinion is essential for the empowerment of citizens.

Members call on the Kenyan Government to initiate stakeholder consultations in order to build a consensus on how to better regulate the communications industry without interfering with press freedom. They ask President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga to do their utmost to guarantee that any updated version of the new media Act will be compatible with the principles of freedom of expression and information.

Parliament recalls that a year ago, following flawed presidential elections in Kenya, street demonstrations led to riots and ethnic clashes that spread across the country, killing more than 1 000 people and leaving another 350 000 homeless. It underlines the need to address the culture of impunity in Kenya in order to bring those responsible for the post-election violence a year ago to justice. It calls for the setting-up of an independent commission, consisting of local and international legal experts, to carry out investigations and prosecutions. Members note that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga have agreed in theory to create such a commission, but that it has yet to be formed.

Documents
T6-0031/2009
2009/01/15
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2009/01/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B6-0038/2009
2009/01/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B6-0046/2009
2009/01/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B6-0047/2009
2009/01/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B6-0048/2009
2009/01/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B6-0050/2009
2009/01/13
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B6-0055/2009
2009/01/13
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents
RC-B6-0038/2009

Documents

Activities

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

2021-12-18Show (12) Changes | Timetravel
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date
2009-01-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2009-0031_EN.html title: T6-0031/2009
summary
events/2
date
2009-01-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2009-0031_EN.html title: T6-0031/2009
summary
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 144
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 135
2020-01-19Show (8) Changes | Timetravel
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2019-07-06Show (9) Changes | Timetravel
activities
  • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=16643&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20090115&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-31 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0031/2009 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
    docs
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-38&language=EN title: B6-0038/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-46&language=EN title: B6-0046/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-47&language=EN title: B6-0047/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-48&language=EN title: B6-0048/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-50&language=EN title: B6-0050/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-55&language=EN title: B6-0055/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2009-38&language=EN title: RC-B6-0038/2009 type: Joint motion for resolution
    events
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=16643&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20090115&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-31 title: T6-0031/2009 summary: Following a debate which took place during the sitting of the same date, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on press freedom in Kenya. The resolution had been tabled for consideration in plenary by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament regrets the signing on 2 January 2009 of the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008 by President Kibaki, who neglected to take widely reported reservations about it into consideration at the time of its signature. It notes that the 2008 Act, as it stands, disregards the rights to freedom of expression and press freedom as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and echoed in other international conventions which Kenya has signed and ratified, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The two main problematic sections are Sections 88 and 46. The former gives the Information Minister considerable powers to raid media organisations that are deemed to be a threat to national security and to dismantle their broadcasting equipment. Section 46 gives the State the power to regulate contents to be aired and published by electronic and print media respectively. Parliament welcomes, however, President Kibaki's recent move to revise the Act and his gesture to consider amendments to the legislation proposed by members of the media. It reiterates its commitment to press freedom and the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, information and association, stressing that access to information representing a plurality of opinion is essential for the empowerment of citizens. Members call on the Kenyan Government to initiate stakeholder consultations in order to build a consensus on how to better regulate the communications industry without interfering with press freedom. They ask President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga to do their utmost to guarantee that any updated version of the new media Act will be compatible with the principles of freedom of expression and information. Parliament recalls that a year ago, following flawed presidential elections in Kenya, street demonstrations led to riots and ethnic clashes that spread across the country, killing more than 1 000 people and leaving another 350 000 homeless. It underlines the need to address the culture of impunity in Kenya in order to bring those responsible for the post-election violence a year ago to justice. It calls for the setting-up of an independent commission, consisting of local and international legal experts, to carry out investigations and prosecutions. Members note that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga have agreed in theory to create such a commission, but that it has yet to be formed.
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 135
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
      New
      6.10.08
      Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
      2014-11-10Show (5) Changes
      activities
      • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=16643&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20090115&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-31 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0031/2009 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
          reference
          2009/2510(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on press freedom in Kenya
          geographical_area
          Kenya
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Urgent debate or resolution
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject
          6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
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          @parltrack@eupolicy.social
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          code AGPLv3.0+
          data ODBLv1.0
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