Former PM Raila Odinga says rushed digital migration anti-people, urges reconsideration

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has criticized the manner in which the migration from analogue television broadcasting to digital is being done saying reason has failed to prevail. “The concerns of key media houses, the very institutions that offer broadcast services, analogue or digital, have been dismissed.

Kenyans are set to celebrate Christmas and possibly New Year in total information darkness, unaware of what is going on not only across the world but also within their own country. This is because reason failed to prevail in the saga of digital migration,” said Raila.

He accused the Jubilee Government of intending to take the country back to the era of information darkness with KBC being the only source of TV news. “It is a new low, in an emerging dangerous and worrying trend of take it or leave it that is becoming the mode of operation of the Jubilee government. The whole issue of digital migration is suspect.

There is an unexplained hurry to proceed with it even after media houses asked for more time,” he said. He termed the move as anti-people, anti-business adding that it smacks of favouritism and corruption. “The government ought to go out of its way to ensure that citizens’ access information from diverse sources at all times. The current action goes against that principle.

It goes against the Constitution. It ought to be reversed if the intention is to serve Kenyans,” he noted. He added: “At stake is not just whether the media houses suffer losses or not. It is the fact that the right to information by the people of Kenya is being disregarded at a very critical period in the history of our country.” Raila questioned the issuance of the digital distribution license to Signet, a subsidiary of the public broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) which was licensed in 2009 and the Pan-Africa Network Group (Kenya) Co. Ltd licensed in 2011. “Why only KBC and one Chinese company were cleared to distribute digital signal needs to be explained.

There is also need to appraise the country on whether these institutions have been up to speed in the task,” he said. The former Premier also termed the publicity by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) on digital migration as wanting noting that many Kenyans are not aware of what the migration is all about, why it is necessary and what they need to do. He reiterated that the Cost of the migration infrastructure and its availability especially in rural areas has not been met.

“Kenyans have not acquired the top boxes they are supposed to have in readiness for migration. The equipment is both unavailable and unaffordable. There are not many Kenyans, especially in rural areas, who will afford the monthly fees of Sh500 to be able to watch TV.

The government must be aware that millions of Kenyans across the country live from hand to mouth and cannot afford to pay for information,” he said. He pointed out that millions of Kenyans are going to be in the information darkness for a prolonged period come March 30, 2014, when migration moves to eight other towns, including Nyeri, Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret and eventually to the whole country come June 2014. The High Court dismissed a petition by the three major media houses-the Standard Group, Nation Media Group and Royal Media Services to have the digital migration postponed until certain critical issues spelt out in the petition are resolved.

Following the ruling the KTN, NTV and Citizen TV have gone off-air while other avenues to resolve the issues are being pursued. “Kenyans appear to be getting punished so that a few businesses and individuals in and out of government can prosper. Information aside, thousands of Kenyans are going to lose jobs because some of the broadcast stations may have to shut down for some time while others downsize operations and staff substantially. All these scenarios are unacceptable and unnecessary,” said Raila.


- The standard

UN finds mass grave with 75 bodies in South Sudan

The United Nations says it has discovered a mass grave containing about 75 bodies in South Sudan. U.N.'s human rights chief says the mass grave was found in Bentiu in the country's oil rich Unity State.

Navi Pillay said in a statement released Tuesday that at least two other mass graves are reported to have been found in Juba. A spokeswoman for the Geneva-based human rights office says the bodies in Bentiu reportedly belonged to ethnic Dinka who were members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army.

Ravina Shamdasani told The Associated Press that the global body has staff in the country investigating the incidents. She says it is unclear who was responsible for the killings. Shamdasani says the other two reported mass graves are in Jebel-Kujur and Newside, near Eden.

-AP

18 killed in Mtito Andei after head-on collision involving two buses

Eighteen people perished in yet another road accident when two buses collided head on the busy Mombasa- Nairobi Highway Tuesday morning. The grisly accident involving Horizon and Springs buses claimed fifteen lives on the spot near Kambu town at about 3.00am.

Three others died at the Makindu district hospital while undergoing treatment while scores were admitted to the hospital with multiple injuries. Traffic Commandant Samuel Kimaru confirmed the horrific accident adding fifteen including the drivers of the ill-fated buses died on the spot while at least 57 were seriously injured.

He told The Standard that the driver of the Horizon bus which was heading to Mombasa was overtaking a long trail of lorries when the accident occurred. “It is like an act of suicide. Why would one want to overtake in such a situation?” posed Kimaru. The Traffic Commandant advised public service vehicle drivers to exercise extra caution particularly during the Christmas and New Year festivities to curb road carnage.

Medical staff at the Makindu hospital led by their boss Dr Isaac Munyalo was overwhelmed by the large number of casualties. Dr Munyalo confirmed two victims died at the casualty wing as medics struggled to save their lives while a third one is reported to have succumbed in the wards. The Medical Officer who confirmed the hospital staffs were on duty despite the ongoing strike said many of the victims were taken to the theatre for operation.


source: standard media

Lady Working At A Biscuits Making Factory Crushed To Death By Machine In Thika

A 25 year old female employee of a biscuit manufacturing company in Thika town was on Wednesday crashed to death by a machine she was operating.

Teresia Nduku Kanini was cleaning the giant machine at a Biscuit manufacturing company when the turbines whisked her and crashed her to death.

Attempts by her colleagues to disengage the machines were futile and they watched helplessly as she was crushed to death by the giant wheels in the incident that happened at around midnight.

Colleagues who sought anonymity for fear of being victimized by the management alleged that the management of Mjengo Limited company usually locks up over 200 night shift workers in the factory to package and load biscuits without any technical person to attend to the machines.
They further alleged that all the main doors are locked from outside making it impossible for the workers to seek external help in case of an emergency.

They said that it took a while for the management to respond to their cry for help when the unfortunate incident happened and by the time the director Raj Malde arrived accompanied by police officers the lady had already died.

Area OCPD Paul Letting confirmed the incident and said that they were liaising with the occupational Health and Safety Officers to verify what caused the unfortunate incident.
The management which mainly comprises Asians and Whitemen at some point threatened to take legal action against the media for using backdoors to access their organization.

It took the intervention of the Company Director Raj Malde who was called from his residence to calm the tempers of the members of the fourth estate. He took the pressmen through the CCTV footage which indicated the movement of the deceased until she met her death.

The footage depicted the young lady getting into a prohibited area to pick some gunny bag when she was whisked by the giant machine which crashed her to death.

The management of the Biscuit manufacturers has agreed to assist in funeral arrangements of the unfortunate worker and will also compensate her family for the untimely loss.
KNA