ODM MPs Opiyo Wandayi (centre), Denittah Ghati (left) and Fred Outa
address journalists at Parliament in Nairobi,January 26, 2016. PHOTO |
JAMES EKWAM | NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
- Four ODM MPs, who spoke at a press conference at Parliament on Tuesday, were reacting to the arrest of blogger Yassin Juma.
- Mr Wandayi said Kenyans should be on guard not be taken back to the “Kanu days” where freedoms were handed over by the State.
- Seme MP James Nyikal said the government had resorted to arresting suspects and detaining them, as they fished for evidence of the crimes they had allegedly committed.
A section of ODM MPs on Tuesday decried what they termed
harassment of bloggers and journalists, and called for more tolerance
for Kenyans to express their views freely.
Ugunja MP
Opiyo Wandayi said the Jubilee government was bent on “hiding something”
from the public, explaining why it was keen to clamp down on social
media commenters especially those who were critical of the government.
“Kenyans
should be very afraid when the government in power starts becoming
fearful. What are they trying to hide? Bloggers should be allowed to
express their opinions freely,” he said.
Four ODM MPs,
who spoke at a press conference at Parliament on Tuesday, were reacting
to the arrest of blogger Yassin Juma, for allegedly posting online
images of scene of the deadly attack on Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)
soldiers in Somalia.
He was, however, released without a
charge, which MPs said raised eyebrows and was a pointer to a
government keen on intimidating, harassing people who expressed views
that were contrary to what the government would like to be projected.
Mr
Wandayi said Kenyans should be on guard not be taken back to the “Kanu
days” where freedoms were handed over by the State, saying the Jubilee
government was trying to take away from Kenyans their freedom of
expression, which they had fought for.
Seme MP James
Nyikal said the government had resorted to arresting suspects and
detaining them, as they fished for evidence of the crimes they had
allegedly committed, which was akin to detention without trial of the
repressive days.
Migori Woman Representative Dennitah
Ghati said the government should not target bloggers because they did
not express views supportive of the government.
“It is
the work of bloggers and journalists to criticise the government. If the
government does not want to be criticised then they should become
pastors but even pastors face criticism nowadays so they should learn to
live with criticism,” she said.
Ms Ghati said the
government should not arrest and harass bloggers that criticised its
policies while leaving its own bloggers, who often trumpeted government
strength, to operate freely.
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