Broadcasting
Pan African Digital Rights Bodies Laud Kenya Government’s Decision not to Shut Down the Internet
The Kenya government’s decision not to shut down the internet and also ensure the media continues to operate freely before, during and after elections has been lauded by digital rights and inclusion organizations on the continent.
Leading Pan African Digital Rights and Inclusion Organization, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) with a coalition of digital rights and inclusion organisations, under the umbrella of the NetRights Coalition and a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation, KICTANet, welcomed the Government’s commitment and urged it to remain true to it as Kenyans prepare to cast their vote on August 9th, 2022.
The coalition was quick to point out that earlier assertions by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to suspend Meta Inc’s Facebook platforms for allegedly failing to adhere to hate speech regulations recommended by the government were worrying.
The organizations’ pointed out that the re-assurances were issued over the weekend by Cabinet Secretary of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Innovation and Youth Affairs, Mr. Joe Mucheru and his Interior and Coordination of National Government counterpart, Dr. Fred Matiang’i was encouraging.
Kenya, they noted, has made a step in the right direction which ought to be emulated by other countries in the region, more so those gearing for elections such as Nigeria and Angola. Nigeria is set to hold its general election on February 25th, 2023, while Angola is set to hold its general election on August 24th, 2022.
PIN and NetRights Coalition urged all parties in Kenya to uphold the right to internet access, political participation, opinion and expression. The organizations emphasized that the Kenyan right to freedom of expression is protected by Article 33 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, while Article 34 protects freedom of the media and article 35 protects access to information.
Mr. Boye Adegoke, PIN Senior Manager on Strategy, said access to information and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights as stipulated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Ms. Grace Githaiga, KICTANet Convenor, said the move by the government is a demonstration of its effort to widen the digital rights and inclusion space in the country, adding that freedom of expression and privacy online is important as they are an extension of human rights in the internet age.
Kenya is a signatory to UDHR, ICCPR and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, among others, and Article 2 of the country’s Constitution incorporates international law and other human rights treaties which the country has ratified directly into national law.
They stressed the need to combat ongoing disinformation, saying it is encouraging hate speech and threatening electoral integrity. The rise in sophisticated technology and ease of usage has enabled political actors to formulate and spread disinformation.
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has criticised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over a recent directive to broadcast stations, describing it as a threat to free speech and press freedom.
In a press release signed by Achike Chude, national secretary, the union said it viewed the NBC’s notice released on 17th April with “grave concern and utter disappointment.”
It said the directive, which warned broadcasters to ensure “strict and uncompromised compliance,” was “nothing short of a veiled attempt to gag the media and institutionalise censorship.”
The union argued that the NBC’s warning against anchors expressing “personal opinions” interferes with newsroom decisions.
“Journalism, particularly in the realm of current affairs and political analysis, requires robust engagement,” the NUJ said.
It added, “To strip presenters of their right to analyze and contextualise news is to reduce the Nigerian media to a mere mouthpiece.”
The NUJ also faulted what it called vague rules and harsh penalties.
It said classifying such actions as offenses punishable by fines or suspension creates “a chilling effect.”
According to the statement, “This regime of fear encourages self-censorship, where journalists are too afraid to ask tough questions.”
Citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, the union stressed that freedom of expression includes “the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
It added, “The NBC Code cannot and must not be used to override the supreme law of the land.”
The NUJ called for dialogue instead of threats and urged journalists to remain “resolute, professional, and fearless.”
It said, “The media is the watchdog of society, not the lapdog of the government.”
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, simply known as Fela, legendary Nigerian musician, has made history as the first African artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Fela
This is coming after he was posthumously honored with the 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive this prestigious special merit recognition.
Fela will be honoured in the early influence category this year, along with Queen Latifah, rapper MC Lyte, country rocker Gram Parsons, and Cuban singer Celia Cruz at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event.
The honorees were revealed on Monday night in the US, during an airing of American Idol.
Sade Adu, Nigerian-born British singer, will be honoured in the performance category.
However, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, New Edition, and Pink, missed out on the final cut despite being nominated.
Over 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals voted to decide the honorees.
The induction ceremony will be held on 14 November at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is set to launch so-called FreeTV, with over 100 channels for news, sports, education, entertainment and children’s programming in multiple Nigerian languages.
The launch is scheduled for May 15.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, who disclosed this, said the new platform will offer free-to-air access with no carriage fees, leveraging hybrid satellite and internet delivery via NigComSat-1R.
The new plan is not an upgrade, the NBC stressed. This is a rebuild, according to Ebuebu .
FreeTV will be true free-to-air – no encryption, no set-top box barrier.
Any DVB-T2/S2 television will work. A mobile app will extend reach to phones and tablets.
The platform will launch with over 100 national, regional and state channels across sports, news, children’s programming, education, entertainment and cultural content in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Tiv, Ijaw, Edo, Fulfulde, Ibibio, Efik and Nupe – all in HD.
Crucially, the NBC has partnered with a Bulgarian firm, GARB (operating since 2006 and recognised by the European Broadcast Union), to deliver a 94 per cent-accurate audience measurement system using return-path data, app analytics, demographic panels, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
To qualify broadcasters, must commit their channels, produce a minimum of 60 per cent local content, and promote FreeTV until January 2029.
After that, a regulated tiered rate card takes effect.
According to NBC, the strategic rationale is simple: build viewers first, monetise later.
The document further revealed that six regional production hubs in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin would function as local content factories, expected to generate 500 to 1,000 jobs per zone within two years.
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