Disability is not Inability

The controversial media bill 2007

The ministry for Information and communication recently published a media bill 2007 in which stakeholders are up in arms against. While some support some form of reigning in on the media especially considering the fragile democratic stage we are in.

The need for liberty from editorial dictatorship as Assistant Minister for Information put it in a local TV program is quite evident in the mainstream media is quite evident.

The only problem is the state is not the best referee in this match. The state’s ability to stick to the rule of the law is still questionable considering we still have the old constitutional dispensation in place.

UDPK in the proposed media body

However the establishment of a statutory body to enforce some agreed code of conduct within the media is beyond debate. Both sides are actually debating the powers government should have in the statutory body set up. The question is who should sit and what powers they should have in this media regulatory body, what is its mandate and what is the government’s role in the whole mix.

The bill includes among others, an organization for persons with disabilities in the board. United Disabled People of Kenya (UDPK) is one of the organizations to be represented in the board. While many may not privy to the background of inclusion of the organization into the proposed media body, we have been at pains to find out why?

What is the rationale...

Although the spite with which these questions are being asked by various debators from the media is sickening they are valid questions. What is the rationale behind the inclusion of bodies like UDPK in the proposed statutory media body?

Does including the organization(s) add value to regulation of the media? Is that value necessary to pursue the disability agenda? What disability agenda will the UDPK be propagating being in the board of the statutory media regulator? These are the questions that people have been asking as the debate runs its course.

Discrimination of persons with disabilities in the media is prohibited even though such sections of the disability ACT the Minister responsible has not enforced.

The Act speaks of exclusion as being unlawful but legalises discrimination in forms related to negative cultureisation. Even if such section were in force they do not need direct representation in the regulatory body to be implemented.

it it necessary to have represenbtation in parliament before we have representation in in such a body as persons with disabilities. Were those seats included to create positions for government appointees or representatives?

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