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Alert

Pressure grows on Kenyan government over imprisoned journalist

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 7 September 1999 ARTICLE 19 press
release:





**Updates IFEX alerts of 31 August, 23 August, 16 July, 24 February, 17
February and 16 February 1999**

7 September 1999 - For immediate release

PRESSURE GROWS ON KENYAN GOVERNMENT OVER IMPRISONED JOURNALIST

ARTICLE 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, today joined other
international and local figures in Nairobi in trying to visit imprisoned
publisher Tony Gachoka, who was sentenced last month to six months in prison
and fined Ksh 1 million ($13,500) in connection with articles on corruption
in the judiciary run in the Post on Sunday.

After initial resistance, the prison authorities agreed to allow the
publisher's wife, Priscilla Gachoka, to see him. Philip Murgor, his lawyer,
was not allowed to see Mr Gachoka, although he was let into the prison to
meet with the officer in charge. Neither had he been allowed to visit since
shortly after he was sentenced by the Kenyan Court of Appeal on 23 August
1999.

Members of today's delegation reported that prison officers had attempted to
seize film belonging to a camera crew from a local television network and
that a senior officer had refused to give his name when requested to do so.

Andrew Puddephatt, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, said in London today:
"ARTICLE 19 has grave doubts as to whether Tony Gachoka has had a fair
hearing. We are forced to conclude that his imprisonment is intended as a
warning to those who ask questions about corruption in high places. "While
we welcome the fact that his wife has now been allowed to see Tony Gachoka,
the overall attitude of the Kenyan authorities to the concerns which we and
many others have raised remains one of obduracy. Once again we call for his
lawyer to have access to him, the immediate and unconditional release of
Tony Gachoka, the cancellation of the fine, and for the Post on Sunday to be
allowed to resume publication," he added.

The presiding chairman of the Court which heard the case, Hon. Mr. Justice
Gicheru, called the defendant's lack of representation at the trial "...an
obvious miscarriage of justice", but his was the only dissenting voice.
Three of the judges named in the Post on Sunday were actually presiding at
the trial.