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afrol News, 25 July - Christopher Mwoki Kyandi, journalist and editor of the scandal magazine 'The Truth', has been sentenced to nine months in prison on 24 July for publishing "false news" about a fake sex event in Nairobi. Critics hold the sentence is out of proportions. The French media watchdog Reporters sans frontières (RSF) today protested the court decision. "Without in any way endorsing this kind of media or journalism, we protest against a prison term completely out of proportion to the offence," said RSF Secretary-general Robert Ménard in a letter to attorney-general Amos Wako. The letter from Reporters sans frontières was also asking for the journalist to be freed at once. Early this month, 'The Truth' published a story about sex on its back and front pages that caused great excitement in Nairobi, and a large number of people went to place where the event supposedly took place. They were however disappointed. Police thereupon arrested the editor of 'The Truth' and seized 200 copies of the paper. In court on 11 July, editor Mwoki Kyandi pleaded guilty to writing and spreading a rumour, was convicted two weeks later and went to jail at once to begin his nine-month sentence. The French group in its letter further noted that early last month, a High Court judge banned the sale of the 3-9 June issue of the 'Weekly Citizen' newspaper at the request of businessman Sunil Behal, who was suing the paper for libel. The paper habitually prints sex gossip. According to RSF's 2002 annual report, the situation of the press in Kenya was noted by many problems. Once again, in 2001 some 20 journalists had been arrested or assaulted in the country. "The authorities invoked the bad quality of the 'gutter press', while journalists emphasised the president's lack of tolerance," RSF noted. Sources: Based on RSF and afrol archives
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