XYZ Hillary's Free Expression..XYZ.... of such things as the Presidents nose and other jigs;BY PHILO IKONYA

Dalmas Otieno would prefer a program called ABC in which people dance Do re mi to our politicians but he has not got it. XYZ is on and it is working for Kenyans to keep in memory what their politicians do and mean to them. "When I say Ji, you say Mi!" floats a long a Kibaki figure perfectly campaigning for his son... and "mimi mjanja!" and this is hilarious from the man who called Kenyans 'pumbafu' for quite a while...and Kenyans did not weep at his gate for that. People must laugh and show their leaders how they see them and this is the essence of cartoons that make really serious statements and analyses of the use, excesses and abuse of power...No one can say do not draw me like that.. that is how the cartoonist sees you and most of us too. It is a good thing that the criticism of XYZ as terrible satire has come from Dalmas Otieno who speaks on behalf of the people featured on XYZ saying that this is a terrible program. This tells us how those who would seem to be balanced in thought an action always succumb to different levels of sycophancy. Otieno is most concerned about the way the nose of the president is depicted in XYZ on Citizen TV. The strip of Raila and Kalonzo in the loo was played and replayed last evening as Dalmas Otieno told off those who like to remember evil things of their wonderful governments. I think that the features of the persons depicted here are very well done. It may be that Dalmas would rather see different features on the face of the president because what i see is pretty well done on XYZ. XYZ is a terrific show. But on the matter of free expression, matters are fickle and based on personalities in power. Hillary Clinton praised a free and vibrant media in this country. If we take the chattering of birds on every shrub as an expression of freedom then perhaps... but if we want also to hear what the birds are chattering about then we have issues and I do not want my freedom of expression mixed up with the capacity to make noises. It happened in this nation that having many radios in different languages resulted in 'noises' that led us close to catastrophy. Freedom is mainly in the content of what is expressed and this is where politicians flinch their toes. Do we have freedom of information? There are still government secrets all over the place. Do we have freedom even of expression? and there are other issues still to be tackled even on the more friendly bill; by the way how had it reached the level at which journalists poured out into the streets with mouths bound up. Was it just a mistake? Those who wanted to give details of what they knew to Philip Alston and those who did suffered for their free expression. We allow people to talk as long as they chatter. XYZ is not chattering. It is touching where things matter, the raw nerves and also of course providing a funny bone for this nation and we need one badly lest we die of staring at evils without ever laughing. There are two journalists from The Star being interrogated by police and who are being forced to give information on their sources regarding their story on terrorism. From what I read, they did not sound free. Recently the book Michela Wrong's 'It is our turn to eat' was not stocked in our shops freely because the bookshops feared being fined heavily by people mentioned in corrupt deals. There is Chaacha Mwita's book Citizen Power that is part of underground literature today... and it is not the only one..I saw it wriggling beneath the right literature in the Storymoja Hay Festival in the hands of a lecturer. So, freedom here is relative. If we cannot have the freedom that touches substance, if people feel or are perceived to be threatened because of their opinions then we do not have free expression. Philo Ikonya President PEN Kenya Centre From a forth coming book by Zarina Patel on Manilal A. Desai "....The first thing I wish to know is what became of my Association since I left? Is Indian Association and E. A. Chronicle especially you Mr Desai trying to help us through my people? I believe you are doing so. The E. A. Chronicle paper of the 18thinstant reached here the same day I arrived and it was read in my presence because it was in Gujarati. I was very glad to hear how they wrote of my arrest, at the same time I hereby request you to convey my thanks to the Editor." Harry Thuku, 1922 "Love Kenya, heal Kenya! Implement the Waki Report! "