The "East African" newspaper under fire over Ingabire

Written by RNA Reporter
Wednesday, 03 March 2010

The Kenya-based ‘The East African’ newspaper came under scrutiny on Wednesday with President Paul Kagame describing as “insulting” and “offensive” over an interview it had with opposition politician Ms. Ingabire Victoire. He named the reporters who conducted the interview for the regional weekly as Mr. Charles Kazooba and Esther Nakazzi. President Kagame said he wondered why Rwanda is covered by “Ugandan journalists in Uganda…based in Uganda”.

“For me that suggested [that] we are probably less East-African…or the intention was to make Rwanda less East-African” he said, in reference to the five-member East African Community block.

In the lengthy interview published in the weekly’s February 15-20 issue, Ms. Ingabire heavily criticized the government – with most of her comments directed at President Kagame himself and the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) party.

Mr. Kagame told the Wednesday press conference that the story seemed to portray Rwandan society as a country where people are “tight-lipped”, and Ingabire as their “savoir”. The interview also was interpreted by some to say that Rwanda was a kingdom with Pres. Kagame at the helm.

In a seemingly irritated tone, coupled with occasional laughter, Mr. Kagame said the “worst of it…probably something that is equally offensive. Why is it that people would cover Rwanda by Ugandan journalists in Uganda, based in Uganda?”

As the President spoke, the Nation Media correspondent in Kigali, Mr. David Kezio, interjected by distancing himself from the interview. He claimed it was conducted by the Kampala bureau and “probably by email”. Mr. Kezio also said he would check with “my superiors Your Excellency”.

“You tell them that in my own right also…and when I say this you understand it,” said the President, adding, “…in my own right I thought it was offensive”. He added: “But under freedom of expression, we can take that…but we can also express ourselves”.

The President did not say how that will happen.

The Nation Media Group, parent company of The East African, is already in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and is now working on entering the Rwanda market. The media group has several newspapers, radio stations, and Nation TV.

Previously, government has had issues with the Daily Monitor, a daily newspaper in Uganda – also part of the Nation Media Group. One reporter, Mr. Robert Mukombozi, was declared persona non grata in 2007. President Kagame at some point personally complained that Mr. Mukombozi had misquoted him.

Meanwhile, the spat with the Nation Media Group’s paper also comes after it was announced recently that they invited President Kagame to the Pan African Media Conference scheduled for March 18 – 19 in Nairobi. The major conference will also coincide with Nation Media Group's 50th anniversary.

According to the Group, President Kagame, Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki, as well as Joaquim Alberto Chissano, the former Mozambique leader, and John Agyekum Kufuor, former Ghanaian President, have all confirmed their attendance already.

Related Materials:
Rwanda: Agent provocateur emerges in the Kingdom Kagame built

Victoire Ingabire Calls for Reconciliation and Equal Distribution of Wealth for all in Rwanda

Rwanda: RPF's Wavering on Rwandan Genocide