SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 3.6 (2005 = 1.8, 2007 = 2.2, 2009 = 2.8) 1.2 The right to freedom of expression is practised and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their rights without fear. A graffiti depicting the country’s leadership as vultures ruling with impunity over a helpless population appeared on a major wall at the Nairobi City Hall in February 2012. The artists worked throughout the night and were filmed by television crews but no one tried to stop them. The authors of the artwork were later questioned by the police but let to go. It was a striking indication of how far Kenyans can take their freedom of expression these days. “This is something that would not be heard of in the Kenya of the past.” Whether it is through the media or other channels of communications, Kenyans can now express themselves freely and even talk negatively about the president and national issues without fear. They “can be as expressive as possible.” But there are also limits, especially for the media. “Sometimes you do a strong story [in the newspaper] and want to disappear from the streets for fear that it can irk some ruthless people in positions of power.” The general feeling is that there is plenty of room for freedom of speech and expression but at the same time, journalists and other members of the public can sometimes be targeted for their work or comments. In March 2012, freelance journalist and blogger with a huge following Denis Itumbi was arrested for allegedly hacking into the website of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It followed a complaint to Kenyan authorities from the ICC prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo that Mr Itumbi had allegedly compromised the email accounts of witnesses in Kenya’s post-election violence cases at the court. In Kenya, Mr Itumbi has been suspected allegedly of working for one of the suspects. 14 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER KENYA 2012