BUSINESS MAGNATE REGINALD MENGI IS THE NEW CHAIRPERSON OF E.A. BUSINESS COUNCILS.
By Leo Odera Omolo.
TANZANIAN Business magnate Reginald Mengi is the new chairman of the prestigious business organization, The East African Business Council.
Mengi, who is the Executive Chairman of IPP Holdings, was elected during the EABC’s 10th annual General Meeting held in Zanzibar. He replaced Mr. Arun Derani, a Kenyan.
Mengi is also the current chairman of the Confederation of Tanzania Industries. He is well known for his pivotal role in the perennial EABC/Media Council Conferences, which brings together the Media Owners, editors, correspondents and the East African Community’s top brass. The last such conference was held in Dar es Salaam in April this year and Mr. Mengi was among the principal speakers who delivered a key-note address on the role of media in development and regional interaction.
IPP Holdings has extensive interests in various sectors such as telecommunications, Investment and both the electronic and print Media, with some of its titles being the GURDIAN, NIPASHE and THIS DAY.
Mr. Keli Kiilu a board member of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers was elected Vice-chairman of the EA. Business Council.
A new executive board comprising members from all five East African Community member countries, including new entrants Rwanda and Burundi was also inaugurated.
A source at the EABC secretarial told this correspondent that the top priority of the new chairman include the strengthening of the status of the EABC as the voice of the Business Sector within the E.A.C regions..
Discussions are also in progress on how the organization can be institutionalized within the structures of the community.
In a brief acceptance speech Mr. Mengi is quoted as told the Zanzibar meeting that the EABC will in particular lobby for programmes that adopt a regional approach to challenges such as energy, transport, infrastructure and value addition.
The new chairman also pledged to work to improve the
operating environment for small and medium scale enterprises.
“The new chairman will lobby for the interest of business and the active participation of the private sector in the policy-formulation at the regional and national levels” said the organization executive Director Charles Mbogori.
Earlier in the year the outgoing chairman had told the EABC/Media Conference held in Dar-es-salaam that “The bottom line of our efforts is to make East Africa more competitive, and especially to reduce the cost of doing business. We believe that East Africa has the potential of becoming an Economic Tiger.”
With the charismatic Mr.Mengi at the helm of the EABC, the business people in the region can expect and exploit this wealth of experience in corporate world for the maximum.
End,
Leo Odera Omolo
– – – – – – – – – – –
THE POPULAR KALENJIN RADIO STATION IS EXONERATED BY EXPERTS AGAINST ACCUSATION OF AIRING HATRED MATERIALS IN ITS STATION
By Leo Odera Omolo
The Media OWNERS Association of Kenya {MOA} has exonerated and cleared the Kass FM popular Kalenjin vernacular Radio Station of any wrong doing.
The station faced imminent closure after the Ministry of Information and Communications Permanent Secretary, Dr. Bitange Ndemo had given it 72 hours ultimatum to explain why it should not be shut down for allegedly airing programmes containing inflammatory contents.
MOA chairman Mr. Hannington Gaya revealed that investigations into the allegations found Kass FM innocent of accusations by the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Gaya said what was discussed on radio station on the days in question was material that was already in the public domain, courtesy to the media and politicians.
“Independent research firm, having looked at then transcripts of the day in question found nothing inflammatory to be blamed on Kass /FM directly,” Mr. Gaya said.
The investigations was carried out by the Strategic Research, which he said, is highly credible and reputable, having been used by the United Nations development Fund to monitor last year’s general election.
But the MOA boss further maintains that the issue discussed on the breakfast show on June 16 and 24, regarding amnesty and then Kilgoris constituency’s by-election were highly sensitive.
“The only lapse found is that the Kass FM presenter failed to filter the call-ins and thus allowed emotional outbursts to the broadcast.”
He said following receipt of the finding, he personally spoke to the information Minister Hon. Samuel Poghisio and the Director of Broadcasting Ezekiel Mutua. He disclosed further that he had held a lengthy discussion with the Kass FM management and they resolved to redeploy the
presenter in question.
Furthermore, the Kass FM station management has signed filter call-ins before they are broadcasted.
“Investigations also found that there is a nuance syndrome, thus when people talk in vernacular there is possibility of misinterpretation. Something may be positive in another, The media has to be careful, “he said.
Last week, the Information PS accused the vernacular radio stations of broadcasting materials that was prejudicial to the national security and threatened to revoke the Kass FM licence.
The FM’s head of commercial Mr Phillip Melly said they had communicated to the ministry and had been instructed to wait for a substantial response after investigations.
Before the Kass FM saga the retired president Daniel Arap Moi had conducted well orchestrated campaign urging the government to ban some of the mushrooming vernacular radio stations, arguing the some were responsible for airing issues which undermined the national unity and the true spirit of cohesive.
Mr. Moi’s sentiments had provoked sharp reaction from politicians in western Kenya, especially members of the Luo council of elders, who called on Moi to desist from antagonizing vernacular FM radio station arguing that the air waves were liberalized during his {Moi’s reign of power} and that Kenyans would now allow the old draconian rules over press to be introduced..
Meanwhile Kenyan parliament yesterday started debating on a Billthat seeks to create National Ethnic and Race Relations commission to deal with ethnicity in Kenya.
Justice and national cohesion and constitutional affairs minister Marthya Karua told parliament that ethnicity can only be fought if a special body is created to specifically address the issue..
More report on the new Bill will follow soon.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
– – –
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 05:50:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: E.A. BUSINESS COUNCILS New Chair: MENGI; Kass FM RADIO STATION EXONERATED;