The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has secured conservatory orders suspending a directive by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) which ordered all tv and radio stations within the nation to right away stop dwell protection of the June 25, 2025, protests.
The protests occurred as Kenyans from completely different elements of the nation took to the streets to mark the primary anniversary of the lethal anti-Finance Bill protests in 2024.
CA in a discover signed by Director General David Mugonyi warned that airing the demonstrations dwell contravenes Articles 33(2) and 34(1) of the Constitution and Section 461 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998.
“This is due to this fact to direct all tv and radio stations to cease any dwell protection of the demonstrations forthwith,” the regulator stated, including that failure to conform would entice regulatory motion.
LSK secures conservatory orders in opposition to CA
However, LSK President Faith Odhiambo introduced that the society has secured a conservatory order suspending the directive.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Chacha Mwita following a petition filed on the Milimani High Court.
“That a conservatory order is hereby issued suspending, with quick impact, the directive REF No. CA/CE/BC/TV90A or every other directive issued by the Communication Authority of Kenya to all Television and Radio Stations directing them to cease dwell protection of the demonstrations of twenty fifth June 2025 or every other demonstrations, till the listening to and willpower of the appliance and petition,” the ruling reads partially.
The courtroom has additional dominated that any broadcasting indicators which will have been switched off because of the referenced directive be restored with quick impact, pending additional orders of the courtroom.
At the identical time, Justice Mwita directed that service of the order could also be effected via e mail and served by publishing in dwell tv broadcasts or via newspapers.
“The Authority should forthwith reinstate all indicators it has shut down on account of their unconstitutional directive. Contempt of this order might be met with full prosecution of the management of CA,” Odhiambo stated.
CA, in its discover, had warned media retailers that failure to abide by the directive would lead to a regulatory motion as stipulated within the Kenya Information and Communication Act 1998.
Further, the regulator urged the media homes to cooperate with the orders.
Media stations boycott directive
However, the Standard Media Group, in defiance, issued an announcement confirming that it will proceed broadcasting within the public curiosity till the legality of the order is clarified.
The media home, which owns KTN News and a number of other radio stations, famous that it was consulting with its authorized workforce to find out the constitutionality of the directive, describing it as a transfer aimed toward plunging the nation right into a “information blackout”.
Also, the Group alleged that the CA had directed sign distributors to deplatform any outlet broadcasting the protests dwell, just like threats issued in the course of the anti-Finance Bill protests in 2024.
“The Standard Group has seen a letter circulating from the Communication Authority of Kenya ordering all tv and radio stations to right away cease all dwell broadcasting of demonstrations,” the assertion learn partially.
Moments later, KTN News and Nation Media Group’s NTV have been taken off air by CA which disabled their free-to-air indicators.
In separate statements, each media retailers revealed that the transfer got here after they defied the preliminary directive.
NTV reported interference at its Limuru transmission station however confirmed it was nonetheless broadcasting the protests dwell via its social media platforms, together with YouTube.
KTN News additionally acknowledged being taken off air, whereas assuring viewers that its protection of the demonstrations remained accessible by way of social media platforms, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Meanwhile, CA officers have been captured on video arriving at Citizen TV’s transmission facility in Limuru, although the station remained on air.
