Kenya’s HC suspends media shutdown

NAIROBI: Kenya’s High Court ordered authorities to allow three major broadcasters to temporarily resume service yesterday, after they were switched off for covering the opposition leader’s mock inauguration, prompting outrage over press freedom violations, reports AFP. Judge Chacha Mwita ordered the two-week reprieve in order to hear a petition by activist Okiya Omtatah Okoiti that described the gag as “grossly arbitrary, disproportionate, oppressive, and unreasonable.”

The three private stations—Citizen, NTV and KTN—were shut off on Tuesday morning as they broadcast opposition supporters gathering for the swearing-in of their leader Raila Odinga as “people’s president”.

They had defied orders by President Uhuru Kenyatta himself, who summoned media bosses last Friday and “expressly threatened to shut down” any station broadcasting the event, the Kenya Editors’ Guild said in a statement.

Kenyas HC suspends media shutdown

NAIROBI: Kenyas High Court ordered authorities to allow three major broadcasters to temporarily resume service yesterday, after they were switched off for covering the opposition leaders mock inauguration, prompting outrage over press freedom violations, reports AFP. Judge Chacha Mwita ordered the two-week reprieve in order to hear a petition by activist Okiya Omtatah Okoiti that described the gag as grossly arbitrary, disproportionate, oppressive, and unreasonable. The three private stationsCitizen, NTV and KTNwere shut off on Tuesday morning as they broadcast opposition supporters gathering for the swearing-in of their leader Raila Odinga as peoples president. They had defied orders by President Uhuru Kenyatta himself, who summoned media bosses last Friday and expressly threatened to shut down any station broadcasting the event, the Kenya Editors Guild said in a statement.