Government remains silent on day two of media shutdown
By NAHASHON MUSUNGUThe leading TV stations in Kenya remained off air for the second day running on Wednesday, a day after government switched them off under controversial circumstances.
On Tuesday, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shut down transmission of three privately owned stations namely, NTV, Citizen TV and KTN.
The crackdown is said to have targeted broadcasters who defied a State House directive not to air live the swearing in of Raila Odinga as ‘People’s President’ at Uhuru Park.
RELATED STORIES:
Lobby groups urge media houses to sue State for shutdown losses
Royal Media Services speaks out on TV station switch off
Eyebrows as Citizen TV and NTV go off air on Raila’s ‘big’ day
However, by 10am on Wednesday, the situation had not normalised, 17 hours after the Nasa swearing in ceremony.
This even as the affected stations, which cumulatively attract about 80 percent of the audience, resorting to live streaming their news and programs.
Meanwhile, the government has remained tight-lipped on the matter, even as millions of viewers country now able to watch only two free to air channels KBC and K24.
“We did not expect the media shut down to happen in this day and age in our country…"Raila Odinga#NASAOathDay pic.twitter.com/cJmWTTjBFf
— KTN News (@KTNNews) January 30, 2018
Daniel Maanzo: It is a breach of the constitution that the media houses were shut down. We will be going to court today. We cannot deny Kenyans the right to information #PowerBreakfast https://t.co/FDfk9ILTDK pic.twitter.com/fq9eWc4hsH
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 31, 2018
Nobody would have imagined that in Kenya of the 21st century and after promulgation one of the most liberal Constitutions in the world, the Government would shut down entire media – a very crude antic, as a way of containing opposition!
— Prof J. Ole Kiyiapi (@JamesOleKiyiapi) January 30, 2018
The subject has, meanwhile continued to draw mixed reactions from Kenyans on social media.
Herman Manyora: It is really unfortunate that we would see media houses being shut down in this century .
Follow #NASAOathDay LIVE here >> https://t.co/FDfk9ILTDK pic.twitter.com/ZJ76XOKdIo
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 30, 2018
It's unconstitutional to shut down any media house without due process. Media freedom is a constitutional fundamental right in Kenya
— Olé (@Olez) January 30, 2018