Eyebrows as Citizen TV and NTV go off air on Raila’s ‘big’ day
Kenyans on Twitter have expressed mixed reactions after two mainstream local TV stations were cut off air on Tuesday morning while airing proceedings at Uhuru Park where the Nasa swearing in is scheduled for.
Most online users have said they are unable to receive signals for NTV and Citizen TV including some of the Royal Media Services FM stations.
The stations are available in some parts and platforms like online streaming.
This comes after claims by the Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) that the Jubilee government had threatened the local media with dire consequences if they aired the event live.
In a written statement, the Guild accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of threatening the press over the coverage of the ongoing political events in the country.
In the dispatch issued to newsrooms Monday evening through its chairman Linus Kaikai, the Guild reminded the government that the media is not an actor in the ongoing contest between Jubilee Party and Nasa over the outcome of the last General Election.
According to the Guild, on Friday last week, a section of media managers and select editors from the main media houses were quietly summoned to a meeting at the State House, Nairobi where the President expressly threatened to shut down and revoke the licences of any media house that will broadcast live Tuesday’s planned swearing-in of Nasa leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka.
This is how Kenyans on Twitter have reacted to news of the switch off:
https://twitter.com/maccoscyrus/status/958232997815341056
#NASAOathDay,Fine, switch off the signals and if possible paralyse social media the whole day. It will not make Kenyans suddenly hate Raila!!
— Jean Mutua (@JeSuisMutua) January 30, 2018
Aiii This' weird Citizen Tv and NTV down!
We are left with K24 tv, Ktn and Ebru
Kwani What's Going On I can't Watch Cartoons and Afro Cinemas #AdelleAndShaffieOnKISS #MileleBreakfast #TheQueenMzansi #DMF #NASAOathDay#NASASwearingIn#AMLiveNTV pic.twitter.com/XmtEXiqbE4— Keitus Promo (@KeitusPromo) January 30, 2018
Where's @KTNNews hiding its servers? I'm told @ntvkenya and @citizentvkenya have already been strangled. #NASAOathDay #NASASwearingIn must go on nevertheless.
— joshua araka (@babahezel) January 30, 2018
But why switch off Citizen while others channels are on air? #NasaOathDay
— Opuk Jakinda (@NjugunaWarianu) January 30, 2018
Citizen TV is off it isn't covering the Uhuru park event NTV if overworking #nasaoathday
— Duncan Mugah Jnr. (@mugah_duncan1) January 30, 2018
@cck has switched off citizentv waiting for them to switch of my phone bure kabisa #NasaOathDay
— mtukatuni (@mtukatuni) January 30, 2018
They have shutdown @citizentvkenya and @ntvkenya ,let them not hide the Bible too#NASAOathDay
— Isaac Wambua (@Isaack_wambua) January 30, 2018