The government, through the Communications Authority (CA), ordered media houses to halt live broadcasts of the June 25th anniversary protests, which had brought the nation to a standstill. CA Director-General David Mugonyi claimed the coverage violated the Constitution and Section 461 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act.
Media houses defied the directive, continuing live broadcasts, which led to some of their signals being forcefully shut down. Affected outlets included KTN, NTV, K24 and Kameme. In response, the Standard Group termed the directive “illegal”, arguing it contravened Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution and lacked legal justification.
The move sparked widespread condemnation. The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) called on media outlets to ignore the “unconstitutional” order, accusing the state of attempting to hide police brutality during the protests. The Kenya Editors’ Guild described the directive as a “gross violation” of press freedom and public accountability.
- CA orders TV stations to end live coverage of Gen Z protest
- Court orders CA to restore TV signals after protest coverage shutdown
In a joint statement, the Law Society of Kenya, the Police Reforms Working Group, and the Kenya Medical Association warned the directive was a dangerous misinterpretation of the Constitution and threatened legal action if it was not withdrawn.
Critics also questioned the legal basis of the order, noting that the section cited in the 1998 Act is no longer valid, following a 2024 High Court ruling that stripped the CA of authority over media content. Justice Lawrence Mugambi had affirmed that content regulation falls under the Media Council of Kenya.
Despite the clampdown, coverage of the protests continued online, with media houses streaming on YouTube and Kenyans turning to social media platforms and independent bloggers for real-time updates.
– By Anthony Mwangi
Email your news TIPS to Editor@nairobilawmonthly.com, and to advertise with us, call +254715061658 anytime of the day
