Govt sued for switching off Citizen TV, NTV, KTN News and Inooro TV

Govt sued for switching off Citizen TV, NTV, KTN News and Inooro TV

Activist Okiya Omtatah has filed a case at the High Court challenging the government decision to switch off the major television stations in the country; Citizen TV, NTVKTN News and Inooro TV.

In the petition, Omtatah argues that the shutdown is illegal and there is no provision in law to support the said shutdown.

Omtatah says the government must be stopped from ignoring the rule of law which is a key national value and principle of governance.

The media houses have been named as interested parties in the case whereas the Communications Authority of Kenya, Cabinet Secretaries for Interior and ICT as well as the Attorney General have been named as respondents.

Omtatah is also seeking an order for compensation of the media houses for loss incurred during the switch off.

He argues that the respondents’ action violates the right to freedom of expression by limiting freedom of expression.

“The respondents action violates the prohibition in article 34(2) which bars the state from exercising control over or interfering with any person engaged in broadcasting the production or circulation of any publication,” reads court documents.

He further says that the public’s right to information under article 35 of the Constitution is directly affected since the switch off has curtailed the public right of access to information broadcast by the media houses.

The Communications Authority switched off the signals of the TV and various radio stations under the Royal Media Services at exactly ten minutes after 9 am on Tuesday, January 30 for broadcasting plans for the’swearing in’ of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the ‘People’s President’.

Citizen TV was the first to go off-air with NTV being switched off shortly afterwards. KTN News was the third station affected with its signal being switched off two hours later.

At the main transmission centers in Limuru, Kiambu County, a contingent of security officers stood guard, surrounding the masts and barring engineers from accessing the area to turn the signals back on.

On Wednesday, January 31 Matiang’i said the three major broadcasting houses will remain shut until investigations into what he termed as “serious breach of security” are complete.

Tags:

Citizen TV Inooro TV high court Okiya Omtatah attorney general NTV KTN News

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