The Communications Authority of Kenya has ordered all television and radio stations to stop the live coverage of the ongoing protests.

In a statement to newsrooms, CA Director-General David Mugonyi warned of unspecified action against broadcasters who defy the directive.

“This is therefore to direct all television and radio stations to stop any live coverage of the demonstrations forthwith,” the statement reads in part.

It further states: “Failure to abide by this directive will result in regulatory action as stipulated in the Kenya Information and Communication Act, 1998.”

In response, The Standard Group says it will seek legal redress to establish the legality of the order.

“The Standard Group has seen a letter circulating from the Communication Authority of Kenya ordering all television and radio stations to immediately stop all live broadcasting of demonstrations.

Whereas KTN and the Group’s radio stations — Radio Maisha, Spice and Berur — have not received their copies of this order, editors from other media houses have confirmed that indeed this is the position.

Further information from elsewhere indicates that the Communication Authority has ordered signal carriers to deplatform any media house doing live broadcast of the demos.

We are consulting our lawyers to establish the legality of this order, which aims to plunge the country into a news blackout.

Meanwhile, we will continue broadcasting in the public interest until the legal position is confirmed.

This is not the first time that the CA is threatening to take TV stations off-air. Similar threats were issued at the same time last year, at the height of the anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations that saw protesters breach Parliament”

                                    Chief Executive Editor Chaacha Mwita

The directive has been widely seen as an attempt to gag the media and suppress real-time coverage of protests that continue to gain momentum across the country.

Kenya Editors Guild President Zubeida Kananu has criticised the directive and further accused the Authority of usurping powers of the Media Council of Kenya, which is mandated to handle complaints against the media.

“What I read in this is interference. They are trying to control the media. They have done this, not once or twice, before. Why can’t they let the media exercise their duty and mandate to inform Kenyans on what is going on?” Kananu posed.

“It is very unfortunate. We have had this conversation for a very long time. We’ve had court cases to determine who is in control of the broadcast media,” she said.

Kenyans have come out in large numbers to mark the first anniversary of last year’s anti-tax demonstrations.

On this day in June 2024, the government threatened to shut down KTN for airing live footage of the deadly uprising, including the moment angry protesters breached Parliament.