PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
CPJ calls on Kenyan government to obey court order
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Kenyan government to obey a court order suspending a broadcasting ban on four privately-owned television stations, PANA reported Saturday.
In a statement, the press freedom watchdog revealed that a Kenyan high court Thursday ordered the government to lift the ban on Citizen TV, Inooro TV, NTV, and KTN News, for 14 days while a case challenging its legality was heard.
The order came two days after authorities switched off transmitters while the stations were broadcasting live coverage of an event by the opposition in the capital.
"The Kenyan government's refusal to abide by the court order and permit four television outlets back on air is not only contempt for the rule of law, but a brazen example of censorship," said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa program coordinator.
"Every day that these TV stations are kept off air and their journalists are harassed or intimidated further erodes Kenya's position as a leader of press freedom in Africa."
According to CPJ, in another case a court ordered police to halt attempts to arrest at least three Nation Media Group (NMG) journalists.
The journalists - Linus Kaikai, Larry Madowo, and Ken Mijungu - said they believed that police planned to arrest them and applied to the court for anticipatory bail, which was set at 10,000 Kenyan shillings (US$983) each.
All three are due to report to police headquarters in Nairobi for questioning on February 5.
-0- PANA MLJ/VAO 3Feb2018
In a statement, the press freedom watchdog revealed that a Kenyan high court Thursday ordered the government to lift the ban on Citizen TV, Inooro TV, NTV, and KTN News, for 14 days while a case challenging its legality was heard.
The order came two days after authorities switched off transmitters while the stations were broadcasting live coverage of an event by the opposition in the capital.
"The Kenyan government's refusal to abide by the court order and permit four television outlets back on air is not only contempt for the rule of law, but a brazen example of censorship," said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa program coordinator.
"Every day that these TV stations are kept off air and their journalists are harassed or intimidated further erodes Kenya's position as a leader of press freedom in Africa."
According to CPJ, in another case a court ordered police to halt attempts to arrest at least three Nation Media Group (NMG) journalists.
The journalists - Linus Kaikai, Larry Madowo, and Ken Mijungu - said they believed that police planned to arrest them and applied to the court for anticipatory bail, which was set at 10,000 Kenyan shillings (US$983) each.
All three are due to report to police headquarters in Nairobi for questioning on February 5.
-0- PANA MLJ/VAO 3Feb2018
