TV stations free to air Azimio demos, court tells Ezra Chiloba

Communications Authority of Kenya Director-General Ezra Chiloba. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Director-General Ezra Chiloba has been barred from blocking TV stations from airing live coverage of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya protests.

Katiba Institute had moved to court seeking to have media houses' freedom of expression protected.

Justice John Chigiti ruled on Friday, March 24 that the Katiba Institute petition against the Communications Authority of Kenya raised weighty issues on the alleged violations of media rights.

On Wednesday, March 22, Chiloba wrote to media houses, warning of possible consequences if they continued to air what he termed inciting content.

Chiloba said the TV stations that aired content that was likely to trigger violent behaviour were Citizen, K24, NTV, KBC, TV47 and Ebru.

Justice Chigiti directed the CA to file their responses to Katiba Institute within 14 days, from Friday, March 24, 2023.

The matter will come up for mention on May 10, 2023.

Meanwhile, the judge said that TV stations across the country are free to air live the Azimio protests.

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya has pledged to hold demos twice every week - on Mondays and Thursdays - to push for, among others, the lowering of the cost of living by President William Ruto's administration.