The High Court has issued a conservatory order suspending a controversial directive by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) that sought to ban live coverage of Wednesday’s nationwide protests.
The order comes amid widespread condemnation from media, legal, and medical organisations, who say the directive threatens constitutional freedoms and endangers public safety.
The case, filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) under a certificate of urgency, challenged the legality of the CA’s notice (Ref No. CA/CE/BC/TV 90A), which ordered all radio and TV stations to halt live broadcasting of demonstrations, citing violations of Article 33(2) and 34(1) of the Constitution. Justice E.C. Mwita, presiding over the Milimani Law Courts, ruled that the matter raised serious constitutional issues and warranted immediate intervention.
The Kenya Editors Guild, LSK, and Kenya Medical Association (KMA) jointly condemned the directive, terming it a blatant attempt to suppress media freedom and public access to critical information.
They argued that live coverage plays a vital role in democratic accountability, public health response, and preventing misinformation.
“The directive is unconstitutional and a dangerous overreach,” said the Editors Guild in a statement.
The LSK noted that the CA had issued the order without due process or stakeholder consultation, while the KMA warned that it was already hampering emergency medical coordination for injured protesters.
The court also ordered that any broadcast signals turned off—such as Nation TV’s Free-to-Air signal from Limuru be restored immediately, and allowed service of the court’s order via email, live TV, or newspapers due to the urgency of the matter.
All parties have been directed to file their responses within three days. The case will be mentioned on 2 July 2025.
