FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: KENYA EDITORS’ GUILD CONDEMNS CA BAN ON LIVE COVERAGE OF PROTESTS
Nairobi, 25 June 2025
The Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) strongly condemns the Communications Authority of Kenya’s (CA) directive banning live broadcast of the ongoing GenZ protests. This directive (Ref. CA/CE/BC/TV 90A) is a gross violation of the Constitution and an affront to press freedom and public accountability.
CA’s claim that it is acting under Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution is legally and factually flawed. These provisions protect free expression, with clear limits only on hate speech, incitement, and propaganda—not on responsible journalism. Live, factual reporting by licensed media is not a threat—it’s a civic duty.
This directive flies in the face of the 2023 High Court ruling in Kenya Editors’ Guild & Others v Communications Authority & Others, where the court restrained CA from interfering with live media broadcasts. The judgment reinforced that no government agency may impose prior restraint on the press.
By ignoring this ruling, CA is actively undermining judicial authority and reopening the door to unconstitutional state censorship..
