Kenya switches off TV stations ahead of opposition swearing-in fete
                       Source: Xinhua | 2018-01-30 18:23:58 | Editor: huaxia

      Opposition supporters gather at Nairobi's Uhuru Park on Jan. 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

      NAIROBI, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Tuesday shut down four popular mainstream TV channels and several radio stations ahead of the planned swearing-in of Opposition leader Raila Odinga as the People's President in the capital of Nairobi.

      Odinga is to be sworn-in alongside his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka in a controversial ceremony, which the government had outlawed, terming the action treasonable.

      Odinga and Musyoka have maintained that they won the August election, in which President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner and his election nullified by the Supreme Court later. However, he was elected in a repeat poll on Oct. 26.

      The shutting down of the stations followed a directive that had asked media houses not to televise the opposition event.

      Nearly all the private mainstream media stations had started showing the event early Tuesday morning, an action that led to the shutdown.

      Among those switched off by the Communication Commission of Kenya (CA) were NTV, KTN and Citizen televisions and a host of radio stations allied to the channels.

      "We would like to confirm that this morning, the CA disconnected Citizen TV and Inooro TV transmission. There has been no official communication as to why this action was taken," said Wachira Waruru, the managing director of Royal Media Services, which owns Citizen TV.

      "We are actively engaging the relevant government authorities to establish the reason for the action and we hope to resume normal transmission soon," added Waruru, as the stations and others turned to social media to update their audiences.

      On Monday, it emerged President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto had held a meeting with several media executives in which the government threatened to revoke licenses of the stations that would air the event.

      Kenya Editors Guild called the action of shutting down the stations an affront to media freedom and noted that the media was not an actor in the ongoing contest between ruling party Jubilee and opposition National Super Alliance (NASA).

      "The media remains a messenger and a chronicler of events happenings in the country, which has a vibrant industry made up of competent professional in journalists and editors that continue to make sound decisions of what constitutes news," said Linus Kaikai, chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild, in a statement on Monday evening.

      Some analysts on Tuesday blamed the Kenyan media for the position it found itself in on Tuesday, noting that it had participated in the making of its plight.

      "The problem with Kenya media is that it refused to enjoy the freedom it was given. It refused to occupy its own space as enshrined in the constitution, so it should not complain," said Professor Herman Manyora, a political analyst.

      Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, noted that the shutdown of the media showed the great lengths the government can go to deny people the right to information.

      "The government has for a long time been warning the media to tore the line or face sanctions. We are seeing it happen today and the entire country is now in the dark yet a key event in the country's history is happening. Even if deemed bad, the government should have allowed citizens to know what is happening and deal with any criminal act in accordance with the law," said Wandera.

      Human Rights activists Ndung'u Wainaina termed the shutdown "deplorable, repugnant, appalling and showed how authoritarian Kenyatta's government was."

      Opinion was, however, divided among ordinary supporters of Jubilee and the opposition on the media shutdown. Jubilee adherents welcomed the move noting that allowing TV stations to air the ceremony amounted to incitement.

      "It is the best thing to have happened to the country on Tuesday because the ceremony would have had a spiral effect and affected businesses in other parts of the nation," said Stephen Kariuki, a businessman.

      Moses Omolo, a NASA follower, said media shutdown amounted to denial of basic human right. "Information is as key as oxygen and water. The right to information is enshrined in the constitution and must be guaranteed. With or without media, we would go on with the ceremony as planned," he said.

      The current stalemate between the government and the opposition is expected to prolong Kenya's political crisis, which arose after the Aug. 8, 2017 polls.

      Back to Top Close
      Xinhuanet

      Kenya switches off TV stations ahead of opposition swearing-in fete

      Source: Xinhua 2018-01-30 18:23:58

      Opposition supporters gather at Nairobi's Uhuru Park on Jan. 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

      NAIROBI, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Tuesday shut down four popular mainstream TV channels and several radio stations ahead of the planned swearing-in of Opposition leader Raila Odinga as the People's President in the capital of Nairobi.

      Odinga is to be sworn-in alongside his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka in a controversial ceremony, which the government had outlawed, terming the action treasonable.

      Odinga and Musyoka have maintained that they won the August election, in which President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner and his election nullified by the Supreme Court later. However, he was elected in a repeat poll on Oct. 26.

      The shutting down of the stations followed a directive that had asked media houses not to televise the opposition event.

      Nearly all the private mainstream media stations had started showing the event early Tuesday morning, an action that led to the shutdown.

      Among those switched off by the Communication Commission of Kenya (CA) were NTV, KTN and Citizen televisions and a host of radio stations allied to the channels.

      "We would like to confirm that this morning, the CA disconnected Citizen TV and Inooro TV transmission. There has been no official communication as to why this action was taken," said Wachira Waruru, the managing director of Royal Media Services, which owns Citizen TV.

      "We are actively engaging the relevant government authorities to establish the reason for the action and we hope to resume normal transmission soon," added Waruru, as the stations and others turned to social media to update their audiences.

      On Monday, it emerged President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto had held a meeting with several media executives in which the government threatened to revoke licenses of the stations that would air the event.

      Kenya Editors Guild called the action of shutting down the stations an affront to media freedom and noted that the media was not an actor in the ongoing contest between ruling party Jubilee and opposition National Super Alliance (NASA).

      "The media remains a messenger and a chronicler of events happenings in the country, which has a vibrant industry made up of competent professional in journalists and editors that continue to make sound decisions of what constitutes news," said Linus Kaikai, chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild, in a statement on Monday evening.

      Some analysts on Tuesday blamed the Kenyan media for the position it found itself in on Tuesday, noting that it had participated in the making of its plight.

      "The problem with Kenya media is that it refused to enjoy the freedom it was given. It refused to occupy its own space as enshrined in the constitution, so it should not complain," said Professor Herman Manyora, a political analyst.

      Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, noted that the shutdown of the media showed the great lengths the government can go to deny people the right to information.

      "The government has for a long time been warning the media to tore the line or face sanctions. We are seeing it happen today and the entire country is now in the dark yet a key event in the country's history is happening. Even if deemed bad, the government should have allowed citizens to know what is happening and deal with any criminal act in accordance with the law," said Wandera.

      Human Rights activists Ndung'u Wainaina termed the shutdown "deplorable, repugnant, appalling and showed how authoritarian Kenyatta's government was."

      Opinion was, however, divided among ordinary supporters of Jubilee and the opposition on the media shutdown. Jubilee adherents welcomed the move noting that allowing TV stations to air the ceremony amounted to incitement.

      "It is the best thing to have happened to the country on Tuesday because the ceremony would have had a spiral effect and affected businesses in other parts of the nation," said Stephen Kariuki, a businessman.

      Moses Omolo, a NASA follower, said media shutdown amounted to denial of basic human right. "Information is as key as oxygen and water. The right to information is enshrined in the constitution and must be guaranteed. With or without media, we would go on with the ceremony as planned," he said.

      The current stalemate between the government and the opposition is expected to prolong Kenya's political crisis, which arose after the Aug. 8, 2017 polls.

      010020070750000000000000011100001369365161
      主站蜘蛛池模板: 一本到在线观看视频不卡| 亚洲熟妇AV乱码在线观看| 二区久久国产乱子伦免费精品| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区五十路百度| 亚洲精品无码mv在线观看网站| 色片在线免费观看| 国产精品喷水在线观看| 一区二区三区亚洲视频| 日韩一区二区三区在线播放| 亚洲深深色噜噜狠狠爱网站| 美女张开腿让男人桶爽动漫视频| 国产无套粉嫩白浆在线观看| 99在线观看免费视频| 成在人线av无码免费高潮水| 亚洲AV成人无码网站| 法国女人与动zozoz0z0| 又色又爽又黄的视频网站| 黑人video| 国产精品无码不卡一区二区三区| yy11111光电影院手机版| 日日噜噜夜夜爽爽| 亚洲a在线播放| 欧美高清视频www夜色资源网| 再深点灬舒服灬太大了少妇| 阿v视频在线观看| 国产熟女一区二区三区五月婷| 97人人在线视频| 好紧好爽好深再快点av在线| 主人啊灬啊别停灬用力啊视频| 朝桐光中文字幕| 亚洲欧美日韩综合久久久久| 福利视频网站导航| 国产91刮伦脏话对白| 高潮内射免费看片| 国产精品jizz在线观看网站| 99在线国产视频| 岳双腿间已经湿成一片视频| 久久人人妻人人做人人爽| 欧美丰满熟妇BBB久久久| 亚洲精品自在线拍| 精品一区二区三区免费视频|