Countrywide demos to begin on Monday in opposition to the government's move

janet ndila

February 3, 2018 2:37 PM

Countrywide protests to begin on Monday

A countrywide protest is planned for Monday to compel the government to bring to an end a partial media shut down that has seen KTN, NTV and Citizen TV off-air for more than five days.

The demos dubbed 'Not in my country' have been organized by the civil society in solidarity with the media which has come under siege for their alleged role in airing Raila Odinga’s swearing in.

At the forefront are Kenya Human Rights Commission and the International Commission of Jurists who are demanding that the government uphold the constitution and guarantee media freedom.

ICJ’s Njonjo Mue noted that they would not sit back and watch as Kenya plunges back into authoritarianism.

Mue reportedly noted that the Jubilee Party regime “is taking the country back to one-party dictatorship as evidenced by events following NASA leader Raila Odinga's self-oath on January 30”.

"We cannot stand for a state that arrests and abducts its citizens using violence. This is clearly a rogue state acting like a criminal enterprise. It has suspended the constitution and is slowly introducing a state of emergency," Mue said.

He further condemned the manner in which the police have been raiding homes of opposition politicians, breaking into houses, breaking glasses and damaging private property.

Activist Okiya Omtatah successfully challenged the media shut down in court with an order being issued compelling the State to reinstate the transmission from the three leading media stations.

However, the order is yet to be effected with the civil society, international organizations and foreign envoys weighing in on the state.

janet ndila