Moi's tough demand to President Uhuru
Uhuru chased away journalists from his event on Friday.
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In a statement seen by Pulse Live Kenya, the Senator told the government to obey a court order by High Court judge Justice Chacha Mwita ordering it to restore the signals of Citizen TV, NTV and KTN.
Mr Moi, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Communication Technology, faulted the move by the government to switch off the stations, saying media freedom is enshrined in the Constitution, which State swore to abide by and protect.
“This is an unfortunate step,” Mr Moi said in a statement on Friday.
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“Though the government has indicated that the stations are under investigations, they do not have to be off-air for investigations to go on.
"Let them switch them on as investigations are done and if it turns out that they are culpable, action be taken at that point”.
He also asked the State to guarantee journalists their safety and ensure that their working environment is free of intimidation and harassment.
Chased away
Plain-clothes police officers manning the Communications Authority of Kenya gate on Friday chased away a battery of journalists who had gone at the offices to cover the alleged blockage of activist Okiya Omtatah who wanted to serve the authority with a court order.
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Journalists were forced to flee the government-owned premises even after the activist was earlier denied access to the premises to serve a court order to the effect that the CA, interior Ministry should immediately switch on the three TV stations which were shut on Tuesday over alleged broadcasting of Raila Odinga ‘mock oath.’
The new tact by police chasing away journalists comes even after three NTV Newsroom journalists – Larry Madowo, Ken Mijungu and its chief Editor Linus Kaikai obtained a court order freezing their arrest by police. The move came after police tented camp at Nation Media Group headquarters in Nairobi, forcing them to spend a night in the office.
Meanwhile, Mr Omtatah received court orders lifting the media blackout of three TV stations and several radio stations, which were shut off on Tuesday.
But on Friday early morning, a court process server sent by Mr Omtatah was detained at the premises for two hours before he was released and warned against setting foot at the premises.
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“At around 8am today, two men, who introduced themselves as police officers posted at the Communications Authority of Kenya, abducted my Court Process Server at the headquarters of the authority, and detained him until 10am. Upon release, he contacted me and I decided to come and effect service in person,” Mr Omtatah said in a text message as quoted by Nation on Friday.
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