Court nullifies ban on live protests coverage

A Kenyan High Court has dealt a blow to the government after it nullified a directive which banned the live coverage of demonstrations, reports The Kenyans. Justice John Chigiti ruled that the case, which was filed by the Katiba Institute, was unlawful and unconstitutional and prohibited the Communications Authority (CA) and any other state agency from enforcing it. The ruling means that the government will, going forward, have no power to order a shutdown or ban coverage of live broadcasts of demonstrations. The Law Society of Kenya, the Kenya Editors Guild and the Katiba Institute went to court to challenge the CA's decision to stop live coverage of the 25 June protests. The three argued that the CA's directive had contravened three key constitutional rights of Kenyans, including freedoms of expression, media, and information under Articles 33, 34 and 35 of the Constitution.