Authorities in Kenya have restored broadcast signals to two television stations after a week. The signal of four channels was suspended over the symbolic swearing-in ceremony of opposition chief, Raila Odinga.
The local Daily Nation outlet reported that signals for NTV and KTN NEWS had been restored as at Monday afternoon. They added that Citizen TV and Inooro TV’s signals had yet to be reinstated.
The authorities have not given a reason for reinstating the signal or otherwise but a High Court had ordered the government to reinstate the signals late last week.
The affected stations with the exception of Inooro were expected to file contempt proceedings against the state for defying the court order to put them back on air. Kenyan twitter sphere has also been protesting with the hashtags #MediaShutdownKE and NotInMyCountryKE trending.
The media crackdown has been criticised by the United Nations and the United States. Three persons in the forefront of the Odinga swearing in have so far been arrested.
Two legislators and a lawyer Miguna Miguna have all been picked by police. The arrests and broadcast bans have shocked many Kenyans used to a freewheeling media and irreverent political culture that has taken root since 2002.
The United Nations early this month criticised the government of Kenya for keeping three independent television stations off the air, despite a court ruling ordering the state to lift the suspension.
Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the stations remained suspended for a third day on Friday "in spite of an interim order by a Kenyan high court".
The NTV, Citizen and KTN TV networks were suspended on Tuesday after they planned to broadcast the symbolic swearing-in of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga in Nairobi, the capital.
The government said broadcasting the mock swearing-in ceremony - at which Odinga declared himself the "people's president" - threatened national security.
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Credit: africanews