Caleb Amisi Reads Malice in Decision to Stop Live Coverage of Protests: "Beginning of Anarchy"
- Saboti MP Caleb Amisi condemned the CA’s order to halt live protest coverage, calling it a direct attack on media freedom and public transparency
- He warned that censoring real-time broadcasts signals creeping authoritarianism and erodes Kenya’s hard-won democratic space
- The CA cited legal provisions to justify its directive, but did not explain how live coverage posed a public risk
- The June 25 protests, largely peaceful but emotionally charged, aimed to honour 2024 victims and demand sweeping reforms
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Nairobi - Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has criticised the government's directive to halt live media coverage of the ongoing June 25 protests.
Source: Twitter
The outspoken lawmaker described the directive as a dangerous assault on press freedom and a sign of the rise of authoritarianism.
In a statement released Wednesday, Amisi slammed the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for instructing TV and radio stations to cease broadcasting the protests in real time.
He warned that such censorship not only undermines constitutional freedoms but also signals what he called the beginning of anarchy.
"Directing media houses to stop live coverage is the beginning of anarchy. If missiles from Iran to Israel are covered live sembuse expired orange teargas from Moi Avenue to Kenyatta Avenue?" Amisi posed.
The MP underscored that press freedom is guaranteed in the constitution, urging the authority to act within the law.
"Media freedom and the right to information as enshrined in the constitution must be respected. Kenya needs a Renaissance," he added.
Why did CA stop live coverage?
His comments came after the CA issued a formal notice to all broadcasters, ordering an immediate stop to live feeds of the protests, which mark the one-year anniversary of the June 25, 2024, demonstrations.
Last year’s protests, driven by opposition to the Finance Bill, ended in tragedy when dozens of young demonstrators were killed, sparking national outrage and international condemnation.
This year’s commemorative protests, coordinated by youth-led movements and civil society, have been peaceful in tone but tense on the ground.
Source: Facebook
The demonstrations aim to honour those killed in 2024 while demanding broader reforms in police accountability, fiscal justice, and democratic governance.
The CA memo, signed by Director General David Mugonyi, cited Articles 33(2) and 34(1) of the Constitution, along with Section 46I of the Kenya Information and Communications Act of 1998, as the legal basis for halting coverage.
The authority warned that failure to comply could result in sanctions, although it did not specify the nature of the penalties.
How did police ensure security in Nairobi?
As earlier reported, security in Nairobi was visibly tight with key roads into the Central Business District barricaded and heavy police deployment around Parliament and State House.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General Douglas Kanja were reportedly coordinating operations from Harambee House from the early morning hours.
Kanja, who gave a press briefing on Tuesday, June 24, flanked by top police commanders, warned protestors to steer clear of protected areas.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
