A midday directive from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) on Wednesday ordered every television and radio broadcaster in the country to stop live transmission of the anniversary demonstrations sweeping Nairobi and several regional towns, warning that failure to comply would invite unspecified “regulatory action.”
In a one-page letter signed by Director-General David Mugonyi, the agency said broadcasting the scenes unfolding on the streets violated Articles 33(2) and 34(1) of the Constitution, which limit speech that amounts to incitement or hate, as well as Section 46I of the Kenya Information and Communications Act.
“The live coverage of the June 25th 2025 demonstrations is contrary to … the Constitution of Kenya,” Mr. Mugonyi wrote, ordering stations to “stop any live coverage of the demonstrations forthwith.”
The blackout demand landed just as thousands of mostly young Kenyans gathered to mark one year since last summer’s anti-tax protests, which ended with at least 60 dead after police opened fire on crowds that stormed Parliament.
The regulator’s power over broadcast licences gives its threats real bite, but previous attempts at similar crackdowns have tended to backfire, inflaming public anger and drawing international scrutiny.
Following the directive, all media stations switched from the live feed, to studio chat.
