•Police fire tear gas on protesters
Kenya’s government yesterday restored transmission to two major TV stations of the four it shut down seven days ago, as police fired tear gas on protesters demonstrating against President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government for violating constitutional freedoms.
“We are back on air,” said Joe Ageyo, the managing editor of Kenya Television Network. Transmission was also restored to Nation Television News, said its managing director Linus Kaikai, who said the two broadcasters had been in talks with the government. Service has not been restored to Citizen TV and the vernacular language service Inooro TV, said Kaikia, who is also the chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild.
Also yesterday police fired tear gas at a peaceful demonstration of about 100 protesters expressing outrage against the government’s “blatant violation of the constitution,” said rights activist Njonjo Mue.
The government had shut down transmission of the four popular TV channels last week when they attempted to broadcast the mock inauguration of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the “people’s president.”
Odinga charges that President Uhuru Kenyatta is not legitimate because he won elections last year through fraud.