Agency wants board stopped from ‘harassing’ liquor firms
The Kenya Film Classification Board boss Ezekiel Mutua speaks before the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on October 26, 2016. He has been accused by the Alcoholic Beverages Association of abuse of power. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The association said the board threatened to sue the company bosses for failing to comply with the law.
The Alcoholic Beverages Association has stepped up its bid to stop Kenya Films and Classification Board’s chief Ezekiel Mutua from suing liquor producing firms over adverts.
While seeking to stop the prosecution of East Africa Breweries Ltd and African Spirits Ltd’s chief executives, the association accused the board of overstepping its mandate.
Through its lawyer Peter Wanyama, the association said the board wrote to the CEOs on January 3 accusing them of promoting unclassified TV adverts during watershed period.
The association said the board threatened to sue the company bosses for failing to comply with the law.
The letter asked the CEOs to stop the adverts.
“It is the apprehension of the impeding prosecution and being subjected to unspecified action that has led the association to approach the court for remedy,” Mr Wanyama said.
According to the association, Mr Mutua has on several occasions stated on his social media accounts that he was out to enforce his moral convictions.
It also said the letters were in bad faith and intended to harass the association’s members, insisting that that was an abuse of power on the part of the films board.
