Police chase away journalists, threaten to break camera

The Communications Authority of Kenya headquarters in Westlands, Nairobi. Journalist were chased from the premises on February 2, 2018. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Activist Okiya Omtatah was barred from serving the Communications Authority of Kenya with orders suspending the television shutdown.
  • His court process server was detained in the morning as he tried to serve the order.

Journalists were chased away on Friday afternoon as plain clothes security officer prevented activist Okiya Omtatah from serving a court order at the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

On Thursday, Mr Omtatah received court orders lifting the media blackout of three television stations and several radio stations, which were shut off on Tuesday for airing the live coverage of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s ‘swearing-in’.

BARRED

But on Friday early morning, a court process server sent by Mr Omtatah was detained at the premises for two hours before he was released and warned against setting foot at the premises.

“At around 8am today, two men, who introduced themselves as police officers posted at the Communications Authority of Kenya, abducted my Court Process Server at the headquarters of the authority, and detained him until 10am. Upon release, he contacted me and I decided to come and effect service in person,” Mr Omtatah said in a text message sent to newsrooms earlier.

Activist Okiya Omtatah on February 2, 2018 outside the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) premises. He demonstrates where he would paste a court order directing CA to restore television broadcast. PHOTO | AGEWA MAGUT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Mr Omtatah then personally went to CA premises to deliver the order but he was barred from getting in. He vowed he would not leave until he had served the order.

CHASED AWAY

After a while, the activist resorted to sticking the order on a window of the security station at the entrance of the authority’s offices, and demonstrated to journalists how he would paste the order.

Mr Omtatah sent someone to bring him sealing tape, but as soon as he started taping the court order three plain clothes officers chased away journalists.

The policemen also threatened to break a journalist’s camera.

The men, who wore T-shirts and jeans, had earlier been standing by the gate and mingling with the journalists.