Kenya is struggling to recover from the aftermath of violent Gen Z-led protests that rocked the nation on June 25, leaving at least eight dead and over 400 injured. What began as commemorative demonstrations against economic hardship and last year’s rejected Finance Bill escalated into a national crisis after police opened fire on protesters, and the government implemented a sudden and controversial media blackout.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) ordered all television and radio broadcasters to cease live coverage of the protests, citing violations of Articles 33(2) and 34(1) of the Constitution and Section 461 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998. In a move widely viewed as an attack on press freedom, officials accompanied by police stormed the Limuru transmission station and switched off free-to-air signals of major stations including Citizen TV, KTN, and NTV.
The blackout drew prompt and sharp condemnation from international and regional observers. Uganda’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) issued a strongly worded statement calling the directive “a threat to press freedom, democratic values, and fundamental human rights.” NAB urged Kenya’s CAK to uphold the very laws it invoked and restore the country’s access to uncensored broadcast media. “Media freedom is a bedrock of democracy. Undue interference risks silencing diverse voices and eroding public trust,” the statement read.
Despite a 2023 court ruling that limited CAK’s jurisdiction over live broadcast orders, the Authority’s directive was enforced. Even after High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi issued conservatory orders to restore the broadcast signals, they remain off-air as of June 26.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) confirmed that all eight protest fatalities were due to gunshot wounds sustained in six counties, and at least 61 demonstrators were arrested. The Commission also condemned the media ban, asserting it violates Article 34(2), which guarantees freedom of the press.
South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) joined the chorus of disapproval, accusing President William Ruto of authoritarian tendencies and warning, “The world is watching, and Africa is watching.”
While Kenya navigates the fallout, June 25, 2025, may go down as a defining moment in the country’s democratic journey – a test of how far it can balance order, transparency, and the constitutional rights of its people.
