Kenya's escalating standoff between media and state regulators took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when officials from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) raided the NTV transmission station in Limuru, forcibly switching off the broadcaster’s Free-to-Air signal.
The move, which came as thousands of Gen-Z demonstrators took to the streets across the country, has been widely condemned as a blatant attack on press freedom.
In an official media statement, Nation Media Group (NMG) confirmed that the NTV signal had been “unconstitutionally switched off by the Communications Authority of Kenya” without due process. The shutdown followed an advisory circulated on social media by the CA instructing all stations to “cease live coverage of countrywide anti-government protests.”
NMG termed the move a “clear violation of Article 34(2) of the Constitution of Kenya,” which guarantees freedom and independence of the media. The statement quoted the Constitution directly:
“The State shall not—
(a) exercise control over or interfere with any person engaged in broadcasting...; or
(b) penalise any person for any opinion or view or the content of any broadcast…”
The company also cited a recent High Court ruling affirming that the Communications Authority lacks the mandate to regulate broadcast content, a role vested in the Media Council of Kenya. NMG emphasized that any concerns over media conduct must be addressed through legally established mechanisms.
“The shutdown of NTV is therefore a direct interference with our editorial operations and a suppression of the media’s constitutionally protected role to inform the public,” NMG said.
“At the time of the shutdown, NTV was responsibly covering ongoing protests, a matter of significant public interest and a constitutional right of the people to assemble and express dissent.”
The Kenya Editors’ Guild also criticized the shutdown, calling it “an unlawful act of aggression against a free press”, while civil society actors expressed fears of creeping authoritarianism.
At the time of writing, NTV’s digital and satellite platforms remained operational, but viewers relying on Free-to-Air broadcasts—especially in rural and low-income regions—were left without access.
Nation Media Group urged its audience to continue watching via YouTube and social media platforms, adding that it is actively pursuing legal redress.
“We will not be deterred in our mission to report truthfully,” the statement concluded. “Transparency and integrity are key tenets of our duty to the public.”
The Communications Authority had not issued a formal response by the time of publication.