Royal Media Services chairman, Mr Samuel Kamau (SK) Macharia (right) is accompanied by Prime Minister Raila Odinga (left) and former Attorney General Charles Njonjo (centre) at a past function. Photo/FILE NATION MEDIA GROUP
By BRIAN YONGA byonga@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, February 3 2013 at 13:39
Posted Sunday, February 3 2013 at 13:39
ODM Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o has termed the shutting down of six broadcast transmitters belonging to Royal Media Services (RMS) as dictatorship and disregard of press freedom.
Speaking at a Kisumu hotel over the weekend, Prof Nyong’o questioned the act by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) saying its timing was suspicious.
“We know this is an attempt by some government officials to gag the media ahead of the elections,” he said.
He pointed out that RMS was targeted because its proprietor, Mr Samuel Kamau (SK) Macharia is a member of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord), which is headed by Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, also a member of Cord announced during the launch of the coalition at Uhuru Park that Mr Macharia would be a member of its summit.
Prof Nyong’o also accused some Cord opponents of shedding crocodile tears regarding the CCK act on the stations “yet they are part of the conspiracy to have the stations disabled.”
He also launched a scathing attack on the National Security and Intelligence Service (NSIS) accusing the body of being part of the plot to have the transmitters shut.
He pointed out that “this is a wide scheme aimed at barring the stations from reaching out to Cord strongholds.”
CCK on Saturday shut down six broadcast transmitters belonging to RMS.
The move affected the broadcasting of six radio stations and Citizen TV services in some parts of the country.
The CCK Director-General Francis Wangusi said they confiscated transmitters in Nanyuki, Narok, Migori, Nakuru and Mwingi where the media house was “operating using self-assigned frequencies.”
He said the six transmitters were part of 17 put up by RMS in the recent past without a licence from CCK, arguing that the broadcaster had acted in contravention of the law.
The transmitters are located in Karue hill, Vuria hill, Muranga-Gatare, Enchoro hill, Mukuyuni and Mambrui in Malindi.
However, CCK has denied allegations that the timing had any political connotation but that it opted to deal with the issue before the next government comes into power.
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I would wish to inform brian yonga who covered the hockey legue matches in Nakuru that multimedia university defeated Kabaraka university 1 to 0 not the way he has reported in todays papers.
ReplyDeleteagade milton