(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. urged Kenya's government to reopen three television channels shut down last week for broadcasting a mock inauguration by the opposition.
The state is defying a High Court order issued on Feb. 1 to allow the channels to resume broadcasts. The government cut transmissions by Nation TV, owned by Nation Media Group, Standard Group Ltd.'s KTN News and Royal Media Services Ltd.'s Citizen TV soon after they began broadcasting the opposition event on Jan. 30.
“Free media is essential to democracy,” U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Bob Godec said in a statement on his Twitter account. “So is adherence to the constitution and the rule of law. Court orders must be respected.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta warned media-company managers on Jan. 26 not to broadcast National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga's swearing-in as the so-called people's president. Odinga took the oath of office after rejecting the outcome of two presidential elections last year that handed Kenyatta a second term. The government had advised Odinga not to go ahead with the swearing-in, saying it would amount to an act of treason.
Freedom of the media is protected under Article 34 of Kenya's 2010 constitution. Rachael Alwala, a spokeswoman for the Communications Authority of Kenya, the industry regulator, declined to comment when called on Monday and didn't immediately respond to emailed questions.
In addition to the clampdown, Kenyan authorities have arrested senior opposition figures, including lawmakers George Aladwa and Otieno Kajwang, and lawyer Miguna Miguna over their involvement in the swearing-in. While Aladwa and Kajwang have been freed on bail, the police have yet to comply with a Feb. 2 court order to release Miguna.
Opposition supporters will gather at the Central Police Station in downtown Nairobi on Tuesday to protest the arrests, KTN News reported on its website, citing unidentified lawmakers.
To contact the reporters on this story: Bella Genga in Nairobi at bgenga2@bloomberg.net, Samuel Gebre in Nairobi at sgebre@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Karl Maier
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