Just a few moments ago, Gen. Miguna Miguna of the National Resistance Movement - Kenya was released by High Court Judge, the Honourable Justice Luka Kimaru. This is the second time Miguna Miguna is released by order of the Hgh Court in less than a week.
Miguna Miguna was arrested last week for being part of the team that planned and carried out the swearing in of the Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga as the People's President on January 30th, 2018 at Uhuru Park. MPs T.J Kajwang of Ruaraka and George Aladwa of Makadara were also arrested last week in connection with the swearing-in ceremony.
The arrest of the three evokes painful memories of Kanu's kleptocratic rule. It seems the era of arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, and disregard of court orders is back! You may recall that Miguna Miguna was released last week Friday by the High Court but instead of freeing him, the police moved him around from one nondescript police station to the next. He was finally charged in Kajiado!
But that is not all!
For almost a week, three leading television stations - Citizen, NTV and KTN News - were shut down by the government. Reason: the powers that be felt that the three stations - by dint of doing what they were licensed to do - had somehow participated in the swearing-in ceremony. Journalists Larry Madowo, Linus Kaikai and Ken Mijinguwere forced to get anticipatory bail to avoid being arrested by agents of the state.
Prior to the shutdown, all media houses were categorically told to not "televise the revolution" of January 30th, 2018. NTV and KTN News have since been switched on while Citizen and Inooro remain shut down. Which begs the question: what does it take to be "compliant"? Well, that is a discussion for another day
The overarching concern at the moment is this: can a democracy thrive without a free press? What does it mean for our country when the government can at will switch off signals for television stations and fail to switch them back on, a court order to that effect notwithstanding?
Since last week, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Jubilee government is hellbent on subverting the Constitution and eroding the gains Kenya has had over the years. It appears that it is determined to use extrajudicial means to not only stay in power but also to intimidate, cower and extricate loyalty from the people.
It, therefore, behooves all of us as Kenyans to be even more vigilant at times such as these. This is a time to speak up and out against this government and its dictatorial tendencies. It should be treasonous for any one of us to go about our lives as if nothing tragic is happening.
As a people, we must resolve to continue on a path of democracy, openness, respect for the rule of law, human rights and justice. We cannot allow a few power drunken individuals to flush us down into the stinking sewers of banana republics.
Miguna Miguna was arrested last week for being part of the team that planned and carried out the swearing in of the Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga as the People's President on January 30th, 2018 at Uhuru Park. MPs T.J Kajwang of Ruaraka and George Aladwa of Makadara were also arrested last week in connection with the swearing-in ceremony.
The arrest of the three evokes painful memories of Kanu's kleptocratic rule. It seems the era of arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, and disregard of court orders is back! You may recall that Miguna Miguna was released last week Friday by the High Court but instead of freeing him, the police moved him around from one nondescript police station to the next. He was finally charged in Kajiado!
But that is not all!
For almost a week, three leading television stations - Citizen, NTV and KTN News - were shut down by the government. Reason: the powers that be felt that the three stations - by dint of doing what they were licensed to do - had somehow participated in the swearing-in ceremony. Journalists Larry Madowo, Linus Kaikai and Ken Mijinguwere forced to get anticipatory bail to avoid being arrested by agents of the state.
Prior to the shutdown, all media houses were categorically told to not "televise the revolution" of January 30th, 2018. NTV and KTN News have since been switched on while Citizen and Inooro remain shut down. Which begs the question: what does it take to be "compliant"? Well, that is a discussion for another day
The overarching concern at the moment is this: can a democracy thrive without a free press? What does it mean for our country when the government can at will switch off signals for television stations and fail to switch them back on, a court order to that effect notwithstanding?
Since last week, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Jubilee government is hellbent on subverting the Constitution and eroding the gains Kenya has had over the years. It appears that it is determined to use extrajudicial means to not only stay in power but also to intimidate, cower and extricate loyalty from the people.
It, therefore, behooves all of us as Kenyans to be even more vigilant at times such as these. This is a time to speak up and out against this government and its dictatorial tendencies. It should be treasonous for any one of us to go about our lives as if nothing tragic is happening.
As a people, we must resolve to continue on a path of democracy, openness, respect for the rule of law, human rights and justice. We cannot allow a few power drunken individuals to flush us down into the stinking sewers of banana republics.
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