Azimio protests

The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya alliance has launched a new online platform so that supporters may contribute videos of the next weekly anti-Ruto demonstrations.


The Raila Odinga-led rebel group claimed via Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi that this was done in reaction to what it deemed a danger to media freedom about the reportage of the protests.


"We want to reassure Kenyans of our ability to establish a safe web platform where citizens are welcome to upload incidents in the form of photographs, videos, and audio during our weekly peaceful rallies in the face of a serious danger to the free media," Wandayi said in a tweet.


The public will have access to this information.


"This will make it possible for us to update the general public and any interested parties on our progress and current events around the nation."


The lawmaker, who was detained on Monday during protests in Nairobi and subsequently freed, said anyone with a cell phone or camera could access and publish anonymously on the website.


"A number of our IP-enabled surveillance cameras that will communicate in real-time to our cloud servers will record all individuals who aim to create mayhem," Wandayi added, adding that anybody may also see the content remotely.


Mddkenya.com will be used to access the portal.


Odinga said they will organise the marches on Mondays and Thursdays in response to what he termed "popular requests" after last week's protests.


The administration, meanwhile, stated it would cancel the licences of six television stations on Wednesday via the Communication Authority for their live coverage of the demonstrations on Monday.


Citizen TV, NTV, K24, KBC, TV47, and Ebru TV were condemned by CA for allegedly breaking the code of coverage.


Ezra Chiloba, head of the regulator, said that the live broadcasting of the demonstrations constituted a form of provocation to the public and may disturb the calm in the nation.


However, the High Court on Friday stayed the CA's censure in response to a challenge brought by the Katiba Institute, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and journalist unions who argued that the judgement may restrict freedom of the press.


The court also said that because the authorities would serve as the public's overseer in the absence of the fourth estate, CA's move may imperil lives.


According to court records, "CA's ruling might have a dampening impact on media freedom, freedom of information, and freedom of speech."


The court said, "The ruling jeopardises life by allowing the trigger-happy National Police Service to operate in the dark and during police protests without media scrutiny."


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