Malema Slams Ruto For Using Media Blackout To Rule With Fear
The South African party argued that the move publicly exposed the current Kenyan government's dictatorial habits and confirmed to Kenyans that it was intent to allow the government to commit state-backed crimes on members of the public.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by the party leader Julius Malema has criticised President William Ruto over a directive by the government agency Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) that all television and radio stations stop live coverage of the June 25 demonstrations.
In a statement released on Wednesday, June 25, the South African party argued that the move publicly exposed the current Kenyan government's dictatorial habits and confirmed to Kenyans that it was intent to allow the government to commit state-backed crimes on members of the public.
Terming Ruto as unwilling to lead with dignity, EFF also opined that the media blackout, which the High Court froze, was intended to allow the Kenya Kwanza government to rule its citizens with fear, a move that, by the recent protests, has failed spectacularly.
"In a further act of desperation, President Ruto directed the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) to ban all live broadcasts of the protests, citing a deliberate misreading of the Constitution, which, in fact, protects freedom of expression and media independence," the statement read in part.
Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) headquarters in Nairobi. /FILE
"This act of media censorship was immediately challenged and suspended by the High Court, but it revealed the government’s true intent: to control the narrative, hide its crimes, and rule by fear. President Ruto has shown that he is unwilling to lead with dignity."
Just hours prior, the High Court, through Justice Chacha Mwita, suspended CA's directive and ordered the authority to reinstate the broadcasting signals for the TV stations that were switched off; failure to which the CA would suffer legal consequences.
The Katiba Institute and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) announced that they had submitted an urgent judicial review application to the High Court on the matter, which saw signals of KTN, NTV, Citizen TV, and K24 switched off.
In their court filing, the two organisations argued that the Communications Authority’s directive violated three fundamental constitutional rights—freedom of expression, media freedom, and the right to access information—as outlined in Articles 33, 34, and 35 of the Constitution.
They also contended that the directive breached the right to fair administrative action and due process, as guaranteed under Article 47 and the Fair Administrative Action Act.
Additionally, they noted that the move disregarded previous court rulings, including Republic v Chiloba (2023) and Kenya Union of Journalists v CAK (2024), which had declared similar actions unlawful and reaffirmed that the CAK does not have the legal mandate to regulate broadcast content—a responsibility constitutionally assigned to the Media Council of Kenya.
Meanwhile, EFF joined countless other voices in strongly condemning the brutal repression of peaceful protesters during the June 25 anniversary protests and the escalating authoritarianism of the regime led by President Ruto in Kenya.
"What began as a rejection of economic injustice has now grown into a widespread demand for an end to state corruption, police brutality, and impunity at the highest levels of government. It is a movement led by the youth, and in response, President Ruto has unleashed state-sponsored violence and censorship," added the statement.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), at least eight people have been killed in the June 25, 2025 protests alone and more than 400 others have been injured, including protesters, journalists, and even police, many hit by live bullets, rubber bullets, or savagely beaten mainly in Nairobi, the nation’s capital.
The EFF, reaffirmed its declaration of full solidarity with the youth of Kenya as it did last year in their fight against austerity through the Finance Bill 2024, terming them as a generation that refuses to bow, refuses to be silenced, and refuses to accept a future stolen by corrupt elites.
The party called on President Ruto to end all acts of state violence and censorship; hold those responsible for these killings and those of last year’s protests accountable; restore full media freedom; and face the people with answers and immediate reforms, not force, warning that "The world is watching, and Africa is watching."
