Digital Migration in Kenya

Ndemo warned over TV switch-off case

News

Ndemo warned over TV switch-off case

A High Court judge on Monday warned Information permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo to stop commenting on a petition challenging the planned switch-off of analogue television.

Mr justice Isaac Lenaola, who will hear the petition, said that comments posted by Dr Ndemo on Facebook and Twitter had come to his attention.

The PS should know that the matter is now before the court and the social media cannot help him resolve it, the judge told a State counsel who was representing the Information ministry.

Consumers’ lobby

The judge told the State lawyer that Dr Ndemo’s concerns over a case filed by a consumers’ lobby last week could only be determined by the court and not the social media.

Hearing of the petition did not begin on Monday because the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) had not filed a reply.

CCK lawyer Mohammed Nyaoga told the court that he had just been instructed on the matter and required more time to file the reply.

Hearing will be on Thursday.

The Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) filed the petition at the High Court, opposing migration of television in Nairobi from analogue to digital broadcasting by December 31.

The CCK has announced that national broadcasting migration will be implemented in phases, beginning with Nairobi.

While the international deadline is 2015, Kenya set an early deadline of 2012, but decided to implement the migration in phases.

In its petition, the consumers’ lobby argues that migrating Nairobi in December will affect millions of Kenyans during the coming festive season, the reopening of schools in January, next year’s General Election and the constitutional implementation amid prevailing economic hardships.

Criticised Cofek

Three days after the petition was filed and certified as urgent by the court, Dr Ndemo, writing on Twitter, criticised Cofek for going to court.

Dr Ndemo, whose ministry is overseeing the digital migration through the CCK, argued further that the cost of sticking to the analogue system would be greater than that of switching over.

Mr Justice Lenaola told the State lawyer to advise the PS that the court was the right forum to resolve the issues he was raising against the petition.

A High Court judge on Monday warned Information permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo to stop commenting on a petition challenging the planned switch-off of analogue television.
Mr justice Isaac Lenaola, who will hear the petition, said that comments posted by Dr Ndemo on Facebook and Twitter had come to his attention.
The PS should know that the matter is now before the court and the social media cannot help him resolve it, the judge told a State counsel who was representing the Information ministry.
Consumers’ lobby
The judge told the State lawyer that Dr Ndemo’s concerns over a case filed by a consumers’ lobby last week could only be determined by the court and not the social media.
Hearing of the petition did not begin on Monday because the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) had not filed a reply.
CCK lawyer Mohammed Nyaoga told the court that he had just been instructed on the matter and required more time to file the reply.
Hearing will be on Thursday.
The Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) filed the petition at the High Court, opposing migration of television in Nairobi from analogue to digital broadcasting by December 31.
The CCK has announced that national broadcasting migration will be implemented in phases, beginning with Nairobi.
While the international deadline is 2015, Kenya set an early deadline of 2012, but decided to implement the migration in phases.
In its petition, the consumers’ lobby argues that migrating Nairobi in December will affect millions of Kenyans during the coming festive season, the reopening of schools in January, next year’s General Election and the constitutional implementation amid prevailing economic hardships.
Criticised Cofek
Three days after the petition was filed and certified as urgent by the court, Dr Ndemo, writing on Twitter, criticised Cofek for going to court.
Dr Ndemo, whose ministry is overseeing the digital migration through the CCK, argued further that the cost of sticking to the analogue system would be greater than that of switching over.
Mr Justice Lenaola told the State lawyer to advise the PS that the court was the right forum to resolve the issues he was raising against the petition.