JUST IN: Mt Kenya TV Closed Down Amid Airing Explicit Content
The Kenya Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Wednesday 28th closed down Mt Kenya TV, a local vernacular TV station for one month amid airing explicit content in cartoon programs to children.
Christine Juma 
According to a statement issued on Wednesday, April 28, by the regulator, it stated that the television channel owned by M/s Slopes Media aired inappropriate content on Monday, April 19 at 2 pm.
"Last week, the authority received a complaint against Mt Kenya TV channel, a vernacular station owned by M/s Slopes Media House Ltd, over the airing of inappropriate content on April 19 at 2 pm."
"Upon preliminary assessment, the authority noted that the TV channel had during its, 'Mucii was Ciiana' program, featured an animated movie, entitled Free Jimmy, containing scenes of sexually explicit content, drug abuse, robbery and violence in blatant breach of the programming code, and the ICT sector law," a part statement signed by acting CA director-general Mercy Wanjau read.
The regulator also further added that the TV aired the explicit content during the daytime when most children were at home since schools are closed and as such caused damage to the kids.
However, on Wednesday 22nd the station apologized to the audience for the mistake.
"We are requesting for your forgiveness following mature content that was aired on one of the children's programs. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure that it does not happen," reads the station's apology.
On the other hand, the authority said Mt Kenya TV had violated part IV (19) of the Kenya, Information, and Communications (Broadcasting) Regulations of 2009, which prohibits the presentation of sexual matters explicitly and offensively.
It also noted the licensee breached part IV (20) of the same regulations that outlaws the airing of harmful content to children during the watershed period.
Wanjau further stated the station had contravened Section 3.3.5 and 3.3.6 of the programming codes that outlaws the airing of promotional content that contains violence and one which contains images of strong sexual nature, respectively.
In line with the above offenses, the station was slapped with a KSh 500,000 fine for repeated violations and ordered to go off air for four weeks.
Mt Kenya TV now follows the lutter of Homeboyz Radio which was also slapped with a KSh 1 million fine over insensitive remarks made by some of its presenters including Shaffi Weru against women.
KFCB Boss Ezekiel Mutua Photo Courtesy
Confirming the incident, the Kenya Film and Classifications Board {KFCB} CEO Ezekiel Mutua on his Twitter account he stated the following: “Mt. Kenya tv violated content regulations by airing pornographic content. Now CA has shut them off for a month and slapped a 500k on them. Protection of children from premature exposure to adult content is a collective responsibility. I hope this will serve as a lesson to others”.
