Kenyan bloggers lose case on cyber-crime laws

Kenyan bloggers' call for the withdrawal of the cyber-crime law signed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2016 has been repealed by the High Court, claiming the petition was unwarranted.

President Kenyatta signed the bill into law amid calls to revert it back to Parliament to ensure its provisions are constitutional and do not violate the right to media freedom and expression, The Star reported.

Delivering the verdict, Judge James Makau dismissed the case filed by the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) ruling that the constitutionality of the computer Misuse and Cyber-crime Act is valid.

According to The Star, the Judge lifted sections that had earlier been suspended by the court, stating that the Act does not violate any fundamental rights of the bloggers.

The judgment was set to be delivered on January 30 but the matter was postponed to today by Justice Makau.

The Star