Nairobi — A human rights group Sunday demanded the lifting of the ban on live broadcasting of political events.

Release Political Prisoners said the ban is against the principles and values of human rights, democracy, open governance and the rule of law.

RPP said in a statement that since the ban, Kenyans have suffered as they cannot access timely and accurate information on what is happening around them.

Fuel tension

"As a human rights organisation, we have witnessed a lot of tensions, fears, intimidations and anxiety mixed with state of hopelessness engulfing many parts of the country as media keeps on being banned from having live coverage of the events as they unfurl," read the statement signed by the group's executive coordinator Stephen Musau.

The statement added that Kenyans were yearning for the truth, something that cannot be realised with prohibition of live coverage of events.

It further warned that the continued ban would only confirm that the Government is against Kenyans knowing what is going on and has no measures to reunite Kenyans, adding that it would only serve to fuel tension in the country.