goThe Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has sued GoTV and Startimes for failing to air three popular local channels.

Cofek wants the two pay TV companies compelled to compensate their subscribers for the period Citizen TV, NTV and KTN have been off air.

The Pay TV companies stopped airing the three channels after a court ruled that they were violating their intellectual property rights.

Cofek lawyer Henry Kurauka says that the continued no-show of the three channels was a violation of subscribers’ rights and  their expectation to watch free-to-air content when they acquired the digital set top boxes.

He adds that consumers were misled to buying the gadgets.

“They failed to make the required full disclosure on the services so as to enable consumers derive full benefit from the gadgets… Seeking the consent of the media houses to air their channels was the sole mandate of the pay TV channels and the subscribers who had paid to watch the channels had nothing to do with it.It is therefore the responsibility of the respondents to compensate the consumers.” Mr Karauka told the High Court in Nairobi.