The crime of the three, employed by the East African Standard, is quite heinous: They said Mwai Kibaki, the president of Kenya, had a secret meeting with a sacked cabinet minister.

But fear not: Kenya is drafting a new media law as we speak to help protect innocent politicians against such vicious uses of media power.

More at the BBC story.

Update:

Here's more detail from an AP story on globeandmail.com this morning:

Masked gunmen who identified themselves as police shut down Kenya's second largest media group Thursday, two days after three Kenyan journalists were detained without charge for a story about the country's president, the company's editorial director said.

The closings targeted the country's oldest newspaper, The Standard, and the Kenya Television Network. It appeared to be the first time in recent history that a Kenyan government has shut down the operations of a major media company.

Dozens of masked men in unmarked vehicles raided the editorial offices and the Standard's printing plant, taking computers and transmission equipment, damaging the presses and setting fire to Thursday's editions, said an Associated Press photographer who witnessed the raids.

“We believe this is a direct and blatant attempt to undermine the freedom of the press in this country that is guaranteed by the constitution. It is also intended to paralyze our business,” said Tom Mshindi, the chief executive officer of the Standard Group.

Mr. Mshindi said he hoped to have the television station back on the air by Thursday afternoon and the presses repaired in time for a Friday edition.

The Minister of Information, Mutuhi Kagwe, told journalists Thursday morning that he did not order the raid and knew nothing about it. A government spokesman said a press conference would be held later in the day.