Media stakeholders issue an ultimatum to DPP Haji on the attacks they received on thursday, Threaten to protest.
In a press release today, Media stakeholders issue an ultimatum to DPP Haji. The journalists complained of the violence they went through on thursday protests and questioned why the government is quiet.
Kenya Editor’s Guild President Churchill Otieno highlighted that not only did the Azimio la umoja protestors dance to the music played by the police and goons, journalists who were on the ground covering also fell victim.
Churchill warned against the profiling of journalists by that has been done before Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and the Inspector General of Police, Japheth Koome.
Churchill stated,”This would be most ill-advised and a grievous assault on Kenya’s democracy because it denies the Kenyan public their right to information. Taking this route will sink us all as a country.”
“We have documented more than 20 cases of attacks and violations against journalists by law enforcement officers including harassment, arbitrary arrests, and physical attacks,” he added.
Supporting him was Executive Director of the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) Patience Nyange called upon Independent Policing Oversight Authority(IPOA) to investigate the kind of brutality journalists received while trying to do their work.
Nyange questioned on why the police would attack journalists, instead of protecting them.
Nyange stated,”Failure to which media houses will consider blocking out the coverage of government events. Journalists must be provided with proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).”
On the same issue was The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) Secretary General Erick Oduor, who stated that if any journalist is attacked tomorrow, then they will come out in numbers and protest.
Oduor stated,”We are calling on journalists all over the country to come out in large numbers and protest if tomorrow there will be cases of attacks against journalists.”
“We will hold the head of police Japhet Koome individually responsible if there will be any attacks on journalists or if any equipment will be destroyed,” he added.