The Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) has issued a strong condemnation of violent attacks on journalists who covered the homecoming of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, describing the assaults as a grave threat to press freedom and democratic values in the country.
On Thursday, journalists from The Standard Group, TV47, and Citizen TV were targeted along Mombasa Road as Gachagua’s convoy travelled from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Unidentified assailants attacked the reporters, stealing cameras, mobile phones, and other essential equipment, while also damaging their vehicles.
According to KEG, police officers present at the scene failed to intervene, raising serious questions about the state’s commitment to protecting journalists.
In a statement issued on Friday, KEG President Zubeida Kananu described the assaults as part of a disturbing pattern. “The increasing frequency, audacity and coordination of these attacks suggest a deliberate effort to intimidate and silence the media,” she said. “This was not a random act.”
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The Guild issued a sharp demand for action from the National Police Service (NPS) and the Inspector General of Police, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators, personal accountability from the IG for failing to protect journalists, and assurances from the state to ensure media workers can work without fear of violence or theft.
Kananu warned that inaction would expose the government as an “enabler of lawlessness and oppression” rather than a defender of democratic freedoms.
Press freedom advocates, including international groups, have also urged local authorities to investigate the matter, emphasising the critical role of a free media in a democratic society, in line with Article 34 of the Constitution, which safeguards their independence.
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