Detectives have reportedly expanded the scope of Nation Media Group (NMG) journalists targeted for arrest to include news anchors and presenters Larry Madowo and Ken Mijungu.
According to an NTV news update, plainclothes officers are said to have camped outside Nation Centre, the head offices of NTV, allegedly to arrest the two alongside the station’s General Manager Linus Kaikai for “unclear reasons” related to the current political crisis that climaxed with the swearing in of NASA leader Raila Odinga yesterday.
But as we reported earlier, Kaikai appears to be a clear target of the government crackdown on media houses that defied a State House “advice” not to broadcast live proceeding at the Uhuru Park function where NASA leader Raila Odinga was sworn in as the “People’s President” on Tuesday.
According to earlier reports, the special team of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrived at Nation Centre on Wednesday evening seeking to arrest Kaikai.
NTV is among stations that were shut down by the Government after defying what Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i called a prior full security brief and went ahead to air developments at Uhuru Park live on Tuesday morning before the station was shut down alongside Citizen TV, Inooro TV and KTN News.
NTV General Manager Linus Kaikai faces arrest as the crackdown on media houses that defied government orders not to provide live coverage of the NASA event at Uhuru Park ensued.
According to sources, the special team of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrived at Nation Centre on Wednesday evening seeking to arrest Kaikai.
NTV is among stations that were shut down by the Government after defying what Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i called a prior full security brief and went ahead to air developments at Uhuru Park live on Tuesday morning before the station was shut down alongside Citizen TV, Inooro TV and KTN News.
In a statement he issued in front of Harambee House, Nairobi, Matiang’i said some media houses chose to disregard this advice, their own code of ethics, self-regulation, and the moral responsibility of every Kenyan to safeguard the security of their fellow citizens.
Already, Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang, who presided over the “swearing in” of NASA leader Raila Odinga has been arrested. He was picked by Flying Squad officers at Milimani Commercial Courts where he had gone to represent the Parliamentary Service Commission in a matter involving a dispute with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Apart from heading NTV operations, Kaikai is also the chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild, and he on Monday issued a stern warning about attempts by government to dictate how the media should cover the Uhuru Park proceedings following a high-level meeting at State House, Nairobi. The move saw some observers fear he might have put himself in the line of fire.
But speaking to African Uncensored, a platform funded by investigative journalist John Allan Namu, Kaikai said he did not know why the detectives want to arrest him.
“JUST IN: Police officers are at this hour at the Nation Media Group’s head office with orders for the arrest of @ntvkenya General Manager @LinusKaikai. Speaking to Africa Uncensored, Kaikai said that they have yet to establish the reasons for these orders. #MediaShutDownKE,” the African Uncensored tweeted a while ago.
We are seeking to independently establish why he is facing imminent arrest.
Earlier, Madowo had dared the authorities to investigate him over Tuesday’s coverage.
“I was in the control room producing @ntvkenya’s coverage when we were switched off. I am stunned by the government’s justification for this flagrant violation of our constitution. If journalism is now outlawed in Kenya, I am ready to be investigated,” Madowo tweeted following Matiang’i’s press conference.
READ: Media Council defends shut TV stations
When police arrested NASA strategist David Ndii in early January, they had also sought to grill Madowo over an interview he conducted in August last year in which the economist expounded on why some parts of the country may want to secede.
The Media Council of Kenya has, however, protested against the police crackdown on the media and the shutting down of the four TV stations, saying it was an affront on media freedom and the right of Kenyans to information.
Activists have called on the media houses to seek legal redress and the potential arrest of fingered journalists is likely to heighten stakes in coming days.
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