The Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) has now demanded the government to provide security to media houses following recent attacks during the ongoing youth led protests.
They expressed deep concern over reports of intimidation and threats against journalists, specifically those working for Royal Media Services (RMS).
Through a quick dispatch to the newsrooms, KEG President Zubeidah Kananu said that she was concerned about threats being directed toward the media from various quotas, terming them as aspects that undermine journalists’ safety.
“The Guild would like to condemn the threats being peddled on social media by anonymous individuals, who have also threatened to storm the media house. We would like to condemn the continued attacks on journalists being targeted for their work or in the line of duty.” She affirmed.
She condemned the threats being circulated by anonymous individuals, who have also threatened to storm the media house.
“These threats, disseminated through fliers on social media, are particularly alarming during a period of protests where law enforcers have directly targeted journalists at work.” She added.
The Guild highlighted that such actions are not isolated incidents, noting a troubling trend of attacks against media houses and individual journalists.
The statements come on the back of cases of brute force directed at the media by the police during the genZ demonstrations.
On Tuesday this week, July 16, 2024, a Nakuru based correspondent for Kameme TV and radio based Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki was shot while reporting on protests.
Earlier, police arrested veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho in Nairobi’s Karen area, an incident which police claimed was a case of mistaken identity.
The incidents have sparked widespread condemnation.
Kananu condemned the ongoing attacks on journalists, particularly those targeted for their work or while on duty.
She highlighted the troubling increase in assaults perpetrated by officers of the National Police Service, an institution mandated to ensure the safety and security of all Kenyans.
Kananu stressed that these assaults are an affront to the constitutional guarantees of media freedom.
She cited the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of Kenya, which explicitly protects the media’s right to operate without interference, as well as the rights to freedom of expression and the right to receive and impart information.
“Article 34(2) clearly stipulates that the State shall not interfere with individuals engaged in broadcasting, production, or circulation of publications, nor shall it penalize anyone for their opinions, views, or the content of any broadcast or publication.”
In light of the ongoing threats undermining the safety of journalists, Kananu called on the government to protect all media houses, with immediate attention to the media houses currently under threat.
She reiterated that the safety of journalists and the freedom of the press are essential to a democratic and informed society.
