Journalists protest against police brutality

By Peter Ochieng 

Journalists across the country took to the streets on Wednesday, to protests against increasing cases of police brutality.

The peaceful protests came on the backdrop of members of the press having become a target for police, during Gen-Z protests across the nation.

Last week, Catherine Kariuki, a TV journalist attached to Mediamax company was shot thrice in the thigh by a trigger-happy police officer in Nakuru.

Interestingly, Kariuki was pictured earlier assisting a female police officer to beat the impact of teargas, by applying Colgate close to her eyes.

In Kisumu, journalists converged at the Sports Ground, before peacefully moving to the Kisumu Central Police Station, and later the County Commissioner’s office, expressing their anger against police officers for making them a target while on duty.

Addressing comrades, Doreen Magak, Kisumu Journalists Network (KJN) chairperson said taking journalists while doing their job seeks to curtain press freedom in the country.

“The fundamental principles of press freedom that hold promise to our democracy are facing a coordinated assault by forces keen to end the era of free speech, press freedom, and accountability. The crackdown on journalists and press freedom has been on the rise and several of our colleagues have been subjected to terror, harassment, unlawful detentions, and even gunshot wounds. Our attackers? Police officers who are mandated by law to protect life and property,” she said.

“Therefore, we are demanding the following irreducible minimums: Press freedom as guaranteed in our constitution, unrestricted access to information, prosecution of violent police, an end to media censorship, Communications Authority stops threatening media houses, the government pays money owed to media houses, scrapping of Government Advertising Agency and a stop to using state advertisements to fight media,” added the NTV Kisumu Bureau camera lady.

She called out media houses that have blatantly refused to pay journalists their salaries.

“This is another affront to press freedom that must stop. Your employees are putting their lives on the line every day and dodging bullets from rogue police officers to give your audiences content. Pay them their dues that are commensurate with work done.”

“Journalists are also human beings with families to fend for,” insisted Doreen.