Scribes beaten, robbed during protests in Kisumu and Siaya

Journalists were on the receiving end on Friday during the Saba Saba protests in Kisumu and Siaya.

Police allegedly beat up and arrested a Standard Group journalist.

Isaiah Gwengi of The Standard newspaper was covering the Saba Saba protests in the hometown of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance supremo Raila Odinga when the police narrowed down on him.

Gwengi was released after his brief detention at Bondo police station following the intervention of his colleagues who made calls to the Bondo Sub County Police Commander Ibrahim Kosi.

"The OCPD (Kosi) has released me but these people really beat me up," Gwengi told the Star, adding that his tools of trade were also confiscated.

"I cannot trace even my camera," Gwengi said.

Gwengi said that he was wearing his Press Card to show that he is a journalist who is simply doing his work but the officers did not listen and proceeded to clobber him.

Kosi was not immediately available on the phone for a comment.

In Kisumu, a veteran photojournalist James Keyi was attacked and his camera robbed in Kisumu.

He was following a procession led by Kisumu leadership that was from Town heading to the Nyamasari area.

Keyi told the Star that on reaching the Kachok area, there were police officers on standby within the area, and a commotion ensued between the officers and the protestors.

"In the process, people were running for safety as the officers tried to disperse the crowd after they lobbied teargas canisters at them," he said.

He noted that during this process, as he was also running for safety towards a nearby petrol station, a group of 10 youths accosted him.

"They all surrounded me, as others ransacked my pockets, others forcefully took away my camera and broke my lens as I struggled to let loose," he said.

Keyi said some of them were carrying knives and when a few youths who knew him saw what was happening, they came to his rescue but the others ran away with the items.

He said their attempts were thwarted as the young men who robbed him were long gone.

"For now am safe and not hurt, it's only the stolen Canon camera and 1800 I had in my pocket," he said.