Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has condemned the alleged shooting by police of a journalist during Nakuru protests on Tuesday.
This is after Kenyans took to the streets on Tuesday to protest and seek justice for those killed during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests.
During the Tuesday protests, three people, among them a journalist working with Kameme radio and TV were shot during the anti-government protests in Nakuru.
Other scribes at the scene said reporter Wanjeri wa Kariuki was shot three times in the thigh and was taken to a private hospital for treatment.
In a statement on X, Wamuchomba condemned the act calling for the upholding of media freedom.
She said that Wanjeri wa Kariuki was wearing a jacket labelled Press which deserved to be respected.
"Journalism is not a crime. Shooting journalists on assignment is a sign of the erosion of Kenyan democracy," she said.
"As a journalist, I join the media fraternity in condemning the shooting of the K24 Journalist, Catherine Wanjiru. Her press jacket deserved respect."
The doctor at the health facility she was taken to confirm that she was shot thrice in the thighs.
Witnesses claim the police allegedly shot at the female scribe yet she was marked with a press card and jacket.
Police were deployed in major towns to keep calm and ensure the safety of the protesters.
However, the scenes turned ugly after protesters and police officers engaged in running battles.
In Nairobi, protesters barricaded roads with stones forcing police to lob teargas in a bid to disperse them.
As of the afternoon, protests had taken shape in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nairobi and other towns.
Protesters engaged the police and they retaliated by lobbying teargas to disperse them.
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) demanded action against the police officer who allegedly shot the journalist.
While condemning the incident, the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) said such barbaric acts have no place in Kenya, where journalists are required to play the role of watchdog and source of credible information to citizens.
“The Independent Policing Oversight must investigate the officer involved and source of orders to shoot journalists within seven days and prosecute the suspect, failure to which we will institute private prosecution of the officer involved and the commander of the Nakuru operation,” KUJ secretary general Erick Oduor said.
In a statement to newsrooms, Oduor added that Kariuki’s colleagues said the shooting was a targeted attack.