Journalists on Wednesday staged peaceful demonstration to protest alleged police’s heavy-handed handling of journalist covering the wave of youth-led protests.
Led by Kenya Editor’s Guild president Zubeida Kananu and Kenya Union of Journalists secretary general Eric Oduor, the scribes congregated at Nation centre along Nairobi’s Kimathi Street before matching to police headquarters and later to other government offices to deliver petitions.
The protests were happening in the context of last week’s shooting of a Nakuru-based TV journalist who was shot three times in the thigh by police despite putting on a market jacket.
Veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho also recently survived a botched police abduction at the Karen police station.
The police had been trailing him from his house before later manhandling him at the station into a waiting Probox.
The police later claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.
The journalists' grievances include alleged harassment at the hands of the government which they deem a direct assault on media freedom and independent reporting.
They demanded action against police officers accused of overstepping their mandates by using illegal force to target scribes who are well marked while covering the protests.
“We have been capturing every police excesses, including when they deliberately target reporters whose work is well regulated. Why have they not been held accountable? Journalism is not a crime and we demand compliance with the law,” Kananu said.
She also questioned why police and the law enforcement watched as journalists are getting profiled, with their phone numbers paraded online so they are harassed.
“Why are we being called genocide journalists with our contacts splashed online? We are doing our work in an objective and fair manner and we will continue to do so without being cowed,” she said.
Other issues captured in the memoranda presented to the authorities include concerns of hefty pending bills that have yet to be paid by the government to media houses, thereby crippling operations and seeing talents let go.
They also complained about reported threats of shutdown by government agencies like Communication Authority against some media houses whose coverage of the protests have been objectionable to the state.
At police headquarters, Police spokesperson Resila Onyango received the petition on behalf of the acting police IG Douglas Kanja whom she said was not available.
She said police was keen to have a healthy working relationship with the media and that the IG was keen to sustain the same.
"On behalf of the acting IG, I assure you that I have received your petition and will get back to you. I want to reassure the media that as the National Police Service, we will continue working together."
There were also street actions in Nakuru and Kisumu among other places.
In Mombasa, tens of scribes also took to the streets. They alleged that police aim live fire on them while doing their work.
The street protest started in the Mapembeni area.
The journalists marched through Moi Avenue, Nkurumah Road and Mama Ngina Drive to the County Commissioners office at Uhuru na Kazi.
Mombasa Press Club chairman Omar Abdhalla and Coast Media FC official Kevin Odit, accompanied by other journalists, presented a petition to Mombasa County Commissioner Noor Mohammed.
"Journalists are our friends. We are glad you have been able to hold a very peaceful protest," Mohammed said.
He added that the police have never targeted journalists during demonstrations in Mombasa.
“It is unfortunate that sometimes journalists find themselves among the protestors. We have never targeted journalists,” he said.