Media Council Condemns Journalist Attack
The media council of Kenya has condemned the attacks by the police officers on journalists covering the protest that was carried out on Monday.
It was reported these journalists encountered losses including the destruction of their equipment and even the information they had collected.
“As the media council of Kenya, we strongly condemn the attack on journalists covering the protests. We received reports of violent physical attacks on media personnel, including the destruction of their equipment and information collected. Some journalists have lost their valuables.” Said David Omwoyo, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary to the council.
The council said that they will not tolerate the violation of their rights as journalists by the goons and the law enforcement officers who are expected to give security to the journalists who go about their daily activities but instead attack them.
“Reports of journalists being attacked by the goons participating in the demos and law enforcement officers who are supposed to provide security cannot be tolerated. This undermines press freedom and limits the public’s access to information, violates human rights, and can cause physical or psychological harm. It is essential that journalists are able to carry out their work without fear of violence or harassment, and that law enforcement agencies are held accountable for any actions that violate their rights or impede their ability to report on events.” he added.
The council further commended the journalists for their efforts in ensuring Kenyans are up to date while closely monitoring and promising with law enforcement agencies to ensure those responsible are brought to book. The council called on aggrieved persons to report any complaints to the media complaints commission.
“The Council is monitoring and will work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those
responsible for the attacks are held accountable for their actions, and measures to be taken to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. We commend and stand in solidarity with all journalists who put themselves at risk to report on events and keep the public informed, and we reiterate our commitment to fiercely defend the freedom of the press. We encourage anyone aggrieved by the media to report any complaints to the Media Complaints Commission which is legally mandated to mediate on the same instead of taking the law into their own hands.” Concluded David Omwoyo.
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