Media owners have demanded the prosecution of the people involved in attacks against journalists in relation to the ongoing anti-government protests.
Condemning recent cases of attacks against journalists, the Media Owners Association of Kenya (MOA) says it is deeply concerned by the fact that the Press is targeted by government operatives.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, MOA’s honorary secretary Julius Lamalon cited the abduction of Macharia Gaitho, the shooting of MediaMax journalist Catherine Wanjeri wa Kariuki, and the harassment of CNN photojournalist Fabien Muhire as some of the unacceptable happenings.
“We are deeply concerned by the incidents of violence, intimidation, and obstruction of media professionals as they carry out their rightful duty to report on these significant public events,” stated Dr Lamalon.
“(They are) unacceptable and a grave violation of Press freedom,” he added. “We remind the authorities that freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, is a fundamental right enshrined in Kenya’s Constitution.”
Mr Gaitho was abducted by a team of persons in plain clothes, with the assistance of uniformed officers, after he drove to the Karen Police Station to report about a car that was trailing the one he was in, being driven by his son. The veteran editor and columnist was released shortly afterwards in what police termed a case of mistaken identity.
Ms Wanjeri sustained injuries on her leg after rubber bullets were shot her way as she covered anti-government protests in Nakuru on July 16.
In the case of Mr Muhire, he was viciously targeted by police sprinklers as he covered protests in Nairobi on July 16.
“Journalists must be able to cover protests, gatherings, and other newsworthy events without fear of intimidation or physical harm,” stated Dr Lamalon. “Any individual or entity that is dissatisfied with media coverage has recourse through established channels, such as the Media Council of Kenya. Targeting journalists or media houses directly is not the answer and will not be tolerated.”
The media owners issued a list of four demands to the government. The first is a thorough investigation of the incidents that involved journalists and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Security of all journalists
The second is that the government should ensure the safety and security of all journalists covering the anti-government protests and other public events.
MOA’s other demand is that the State should uphold the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and press freedom.
The fourth demand is that the government should “collaborate with media stakeholders to create an enabling environment for journalists to carry out their duties without fear of reprisals”.
“The Media Owners Association stands in solidarity with our journalists and will continue to defend the rights and interests of the media industry. We urge all stakeholders to respect the vital role of the press and refrain from any actions that undermine press freedom in Kenya,” stated Dr Lamalon.
In a related development, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has taken issue with the directive from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to media houses about coverage of protests. CA had stated that there had been instances where media houses compromised objectivity in covering the protests.
However, in a Thursday evening statement, LSK president Faith Odhiambo said it is not CA’s job to police media coverage.
“While we appreciate the concerns raised by CA, we wish to remind them that their role as regulators does not extend to determining what news is disseminated but rather that the news so disseminated does not contravene the express provisions of Article 33 of the Constitution,” stated Mrs Odhiambo.
“We put the CA to task to qualify the alleged bias in reporting by the media. We take the view that it is not the duty of the media to sanitise unconstitutional violations of human rights through toned-down or favourable reporting. We wish to point out that there is no neat, balanced or objective way of reporting rogue police brutality, extrajudicial killings, government impunity and lack of integrity,” Mrs Odhiambo added.
