The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) Secretary General Erick Oduor has announced that journalists would stage demonstrations on Wednesday April 5, 2023 if any journalist will be attacked during anti-government demonstrations on Monday, April 3.
Speaking On Sunday in Nairobi Oduor stated that the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome would be held responsible should any journalist be injured.
“We are calling on journalists all over the country to come out in large numbers and protest if tomorrow there will be cases of attacks against journalists.
“We will hold the head of police Japhet Koome individually responsible if there will be any attacks on journalists or if any equipment will be destroyed,” Oduor stated.
Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill Otieno on his part gave the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) a 7-day ultimatum to issue a statement on the attack on journalists by the police on Thursday, March 30.
He slammed senior government officials for profiling journalists as Azimio supporters.
“This would be most ill-advised and a grievous assault on Kenya’s democracy because it denies the Kenyan public their right to information. Taking this route will sink us all as a country.
“We have documented more than 20 cases of attacks and violations against journalists by law enforcement officers including harassment, arbitrary arrests, and physical attacks,” Churchill stated.
He further alleged that there is a plan by the State to shut down the broadcast media and internet ahead of the demonstrations.
“We have received reports of plans to shut down the broadcast media and the internet and throw the country into information darkness ahead of tomorrow’s demonstrations.
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