The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has condemned the police brutality against journalists who were covering the Azimio demonstrations on Thursday.
LSK President Eric Theuri referred to the incident as “barbaric, repulsive and retrogressive,” and called on the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to take responsibility for the actions of the police.
According to the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), at least six journalists were injured during the attack in Kware, Pipeline, Embakasi South. The MCK CEO, David Omwoyo, stated that most of the targeted journalists were photographers and camerapersons.
In a viral video, a plainclothes officer was seen breaking the window of a media vehicle before throwing a teargas canister inside.
Omwoyo described the acts as hooliganism and criminality aimed at destroying any evidence of police brutality captured on camera. Victor Bwire, the MCK Director for Media Training and Development, stated in a BBC radio interview that the Council will institute legal action against the National Police Service.
The MCK has documented 25 cases of police harassment, attacks, and arrests against local and international journalists since the start of the mass protests on March 20. Twenty of these cases were documented on the second Monday of the mass demonstrations on March 27.
The police were yet to comment on the incident by Friday morning.
The attacks on journalists have sparked widespread condemnation from different quarters, including the United Nations, which called on the authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the attacks. The media plays a critical role in reporting and informing the public during demonstrations, and their safety should be guaranteed.
