Six journalists were seriously injured on Thursday after they were attacked by police officers and protesters in Nairobi and Kisumu as Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga convened a fresh round of protests.
NTV cameraman Eric Isinta sustained serious injuries after a police officer lobbed a tear gas canister on his face while he was covering the anti-government demos in Nairobi County.
In the same tear gas attack as Raila’s motorcade drove through Pipeline area of Embakasi, Nairobi, Standard journalist Timon Abuna also sustained serious wounds on his head.
There's no justification for the excessive force used against peaceful unarmed citizens exercising their democratic rights today.
There's no justification for the excessive force used against peaceful unarmed citizens exercising their democratic rights today.
The unprovoked attack left my car hit with 7 live bullets, each aimed at me. Despite this, we won't be deterred. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/tkiFaPwHQI— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) March 30, 2023Read More
The two were on the receiving end of the wrath of police as Raila’s convoy was leaving Kware area seeking to join Outer Ring Road but met police water cannon and teargas.
Officers were also captured hurling dozens of teargas cannisters towards a vehicle carrying journalists and the Azimio public address systems despite scribes identifying themselves.
A number of the journalists were forced to jump dangerously from atop the media vehicle and run for safety and sustaining injuries after they came under a barrage of cannisters chocking them in smoke.
A plain clothed police officer was also captured by a section of the media smashing the window of a car carrying media personnel and firing a teargas canister directly inside.
Citizen TV cameraman Dismus Nabiswa was seriously wounded after protesters pelted him with stones for filming them as they were looting shops in Nyamasaria in Kisumu City.
This comes after journalists were attacked on Monday by police and protesters in Kibra, Mathare, Kawangware and outside Kenyattas family’s Northlands City, which was breached and looted by goons.
Organisations dealing with media issues including the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the Kenya Editors Guild have criticized the attacks on journalists calling for their protection.
Raila has lambasted the attacks accusing police of high-handedness and disrupting peaceful demos unprovoked and vowed to continue with the demos every Monday and Thursday.
““It is very unfortunate that in the whole of these skirmishes, the media is being targeted for attack. The other day and today, several journalists have been injured,” Raila said.
Kenya Police attacked opposition convoy as they exited Kware Embakasi South, Nairobi. Africa Uncensored managed to capture this exclusive footage of a plain cloth police officer lobbing teargas into this media vehicle. Two journalists were injured by teargas canisters#Maandamano pic.twitter.com/urizPBjgkF
— Africa Uncensored (@AfUncensored) March 30, 2023
Wanahabari Wamewakosea Nini?
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) March 30, 2023
Mpiga picha wa NTV, Eric Isinta, na mwenzake wa KTN, Timon Abuna, wajeruhiwa vibaya baada ya maafisa wa polisi kuwalenga moja kwa moja na vitoa machozi, Nairobi. #NTVJioni @FredMuitiriri @Martin_Mwangi05 pic.twitter.com/VVXakBkmWz