The Media Owners Association (MOA) has raised the alarm over the increasing trend of attacks on journalists during the coverage of the GenZ protests.
In a statement issued on Thursday, July 18, the association condemned the attacks and issued four demands to President William Ruto's government.
As a priority, the association called on the government to investigate the incidents and take action against the perpetrators including police officers.
Some of the cases that were highlighted were the shooting of Mediamax journalist Catherine Wanjeri wa Kariuki and the arrest of veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho.
On the other hand, the owners also demanded the government to guarantee the safety of journalists and protesters exercising their constitutional rights on protests.
"We hereby call on the government to uphold the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and press freedom," read the statement in part.
"We also call on the government to collaborate with media stakeholders to create an enabling environment for journalists to carry out their duties without fear of reprisals.
A number of journalists have been attacked in recent weeks during the Finance Bill protests that evolved into anti-government protests.
In some instances, the attack on journalists by the police has been captured on video, as was in the shooting of a Mediamax journalist in Nakuru.
On the other hand, other journalists have been attacked while covering other political events such as the presser by Azimio la Umoja on Wednesday, July 17.
Notably, the National Police Service (NPS) has yet to issue a statement on the attack on journalists.
However, after the arrest of veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho at the Karen Police Station on Wednesday, NPS issued a statement shortly after.
According to the police, the arrest was a case of mistaken identity. Gaitho filed a complaint with the police and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority(IPOA) after the incident.
