The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have come out to criticise the handling of Kenyan journalists in the recent protests.
In a statement issued on Saturday through the Federation’s official pages, the union condemned how law enforcement agencies had handled journalists covering the protests.
IFJ further lamented that the government was targeting journalists who they described as victims of misplaced government anger.
“We demand immediate accountability for these actions and urge the Kenyan government to protect journalists who risk their lives to keep the public informed. Journalists must not be the target of misplaced anger,” stated the IFJ.
The Federation additionally referenced the shooting of Mediamax journalist Catherine Wanjeri, while documenting protests in Nakuru claiming that was not an accident but a premeditated occurrence.
Furthermore, the IFJ described the explanation offered by the National Police Service (NPS) for the abduction of veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho as absurd.
“The recent violent and unlawful attacks on journalists in Kenya are not only abhorrent but a direct threat to democracy and make the truth the casualty of the crisis in the country, said FAJ President, Omar Faruk Osman.
Additionally, the Federation has condemned the government's failure to settle arrears it owes media houses, stating that failure to channel the funds had crippled operations and made it harder for the media to discharge its mandate.
According to the IFJ, the government has engaged in deliberate withholding of the funds to stifle the media’s ability to disseminate news.
“Furthermore, the Kenyan government's deliberate refusal to pay media houses for commercials, thereby weakening these vital institutions, is a blatant attempt to stifle the media and undermine media viability, ultimately denying journalists the opportunity to be decently remunerated”.
The Federation’s statement comes days after the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the Kenya Editors' Guild issued a strike notice over the abduction and attacks on journalists.
The Editors' Guild disclosed that RMS journalists allegedly received threatening messages through fliers circulated on social media platforms.
