Nation Journalists Arrested for Filming Hotel Construction on Riparian Land

Police in Mombasa on Thursday arrested two Nation Media journalists while on their usual duties.

The journalists were held after being found filming construction of a hotel that has encroached into the Indian Ocean.

According to the media house, NTV senior Coast cameraman Karim Rajan and Daily Nation photographer Laban Walloga were held by police at Bamburi police station.

[caption caption=" NTV Cameraman Karim Rajan (PHOTO/COURTESY)"][/caption]

A senior police officer in Bamburi is said to have supervised the arrest of the two journalists.

The construction of the hotel has been a concern in Shanzu area but the project is linked to a senior government official.

A Daily Nation reporter Winnie Atieno managed to escape an attack by the workers at the construction site located in Shanzu.

Mombasa police commander Johnston Ipara told the media house that he would not comment on the matter.

Ipara held that: "I do not want to be involved in that issue."

The journalists were reportedly harassed by workers at the site and had their equipment confiscated.

The officers later in the evening released the journalists, denying having detained them for several hours.

Land issues have been a subject of concern at the coast with a number of private developers being accused of investing on public land.

[caption caption="Daily Nation photographer Laban Walloga(PHOTO/COURTESY)"][/caption]

In July, month President  Uhuru Kenyatta had to personally get involved in helping Mombasa County government reclaim its land from an investor.

Kenyatta ordered the National Land Commission (NLC) to revoke the Kibarani dumpsite land title and hand it over to the Mombasa County government.

The order was followed by various twists with critical documents mysteriously disappearing from the Ministry of Lands.

Troubled NLC boss Muhammad Swazuri at the time stated that they could not trace some of the critical documents ownership records for the Kibarani dumpsite land.

Video of the Journalists being harassed:

 

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