During a live broadcast on Monday, January 7, Inooro TV reporter Victor Kinuthia, found himself in a tough spot after he was interrupted by President Uhuru Kenyatta's supporters.
The reporter was seeking to get Murang'a County residents' views on sentiments by Kandara MP Alice Wahome that the president was solely responsible for the unenviable state of the Kenyan economy.
While being interviewed by Kinuthia, one of the residents by the name James Kimworori stated that he fully supported sentiments by the MP, citing that he had listened to Wahome's clip a number of times but had not heard any unlawful sentiments.
It was at this point that a man, opposed to Wahome's sentiments against the president, stormed the set of the interview and interrupted the interviewee's remarks while violently expressing his opinions in support of Uhuru.
"The president has done a lot for this country and we will not allow people to embarrass him. Alice Wahome should register her own party, the democracy she is talking about is already being exercised," the man stated as other Uhuru supporters walked in the shot to show their support subsequently sorrounding the reporter who was now getting uneasy.
Efforts by Kinuthia to try and manage the situation were futile as the rowdy men outnumbered him.
"I think Nderitu Waihuru (the news anchor on studio) we will end things here," he stated amid a noisy background.
Taking to his social media pages, Kinuthia assured his followers that he was okay despite the incident.
"Murang'a boychild forced to end his live link abruptly. It was tough but we managed! Journalism forever," Kinuthia wrote on Facebook.
The incident comes with a backdrop of jitters caused by the Kandara MP after releasing a statement on Thursday, December 2, that branded Uhuru as the existential threat to Kenya's economy by virtue of being the head of state.
She accused the president of cutting back gains achieved by President Mwai Kibaki's regime by shrinking the democratic space in the country.
"I want to tell Kenyans that the biggest existential threat to Kenya's declining economy, democracy, freedom of speech and political association is Uhuru Kenyatta because he is on the driver's seat.
"Raila Odinga is his new political mercenary for hire and the BBI report is the special purpose vehicle," she had stated.
It is not the first time that a journalist is facing such violence while in the line of duty.
On June 3, 2019, KTN journalists were attacked and injured while pursuing a story at St Stephens Girls Secondary School.
The journalists were pelted with stones after students were allegedly incited by their principal.
