Journalism much like any other job has its own hazards. To file a report, a journalist has to go to the field, interact with the subjects of the story, and record the events.
In unfortunate scenarios, a number of reporters have encountered accidents while on duty and some have come out to tell their stories.
In this article, we will look at the instances that have seen the scribes nearly lose their lives while on duty.
Lulu Hassan
Citizen TV anchor Lulu Hassan in 2019 opened up about an accident that she survived while on assignment to Kisumu in 2010.
Revealing that she had difficulty walking due to the crash, Lulu stated that she had a plate inserted on her left femur for seven years.
“April 19, 2010, I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was going for an assignment in Kisumu but on reaching Kapkatet, it all happened so fast, I found myself at the Siloam Hospital in Kericho, first aid was being administered on me,” she wrote on her Instagram page.
Following the accident, Lulu was rushed to the emergency theatre at the Nairobi's Aga Khan Hospital, where she thought she would not be able to walk again.
In 2019, she had the plate removed in surgery as she expressed gratitude for not losing her ability to walk.
Ian Wafula and Hussein Mohammed
While working at KTN in 2014, the two journalists were involved in an accident while pursuing a story in Mandera.
In a previous interview with Kenyans.co.ke, Ian Wafula disclosed that he was on his way to Ramu in Mandera together with Hussein Mohammed when the pick-up truck they were travelling in overturned.
"There were no roads over there, just sand. We were driving at 60Km/hr the pick-up just overturned. But we all came out unscratched, luckily," he narrated.
He added that upon learning of the crash, his boss at the time,(Joe Ageyo) suggested they head back to Nairobi.
They however opted to finish the mission instead with Red Cross officials offering assistance by taking them to Mandera to cover the conflict.
Sam Ogina, Maurice Oduor and Joseph Njane
In 2017, Citizen TV's Sam Ogina was among three Royal Media Services (RMS) journalists who were involved in a plane crash in Lang'ata, Nairobi near the Southern Bypass area.
Ogina together with cameraman Mauritius Oduor and Radio Citizen Joseph Njane were heading to a National Super Alliance (NASA) rally in Baringo before crash landing near National Housing Corporation Houses in Lang'ata.
Luckily, the reporters sustained minor injuries and would tell the story of the crash in a later interview.
Moments before the crash, Ogina recalled the plane failing to gain altitude that left an uneasy feeling in him.
On his part, Oduor took his camera and started recording the events as the plane headed straight for the electricity cables at the end of the runway. Luckily strong winds lifted the plane above the wires and saved them from electrocution.
Ogina narrated seeing the plane begin to nosedive just as his colleague Njane bowed his head saying his last prayers as it was evident that the plane was going to crash.
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Richard Chacha, Linus Kaikai, Emmanuel Talaam
In 2012, six journalists were injured after the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in an accident near Longonot.
Among the injured were then-NTV’s managing editor Linus Kaikai, political reporter Richard Chacha, Ephantus Mwangi and Fridah Kirema. Emmanuel Talaam who was also in the vehicle incurred injuries in the crash as well.
The team of Nation Media Group journalists was reportedly on their way back to Nairobi from Narok after a fundraiser. A witness reported that the accident was caused by tyre burst.
Chacha who later left NTV, was badly injured in the crash and used a wheelchair to get around.
