A journalist working at Milele FM sustained injuries on the night of Sunday, April 5, after being beaten up by Police officers outside his workplace in Nakuru County.
Speaking to KTN News on Monday, April 5, the journalist, David Omurunga, recounted that he was stopped by the plain-clothes officers.
His attempt to identify himself as a journalist fell on deaf ears even though he was certified as a special services provider.
"I was leaving the office at around 8:10 p.m. but four men attacked me suddenly. I thought they were thugs. They reaped my sweater. I had carried my equipment in a bag and I cannot find my recorder. It is lost.
"My knee is also hurting. My national ID card is also lost and I am wondering how being a journalist is equated to being a criminal," he stated.
He noted that after the beating, he was bundled into a Landcruiser and taken to a police station but he was released before being booked into a cell.
"I called Madam OCPD Elena Kabukuru while in the Landcruiser who directed me to OCS Derrick Nyaga. I called him but we did not agree.
"When we got to the station, we were bundled into the cell but before I could get in, a police officer came asking for the journalist from the crowd," he added.
When Nyaga arrived, he told him that he did not have any means to get home but he was told to stay put and wait for officers to carry out their patrol duties.
The encounter caused an uproar in Nakuru with the journalists union in the region demanding justice for the scribe and action to be taken against the police officers.
Media Council CEO David Omwoyo termed the harassment as unfortunate coming barely weeks after other journalists were attacked during London Ward by-elections.
He further disclosed that brutality cases against journalists in 2021 had exceeded 40.
"Some of the police have become rogue, are unable to follow the law and the fact that they are not able to follow a Gazette Notice issued by Interior CS Fred Matiang'i shows that they are unable to obey the law.
"What we have got to do now is ideally identify the individual police officers and hold them responsible which is why we are going to demand the Inspector General of Police have the (culprits) identified and taken to Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA)," stated Omwoyo.
Investigations into the incident have been launched.
Below is the video:
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