A number of journalists who were assaulted while covering demolitions by the Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) have narrated their ordeal.
Speaking to Citizen TV on Sunday, April 25, the seven journalists disclosed that they were beaten by the battalion of police officers while they were on assignment.
They disclosed that after the beating, the officers barred them from covering the demolitions in Mbeere that left over 5,000 people homeless.
After the encounter, the reporters disclosed that they were denied P3 forms in what was the second assault on the press covering the same demolitions.
"As journalists, it was a bad incident. We were beaten senseless at that time. This is the second incident here in Embu County still covering the same issue. Journalists being assaulted by police in uniform.
"This should come to a stop and should not happen again to journalists in this country," explained one of the scribes.
They further noted that despite clearly identifying themselves, the officers ignored their badges and arrested them.
The journalists, who had been arrested alongside Mbeere South MP Geoffrey King'ang'i on Saturday, April 24, were released on Sunday after spending a night at Yatta Police Station.
King'ang'i was protesting the eviction of thousands of residents from disputed land in Embu county. The affected journalists included KTN News reporter Daniel Moige and Cameraman Muriithi Mugo.
During the demolitions, TARDA claimed that the exercise was necessary to reclaim the riparian land.
The residents complained that the demolitions were not fair claiming that they had not been given the notice to vacate the land.
Below is the video:
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