Just like any other career, journalists experience numerous challenges in their line of work and have at times been arrested for highlighting vices that dismayed the powerful leaders.
Both in and out of the country, the scribes have found themselves putting up with cold floors and dark police cells merely for doing their jobs.
Some journalists were assaulted and brutalised while in line of duty before being detained.
Here are six journalists who have been arrested before:
1. Jeff Koinange
In 2015, at the height of his media success on JKL Show on KTN, Citizen TV journalist Jeff Koinange found himself behind bars after allegedly failing to honour court summons issued against him.
The celebrated anchor had failed to appear in court to answer to a defamation suit against him.
The then JKL Show host together with businessman Tony Gachoka allegedly had discussed the conduct of a company on his show, despite the company having obtained a court order barring the same.
Koinange was released on a Ksh100,000 bail after the Judge noted that he was a considered a flight risk.
“The warrant of arrest against him was issued last week and if he can be arrested more than four days after the warrants were issued, then it can be assumed that he is a flight risk. The court cannot entertain anyone who is in contempt,” ruled Senior Principal Magistrate, Linus Kassan, at the time.
2. Joy Doreen Biira
In 2016, Joy Doreen Biira, a former KTN anchor, found herself on the wrong side of the law after being accused of abetting terrorism for allegedly circulating photos and videos of a military fight that broke out in Uganda's Kasese town.
The journalist was arrested and spent close to 24 hours in police custody having flown into the country to attend her traditional wedding ceremony.
Doreen, alongside three others including her fiance Newton Kungu, were released on police bond and will be required to present themselves for continuation of the case on December 8.
3. Aaron Ochieng
The former KTN editor made the headlines after he was arrested over the alleged theft of colleague, Joy Doreen Biira’s car.
Reports claimed that Ochieng stole the Ksh2.8 million Mercedes Benz from Standard Group’s parking lot along Mombasa Road in December 2016.
He was later arraigned where he requested to have the matter solved outside the court.
4. Jacque Maribe
Towards the end of September 2018, former Citizen TV anchor Jacque Maribe found herself entangled in a murder scandal after businesswoman Monica Kimani was found dead in Kilimani.
Maribe was taken into custody after it emerged that the chief suspect in the murder, connected private security provider, Joe Irungu, was her lover.
In a statement prior to the arrest, Maribe claimed that she did not know about Monica Nyawira Kimani until she read the news of her shocking death on live television.
She was later arraigned in court regarding the matter before being released on a Ksh1 million bail.
5. Yassin Juma
In July 2020, former NTV journalist Yassin Juma was arrested and detained in Ethiopia by the country's military while covering mass protests that erupted in the Oromia Region, following the death of musician Hachalu Hundessa.
In the few weeks that followed, a diplomatic dispute ensued between officials of the two countries with several Kenyan government officials demanding his release.
Garissa MP Aden Duale was among the leaders who demanded Kenya's government provide details on the journalist's whereabouts while accusing the Ethiopian government of violating human rights by disregarding international judicial laws.
After push and pull, Juma was finally released in August 2020 and was at loggerheads with the Kenyan government over a decision to be flown back into the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that he had opted to live in Ethiopia but Juma explained that he had been prevented from travelling back into the country.
"Kindly treat as misleading, pedestrian talk, reckless rumours and sensational reports that I chose to remain in Ethiopia with friends. I could not stay here after all that I went through. Furthermore, it compromises my security," he stated.
6. Muraya Kariuki
Senior Citizen TV news editor, Muraya Kariuki, was in December 2020 arrested and assaulted by police officers.
According to his testimony, Kariuki was leaving the Citizen TV studios after work when police officers flagged down a taxi he had boarded while on his way home.
"I was arrested, chocked and slapped around by two police officers who work from the Nairobi West Police Post. These officers arrested me right after I had left work at Citizen TV."
"They arrested me despite the fact that I had provided my Media Council of Kenya and Royal Media Services badges. They then slapped and chocked me in the cab I was in before taking my phones and work badges and locking me up almost up to midnight," he explained.
