After suffering targeted attacks during the Monday, March 27, Azimio la Umoja protests, media practitioners donned protective gear to cover Thursday, March 30, as part of a protective measure.
Journalists who covered protests in several parts of the country, including Kibera, Mathare in Nairobi and Kisumu, were seen wearing light body armour vests and protective headgear.
Others wore respiratory masks and protective eyeglasses to help them carry on with their work even in challenging environments, including in teargas-laced situations.
The combative gear protected them from sustaining injuries from protesters throwing stones or from being hit with rubber bullets.
NTV reporter Vincent Odour wore a blue protective headgear while covering protests in Kibra, where a section of rowdy youth engaged law enforcement officers.
Commenting on Odour's gear, Lofty Matambo alluded to a Bible story indicating that it was essential for them to bring unruffled coverage.
"Wear all protective gear to defeat the devil," Matambo stated.
Similar gear was worn by KTN News cameraman Hebrone Kinyoda and other reporters covering the protests.
Journalists representing international media stations donned half jackets with 'The Press' tag printed behind them.
Besides upscaling their gear, Citizen TV reporters, including Seth Olale, stayed on the police side to avoid engaging with rowdy youth who hurled stones in Mathare Estate.
Further, they limited live interviews with protesters and others, which could have triggered attacks during coverage. Instead, the journalists only interviewed people at convenient places.
With the new tactics, reports of assault were not reported at the time of this publication.
On Monday, March 27, Citizen TV reporter Seth Olale and his colleagues were attacked by a knife-wielding gang in Kibra.
Reports indicated that the journalists were caught in the middle of the clash between the police and the protestors.
NTV reporter Brian Obuya was also forced to take cover as police engaged a section of Azimio supporters in Mathare, Nairobi.
At the same time, Nation Media Group journalists covering the invasion of former President Uhuru Kenyatta's Northlands farm were also attacked.
Two Africa Uncensored journalists were allegedly arrested by the police in Mathare, Nairobi.
Media Council of Kenya condemned the attacks on journalists, arguing that they interfered with their operations.
"Reports of journalists being attacked by goons participating in the demos and by law enforcement officers who are supposed to provide security cannot be tolerated," MCK CEO David Omwoyo stated.
