Three journalists were assaulted and allegedly arrested by police officers while attempting to cover the arrival of a new secondary school principal in Kitui County.
Following a public tip-off, the journalists arrived at Mutonguni Boys High School on Thursday, February 8, to cover an anticipated protest by parents who had vowed to march in case the new principal took over.
"Mutonguni Boys’ parents had said if the new principal takes over the school, they will demonstrate. We arrived and found the teacher (principal) had already been sneaked in and the gate had been closed," one of the journalists opened up following the assault.
However, when they arrived at the scene they found police officers who ordered everyone to disperse immediately.
Seeing some still defiant about the express order, one journalist bore the brunt of their fury and was brutally beaten and left with bloodied hands. Others sustained injuries of varying severity.
Thereafter, some of the journalists were hauled into a police van and allegedly booked at a nearby police station.
"They took us to Ndolo's Police station. They booked me there. They wanted to charge me with causing a disturbance," one of the journalists claimed.
Meanwhile, the school principal had already been received, as heavy security guarded the area.
The section of parents who threatened to demonstrate, citing a worrying trend of poor performances, was also barred from the vicinity.
The incident follows a February 1 assault, where a Standard Media journalist claimed to have been assaulted by Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) officials along the Kitale - Kapenguria highway.
Through a video shared on their social media platform, the journalist was recorded having a scuffle as the officials threatened to manhandle him.
Following the report, the EACC came out on February 2 to clear the air that no journalist had been assaulted.
"The individual said that he was a journalist and refused to identify himself further. For the avoidance of doubt, no EACC officer assaulted anyone and such does not happen at EACC," the agency stated.
