A Kenyan photographer identified as Msingi Sasis has revealed his ordeal after being arrested as a terror suspect one year ago.
Sasis who owns Nairobinoir.com which deals mainly with street photography, unveiled in a Facebook post that owing to the arrest, he is now jobless and unable to continue with his practice as 'clients fear to engage him in business'.
“It has become nearly impossible for me to sell any art or get any meaningful work as almost no one, both individuals and organisations, are willing to do a financial transaction or even be involved with a 'terror suspect'. A 'terror suspect' is what my life has been in the past one year,” Sasis wrote on Facebook.
The photographer narrated how he suffered and watched helplessly as everything he had ever owned went down in the drain.
“This week auctioneers seized everything in my studio. Every valuable thing they placed their hands on. All my cameras, computers, printers, other equipment, and anything that can quickly be sold including hard drives that had every work I have ever created. It's all gone,” he stated.
He further noted that he was forced to live in the streets after failing to pay rent for many months.
“I have also defaulted on my rent for many months now and have been issued with an eviction notice which has already expired. Whatever was left by the auctioneers in the form of clothing, furniture, and other personal items will be detained by the owner of the property and their agent to recover defaulted rent,” he stated.
“In the next few hours I will be homeless. Now to find a place where I can sleep on these street I have come to know,” he added.
Sasis was arrested last year in April at the Galleria Mall in Karen and taken to Lang'ata Police Station for questioning, after members of the public claimed he was suspiciously taking photographs without their consent.
