Nation & Standard Journalists Arrested in Nyeri After Interview

A Nation journalist was on Monday evening arrested in Nyeri while on duty.

The journalist namely Irene Mugo of Daily Nation, alongside Lydia Nyawira of Standard, was arrested after interviewing the relatives of the man who wore a T-shirt portraying a message believed to be against Deputy President William Ruto.

The two are being detained at the Mukurwe-ini police station after their notebooks and mobile phones were seized.

The man named Albert Nderitu wore a shirt printed Kieleweke/Big4First to a fundraising event on Sunday at Mukurwe-ini where the Deputy President was the chief guest.

A Facebook post by Nyeri MP Ngunjiri Wambugu claimed that Mr. Ruto’s security detail spotted Albert in the crowd and ordered the local OCPD to have him arrested after which he was taken to the police station for the night.

According to Wambugu, Albert was on Monday morning asked to part with for Ksh50,000 bond and charged with causing disturbance.

In a similar case, two Nation journalists were arrested in Mombasa in August for filming the construction of a hotel that has encroached into the Indian Ocean.

The NTV senior Coast cameraman Karim Rajan and Daily Nation photographer Laban Walloga were apprehended while on official duty and detained at the Bamburi Police Station.

The hotel filmed by the journalists is believed to be associated with a top government official.

A Daily Nation reporter Winnie Atieno managed to escape an attack by the workers at the construction site located in Shanzu,

The journalists were reportedly harassed by workers at the hotel and had their equipment confiscated.

Mombasa police commander Johnston Ipara refused to comment on the matter stating that he did not want to be involved in the matter.

Police officers later released them and denied claims of detaining them for several hours.

In the same month, Nation Journalist Ndung'u Gachane has arrested outside Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (MUWASCO) offices while taking photographs of police officers manning the gate.

Gachane was detained after the workers accused him of biased reporting the wrangles between Governor Mwangi Wa Iria and tycoon Peter Munga over the management of the water company.

A week ago, another Nation journalist Barrack Oduor was kidnapped in Homa Bay County.

The journalist, who covers Homa Bay County, escaped from his kidnappers by jumping out of a moving vehicle.

The recent attack on journalists caused an uproar by the public who called for their protection and freedom to be upheld. 

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