At least six Kenyan journalists have been reportedly injured by the police in the ongoing anti-government protests in Nairobi and other parts of the eastern African country.
According to reports in local media on Friday, anti-riot police officers descended on the newsmen who were covering the protests and battered them as their vehicles were trapped between a barricade erected by police and the convoy of ex-President Raila Odinga who is leading the protests in the capital.
“In total, six journalists were injured during Thursday’s protests in different parts of the country,” one newspaper reported.
“A barrage of tear gas canisters and a deluge from an armoured water cannon directed at journalists in Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga’s convoy highlighted the brutality of security forces on the third day of anti-government protests,” the report said.
Another local paper said
anti-riot officers battered the journalists as their vehicle was trapped between a barricade erected by police and Mr Odinga’s convoy, which wasn’t spared either, with the Kenyan opposition leader of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition alleging his car was shot at seven times.
“Faced with the vicious attacks, the journalists, who were perched on the carrier of the black Toyota Land Cruiser, scampered for safety and, in the process, four were seriously injured.”
“It brought to 22 the total number of journalists injured since the start of the demonstrations on Monday, March 20.”
“In the aftermath, bloodied faces of victims of the attack, including local broadcaster NTV’s cameraman Eric Isinta told of the horror.”
“Others injured at the scene in Nairobi were Mr Timon Abuna of Standard Media Group, Mr Mauritius Oduor of Royal Media Services and Mr George Oduor, an independent photojournalist.”
“In Kisumu, a Citizen TV cameraman was critically injured while fleeing from rowdy protesters. Dismas Nabiswa, who was covering the riot from a footbridge on the Kisumu-Nairobi highway, was injured after he missed a step and fell, breaking some of his ribs,” the report added.
Odinga who spoke on the incident, said:
“It is very unfortunate that in the whole of these skirmishes, the media is being targeted for attack. The other day and today, several journalists have been injured.”