A journalist is nursing serious injuries after he was attacked by Nairobi County goons in the name of Kanjo askaris.
According to Citizen TV journalist Kimani Mbugua, he was beaten mercilessly by the city askaris and is nursing serious head and neck injuries.
According to the journalist, the officers accosted him while he was recording an incident where the officers were demanding a bribe from a boda boda operator who had flouted the motorbikes ban in Nairobi’s CBD.
“It’s unfortunate what happened and what has been happening, I was recording the incident using my phone as I awaited the cameraman. An officer roughed me up and and took me to Fire Station offices where I received several slaps and had my head banged against the wall,” he said.
Mr. Kimani who had already identified himself as a journalist then insisted that he be taken to Central Police station if he was indeed under arrest, but the county officers ignored.
“The officers realized they could get into trouble and released me but after forcing me to delete all the pictures and video I had recorded,” Mr. Kimani recalled.
The journalist however noted that those who arrested him had no uniform but provided identification showing they were Nairobi County government officials.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Kenyan journalists have been attacked in the line of duty. Early last month, a Standard Media Reporter was attacked and beaten mercilessly by police in Homa Bay County assembly.
ames Omoro suffered injuries on his hands and shoulder and had his Nikon Camera worth Sh70,000 smashed by one of the officers.
Mr Omoro had gone to the Assembly at about 8.30am to cover two warring factions at the assembly.
In March this year, police attacked and injured journalists at JKIA. The journalists had gone to cover the return of controversial Kenyan-Canadian lawyer Miguna Miguna.
The officers, who were openly unhappy with the media presence as they manhandled and harassed Dr Miguna, turned their anger on members of the Fourth Estate, hurting some.
Nation TV cameraman Robert Gichira was left bleeding and his camera and live broadcast equipment damaged by officers. A General Service Unit officer clubbed him several times as he ran away with his camera.