Kenya Editors Guild Speaks Over Abductions and Aggression on Journalists, Issues Strike Notice
On Wednesday, July 17, President Zubeida Kananu of the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) issued a 7-day strike notice.
Kananu warned that if action is not taken to address the attacks on Kenyan journalists witnessed during the recent anti-government protests, media practitioners will take to the streets.
Kananu spoke to the media on Wednesday following the release of veteran Nation Media Group Editor Macharia Gaitho, criticizing the government for ignoring the safety and security of Kenya’s media practitioners.
Kenya Editors Guild ( KEG) president Zubeida Kananu threatens 7- day strike if action is not taken against attacks on Kenyan media pic.twitter.com/JqfMQbrtom
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 17, 2024
“We are giving a 7-day notice for the perpetrators to be brought to books, it seems like, that is the language the government best understands.”
She insisted that the recent use of excessive force by police officers on Kenyans is unjustified and violates Kenya’s Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights.
Kananu went on to say that the majority of journalists have received threats and intimidation in order to prevent them from objectively covering certain public-interest events.
“Media has the right to cover any event for the interest of the public provided that this is done within the jurisdiction of the law. We will not be cowed or threatened anymore because that is our right as media practitioners.”
IPOA has this afternoon received journalist @MachariaGaitho , his lawyer @DanstanOmari_ ,the @KenyaEditors Guild, and the Kenya Union of Journalists. ^SC pic.twitter.com/rtYFh7sVrN
— IPOA (@IPOA_KE) July 17, 2024
She slammed the National Police Service’s (NPS) claim that Gaitho’s abduction was an arrest and a case of misidentification.
A few moments earlier, NPS issued a statement in which the law enforcement agency expressed regret over the situation.
Gaitho was kidnapped in the early hours of Wednesday morning at the Karen Police Station after being tracked down from his home in Nairobi.
A viral video on social media showed Gaitho being bundled into a private car by uniformed police officers and others dressed in civilian attire.
While providing clarification on the incident, his son stated that his father drove into the police station to seek refuge after noticing he was being followed.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) reported on Friday that it had received ten complaints of unlawful arrests, abductions, and disappearances, all of which were being analyzed and investigated.
Kenya Editors Guild Speaks Over Abductions and Aggression on Journalists, Issues Strike Notice
