GSU Officers Beat Up Journalist At The Molo Protest
The National Police Service (NPS) is on the scene following a nasty incident in which a journalist from the Standard Group was assaulted by General Service Unit (GSU) personnel.
The officers were dispatched to quell the protests that broke out in Molo, Nakuru County, on Sunday over the death of Richard Otieno, a well-known campaigner whose body was discovered in a mortuary.
Daniel Chege, a reporter based in Nakuru County, explained how, despite being on duty and following established norms while documenting the events, GSU police nonetheless inflicted physical and mental injuries on him.
According to Chege, the policemen attacked him and his team when he was filming an event in which one of the officers beat a member of the public with a stone, violating the norms of law and order maintenance.
Standard reporter Daniel Chege speaks out after being assaulted by GSU officers during a protest along the Njoro-Molo road on Sunday afternoon
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) January 19, 2025
Video by Peter Kimani. pic.twitter.com/DZ3jptuB6r
“We went to cover the protests along Njoro Molo road was hacked to death on Saturday night, and unfortunately, some GSU officers who had been teargassing the members of the public attacked us and injured me on my left arm,” Chege narrated.
Furthermore, the journalist stated that he got injuries to his left arm as a result of the assault by anti-riot officers, raising serious concerns about the officers’ professionalism.
“They tore my shirt, despite having the full knowledge that we were members of the press, they attacked me after they hit one of the protesters with a stone,” he added.
“The guy was left in pain, crying while asking them why they had hit him.”
According to the journalist, the officers went even further, forcibly forcing them to stop their coverage, despite the fact that the law guarantees access to information, which they were doing by delivering the coverage.
“They then saw us and came to us and the first question was what we were doing there, even though they could see that we were from the media,” Chege stated.
“We were near our car, and they hit me with the police buttons, forcing us to leave.”
He added, “The question is are we not allowed to work right now? The residents were marching peacefully, with no instances of them hurling stones at the police.
“Some of the police officers were even escorting them and they were protesting something logical.”
Chege and his colleagues were covering a rally where citizens demanded justice for Richard Otieno’s death. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown.
Otieno, also known as Molo President, was reportedly discovered dead in Molo after being attacked with an axe by unknown assailants on Saturday night.
ALSO READ:
- Fourth Band Of Kenyan Police Land At JKIA As MSS Mission Officially Ends
- Ruto’s Lies Provokes Tanzania To Fact-Check His Bogus Roads Figures
- KMTC Announces Fresh Guidelines On Student Deferment, Course Change & Transfers
- EMBU: Autopsy Reveals How Hospital Protestors Died, Bullets Recovered
- Top Diplomats Exchange Blows Inside Nairobi Embassy, Investigations Underway
Nakuru County has been under fire for violating journalists’ rights following a distressing occurrence last year during the Gen Z protests.
Catherine Wanjeri, a reporter for Media Max’s Kameme TV, was shot in the thigh three times while documenting the riots.
Wanjeri was shot while reporting the protests in Nakuru’s Central Business District, with a fellow journalist who was also critically injured.
During the event, which drew widespread condemnation from civil society and the media, she was seen hanging onto her leg as she crawled on the ground in anguish, with blood spots on the upper half of the leg.
GSU Officers Beat Up Journalist At The Molo Protest
