ARTICLE 19 EASTERN AFRICA, an lobby group which defends the rights of journalists has announced that there are 22 cases of violence against journalists while on duty in Kenya between May 2019 and April 2020.
The group which also trains journalists im various aspects of media sector says there are documented cases of attacks, harassment, intimidation rising to
59 from 53 in 2019.
Article 19 says attacks on journalists increased significantly in the first quarter of 2020 with
recorded cases reaching 36, at the height of Coronavirus pandemic
across the country. Of the 36 cases recorded, 22 violations took place
between March and April, barely two months following the government’s
announcement of the first case of COVID 19 on March 12 in Kenya.
"This constitutes 37 per cent of the total violations during the monitoring period.
These attacks were carried out by security agents, government officials, and
organised mobs - including primary school pupils in a manner that clearly
demonstrates a sustained effort to stifle and control the press, and limit the free
flow of information in 22 Counties.
The group says Nairobi region recorded the highest violations with
13 incidents, followed by Mombasa with 6 and Turkana witnessing 4 cases.
Other 19 counties recorded between 3 and 1 cases each.
" As the journalists around the globe marks the World Press Freedom Day under
the theme of Journalism Without Fear and Favour reporting about the
coronavirus health crisis, corruption and the 2022 succession politics are the
most sensitive stories for journalists to cover in 2020 in Kenya.
Attacks at the county levels continued to increase as journalists have been denied access to
information or news venues to provide objective and critical reporting on the
Counties’ development progress, their response preparedness to the
pandemic and the shaping local politics.
“An independent media is crucial for Kenya’s ability to achieve her
development agenda including the efforts to contain the raging pandemic
and its watchdog role of ensuring that those in power are being held to
account, said Mugambi Kiai, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, Regional Director.
“A free press cannot thrive in an environment in which journalists are constantly
under severe and constant attack: this undermines freedom of expression, and
democracy, in the country.
Despite filing complaints with police cases of attacks and threats against
journalists are rarely investigated. Of the 59 violations recorded by ARTICLE 19,
only one case involving a non-state actor has been investigated with the
perpetrators subsequently being taken to court. This is a mere 1% rate of
effective investigation, suggesting a high level of impunity regarding attacks
on journalists.
“Failure to bring those responsible for attacks on journalists to account sends
the signal that the media can be silenced through violence, and will ultimately
lead to many journalists resorting to self-censorship, hampering the realisation
of the right to free expression. The government must take the necessary steps
to ensure that journalists are free to carry out their work, Mugambi said.
ARTICLE 19 calls on the Kenyan government to uphold freedom of the media
and to end attacks on journalists carrying out their work. The government must
work to create an enabling environment for journalists to carry out their duties,
without threat of attack or criminalisation
