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K24 journalist Wanjeri Kariuki sustained a gunshot wound Tuesday, July 16, 2024, while covering the ongoing anti-government protests in Nakuru. Kariuki was shot in the thigh while standing outside a local bank.
Fellow media practitioners quickly rushed her to Valley Hospital, where she received treatment. The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has strongly condemned the shooting, calling for accountability.
“We demand action against the trigger-happy police officer who targeted journalists deployed by media houses to inform Kenyans. Such barbaric acts have no place in a democratic society like Kenya, where journalists are required to play the role of watchdog and source of credible information to citizens,” read a statement from the union.
The KUJ further called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the officer involved and the source of the orders to shoot journalists within seven days. The union warned that if no action is taken, they will pursue private prosecution of the officer and the commander of the Nakuru operation.
The Media Council of Kenya also weighed in on the matter, terming Ms Kariuki’s shooting as ‘shameful and terrifying.’ The Council commended the journalist’s fellow scribes in Nakuru for acting swiftly to save her life.
The industry regulator then asked the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to “conclude investigations and bring the police terrorising journalists to justice.”
“Journalists play a critical role in informing the public and holding powerful institutions accountable and must be allowed to carry out their duties freely and safely, as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution,” MCK stated.
The Kenya Editors Guild also condemned the shooting, terming it the “ugly face of police impunity”. “We condemn the reckless use of live ammunition or any harmful projectiles and sprays aimed at journalists and unarmed protesters by security agencies,” KEG stated.
In a related incident, veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho was dramatically abducted from a Nairobi police station on Wednesday morning, only to be released hours later after police admitted to a case of “mistaken identity”.
The 65-year-old was trailed by unidentified men in two cars near his home before seeking refuge at Karen Police Station. However, a group of men, including uniformed police officers, forcefully bundled him into a private vehicle and sped off.
The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) condemned the incident, describing it as a blatant attack on press freedom and the rule of law. The guild questioned the circumstances surrounding the abduction, particularly its occurrence within a police station.
“This morning, veteran journalist and editor Mr. Macharia Gaitho was abducted inside a police station as his son watched helplessly,” the KEG said in a statement. “Uniformed police men, assisted by a uniformed prison warden, violently bundled him inside a private van, Registration No. KBC 725J and sped off.”
Police later claimed the incident was a case of mistaken identity, targeting a different individual named Francis Gaitho. However, the KEG dismissed this explanation, demanding answers about the manner, location, and individuals involved in the abduction.
The guild also raised concerns about the increasing number of abductions in the country, questioning whether Gaitho would have been among the missing if his family had not raised an alarm.
“The rule of law is in grave danger in this country,” the KEG warned. “Freedom of the media and freedom of expression generally is on the verge of being eroded, courtesy of rogue security apparatus.”
The guild called on Kenyans, civil society, and the international community to stand up for the rule of law.
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