“On Sunday 21st January 2018, I did a story on Marsabit elected leaders led by Governor Mohamed Ali and Senator Abubakar Harugura. My own publication was killed. The story I did on the next day as a follow-up brought me [death] threats.”
This statement was made by Standard reporter Ali Abdi to Media Council of Kenya (MCK) staff in Isiolo Town on 13 February 2018, after he declined to attend a public forum with fellow journalists, citing concerns for his personal security. The forum was organized by MCK as part of a rapid-response initiative to Isiolo County following reports of threats to Abdi’s life.
At the meeting with MCK staff, Ali showed a short-text message on his phone, which he said was widely circulated in Isiolo. It read: “Ali Abdi is a Standard reporter based in Isiolo working but writing for Borana [sic]. He’s been used for a long time [sic] and played role of propaganda machine during Turbi massacre. He’s desktop reporter for successive Borana leadership purely working for his community against Gabra, Sakuye, Meru and neighboring communities. The county assembly must discuss this tribal reporter.”
After meeting with Abdi, the MCK staff proceeded on a fact-finding schedule to the offices of the County Police Commander, the Criminal Investigations Division and speaking with a cross-section of journalists in the town.
County Police Commander Mr. Manase M. Musyoka promptly advised MCK staff that he was only three months old at the station and had not seen any information on Ali’s case. However, having offered on the spot to find out the facts, he summoned officers responsible under him to bring to him a summary of the case immediately. Mr. Musyoka then blocked two hours on his calendar and invited MCK staff to wait with him in the office, during which time he provided MCK staff with non-classified briefing on police operations and personal challenges in the county. A signed case summary under OB No.39/22/1/2018 was brought within the hour.
It read as follows: “Ali Abdi C/O 0721171036 of Standard newspaper reporter at Isiolo who reports that he has been threatened through SMS in his mobile phone 0721-171-036 by one Mr. Alexander Barille who is a former Director of Communication of Marsabit County that the reporter is a tribal reporter who participated in massacre. He now asks police assistance. Further report he says that threats are in relation with a story made by the reporter in page six (6) of Standard newspaper today 22-01-2018. Signed by C.I. Kiprotich, 14.2.2018: 12.30PM
Mr. Musyoka then advised MCK staff that criminal matters are investigated by the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) across the road.
Deputy District Criminal Investigations Officer Mr. David Ng’etich informed MCK staff that he had no knowledge of the case and, therefore, could not offer any comment. However, after further prodding Mr. Ng’etich agreed to research the matter and requested the team to give him two hours.
On the follow-up visit, Mr. Ng’etich stunned MCK staff with his results: the CID has no record of the case. He offered an educated guess: Mr. Abdi may have reported the case on 22 January 2018 as police records indicate, but he had not followed up with the CID to record a formal statement. A statement of this nature is usually a detailed interview by a CID officer to kick-start an investigation.
Mr. Ng’etich further informed MCK staff that the police were aware of a second matter reported by Mr. Abdi, about an alleged stolen laptop.
A meeting with journalists
A total of 14 participants attended the forum in Isiolo comprising10 male journalists and 4 female representing 8 media houses and information department.
However, the journalists concurred that power struggles, clannism and outright patronage in the region present serious challenges to their work. They said top leaders, including governors, do not entertain negative stories about themselves, their administration or community. One journalist highlighted a case where a former Marsabit governor threatened the Daily Nation that the county government would cease advertising in the paper, unless a reporter who filed stories on rampant drought and other critical exposes in the county was withdrawn. The reporter was reportedly transferred to Meru.
1 thought on “Clan politics the bane of journalism in Isiolo”
What community was Ali Abdi accused of favoring against Gabra, Sakuye, Meru, and neighboring communities?