The photo of injured NTV cameraman Eric Isinta bandaged on the face, one eye swollen shut, summed up a week that the media bore the brunt of the ongoing Azimio anti-government protests.
Isinta was caught up in confrontations between police and protesters on Outering Road, Nairobi, on Thursday, March 30. He was one among several scribes attacked since the protests began.
The Media Council of Kenya said, “March 2023 remains the darkest month for Kenyan media since the clamour for multiparty democracy. We have so far documented 25 cases of attacks on local and foreign journalists at the hands of state and non-state actors since the onset of the demonstrations.”
That’s 25 cases in just four days of riots.
The most targeted are camerapersons and photographers by perpetrators of hooliganism and criminality whose interest is to destroy any evidence of their acts captured on camera, MCK said.
“Journalists are not contestants in the current political processes and it is unwarranted, gross violation of human rights and impediment to democracy to target them, while knowing they have a duty to inform the public on such matters of public interest,” CEO David Omwoyo said.
While calling on investigative agencies to arrest and charge the attackers, MCK asked “editors and reporters preparing for assignment to prioritise risk assessment while in the field, including boarding politicians’ vehicles, and wearing appropriate safety gear for protection.”
It isn’t quite clear whether or not media houses took seriously the issue of safety of their journalists ahead of the start of the protests. If the news honchos assumed hakuna matata, then they terribly misread the political situation. And ignored history.
There is no question that everyone, including the media, ought to have known from the word go the protests would likely be bloody. Why? Three reasons:
First, as we stated here last week, Kenya is yet to fully develop a culture of peaceful protest.
Protesters ought to heed Article 37 of the Constitution: “Every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities.”
Second, ahead of the March 20 “Date With Destiny”, Azimio leaders mobilised their supporters around the threat to storm State House, overthrow the “illegitimate government” and reclaim their presidential election victory.
In fact, Azimio leader Raila Odinga told the nation in an interview with KTN’s Ken Mijungu on February 28 that, “the future of this country depends on resolution of this dispute. If this is not done, we will not have a country and the consequences would be too grave to contemplate.”
That doesn’t sound like preparations for peaceful protest, or does it?
And third, police declared the protests unlawful. Whether this decision fueled the violence or not is the subject of a fierce debate.
Under these circumstances, no one in their right mind would expect anything other than running battles, death and destruction.
What did media houses do to ensure safety of their journalists covering the riots? At least 25 attacks on journalists in just four days of violent protests doesn’t suggest newsrooms did much.
When the demos started on March 20, one media house sent out a belated “terse” memo to staff at 11.24am stating as follows:
“In view of the current circumstances with regard to the mass protest ongoing in Nairobi’s CBD, please be advised that you may leave your workstations by noon. For those that have duties that require them to remain behind, we shall release you once the situation stabilises. Should there be need for facilitation in case the matters deteriorate, we shall advise accordingly. Please stay vigilant and keep safe. In case of any matters arising, contact your line manager.”
Sounds like great preparedness? Nah. Kneejerk.
Media bosses must do more to protect their scribes out in the field during riots. No journalist should bleed.
See you next week!
