Journalists in Nairobi and other major towns have today held peaceful protests over increased killings and threats made against them. This is to ensure that the members of the 4th estate enjoy their freedom of expression fully as a right in line with the constitution.
The number of killings and threats has increased recently posing dangers to journalists across the nation with concerns that freedom of expression is being interfered with, the latest killing being that of a freelance journalist who was murdered in Kitale on Thursday.
Dennis Otieno was brutally murdered in his house in effort to recover a photo in his possession not long ago another journalist was also recently killed in Mombasa.
Other cases include assault against Nation Media Group journalist in Nyeri County in August and attacks of two journalists from Nation Media Group and Citizen TV in Galana Tana River County in April.
Journalists on Thursday presented a petition to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights highlighting cases of unresolved incidents of unwarranted and continuous harassment through physical assault and assassination threats.
The commission in return has called for credible and expeditious investigations into situations where the police, public and private actors should be implicated in violating the rights and freedom of journalists.
The Chair Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Ms. Kagwiria Mbogori says that the Commission re-emphasizes that the rights provided for in the constitution and in the various international instruments ratified by the Kenyan Government guarantee responsible and press freedom.
“Journalists and media establishments have a duty to inform the public and the public has a right to receive information and this requires an enabling secured environment for the enjoyment of this right,” remarked Ms. Mbogori.
In their protests journalists proceeded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution to present their petition but their efforts to be addressed were fruitless.