Media Under Assault: EACC Agents Attack Reporter Documenting Bribery Scandal
On Thursday, members of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) were recorded engaging in an attack on a correspondent affiliated with the Standard Media Group in Kitale.
The reporter had supposedly received information about the apprehension of a traffic cop caught accepting bribes from drivers on the Kitale-Kapenguria road. He was intent on documenting this incident. Nevertheless, law enforcement authorities took strong measures to prevent him from doing so, going so far as to physically handle and restrain him.
The law enforcement officers, stirred by the journalist’s determination, warned that they would subject him to further physical aggression unless he retreated.
“Introduce yourself first, you can not record us, I don’t know you,” claimed one of the officers.
The altercation resulted in a verbal exchange between the EACC detectives and the journalist.
Upset by the unfriendly behavior of the officers, the journalist responded. He also inquired about the reason for them redirecting their attention towards him instead of carrying out the arrest as planned.
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Before the clash, the journalist was observed engaging in conversations with certain officers, and it was within these discussions that the conflicts intensified.
In the beginning, the officers issued warnings to him about capturing photos and filming videos. Subsequently, they promptly informed their fellow officers, who then approached the journalist.
Journalists being assaulted or attacked by law enforcement is unfortunately not a new occurrence. In a comparable incident last September, Royal Media reporters were openly subjected to violence by police officers while reporting on demonstrations in the Lang’ata area of Nairobi.
In the viral video circulating on social media, a woman police officer dressed in a blue uniform confronted journalists, pushing them and issuing threats of physical harm should they persist in covering the ongoing demonstrations.
“Remove your things there” the police officer could be heard shouting furiously at the reporters.
The journalists’ attempts to protect themselves yielded no results, as the police forcefully drove them off and even confiscated their equipment.
Media Under Assault: EACC Agents Attack Reporter Documenting Bribery Scandal