Journalists across Kenya are uniting today, raising their voices against the rising tide of brutality and repression faced by members of the press.
“The pen is mightier than the sword”, words first written by novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, in his historical play Cardinal Richelieu. It is a common phrase that describes the power of media on the planet.
But what happens when the wielders of the pen are under attack by state agencies, companies, and even the people they inform 24/7? Media freedoms are interrupted, journalists are scared from doing their work, all the basis of how we got here in the first place.
Journalists across Kenya are uniting today, raising their voices against the rising tide of brutality and repression faced by members of the press.
These demonstrations, featuring both local and international media representatives, are a direct response to recent violent attacks on journalists during the coverage of anti-finance bill protests, which have escalated into broader anti-government demonstrations.
Keep refreshing this page as Viral Tea provides you with the latest updates, reactions and analysis of the nationwide media protests:
11.33 am: Journalists Gather At Jogoo House
Journalists, among them Citizen TV‘s Seth Olale present their petitions outside Jogoo House in Nairobi, which houses the headquarters for the police.
10:45 am – Journalists in Eldoret and Kisii Join Protests
Protests have erupted in Eldoret and Kisii, as media practitioners express their outrage over the government’s and security forces’ discriminatory use of power, which has resulted in injuries and harm to journalists. “What we are asking is for protection to do our work,” lamented one journalist in Eldoret.
10:30 am –Â Protests Commence in Mombasa
Journalists in the coastal region have begun their procession to the Mombasa Central Police Station, aiming to voice their grievances over the excessive force used by police against journalists during protest coverage.
The Demands
The journalists have lined up their list of demands to the government, including the end to media censorship and payment of money owed to media houses.
List of demands by journalists ahead of nationwide protests on July 24, 2024. /KENYA UNION OF JOURNALISTS
How Did We Get Here?
Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), through its President Zubeida Kananu on Wednesday, July 17 issued a 7-day strike notice in which all journalists and media practitioners will take to the streets if action is not promptly taken in response to the abductions and attacks on journalists as witnessed in the recent anti-government demonstrations.
Addressing the media on Wednesday after the release of veteran Nation Media Group Editor Macharia Gaitho, an enraged Kananu accused the government of turning a blind eye towards the security of the members of the Fourth Estate, particularly those reporting on the field.
“We have got to a point that we will now issue a 7-day notice if no action is taken against those responsible. We will not need to go on the field because it seems like that is the language that the government understands. It has got to a point that I have no idea what is being hidden when we try to explain to Kenyans what is going on, what are they fearing?” she posed.
“If indeed the rights are being followed, if things are done the way they are supposed to be done, what is the fear for? We will not let the media be cowed or threatened the way it is occurring now.”
Kananu called out the government over its ambition to control the country’s media platforms, including denying them revenue-generating advertisements anytime they publish stories that expose the flaws of the Kenyan government.
“The other day they said that if we publish a certain story, we will not give you advertisements. Every time it’s all about threats when we broadcast what is going on, you threaten to shut us down.
“We have a right as the media to report what is going on in this country and to inform Kenyans about the current affairs of this country and we will not stop, we will not be cowed nor threatened, we will keep doing our work,” she added.