Citizen TV journalist brutally attacked by armed assailants
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A Citizen TV journalist was on Friday night attacked by unknown assailants who left him with body injuries.
The Citizen TV news producer, Paul Kariuki Gatere was attacked and harmed by armed and unknown individuals believed to be police officers, while he was heading to work at Royal Media Services along Maalim Juma Road in Kilimani District, Nairobi City.
According to police reports, Gatere was attacked by a group of armed men who alighted from a private car along Chaka Road in Nairobi.
Gatere said in his police statement that the gang waylaid him and shoved him in their car and drove him towards Uhuru Park in Nairobi’s Central Business District, where they assaulted and harmed him using blunt objects. The attackers forcefully robbed him of his phone and other valuables before fleeing the scene.
“The attackers accused me of producing a biased TV political show on Citizen TV on June 26 when I hosted Kiambu County Woman Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba for a live TV interview to talk about cases of extrajudicial killings in Kenya,” he said during an interview after his discharge from hospital where he was rushed for treatment.
The Citizen TV News Producer added that the attackers whom he believes were police officers due to the weapons they carried, also warned him against hosting opposition MPs on TV to talk about cases of extra-judicial killings.
He further stated that he already reported the incident to a police station and he’s hopeful the suspects will be arrested.
“I’m hopeful I’ll get justice once those behind my attack are arrested, but I’ll remain unbowed on my role as a journalist and keeping Kenyans informed,” Gatere added.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and raised concerns about escalating violence against media professionals in Kenya.
Attacks on journalists in Kenya have been steadily increasing, especially during protests and public events.
Earlier in June 2024, anonymous fliers threatened journalists working at Royal Media Services, prompting condemnation from the Kenya Editors’ Guild and the Media Owners Association.
Media practitioners in Kenya have strongly condemned the rising trend of attacks targeting journalists in the line of duty.
The Kenya Editors’ Guild has termed these threats as an assault on the constitutional guarantees of media freedom. These sentiments were echoed by the Media Owners Association, which went ahead to call for speedy investigations into these attacks and for collaboration to create a safe environment for journalists.
The Media Owners Association insisted that journalists must be able to work without fear of intimidation or physical harm. The statement further challenging any individual or entity dissatisfied with media coverage to seek recourse through established channels such as the Media Council of Kenya.
They are calling for speedy investigations into the attacks on journalists and for the government to ensure the safety and security of all journalists covering the Gen-Z protests and other public events. They also emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to safeguard freedom of expression and press freedom.
This comes despite an assurance by government spokesman Isaac Mwaura that the government is not at war with the media.
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