DCI urged to take action against Sonko's journalist assault
The Media Council of Kenya has decried Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi alias Sonko’s assault on a journalist at the EACC headquarters. The Governor was Tuesday seen physically assaulting a journalist at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission where he had been summoned over information he presented to enable him to run for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat back in 2017. The MCK has asked the DCI and DPP to investigate and prosecute those found culpable of the assault.
“The Media Council of Kenya takes great exception by the harassment of journalists by Nairobi city governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko at the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Headquarters in Nairobi on 5.11.2019,” the Council said.
In the video, Sonko and his bodyguards are seen slapping and shoving a journalist who was trying to get to Integrity Center. The MCK has also condemned the police for not protecting journalists, and lobbing teargas at them instead.
“The council notes with concerns that instead of protecting the journalists, the police deliberately lobbed teargas at the journalists in a bid to prevent the members of the press from covering the unfolding events. It is unfortunate that the law enforcement officers would support the harassment of Kenyans who are in pursuit of their work,” read the MCK’s statement.
Steve Shitera fom Citizen TV, Collins Kweyu from Standard Group and Jeff Angote from Nation TV are among the journalists who were affected in the incident. The MCK has also reiterated on need to recognize press freedom as is enshrined in the constitution.
“We wish to remind the perpetrators of the violence that press freedom is a right enshrined in the constitution and any attempts to block journalists from exercising this right amounts to gross violation of the supreme law” said MCK.
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