Reporters beaten by Azimio supporters in Kibra

Monday, journalists from the mainstream media had problems they had never seen before when they tried to cover the Azimio protests.


Many people were forced to leave their devices when they ran into a gang with knives, but some journalists were told to throw away the pictures they had taken of the protests.


A few people were arrested as a consequence of their struggles.


The leader of Africa Uncensored, John Allan Namu, got very angry on Twitter when his group was locked up.


As they were attempting to cover mass demonstrations in Mathare, "our Africa uncensored correspondents, justlonestar and Clint Obere, have been arrested by police," he said.


Namu said he had no idea where the detained reporters had been transported.


"This is completely inappropriate and a violation of our right to work freely. They must be released right away, "he stated.


The investigative reporter afterwards reported that his crew had been freed.


He tweeted, "Update: After a short detention in Mathare, our Africa Uncensored journalists have now been freed."


Moreover, journalists from the Nation Media Group said that they were made to erase pictures they had taken of the demonstrations.


NTV said that in Nairobi's central business district, police had ripped up the reporter's press card and told them to delete any photos they had taken.


When a rowdy crowd in Kibra threw stones at the cars of the journalists, several of them were hurt.


When the rebel group arrived, according to José Ndungu of Citizen, they had no choice but to leave.


"In reality, the group was armed, despite their pretence of being demonstrators," he said.


Those who couldn't escape the group were taken advantage of.


Enos Teche, a photographer for the Radio Africa Group, was hurt while documenting the event as well.


He said that police personnel in the area of the RFEUA grounds on Ngong assaulted him.


He said that both the police and protesters were hostile towards the media.


"Both police and protesters see everyone with a camera as a snitch," according to Teche.


"A person's camera is considered to be more harmful than a firearm," according to Teche.

In his words, "Protesters don't feel secure about you taking images of them demonstrating."


"Wewe piga mapolisi picha wachana na sisi waandamanaji," the protesters informed Teche.


As angry youngsters ripped a pressman's portion off at the Olympic-making crossroads in Kibra, the media was prohibited from entering some areas of Kibra.


The thugs have taken cameras and other personal belongings from journalists.


One of the automobiles' windscreens was broken during the clash.


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