Media organisations have condemned the assault of journalists covering the Ol Kalou Constituency by-election in Nyandarua County, calling for urgent investigations after several reporters were allegedly attacked and had their equipment confiscated while reporting on Thursday's vote.
In separate statements, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) and the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) described the incidents at AC Primary School polling station as a serious attack on press freedom and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice.
According to MCK, The Star photojournalist Enos Teche was documenting a confrontation between residents and occupants of three vehicles when armed, masked men believed to be plainclothes police officers arrived, fired shots into the air and lobbed tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The council said the men allegedly assaulted Teche after demanding his camera before confiscating the equipment. He reportedly sustained a hand injury and later recorded a statement with detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Ol Kalou.
MCK also cited a separate incident involving Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist Brygettes Ngana and her cameraperson, who were allegedly assaulted before their camera was seized at gunpoint.
"These continued attacks and impunity against journalists must come to an end, and the perpetrators held legally accountable," MCK Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo said, adding that the incidents amounted to an obstruction of the public's right to information.
The Editors Guild said the attacks violated constitutional protections for media freedom.
"Freedom of the media is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Constitution. Journalists must be allowed to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, harassment or violence," Editors Guild President Zubeidah Kananu said.
The condemnation came a day after the Kenya Media Sector Working Group (KMSWG), a coalition of media organisations, warned that media freedom was coming under increasing pressure ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Describing the incidents as deeply alarming, the Editors Guild called for immediate and independent investigations.
"The Guild calls upon Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to immediately institute thorough, independent and transparent investigations into these attacks. Every individual involved, regardless of rank or affiliation, must be identified, arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law," the Guild stated.
It further urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to closely monitor any investigations involving police officers to ensure accountability.
KUJ also condemned the attacks, saying violence against journalists undermines Kenya's democratic institutions and warning that the targeting of reporters covering political events had become an increasingly worrying trend.
"We wish to state that journalists will not succumb to intimidation from the sponsors of anarchy. We will profile and expose enemies of Kenya who believe violence in our politics is the way to go," KUJ Secretary General Erick Oduor said.
