The Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) has strongly condemned
the persistent threats and the recent arbitrary arrest and confinement of the
Star Newspaper journalist, Justus Ochieng’, based in Kisumu City.
According to the KCA Chairman William Oloo Janak, the threats and recent arrest of the journalist have presented a grave threat to the press freedom and safety of journalist’s security in Kisumu and the entire country.
Speaking through a press release to media houses earlier today, Mr. Janak said that KCA and Kenyan journalists will not sit and watch as security officers threaten and intimidate members of the media in an attempt to silence and stop them from exposing the ills security officers commit against citizens.
The media association has demanded that immediate action be taken against the police officers involved in this case including urgent investigations into the activities they seek to cover up adding that they will not relent in demanding for the persecution of the officers.
Janak also noted that the Kisumu based journalists has faced increasing threats since September, for writing a series of stories, which have exposed a clique of rogue police officers who have been accused of involvement in robberies of members of the public who withdraw money from local banks.
Janak however called on the Kisumu county Police and National Police Service Commission leadership to state whether or not they condoned the incident and other cases of increasing threats to journalists in the region and across the country adding that the journalist fraternity was keenly watching this trend with a view of collectively defining how to relate with the security organs.
According to the KCA Chairman William Oloo Janak, the threats and recent arrest of the journalist have presented a grave threat to the press freedom and safety of journalist’s security in Kisumu and the entire country.
Speaking through a press release to media houses earlier today, Mr. Janak said that KCA and Kenyan journalists will not sit and watch as security officers threaten and intimidate members of the media in an attempt to silence and stop them from exposing the ills security officers commit against citizens.
The media association has demanded that immediate action be taken against the police officers involved in this case including urgent investigations into the activities they seek to cover up adding that they will not relent in demanding for the persecution of the officers.
Janak also noted that the Kisumu based journalists has faced increasing threats since September, for writing a series of stories, which have exposed a clique of rogue police officers who have been accused of involvement in robberies of members of the public who withdraw money from local banks.
Janak however called on the Kisumu county Police and National Police Service Commission leadership to state whether or not they condoned the incident and other cases of increasing threats to journalists in the region and across the country adding that the journalist fraternity was keenly watching this trend with a view of collectively defining how to relate with the security organs.
No comments:
Post a Comment