Journalists covering the anti-government demos in Kibra, Nairobi, on Monday were attacked and robbed by a knife-wielding gang.
The journalists drawn from both local and international media outlets were forced to flee after the vehicles they were using were vandalised, even as the gang pelted their cars with stones.
“As we were covering the ongoing demonstrations, protesters had lit bonfires and we were watching the protests unfold when we were attacked. The gang had pretended to be part of the protesters but it turned out that they were actually armed,” one of the journalists, Jase Ndungu, told a local media outlet.
Reports indicate that several of the journalists who were unable to flee in time were injured by the gang, and robbed of their valuables.
This comes at a time that veteran journalist John-Allan Namu reported that two journalists affiliated to African Uncensored, Calvin Rock and Clint Obere, were arrested by the police while covering protests in Mathare.
According to Namu, the journalists were later released after being detained briefly in Mathare.
Azimio demos
The last demos on March 20, 2023, wreaked havoc in the city as police and protesters engaged in running battles in the CBD and in residential areas.
A spot check showed there was a heavy contingent of anti-riot police officers across Nairobi on Monday morning ahead of the Azimio demos.
