Journalists Face Intimidation Around Election
Duncan Khaemba, a television journalist in Kenya, was reporting on cases of , a low-income neighborhood in Nairobi, when he was arrested with his colleague Otieno Willis on August 12, and subsequently released. Media reported they were arrested for having .
Whether or not the arrest was designed to intimidate, it occurred during a period of before, during, and after the 2017 elections. Many journalists were slow to report on the , although the international press were able to report freely. Even as some protests in opposition strongholds and victory celebrations elsewhere turned violent, Kenyan media , which left Kenyans grasping at unverified reports on social media.
People are questioning the information vacuum: why did local press take so long to cover the violence, or corroborate online reports of police brutality? Before judging local media harshly, let’s recall that Kenyan journalists still , detention, on the country’s crises.
Local , facing accusations of bias from the opposition and government alike. In the post-election violence of 2007-2008, the media were after broadcasting images of battles between police and youth in various parts of the country. In the 2013 elections, much of the Kenyan that followed voting that year.
Human Rights Watch ahead of the 2017 election and found that many of them are self-censoring to avoid getting in trouble with the state. in the lead-up to the election, but journalists continue to and other state agents.
As an economic and political leader in East Africa, Kenya should end this suppression. The state should support free press to ensure that citizens critique important processes such as elections and their aftermath. Now more than ever, it is critical that the Kenyan government and other state authorities provide protection for press, investigate reports of intimidation, and ensure justice for crimes against journalists.