KENYAN JOURNALIST SHOT WHILE COVERING PROTESTS
In a shocking turn of events, Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a journalist with Mediamax Limited, was allegedly shot by Nakuru County police on Tuesday, 16 July, while covering anti-government protests by youths. Wanjeri, known to her audience as a staffer at the Mediamax vernacular station Kameme TV, was sprayed on her left thigh with four bullets despite donning identifiable press attire.
This comes after the death of another Mediamax journalist, Joel Chacha, who died after succumbing to injuries from tear gas canisters while reporting on protests along Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi.
Chacha was a very famous news anchor and political reporter at K24 TV under the same owners, Mediamax. Before his demise, he had been at the forefront in reporting issues affecting society.
The fourth week of protests widely shows growing frustration among the Kenyan youths, now demanding action from President William Ruto’s administration.
Though President Ruto has recently withdrawn the contentious Finance Bill 2024 and dissolved the whole Cabinet except Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi—the protests are far from cooling down.
The two incidents of Wanjeri and Chacha have aroused concern and condemnation within the international community, thus raising an alarm on press freedom and the safety of journalists in Kenya. Independent media watchdogs are now demanding a full investigation into the shooting of Wanjeri and the sudden death of Chacha, to add weight to accountability and justice at this trying moment.
For Wanjeri and Chacha, just like any other journalist at the forefront of enlightening the public, their sacrifices demonstrate to us precisely why it is important to preserve free and independent media: human beings working for democratic societies all over the world.
