• Officer caught on camera harassing journalist.
Image: BENJAMIN IMENDE
Chaos marked the first night of the countrywide curfew declared by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In Mombasa, residents were harassed on Friday evening as they attempted to make their way home before the curfew.
The curfew, meant to contain the spread of Covid-19, runs from 7pm to 5am every day.
In Nairobi, several residents were stranded after matatus refused to ferry them after the curfew took effect.
There were scenes of confusion in the CBD and other parts of the county, including Pipeline.
Earlier, a video did the rounds showing a Mombasa journalist being harassed by a police officer in the course of his work.
In the clip, an officer was seen kicking and beating the journalist - Peter Wainaina - who was doing his work, ostensibly because he was outside despite there being a curfew.
The journalist said, "It's not even 6pm."
However, the officer would hear none of it, saying, "You want us to wait for 6pm yet stones are being thrown at us?"
Media practitioners are exempted from the curfew and nonetheless, the journalist was on the streets before 7pm.
Coast regional commissioner John Elungata said, "I haven't heard about the journalist's case and I am sorry if it happened. We are doing all this for the good of the residents. We are fighting Covid-19, not residents. At the ferry, we have given some extra time for all of them to be able to cross on time."
Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai, however, said action will be taken against the officer.
Kenya Editors Guild president Churhcill Otieno condemned the action.
He said, "This is not an officer of the law. He is a criminal. We demand that he is immediately disarmed and prosecuted in a court of law."
"The public have a right to timely, accurate information hence journalists must be allowed to work. More so at this time when all are united in fighting Covid-19. We expect firm and resolute action by the IG and DPP."