• Editors Guild condemns the act
Image: FILE
A video doing the rounds on Friday showing a Mombasa journalist being harassed by a police officer in the course of his work has raised concerns about how the countrywide curfew will pan out.
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?"
There is a countrywide curfew from 7pm to 5am.
However, media practitioners are exempted from the curfew and nonetheless, the journalist was on the streets before 7pm.
Coast police boss Augustine Thumbi said he was unaware of the clip and did not want to see it.
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."