Political journalists demand protection ahead of polls

Political journalists now want Police IG Hillary Mutyambai to assure them of their safety ahead of the August 9, General Elections.

They decried the rising cases of threats, intimidation, physical assault and profiling by politicians and other quarters.

The scribes, through the Political Journalists Association of Kenya (PJAK), addressed a press conference at Masada Hotel in Naivasha on Saturday.

"We have specifically witnessed worrying trends where journalists have been physically ejected from events, called names, some profiled based on their religion/ethnicity and threatened with dire consequences," PJAK chairman Francis Murithi said.

Murithi regretted that some political journalists have been bullied and in some cases denied the opportunity to cover political events.

"We are concerned that some of us have endured the most of the security apparatus and political parties. This is unacceptable in a multiparty democracy like Kenya," he said.

"Statistics from the Media Council of Kenya show that since January 2022, more than 50 journalists have been affected," Murithi added.

As such, the journos want Mutyambai to ensure of their safety while covering the elections.

Murithi reiterated that journalists have no preferred candidate (s) in the upcoming polls.

The journalists also implored the IEBC to fast-track accreditation and ensure all accredited journalists are granted unfettered access to the polling stations and tallying centres.

"We call for the political class and their supporters to immediately stop profiling, harassing and intimidating journalists in the course of their duty," Murithi said.

Murithi parties aggrieved with journalists or their coverage to use the laid down procedure to air their concerns.

"We encourage our membership and media fraternity professionalism and integrity in the coverage of the elections," he said.