The Kitui West subcounty police commander Henry Wesonga has invited two journalists attacked by police officers last Thursday to record their statements.
Those summoned are the Star’s journalist Musembi Nzengu and fellow female Journalist Mercy Mueni of Mbaitu FM.
The two injured journalists are expected in his office on February 12, 2024, to record a statement against their police assailants.
Wesonga said he was disturbed by last Thursday’s incident and would try his best to correct the anomaly.
At the same time, Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua on Sunday condemned the alleged police brutality on the journalists while they were on duty.
Wambua, a former editor at the Standard Newspapers before he resigned to venture into politics said: "I am calling on the relevant authority and the police command to take appropriate legal and administrative action against the rogue officers who attacked the journalists in the course of duty.”
"I am a journalist. I have in the past visited many areas of Kenya to cover stories to help the public. A journalist is merely a messenger. To attack them is a serious affront to them," added Wambua.
The Kenya Correspondents Association Lower Eastern Branch has also condemned the alleged police attack on Kitui-based Journalists while on the course of duty last Thursday.
The KCA chairman (Lower Eastern Region) Daniel Kituku, said police goons pounced on several Journalists at Mutonguni Boys Secondary School among them the immediate former Lower Eastern KCA chairman, Musembi Nzengu, injuring him before detaining them for close to two hours at Ndolo's Corner police station.
Nzengu and a fellow female colleague, Mueni of Mbaitu FM, who was filming the police assault on her colleagues were arrested and booked for allegedly creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
Kituku said Mueni had her left index finger sprained after it was twisted by a policeman who grabbed her smartphone from her.
KCA further condemned the police attack on Nzengu, the Star journalist.
Kituku said Nzengu was slapped as the police officers confiscated his camera and smartphone.
“The Star journalist was frogmarched to a police car and before they bundled into the vehicle, another officer slapped him twice on the face,” said Kituku.
A viral video circulated on social media shows the police officers holding Nzengu to the ground as they kicked him.
“We, however, thank the Kitui county police commander Leah Kithei for ordering the unconditional release of the two Journalists,” said Kituku.
“Besides the attack on Nzengu and Mueni, another journalist, Ida Ngile, had her phone taken away,” said the KCA chairman.
Other journalists who witnessed the attack on their colleagues are Brian Mwangangi of County FM, Titus Kavinga of Ngumbau TV, Evelyn Nzau of Ene FM, Raphael Mulatya of Radio 47, and Patience Nzioki of Akamba FM Radio.
“As KCA we shall stand for the rights of Journalists to execute their duty without fear or favour,” said KCA chairman.
Nzengu complained of pain in his ribs, chest and neck.
The pain in his back and shoulders is due to blows and kicks he received from the police officers who pinned him down during the incident last Thursday.
While he talked to this writer on Sunday, Nzengu was struggling to grasp air as he said that after he was strangled by the officers.
He had been feeding on porridge alone as he could not swallow ugali.
