• Journalists from Nation Media Group also reported that they were being forced to delete images captured during the demos.
• Citizen TV Journalists reported that they were met by a gang armed with knives who stole from them.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Members of the fourth estate were on Monday met with unprecedented challenges while covering the Azimio demonstrations.
Some journalists were asked to delete the images they captured from the demos while others encountered a gang armed with knives and were forced to surrender their equipment.
The challenges climaxed in the arrest of some.
Africa Uncensored founder John Allan Namu took to Twitter to decry the arrest of his team.
"Our Africa uncensored journalists, justlonestar and Clint Obere have been arrested by police while covering protests in Mathare," he said.
Namu said he was not sure where the arrested journalists were taken.
"This is uncalled for, an affront to our freedom to do our jobs. They need to be released now," he said.
Later, the investigative journalist said his team had been released.
"Update: Our Africa Uncensored journalists have just been released after being detained briefly in Mathare," he said.
Journalists from Nation Media Group also reported that they were being forced to delete images captured during the demos.
"NTV journalist reports that police in the Nairobi CBD demanded deletion of photos taken and destroyed the reporter's press card," the media house said on their Twitter handle.
Some journalists were injured after a rowdy gang threw stones at their vehicles in Kibra.
Jose Ndungu from Citizen said they were forced to flee when the armed gang came.
"The gang had pretended to be part of the protesters but it turned out that they were actually armed," he said.
Those that were unable to flee from the gang were robbed.
The Radio Africa Group Photographer Enos Teche was also injured while covering the event.
He said he was attacked by police officers along Ngong near RFEUA grounds.
He said journalists were facing hostility from both protestors and the police.
"Having a camera you are viewed as a snitch by both Police and Protestors," Teche said.
Teche explained that one's camera is viewed to be more dangerous than guns.
"Protestors don't feel safe you taking pictures of them protesting," he said.
"Wewe piga mapolisi picha wachana na sisi waandamanaji," Teche was told by protestors.
Media barred from accessing parts of Kibra after rowdy youths attached a section of pressman at Olympic- Making junction in Kibra.
The goons have robbed journalists' cameras and personal effects.
The Windscreen of one of the vehicles smashed in the melee.