MCK Chief Executive Officer and Secretary to the Council David Omwoyo /HANDOUTThe Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has demanded an immediate investigation into the alleged abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.
Through their
Chief Executive Officer and Secretary to the Council David Omwoyo, they said they were “perturbed by the daring abduction” of Kiprotich.The Standard Editor was taken hostage along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road and later abandoned in Machakos.
The council wants Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to undertake immediate, thorough and transparent investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Video footage recorded during the incident shows armed people blocking Kiprotich’s vehicle.
The people are heard violently ordering the occupants to lower the window and get out of the vehicle.
“The journalist sounds extremely fearful, intimidated and threatened,” MCK said in a statement issued in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The council said the country’s security agencies have the intelligence networks needed to investigate and arrest those responsible for crimes against journalists.
It however said, the agencies have continued to ignore the matter.
“The council believes that the country’s security agencies have the capability to use their intelligence networks to investigate and arrest the perpetrators of the crimes against journalists but choose to ignore the matter,” MCK said.
The council said it has monitored and documented several cases involving press freedom violations and crimes against journalists.
It said the cases have been presented to the Inspector General of Police for investigation and prosecution of those responsible, but without success.
“The Council has monitored and documented several dire cases of press freedom violations and crimes against journalists and presented them to the Inspector General of Police for investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators without success,” the statement said.
MCK said the Director of Public Prosecutions has already directed police to act on several cases forwarded to the Inspector General within 30 days.
The Council said the latest incident was particularly concerning because it was the second time Kiprotich had gone through such an ordeal.
The previous incident happened in Nakuru County.
MCK said there has been no progress report on investigations into the earlier incident by the relevant security agencies.
It also raised concern that no one was arrested following the first attempted abduction, despite Kiprotich reporting the matter to police.
“The Council takes this matter seriously, especially because no one was arrested on the first attempted abduction despite the journalist reporting the matter to the police,” MCK said.
The Council said impunity for crimes against journalists and increasing cases of press freedom violations remained a major concern.
It said the issue had been repeatedly raised with relevant investigative agencies.
According to MCK, its various reports have identified lack of investigations and prosecution of related violations as one of the major challenges in defending independent journalism and access to information in Kenya.
The Council also expressed concern over the recent trolling and profiling of several editors from different media houses on social media.
“The most recent case involved editors from the Nation Media Group,” it said.
MCK stressed that media freedom is protected by the Constitution and should be safeguarded.
“Media Freedom is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Constitution and should be guarded zealously by all,” the Council said.
It added that the State has a responsibility to protect journalists from intimidation and harassment.
“The State bears the responsibility of ensuring that journalists are not intimidated or harassed because attacks on the media are a threat to democracy,” MCK said.
