Stephen Letoo Joins Journalists in CBD Protests Against Police Brutality
Key takeaways
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- Kenyan journalists and media practitioners have staged protests in the Nairobi Central Business District.
- Members of the press expressed outrage over police brutality directed towards them and fellow Kenyans as they covered the ongoing anti-regime protests.
- Just recently, Kenyan journalist Catherine Wanjeri was Kariuki was shot by police in the leg as she covered protests in Nakuru county Kenya.
- Several other journalists have found themselves in police cross-hairs as they were harassed and their equipment damaged.
Also read: Passaris Accuses Gen Z of Planning to Paralyze the Economy
Kenyan journalists occupy streets countrywide
The media protests have spread from Nairobi to other parts of the country including Mombasa.
Journalist’s protests follow yesterday’s vigorous protests led by Kenya’s Gen Z, following police attacks against them.
Executed under the #WeAreNotCriminals banner, the demos kicked off early Wednesday morning in Nairobi city center.
The government watchdogs took to the streets with whistles, placards, and smartphone cameras, and chanted as they marched along city streets.
Their clarion call to the police and government is an end to police physical attacks against them, as well as censorship of news and public interest information.
Stephen Letoo sits on hot tarmac in protest against police brutality
The Wednesday morning protests were graced by celebrated journalists and talented reporters who grace Kenyan TV screens daily.
Among the high-flying media personalities spotted at the demonstrations include:
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- Stephen Letoo
- Seth Olale
- Swaleh Mdoe
- Zubeida Koome
Placards with moving messages such as “Shoot Not the Messenger” were predominant in the highly-charged demos.
Citizen TV’s Seth Olale read a statement amid loud trumpets and whistles castigating the state organs for ‘primitive’ intimidation strategies against the media.
“We need immediate accountability for illegal shootings, beating, abductions, and harassment of journalists in the last few weeks, details of which are in the public domain,” said Mr. Olale.
Stephen Letoo’s humorous photo of him sitting on the tarmac in Nairobi CBD has sparked a significant reaction from the public.
The former chairman of the Men’s Conference is a darling of the Kenyan public, who recently stole the limelight for organizing a lavish wedding at a stadium in Narok.
Recent government attacks on media freedom
Following the unprecedented June 25th occupation of parliament, KTN News, a local media house released a scathing statement against alleged shutdown threats by the government.
In a statement, KTN news anchor Ashley Mazuri the media house said in part:
“In the wake of our detailed coverage of the protests against the Finance Bill 2024, we would like to inform our viewers that we have received threats by authorities of intention to shut us down.”
A few weeks later, Catherine Wanjeri, a reporter employed by Mediamax Kenya was shot in the streets of Nakuru.
Despite the female reporter being identified in a Press jacket, she was shot several times in the thigh.
The reporter fell to the ground with her equipment before being rushed to hospital. Catherine has since been discharged from hospital and is set to undergo therapy.
In an astonishing video before her shooting, Catherine was seen assisting a policewoman who had been overwhelmed by tear gas.
Also read: Netizens praise Larry Madowo for exposing Anti-Finance Bill shootings
Kenyan journalists protested in the aftermath of the vicious #OccupyJKIA protests which culminated in a violent night confrontation between police and residents of Roysambu and Zimmerman estates in Nairobi.
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