The International Covenant for the Portection of Journalists (ICPJ) joins hands with the EAJA in condemning death threats against Journalists in Kenya
The Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) condemned Thursday in the strongest terms possible death threats and abuses against group of prominent Kenyan journalists who work for well-known Kenyan media houses.
Journalists working for Nation Media Group received a number of death threats and abuses. Joseph Odindo, Group Managing Editor, Julie JGichuru, a Main Talk Show Host & Anchor of News Bulletin, Macharia Gaitho, Managing Editor in charge of Special Projects and Robert Nagila, TV Political Journalist, are the journalists who were particularly targeted.
Standard Group journalists, namely Kwendo Opanga, Editorial Director, Denis Onyango, News Editor of the Weekend Edition, Kipkoech Tanui, Managing Editor and Linus Kaikai, head of news TV were frightened after receiving messages of death threat. As well, Paul Ilado of Kiss FM (Private Radio Station), received death threats and abuses, according to the Kenya Union of Journalists, an EAJA affiliate, and news media organizations in Nairobi.
"Occurrence of such threats, abuses and other crimes against journalists and media houses are intolerable and undoubtedly curtail freedom of the press" said Omar Faruk Osman, EAJA Secretary General.
On 29 January, two photojournalists, Hezron Njorogo of the Nation Group and Robert Gicheru of the Standard Group were opened fire while covering riots in Nairobi's Kibera slums, according to the Nation Media.
"Our colleagues in Kenya perform crucial duties by carrying news, information and critical comments on current issues for the interest of the Kenyan people, therefore we appeal to Kenyan authorities to carry out prompt and trustable investigations and to prosecute perpetrators of these death threats and abuses" Omar Faruk stated. "Government must protect journalists and media house".
These threats and abuses reached the journalists as anonymous SMS and emails from undisclosed sources, but claimed to be from a political group called, Mungiki, a bunch of criminals.
The Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) is the sub-regional group of the Federation of African Journalists, the regional organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The EAJA, based in Djibouti, campaigns to preserve and promote freedom of expression and of the press, and to protect and promote the rights and interests of journalists and other media workers.
It comprises the journalists' unions and associations of Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, which are mostly affiliated to the IFJ.
Source: EAJA 31 January 2008
ICPJ and EAJA condemn suspension of live coverage
"This order from the Kenyan Government is a direct suppression of Kenya's Independent Journalism and we condemn it
in the strongest terms" said Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of the Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA).
Coordinator for the International Covenant for the Protection of Journalists Hedayat Abdel Nabi stressed the importance of media coverage when victims are subjected to the worst kind of human rights abuses.
Abdel Nabi added that the ICPJ condemns the suspension of live coverage and the attempt to silence the media.
As
fresh violence erupted before and after announcement of the
Presidential Election Results, Private television stations were
yesterday banned from a Press Conference that Electoral Commission of
Kenya (ECK) Chairman, Samuel Kivuitu, was holding at the ECK Media
Centre.
"This
is totally unreasonable and unacceptable act, which is contrary to the
principles of democracy and free society" Omar Faruk added. "Kenyan
people need prompt, independent and impartial information at this
critical time that the independent media can play very important role".
"It is embarrassment that after Kenyan people exercised their right of
electing their leaders, their right to information is curbed".
"We
demand the Kenyan Ministry of Information to allow the Independent
Media to operate freely and without restrictions" Omar said.
"We also appeal to International Community to pressure Kenyan Government to lift the ban".
The
Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) is the sub-regional group
of the Federation of African Journalists, the regional organisation of
the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The EAJA, based in
Djibouti, campaigns to preserve and promote freedom of expression and
of the press, and to protect and promote the rights and interests of
journalists and other media workers.
It comprises the journalists'
unions and associations of Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,
Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
