Committee to Protect Journalists - Kenya

Journalist in western Kenya faces death threats

2012-05-10T16:11:32Z

New York, May 10, 2012--Kenyan authorities must immediately investigate recent death threats against a Kenyan journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Local businessman Armstrong Pino allegedly threatened Joel Eshikumo, a reporter for the Weekly Citizen and a political columnist for the weekly Western Times, in public on Saturday over photographs the journalist had taken of him in court on April 27, local journalists told CPJ. Eshikumo told CPJ that unidentified callers had threatened him every night since Saturday, saying they would burn his house down and telling him to be prepared to die over the pictures he had taken of Pino in court.

Two Kenyan journalists threatened for their reporting

2012-04-13T15:56:34Z

New York, April 13, 2012--Kenyan authorities must investigate threats made against two journalists who covered a police raid on a supermarket, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. One of the journalists was also threatened in relation to another story he published.

Kenyan police assault three journalists, detain one

2012-03-21T21:35:13Z

New York, March 21, 2012--Kenyan authorities should hold responsible police officers who assaulted three reporters last week and drop a baseless legal case against one of them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Attacks on the Press in 2011: Killing, Coverup in Kenya

2012-02-22T04:31:25Z

It is not too late for justice for Francis Nyaruri, who was killed in 2009 after he wrote a story on police corruption. The murder comes against a backdrop of widespread extrajudicial killing. By Tom Rhodes with reporting from Clifford Derrick

Kenyan journalist threatened for his reporting

2011-12-09T22:32:20Z

New York, December 9, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the safety of Kenyan reporter Robert Wanyonyi who has been repeatedly threatened after covering a melee between police and local villagers that left as many as seven people dead.

CPJ condemns break-in at Nairobi Law Monthly

2011-09-09T13:05:06Z

New York, September 9, 2011--Thieves broke into the offices of the Nairobi Law Monthly early this morning, stealing computers containing critical information for the magazine's October issue, Editor Dennis Ben Musota told CPJ. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation.

Kenyan prison guards shoot cameraman, attack crew

2011-08-09T20:35:19Z

New York, August 9, 2011--Prison officials in western Kenya attacked three journalists working for the private broadcaster Nation Television (NTV) as they were covering an escape attempt by six inmates on Sunday, local journalists told CPJ.

In Kenya, hospital staff said to attack journalist

2011-06-20T16:19:20Z

New York, June 20, 2011--Four employees of the Wajir District Hospital attacked journalist Abdi Hassan Hussein at the hospital on Saturday, the reporter told the Committee to Protect Journalists. Hassan, a reporter for the Wajir Community Radio Station in the far northeastern corner of the country, said he visited the hospital with three colleagues to investigate complaints from patients.

Kenyan journalist receives threats for investigating murder

2010-12-22T20:19:55Z

New York, December 22, 2010--A Kenyan journalist whose reporting has helped expose and publicize the unsolved 2009 murder of reporter Francis Nyaruri received two anonymous threatening phone calls on Friday warning he could "share Nyaruri's fate," according to local journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities to thoroughly investigate the threats and provide Sam Owida, a reporter for the private daily Nation, with protection.

Attacks on the Press 2009: Africa Developments

2010-02-16T05:02:50Z

CPJ urges PM's intervention in Kenyan murder case

2009-09-21T21:33:35Z

Dear Prime Minister: We are writing to express our concern over the lack of progress in the case of murdered Kenyan journalist Francis Nyaruri. The journalist was found decapitated, with evidence of torture to his body, on January 29 in Kodera Forest near his hometown of Nyamira.

After al-Qaeda report, Kenyan police harass Star

2009-08-18T16:07:09Z

New York, August 18, 2009--The Committee to Protect Journalist is concerned Kenyan police are attempting to intimidate journalists at the private daily, The Star, to reveal their sources for a June 20 article that said the Kenyan Anti-Terrorism Police Unit had lost crucial files about an accused al-Qaeda member.

CPJ calls for investigation into Kenya murder

2009-03-03T22:42:14Z

Dear Mr. President: We are writing to express our concern over the lack of progress in the police investigation into the brutal murder of journalist Francis Kainda Nyaruri. In January, CPJ urged the police to investigate Nyaruri's murder, whose slashed and decapitated body was found January 29 in Kodere Forest near his hometown of Nyamira.

In Text-Message Reporting, Opportunity and Risk

2009-02-10T05:58:05Z

Using their cell phones, Africans are avid consumers of electronic information. For reporters, text messaging is an essential tool. It's a brave (and risky) new world.

By Tom Rhodes

Attacks on the Press in 2008: Kenya

2009-02-10T05:27:00Z

Bracketed by profound attacks on the press, a tumultuous 2008 threatened the country’s standing as a regional leader in free expression. A repressive media bill sailed through parliament in December and was signed into law by President Mwai Kibaki as 2009 began. Enacted over the protests of local and international media groups, the measure provides the government with sweeping censorship powers. The information minister and a newly established communication commission were given broad authority to regulate broadcast content and scheduling. The law retains provisions allowing the internal security minister to raid media houses and confiscate equipment in the name of national security.