What began as a protest against rising fuel prices quickly turned into a disturbing display of force, with a journalist caught in the crackdown. Royal Media Services journalist Francis Odee was among those arrested after plainclothes officers descended on protesters along Kimathi Street, raising fresh concerns over press freedom and the growing hostility towards journalists covering public demonstrations.
Odee was covering the protest against the rising cost of fuel alongside other journalists when the officers reportedly seized him and bundled him into a police vehicle, despite efforts by him and his colleagues to identify him as a journalist on duty.
The incident has drawn condemnation from the Kenya Editors Guild, which described the arrest as a dangerous trend of targeting journalists to suppress public-interest reporting.
Guild president Zubeida Kananu called for a full investigation into the incident, demanding that the Inspector General of Police guarantee the safety of journalists and bring an immediate end to the profiling, harassment and arbitrary detention of accredited media practitioners.
Activists who participated in the protest also condemned the arrest and alleged harassment of journalists, accusing the government of violating citizens’ economic rights amid growing frustration over rising fuel prices.
The activists announced plans for another protest on Monday as tensions over the cost of living continue to mount.
Meanwhile, three activists arrested during the demonstration still remain in police custody.
The incident has renewed questions about the treatment of journalists covering protests and whether those documenting public demonstrations are increasingly becoming targets of police operations.
