Editor’s guild raises concern over the escalating threats and attacks on media
The Kenya Editors Guild has raised concerns over the escalating threats and attacks on journalists in the country warning that it risks sinking the society.
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00:00 Every year since 2013, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is commemorated.
00:09 This special day is observed on November 2, and today is November 2,
00:16 primarily to raise awareness about the challenges journalists face in the line of duty.
00:23 Freedom of expression is fundamental human right,
00:27 a center for upholding rule of law and fostering democratic societies.
00:32 In many countries, and Kenya included,
00:36 journalists are being threatened, they are being attacked,
00:41 and even murdered for bringing essential information to the public.
00:46 Journalists are being threatened and attacked for covering corruption and other serious crimes.
00:53 And in some cases, those in power are perpetrators of these crimes against journalists.
01:02 In an era defined by converging global crises and political happenings,
01:08 journalists who hold power to account are increasingly making enemies of the powerful.
01:14 We have seen journalists being attacked during political rallies and other political activities and political meetings,
01:20 even in our own local setting. It's just about a year after the general election that we all saw what was happening.
01:29 We have witnessed influential politicians making public statements against journalists,
01:34 some going to extend ordering their supporters to boycott certain media houses.
01:39 All this amounts to impunity and crimes against journalists.
01:46 And notably, and regrettably, the security officers have also emerged as perpetrators of crimes against us, who are journalists.
02:01 Law enforcers are particularly being singled out as the people who are supposed to protect journalists,
02:09 but in some cases, it is the other way around.
02:13 For instance, many attacks happen when journalists are covering protests, public demonstrations, and even elections.
02:19 Locally, the memories of post-election demonstrations and the attacks made on journalists are still very fresh.
02:26 We all were first with Ma'andamano, which happened a few months ago,
02:33 and what our journalists were subjected to, especially those who are on the ground.
02:38 And unfortunately, justice is yet to be served to the victims of these atrocities.
02:43 Attacks against journalists create a climate of fear for them, impeding the free circulation of information.
02:51 This is even more critical during the election year in Perth because it prevents citizens from making informed choices.
02:58 When the attacks are perpetrated by those who have the duty to protect, the role of law enforcement is questioned.
03:06 And I think this is where improving the relation between journalists and the security forces is a critical part of promoting freedom of expression.
03:15 And this is a challenge that I'm throwing to all these professional bodies, right from KENC to KLJ, all of us who are here.
03:25 How do we improve the relationship between the journalist and those who have been entrusted to protect us and to protect the citizen?
03:36 We should ensure that crimes against journalists do not go unpunished.
03:41 We should all push for transparent law enforcement institutions that respect freedom of expression and the right to information,
03:50 and institutions that promote accountability.
03:52 Because if you are dealing with an institution that does not care about accountability,
03:57 then it means that most likely we'll continue being victims of these atrocities.
04:03 There is need for new dialogue between security forces and journalists, and we must be proactive in that.
04:11 We need to create space where the two sides can understand each other,
04:15 and building a trustworthy relation between the two sides, so that they can continue doing their job as permitted by the constitution,
04:27 but also the media, and as journalists we can also continue executing our mandate as per the law and as per the constitution.
04:34 Thank you.
04:36 [END]
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