Police attack Standard journalist, destroy his camera

Police officers guarding Homa Bay County Assembly yesterday attacked and injured a Standard Media Group journalist.

James Omoro suffered injuries on his hands and shoulder and had his Nikon Camera worth Sh70,000 smashed by one of the officers.

Mr Omoro had gone to the Assembly at about 8.30am to cover two warring factions at the assembly.

Unknown to him, some heavily armed police officers had been positioned at strategic corners of the Assembly.

Trouble started when Omoro tried to take pictures as police threw out one of the ward representatives from the assembly's compound.

“As I clicked, two police officers confronted me. One beat me several times with a baton as the other wrestled the camera from me,” said Omoro.

“He snatched the camera and continued to hit me even as I started bleeding. Fearing they would shoot me, I fled from the scene,” he said.

One of Omoro’s colleagues, Ally Abich of Royal Media Services, also fled when the officers cocked their guns and threatened to shoot journalists.

"They ran after me but I outran them. I tried calling for help when they cornered Omoro," said Mr Abich.

A team of journalists who later visited the assembly found pieces of Omoro's smashed camera strewn in the compound.

Omoro sought treatment at the Makongeni sub-county hospital before seeking specialised treatment at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital.

He was due for an X-ray later yesterday as he complained of a painful back and shoulder.

Homa Bay County Commander Marius Tum said investigations into the attack were on.

“This is unfortunate. I have instructed my officers to investigate what happened and give me a report,” Tum said.

Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo, the Kenya Union of Journalist Secretary General Eric Oduor and Standard Group's Kisumu Bureau Chief John Oywa condemned the attack on Omoro, terming it savage and another affront to media freedom.

“We are calling for immediate and thorough investigation into this matter,” said Mr Omwoyo. 

Standard reporter James Omoro. [Denish Ochieng/Standard]