Journalists in Nakuru took to the streets on Wednesday in a peaceful protest following the shooting of their colleague, Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, while she was covering anti-government protests.
The demonstration, which began at the railway ground, saw journalists marching through Kenyatta Avenue, Nakuru’s main thoroughfare, demanding justice and accountability.
Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a Radio/TV reporter with Media Max, was shot three times in the thigh during the protests on Tuesday.
The incident occurred near the CK Patel building outside Faulu Bank, where she was easily identifiable in her press jacket and media credentials.
After being shot, Wanjeri was quickly taken to Valley Hospital for initial treatment and later transferred to Rift Valley Provincial Hospital annex for surgery.
Medical reports indicate that all three rubber bullets lodged in her thigh have been successfully removed, and she is currently responding well to treatment.
During the protest march, journalists paused at the CK Patel building to pay homage to Wanjeri before proceeding to Government Road and Oginga Odinga Road, culminating at Nakuru Central Police Station.
At the police station, they sought an audience with the county police commander, Samuel Ndanyi, demanding answers regarding the use of force against identifiable journalists.
“The shooting of Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki while she was clearly marked as press is unacceptable and must be addressed with urgency,” stated one of the protesting journalists, expressing concern over the safety of journalists covering sensitive events.
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the Kenya Editors’ Guild have also strongly condemned the incident, labeling it as an affront to press freedom and an alarming trend of targeting journalists in the line of duty.
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