Why Nakuru journalists were roughed up at the County Assembly

Journalists from different media houses who had turned up for a presser by MCAs were denied access to the Nakuru County Assembly today by the police and sergeants at arm.

The officers closed the main entrance of Ugatuzi plaza, saying that ‘orders from above’ had directed journalists not to be allowed into the premises.

The fracas that ensued for over five minutes, pitted some of Nakuru’s journalists against the County Assembly authorities, bringing the business of the house to a standstill.

Speaking after the drama Simon Mwangi of Utana TV says that this is not the first time such an incident is occurring at the county assembly.

“I have been denied access to the County Assembly two times, before today’s incident. There was a time I was restricted from entering the County Assembly because the officers at the gate said that the media station I work for was not in the list of those media houses that are allowed in the house,” he narrates.

He continues, “Similarly today, one of the county assembly officials came out and said we were not cleared to gain access into the County Assembly.”

Inooro reporter Robert Maina giving the same account says he had gone to the assembly to cover a press conference that the MCAs themselves had requested for, and was therefore surprised when denied entry after an invitation had been extended to members of the fourth estate.

"There had been drama in the Assembly after MCAs allied to William Mutai became unruly in the house, demanding that Alex Lang'at who had sat in the majority leader seat, step down. This is what the leaders wanted to address in the media," Maina explains.

In a press release, Chairman of Nakuru Journalists Association Joseph Openda has the incident noting that it infringes on the freedom of the media.

“We call upon the County Assembly to put in place mechanisms that will ensure journalists are able to carry out their work without harassment, intimidation or any form of interference. In the meantime, we demand a public apology from the assembly and actions taken against the officers who mishandled the journalists, failure to act may force us to pursue further legal and public avenues to safeguard our rights and that of the public to be informed,” reads part of the document.