On 15 January 2000, two Nairobi-based journalists were assaulted and robbed during a violent confrontation between University of Nairobi students and an armed gang. Jackson Ngugi, a photographer for the “East African Standard”, was hit with a stone and sustained serious injuries, while Stephen Mwei, who works for the Nation Media Group TV, was robbed […]
On 15 January 2000, two Nairobi-based journalists were assaulted and robbed
during a violent confrontation between University of Nairobi students and an armed gang.
Jackson Ngugi, a photographer for the “East African Standard”, was hit with a stone and sustained serious injuries, while Stephen Mwei, who works for the Nation Media Group TV, was robbed of Kenya shillings 3000 (the equivalent of $US20) and had his video tape confiscated. Mwei’s TV camera was seized but later returned. Ngugi was knocked unconscious by the attack and lost
possession of his still-photo camera. A good Samaritan picked it up and later handed it over to the “East African Standard”. Ngugi was treated at the Nairobi Hospital and later released.
The leader of the attackers, identified as a vice-chairman of the Nairobi University student group, had earlier been reported as saying that the students would only return the camera if the Nation did not air “anti-Raila news”.Raila Odinga is the member of parliament for Lang’ata constituency in Nairobi and is the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee to review the Constitution.
A group claiming to support the Parliamentary Select Committee attacked the journalists with stones, accusing them of campaigning against the parliamentary initiative.
In an earlier confrontation on campus, a Citizen TV journalist, Wairimu Ngure, was attacked by the same youths who disrupted a student meeting.
