On 10 August 1995, plainclothes police, youth-wingers from the ruling Kenyan African National Union (KANU) party, and riot police beat six journalists and two other travellers. The journalists were attacked while covering a visit by Richard Leakey, Secretary General of the soon-to-be SAFINA party, to the Nakuru magistrate’s court where detained human rights activist Koigi […]
On 10 August 1995, plainclothes police, youth-wingers from the
ruling Kenyan African National Union (KANU) party, and riot police
beat six journalists and two other travellers. The journalists were
attacked while covering a visit by Richard Leakey, Secretary
General of the soon-to-be SAFINA party, to the Nakuru magistrate’s
court where detained human rights activist Koigi wa Wamwere was due
to appear. Leakey was accompanied by human rights lawyer Paul
Muite. While Leakey and Muite were assembling in the car park of
the court, a mob, which was comprised of individuals whom the
journalists recognized as KANU officials and Nakuru police in plain
clothes, began to form. The mob launched their attack on Leakey and
the SAFINA treasurer with eggs, whips, pick-axe handles, and
stones, until they managed to escape the barrage. Both sustained
severe injuries as it was difficult for Leakey, who has two
artificial legs, to manoeuvre. No on-duty police came to their aid.
Shortly thereafter, as the journalists and Muite and his party
proceeded to the court, prison guards built a road block,
prohibiting their entrance. In the meantime, witnesses report that
the mob from below, plus men from two “Government of Kenya” (GK)
vehicles with their plate numbers blacked out, also began to create
a road block. Realizing that the prison guards were not going to
offer any protection, Muite and his group fled, breaking through
the road block at the bottom of the road. At this point, riot
police joined the prison guards, assaulting the journalists with
truncheons from the back, while the KANU youth-wingers attacked
them with whips and rocks from the front. Again, no police arrived
to bring order.
After the melee, the journalists, notably the foreign
correspondents, were threatened with death if they reported this
incident. Two journalists and one traveller, who suffered fractured
and broken bones, were hospitalized, while all sustained severe
injuries.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to Kenyan authorities:
responsible for this incident
this attack signals the Kenyan government’s thorough disregard for
the impartial role of journalists as observers, and that this
incident is one among many documented this year that constitute a
disturbing trend of intimidation against the local and foreign
press in Kenya
Appeals To
His Excellency President Daniel arap Moi
Office of the President
P.O. Box 30510
Nairobi, Kenya
Fax: +254 2 33 73 40 via Ministry of Foreign Affairs
COPIES TO:Attorney General Amos Wako
Minister of Information Johnstone Makau
Fax: +254 2 33 73 40 via Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
