Several Kenyan journalists were assaulted, threatened at gunpoint and robbed of their equipment on Thursday while covering the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election in Nyandarua County.
The attack, which happened at AC Primary School polling station, has sparked outrage from media organisations and renewed concerns about growing threats against journalists covering politically sensitive events in Kenya.
Witnesses said armed men wearing balaclavas emerged from a political convoy, fired tear gas into crowds and turned on journalists who were documenting the chaos.
Among those targeted were journalists from Nation Media Group, NTV Kenya, The Star and other media outlets.
The by-election was won by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho, who secured 35,440 votes, defeating ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyaga, who received 5,450 votes.
The poll was held to fill the vacant parliamentary seat for Ol Kalou Constituency.
NTV Kenya journalists Brygettes Ngana, Fiona Akinyi and cameraman George Kiru, The Star photojournalist Enos Teche, and media personality DMK Media were among those attacked.
Witnesses said Kiru was beaten and allegedly subjected to a taser attack before the attackers seized his professional camera and other reporting equipment.
Teche was also assaulted as gunshots were reportedly fired into the air, while Ngana and another female journalist were allegedly surrounded by vehicles and forced to surrender their mobile phones after armed men pointed guns at them.
DMK Media was reportedly shot and injured during the violence, while other journalists injured in the incident received treatment at a nearby hospital.
The attackers reportedly confiscated cameras, memory cards and other equipment, disrupting coverage of the parliamentary election.
The Kenya Editors Guild condemned the attack, describing it as a direct assault on democracy and the public’s right to information.
"The accounts emerging from the polling station are shocking and deeply disturbing. Journalists carrying out their constitutional duty of informing the public were reportedly attacked simply for documenting the actions of armed men who had arrived at the polling station in Sports Utility Vehicles and were allegedly firing tear gas canisters at members of the public," the Guild said.
The editors’ body said the incident reflected intimidation tactics meant to silence the media.
"These are not scenes that should be associated with a constitutional democracy. They resemble acts of intimidation designed to silence the media through fear and violence. Such conduct has no place in Kenya," it added.
The Guild reminded authorities that media freedom is protected under Article 34 of Kenya’s Constitution.
"Freedom of the media is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Constitution. Journalists must be allowed to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, harassment or violence. An attack on journalists is an attack on the public's right to receive information and a direct assault on democracy itself," the organisation said.
Nation Media Group also condemned the violence against its journalists, saying the attack targeted both individual reporters and the wider principles of press freedom.
"The assault on our journalists, during which an NTV cameraman was tased, beaten and his camera seized, while a Nation reporter was threatened at gunpoint and had her mobile phone forcibly taken, is an attack not only on members of our staff but also on the principles of press freedom and the public's right to receive timely and accurate information. An attack on journalists is an assault on the public's right to know," said Nation Media Group chairman Joe Muganda.
Muganda said elections require a free and secure media environment to promote transparency and accountability.
"Elections are among the most important democratic processes in any society, and the presence of the media is essential in promoting transparency, accountability and public confidence. Violence, intimidation or interference directed at journalists carrying out this responsibility has no place in a democratic society," he said.
He called on Kenyan authorities to investigate the attack and prosecute those responsible.
"I call upon the relevant authorities to move swiftly to investigate this incident, bring those responsible to justice and take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of journalists covering matters of public interest," Muganda said.
Kenya’s 2010 Constitution guarantees media freedom, but journalists and rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over attacks, intimidation and political interference affecting media operations, particularly during elections and public demonstrations.
The incident comes less than two years before Kenya’s 2027 General Election, when the role and safety of journalists are expected to face renewed scrutiny.
