Report by Leo Odera Omolo

JOURNALIST WORKING IN Kenya have of late come under serious threats on their lives following the killing last mo nth by a Kisii based correspondent.

The killers of Mr. Francis Mokua Nyaruri have so far not yet booked despite an assurance by the police that they were vigorously investigating the grisly murder in a thicket nearly 40 kilometers away from his Nyamira rural home.

Nyaruri decomposing headless body was discovered in the bush at Kodera Forest in Rahuonyo district close to one week after his family had reported that the scribe was missing.

According to eye witnessed, among them the hunters {antelopes poachers} who tumbled on the body, the journalist appeared to have been killed elsewhere and his body transported to the forest. His head was severed off in an attempt to conceal his identity.

A number of Kenyan newsmen have been beaten up and even tortured by the police. Their crimes, is only for exposing corruption practices within the society.

Attack on the news en is on alarming increase. In some incidences their tormentors have gone a notch high to an extent of destroying their tools of works such as video camera and other equipment at will.

And the latest incident of such well reported threats to the life a reporter is revealed in the letter written by one of the largest media houses to the Commissioner of Police.

The newspaper group has written to the Government expressing concern over threats to the life of one of its reporters who was recently in the headlines for having declined to accept bribery money and exposed the story of the death of a school girl in the dormitory of a private school owned by a wealthy businessman.

The management of Standard Group, the publishers of the oldest, and perhaps the best newspaper in this region, the STANDARD wrote to the Commissioner of police Maj. Gen. Hussein Ali urging him to ensure the safety of its reporter Mr. Alex Kiprotich who is based in Nakuru town about 100 kilometers from the Capitol, Nairobi.

Kiprotich last month hit the headlines when he turned down a bribe of Ksh. 70,000/- to dissuade him from filling the story on the mysterious death of a pupil at Gilgil Hills Academy.

The fears expressed by the Standard Group is not an isolated one from the blue. Only a month ago a dismembered body of Francis Mokua Nyoruri, a Kisii based prolific writer and a stringer with the Weekly Citizen Newspaper was discovered by hunter (antelope poachers) in a thicket at Kodera Forest in Rachuonyo District about 40 kilometers from his Nyamira District home.

Mokua Nyoruri had earlier expressed fears for his life after receiving numerous death threats on his mobile phone following persistent report exposing massive corruption by the traffic police.

He had also came to loggerhead with the local police boss following a report, which he had filed detailing corruption in police force in matter related to housing development scheme at the local police station.

Nyaruri’s family members had pointed an accusing finger at the police bosses in Nyamira but to date nobody has ever been brought to book and charged with the heinous crime. The journalist head was severed of his body apparently an act by his killers to cover his identity.

In a letter dated April 9, 2009, Mr. Paul Wanyagah, the Group Managing Director, which is also copied to the Group’s Deputy Chairman and strategy advisor Poul Melly and other media houses in Kenya, the Director requested the Police boss to investigate on the matter.

The Standard Group would like to bring to your office’s attention that Alex Kiprotich has been receiving several messages intimidating and even threatening his life.

“It is our belief that some of these threats are likely to be emanating from criminal elements believed to have links with the police”, the letter read in part. It adds, “as our reporter is now living in fear for his life and not even sure whether to report the same or not to the police, we would be most appreciative if your office urgently attended to this concern and further to request for an urgent investigation into the matter.

“We seek a guarantee and assurance of our reporter Alex Kiprotich’s safety. On March 15th the Standard Group carried the story of a cry for justice by distraught parents of the girl (12) who died under mysterious circumstances last July inside the School dormitory.

Mr. Joseph Koech and his wife Rose have for the last eight months sought to know what caused the death of their daughter, Linda Chepkorir at the Institution.

The proprietor of the Gilgil Hills Academy, Mr. Isack Kamunya Waithaka was on March 17th, 2009 charged in court with the offence of trying to corruptly influence the journalist with Ksh. 70,000/- to forbear him from publishing the article on the dath of the pupil.

Waithaka who was arrested by the Kenya Anti Corruption Commissionsleuths in a well organized trap and caught red-handed while counting a huge bundles of currency note to entice the journalist. He has since denied three counts of corruption. The case is before the Nakuru Resident magistrate Court.

Another complaint was filed this week by the former Kabete MP Paul Muite who revealed that his life was in danger after he had received information from informers that the crack General Service Unit (GSU) of the Kenya Ploice operating under the code name of Kwekwe Unit have been instructed to eliminate him. The former legislator, however, did not elaborate whether he knew those masterminding for his elimination. But his trouble is believed to have come about following his generalized accusation against the first family in connection with an incident three years in which the Offices of the Standard Newspapers and its sister KTN Television station were raided by hooded men who vandalized the equipment, destroyed thousands of copies of newspapers, took away computers and beat up the staff.

Muite wrote to the Hague based International Court of Criminal Justice (ICCG) and has since refused to appear before the Kenya police to record a statement so that the matter could be investigated.

Freelance reporters working in rural districts and urban towns have had their turn in arbitrary arrest, torture and senseless beatings in the hands of the police.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:48:53 -0700 [04/12/2009 07:48:53 AM CDT]
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: JOURNALISTS ARE THE ENDANGERED LOTS IN KENYA AS THREATS AGAINST THEIR LIVES FROM BOTH POLICE AND POLITICIANS INTENSIFIED.