As the country gears towards the 2022 general election, Kenyan journalists have called on the IEBC and state agencies to provide protection.
The journalists spoke on Saturday, November 11, during the annual Scribes end-of-year Party in Kajiado.
The journalists' group dubbed, Scribes 254, is the first digital platform bringing together over 250 journalists including print, television, radio, online reporters, and photographers attached to different media houses in Kenya.
The journalists argued that they were simply the messengers and should not be targets of political parties and their operatives.
This year’s event was sponsored by Amnesty International, Media Council of Kenya among others under the theme ‘Protection of Journalists for a Peaceful Election’.
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Amnesty International Kenya’s Ramadhan Rajab reiterated the need to protect journalists highlighting the crucial role media plays in democratic elections.
"As we head to elections, we will see more and more journalists facing threats from various political players. And that should not be allowed to happen," Rajab stated.
The journalists used the event to reflect on the last two years since the pandemic started, a period that has seen a section of them lose jobs and pay cuts instituted in different media houses.
"Our jobs can become very stressful, and such events offer a relief for us as we gear towards the next year," said Roncliffe Odit of BBC who is the Scribes254 President.
Terry Nzau of Mbaitu FM was awarded as the most outstanding journalist of 2021.
The party which started Saturday at 2 pm went all the way to the wee hours of Sunday morning, with journalists enjoying Nyama Choma and dancing their souls out.
Kenyan journalists have been a target from politicians and political parties, especially during the election period.
In the aftermath of Kenya’s 2017 election, which saw incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta re-elected president, journalists report facing harassment, intimidation, and attacks.
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