7 journalists are nursing serious injuries sustained from police beatings while they were covering the Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA) demolitions in Mbeere, Embu County.
The journalists were arrested alongside Mbeere South Member of Parliament Geoffrey King’ang’i but were released on Saturday night.
Recounting the activities that led to their arrests, the journalists have revealed that they had been barred from covering the demolitions and were assaulted while they were just doing their jobs.
They also accuse police officers from Kiritiri police station of denying them p3 forms when they initially went to report the assault from police.
Read: MCK Wants Journalists to Exercise Caution While Reporting Sexual Assault, Death Cases
The journalists recall that despite showing the officers their badges, they were simply ignored before later being assaulted.
The TARDA demolitions that took place over the weekend left over 5,000 families homeless amid the pandemic.
Residents revealed that bulldozers were used to demolish the houses under tight security of police officers in vehicles with hidden number plates.
We condemn the forcible evictions, demolition of homes & businesses that have destroyed the lives of over 5000 families in Mbeere South.
The demolitions were conducted by @TardaKE violating the right to housing & in disregard to a state order against evictions during #COVID19 https://t.co/AvuMWpe5dO
— KHRC (@thekhrc) April 25, 2021
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