Northern Kenya Media Practitioners Condemns Threats Against Media Houses, Call for Police Probe

Nothern Kenya Media Practitioners (NKMP) has condemned the verbal attacks targeting Radio ANGAAF in Isiolo County.

“We have established that on Tuesday, 14th of February 2023, the Director of ANGAAF radio Amina Mohammed stated that she was threatened over a Facebook post published on the station’s official account,” NKMP Secretary General Yunis Dekow said.

In the post, the station was only seeking clarifications on the management of the Isiolo North CDF program, according to the media rights defender organization.

Isiolo women representative Mumina Bonaya warned of shutting down Angaaf Radio following the station’s reporting.

The Media Organization has called on the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) to protect the media practitioners and outlets against politicians and the local leaders in Isiolo County who engage in threats and intimidation in a bid to prevent
accountability and openness in public funds usage.

“NKMP is concerned about the growing number of intimidation against the media in the region, and lack of investigations on such, and is calling upon the Inspector-General of Police, Japhet Koome, to spearhead efforts to protect media freedom and the Right to Information,” said Mr. Yunis Dekow is a statement.

He reiterated “we would not be spectators to actions by those in Power to trample on the rights of media and it’s workers.

“No amount of harassment and intimidation will stop journalists from carrying out their duty in line with the Code of Conduct that guides their work,” added Dekow.

Profiling media Practitioners in Nothern Kenya by politicians goes against Article 34 and 35 of the Constitution on the Freedom of Media and Access to Information.

This development presents new challenges and threats towards the press, especially at the county level.

According to Media Council of Kenya statistics, journalists are at greater risk in more rural, county-level settings than in the major urban centres.

NKMP has pledged to ensure journalists in Northern Kenya are protected and provide space to operate in a safe and secure environment and are able to carry out their duties openly, upholding their constitutional right to free expression.