- Meru journalists on Thursday, June 12, took to the streets to protest the alleged assault on two of their colleagues
- The two were allegedly assaulted by a teacher as they were covering a parent’s protest at Buuri E King’ori School
- While the teacher was arrested and presented in court, the journalist demanded the arrest of the county’s Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) chairperson
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Meru journalists have held a peaceful demonstration in Nkubu town demanding justice for two of their colleagues who were allegedly assaulted while covering a parent’s protest at Buuri E King’ori School in Imenti South constituency.
During the incident, the two journalists’ equipment was also damaged.
Meru teacher who assaulted journalists
The journalists staged the protest following the arraignment of the school’s head teacher, Mugambi Nguthari, at the Nkubu Law Courts.
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The teacher was charged with assaulting Mwangaza TV’s Clinton Koome and Nyambene TV correspondent Festus Mwiti, who were covering protests by parents against him.
He denied the charges and was released on a KSh 50,000 cash bail with a surety of the same amount.
Hearing for the case has been set for June 30, 2025.
It’s after attending the case that the Meru journalists took to the streets, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) Meru chapter chairperson, Bernard Kiragu.
Led by Meru Press Club chairperson David Muchui, the journalists accused Kirangu of threatening to incite other school heads to attack them whenever they visit their schools without permission.
“We won’t accept attacks on journalists because it is contrary to press freedom as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution,” Muchui said.
“We are also following up on the threats issued by the Meru KEPSHA chairman,” he added.
Similar sentiments were shared by Moses Mung’atia, a journalist. He termed the alleged attack on some of them by a teacher as worrying.
The journalists also asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure the teacher involved in the incident is examined to ensure he is fit to be entrusted with taking care of children.
“If a teacher can attack a journalist, what will he do to a student?” Mung’ata asked.
Meru KEPSHA chairman defends himself
Reached for a comment over claims he threatened to ask other teachers to attack journalists, the embattled KEPSHA Meru boss defended his sentiments.
He insisted that journalists ought to seek permission before accessing learning institutions.
“The point is that I would incite them (teachers) if they went to schools without permission, nothing else, behold that. If they sought proper authority to go to schools, then I have no quarrel with them, but if it was outside the school, I still maintain that was a criminal offence,” Kiragu told TUKO.co.ke in a phone interview.
On his part, Imenti South sub-county police commander Abdirahman Musa confirmed that they were investigating the alleged sentiments made by the KEPSHA official.
“As you have seen, the head teacher has been arraigned in court, and the other issue is under investigation,” said Abdirahman.
Journalists covering Natembeya’s home raid attacked
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that two journalists sustained injuries while covering protests at Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya’s residence in Kitale.
The journalists were injured following an attack on them by rowdy youths who were protesting against the raid.
One of the journalists said he was manhandled for recording some of the youths deflating tyres of vehicles used by EACC officers.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
