The journalist, Mariel Muller, was conducting an interview when the police shot her twice in the leg with a tear gas canister fired by a gun.
“Second time they hit me directly while we were doing an interview for DW,” she added.
A journalist, David Bett, who was also covering the protests told kenyagist.com that the demonstrations, dubbed Njaa Revolution, were peaceful.
“It seems police officers were sent to ensure that it shouldn’t take place. So they came in and started throwing teargas at people around there,” he said.
The Foreign Press Association, Africa has strongly condemned the action by the Kenyan police. The association stated that it would not sit back while instances of abuse against journalists took place.
“Journalists should not become conspicuous targets for assault, arrest or intimidation by police especially when they are clearly identifiable as members of the press,” the association stated.
Part of the issues the protestors wanted to be addressed included; lifting of the partial lockdown and dusk to dawn curfew, provision of food for everyone, an immediate end to police killings and brutality and state repression.
Others included; access to free and quality healthcare, provision of clean water, decent housing, equitable access to jobs, free education, an immediate end to gender based violence and others.
The hashtag, “#PeoplesMarchToStateHouse”, trended the better part of Friday, April 30, with activists demanding that their voices be heard.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has since lifted the cessation of movement and the reduced curfew hours from 8pm to 4am to 10pm to 4am.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM
