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#KakuziImpunity: Social Media Abuzz Demanding Justice For Attacked Journalists.


A quiet movement initiated by Thika Town Today on social media seeking justice for journalists attacked by Kakuzi guards for covering their attack on school students  rapidly gained momentum with the video clip showing the brutality hitting 5.8K views within the first day.

James Mburu Gaita (NTV) and Julius Kariithi Munene (Inooro FM/Radio Citizen) were attacked and severely injured while covering a students’/parents’ demonstration against an alleged encroachment of Gititu Secondary School land by Kakuzi Company Ltd. Their cameras and recording equipment too were destroyed in the melee.

Their crime?        

The two scribes found themselves on the wrong side of the guards after one of them noticed the se reporters taking a video shoot of the guards beating up the students who were pulling down the barbed-wire fence that the company authorities had erected within what was presumed to be school land.

As soon as word went round that the guards were on record attacking the students, they immediately pounced on the scribes, hitting them with jembe sticks indiscriminately and smashing their recorders probably to ‘kill the evidence’ for good.

Luckily, another journalist was in a vintage point and recorded the whole episode.

Trending

The campaign calling for justice for the two journalists has been trending on Facebook, Twitter and in WhatsApp with Kenyans from all over the republic as well as in the diaspora castigate this action. The 1 minute 20 second clip of the Friday’s incident, shared on the Facebook Page Thika Town Today, shows how the journalist were brutally attacked, with a section showing an unconscious student being evacuated from the scene by her colleagues.

Comments of people demanding a proper probe into the attack have flooded the Facebook and Twitter post, with so many of them sharing them to their friends and groups demanding the government and the police to take action on the guards and the management of Kakuzi Ltd.  WhatsApp groups have been used as a platform to highlight the impunity exhibited by the company for quite a long period of time and seeking a thorough investigation into their conduct.

Hon Francis Munyua Waititu (Juja MP) said, “Delmonte!!!! Delmonte!!! They are going to see the mothers of all demonstrations in KENYA and an immediate evection of this Kaburus if what is happening is true. Hon Stephen Ndicho join me when we visit this premises and demand the right of our KENYANS. 99 YEARS HAS LAPSED and we shall never as Kenyans renew their leasehold. Hon Alice, Hon Roho Safi hapa kuna shida kama kweli vile naona ni Kenya wakati wa ukoloni. Kiambu governor, Muranga governor, All MPs, MCAs and all leaders in the two counties should come together and rescue our workers who suffer under the watch of one Francis Atwoli. Africans killing Africans due to hawa wabeberu waliotunyanyaza wakati wa mababu wetu. I fell wasted if I watch stupid underpaid watchmen clobbering their county men and women. ”
Another of the comments posted on the Facebook said,” Are those human beings beating students???....like seriously???.. These are the most stupidest people on earth. It is unfortunate that cases like these are neglected.”

Kepha Mwebi asked, “In which police station cells are the guards locked in awaiting to appear in court at 8am tomorrow to be charged and jailed for assault?? Everything is on video and you can see their faces so what evidence do the police want to start arrests??? Know what??? All you will get is press statements from the police on what happened except and never what they are doing to arrest and prosecute..... There is a name and a common excuse.....investigations...”

John Kuria said, “This is inhuman and should be condemned!!!!!..Who owns Kakuzi ?..”
Stev Kareru said, “that company had donated land to that school so no need to new directors to grab.”

Miner Tourih Ale-Key   said, "This is impunity of the highest order despite beating a journalist who has no part to play in a protest .... you beat up a man enough to be your dad claiming that you are working.... working for a foreighner who pays you 5000 for a full month with no overtime or allowance .... We kenyans should Manner up and know what we call rights and what we call as neo colonialism.... this foreighner has thousands of acres of land and whatever he sees is the land where students farm their agricultural projects for their final exams , this is disrespecting the kenya our fore fathers shed blood for... if this continues we will be doing our selves great harm by not defending what was shed blood for by our dear grannies and fathers ...."

“Shame on them..You want to mean Kakuzi is a land grabbing company???” asked Samoei Mitey Gilbert Kipkirui.

@ericounda said on Twitter, “This is indeed a big joke. I dare they touch a journalist. This is indiscipline of media action must be taken with immediate effect.”

@Charagu said on WhatsApp, “Kakuzi, and the last vestiges of colonialism. Utter disdain and disregard of the black men!”

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