This madness must stop': KUJ condemns attacks on journalists in Ol Kalou

The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has condemned the attacks on journalists covering the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election on Thursday.

The union described the incidents as a dangerous assault on press freedom and warned that such violence threatens Kenya's democracy.

In a statement issued on Thursday, KUJ Secretary General Erick Oduor called for an immediate end to what he termed the "madness" of targeting journalists while carrying out their work.

"It has come to our attention sustained attacks on journalists while in line of duty. This madness must stop, because an injury to a journalist or a media worker is an injury to our national spine," Oduor said.

The union said journalists from Nation Media Group and The Star were attacked while covering the by-election in Nyandarua County.

According to KUJ, the attacks were intended to stop journalists from gathering and reporting news from the electoral exercise.

"The violence that was unleashed against journalists before and during the by-election in Ol Kalou Constituency are signs that sponsors of anarchy have identified the media as the only institution that is recording and keeping records of bad behaviours in our politics," the statement said.

The union maintained that journalists would continue carrying out their constitutional mandate despite the attacks.

"We wish to state that journalists will not succumb to intimidation from the sponsors of anarchy," Oduor said.

The statement follows attacks reported during the by-election in which Star photojournalist Enos Teche was assaulted while covering unrest outside Ol Kalou Comprehensive School polling station. The incident left him injured and his camera was taken.

The Media Council of Kenya also reported that Nation Media Group journalist Brygettes Ngana and her cameraperson were assaulted and had their camera confiscated during the same election exercise.

KUJ warned that continued attacks on journalists could have wider implications for the country if left unchecked.

"These acts of violence against journalists will come to haunt us as people when armed gangs take control of our country before the country slides into anarchy," the union said.

The union said the media plays a critical role in promoting accountability and informing the public during elections.

"The media as the Fourth Estate exists to promote public good for the benefit of all of us as a people," Oduor said.

KUJ called on security agencies to strengthen protection for journalists deployed to cover the Ol Kalou by-election and safeguard media freedom.

"We are calling on security agencies to scale up their operations to protect journalists who have been deployed to inform Kenyans of what is happening in Ol Kalou. We have a duty to protect freedom of the media, which is a pillar of our democracy and an agent of good governance," the statement said.