Citizen TV journalist assaulted for filming county askaris demanding bribe

Citizen TV journalist Kimani Mbugua is nursing head and neck injuries after he was assaulted by officers from the Nairobi County government while on duty.

According to the journalist, the officers accosted him while he was recording an incident where the officers were demanding a bribe from a boda boda operator who had flouted the motorbikes ban in Nairobi’s CBD.

“It’s unfortunate what happened and what has been happening, I was recording the incident using my phone as I awaited the cameraman. An officer roughed me up and and took me to Fire Station offices where I received several slaps and had my head banged against the wall,” he said.

Mr. Kimani who had already identified himself as a journalist then insisted that he be taken to Central Police station if he was indeed under arrest, but the county officers ignored.

“The officers realised they could get into trouble and released me but after forcing me to delete all the pictures and video I had recorded,” Mr. Kimani recalled.

The journalist however noted that those who arrested him had no uniform but provided identification showing they were Nairobi County government officials.

Mr. Kimani could however not authenticate the identification from the officers but says they were not police officers.