Kenyan journalists are celebrating world press day with mixed reactions as attacks on the trade still continue to erode the goods the trade seeks to achieve, according to a report released on Friday.
According to the Political Journalists Association of Kenya (PJAK), physical hurt, especially in the county assemblies is becoming a norm and correspondents are slowly finding it difficult to transact business.
“Their right to inform and educate is fought by the same people’s representatives with competing interests,” said PJAK Chairman, Kennedy Mureithi.
The report pointed out that commercial interests have also created a new battle front for journalists who are forced to sing to the tune of advertisers at the expense of telling a story.
According to the report, Counties have become notorious with this kind of attacks towards journalists to an extent governors and senior officials at the counties are demanding the sacking of journalists so that a story is not told.
“As the Political Journalists Association of Kenya, we will not sit back and watch this happen,” added Mureithi.
PJAK has called on the National government to be more vigilant and “protect us and our trade under articles 34 and 35 of the constitution.”
JK/as/APA