HOMA BAY, Kenya — The Kenya Editors Guild has condemned the alleged assault of two Kisumu-based Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists while covering tensions surrounding the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay Town, calling for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible.
The Guild said the reported attack on Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro amounted to an assault on media freedom and the public’s right to access information.
“An attack on a journalist is not merely an attack on an individual. It is an attack on the public’s right to know, the freedom of the media, and the democratic process itself,” the Guild said in a statement issued on Sunday 16, August 2026.
According to the Guild, the two journalists were allegedly attacked by a group of armed youths as they covered events surrounding the political rally.
The journalists were reportedly dragged along the road, beaten with clubs and robbed of their press cards, driving licences, cameras and other personal belongings.
The Guild said the two escaped further harm after a boda boda rider intervened and came to their rescue.
Ooko and Ongoro subsequently reported the incident to police.
The Guild called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to order what it described as a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the reported assault.
It wants investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack, identify those responsible and ensure that anyone found culpable is arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Guild also called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to exercise its oversight mandate and ensure that the investigation and any subsequent prosecution are conducted with due diligence.
It further demanded the recovery and return of the journalists’ stolen equipment and identification documents, alongside appropriate redress for the injuries and losses reportedly suffered.
The Editors Guild invoked Article 34 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom and independence of the media, and said journalists must be allowed to carry out their work without intimidation, harassment or violence.
The incident comes less than a year before the 2027 General Election, when thousands of journalists are expected to cover political campaigns, rallies and other electoral activities across the country.
The Guild said the attack should therefore be treated as a serious warning about the safety of media workers covering increasingly competitive political events.
The Kenya Media Sector Working Group (KMSWG) has previously raised concerns about the media freedom environment ahead of the 2027 elections and called for greater accountability over attacks against journalists.
The Guild also called on political leaders, candidates and organisers of public rallies to take responsibility for the safety of journalists covering their events.
“Political mobilization must never become a licence for violence against the media,” the Guild said.
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The call comes after tensions surrounding the Linda Mwananchi rally disrupted activities in Homa Bay, with businesses and transport services reportedly affected as groups blocked roads in and around the town.
The Editors Guild said journalists covering political events perform a public-interest role by documenting developments and providing citizens with information necessary to participate meaningfully in the democratic process.
It said it stood in solidarity with Ooko, Ongoro and other journalists working to document events in the public interest, and pledged to continue demanding accountability for attacks against members of the media.
The Guild’s intervention adds pressure on security agencies to establish who was behind the reported assault and recover the journalists’ property as investigations into the incident proceed.
