The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has strongly condemned a series of violent attacks on journalists and the confiscation of their equipment during the Ol-Kalou constituency by-election. In a formal press statement issued on July 16, 2026, the council reported multiple traumatic incidents involving accredited media workers conducting lawful newsgathering activities in Nyandarua County.
The MCK characterized these continued attacks as more than isolated violations of press freedom, labeling them instead as “deliberately orchestrated security actions.” According to the statement, these actions are intended to intimidate media workers into censorship and fear, thereby denying the public their constitutional right to accountable and peaceful electoral participation.
The statement detailed specific instances of violence, including an assault on photojournalist Enos Teche of The Star newspaper, who was covering a standoff between residents and vehicles when armed, masked men fired shots and used teargas. The council stated that Teche was physically assaulted until his equipment was forcibly seized, sustaining a hand injury in the process.
In a separate incident, the MCK reported that Nation Media Group journalist Brygettes Ngana and her cameraperson were assaulted by suspected plainclothes police officers, who also confiscated their camera equipment without cause. The identities of the attackers involved in these specific cases have not yet been confirmed, according to the council.
David Omwoyo Omwoyo, CEO of the MCK, has called upon the relevant police command and the Inspector General of Police to take prompt and decisive action. The council is demanding that police leadership identify the officers involved, facilitate the unconditional return of all confiscated equipment, and cooperate fully with ongoing investigations into these attacks.
