NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 17 – ‘Niko Kadi’ mobiliser Allan Ademba is expected to be arraigned on Friday following his arrest during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, where he is accused of filming the electoral process without accreditation.
His lawyer, Melvine Thogo, said Ademba was not working as a journalist but was documenting the poll as part of the Niko Kadi civic initiative, which encourages youth participation in elections.
“He was there following the Tuko Kadi initiative to see how the youth were being engaged in the election process and whether those they had registered were actually turning up to vote,” Thogo said during an interview on NTV.
The arrest came during a by-election that was overshadowed by allegations of violence and attacks on journalists.
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) said The Star photojournalist Enos Teche was assaulted and his camera confiscated by armed, masked men believed to be plainclothes security officers while covering disturbances at AC Primary School polling station. Teche sustained injuries to his hand during the incident.
Nation Media Group (NMG) journalist Brygettes Ngana and her cameraperson were also reportedly assaulted, with their camera and mobile phone allegedly seized at gunpoint.
Following the incidents, the NMG Board condemned the attacks and demanded accountability.
“I call upon the relevant authorities to move swiftly to investigate this incident, bring those responsible to justice, and take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of journalists covering matters of public interest,” NMG Board Chair Joe Muganda said.
The MCK also called for the immediate return of all confiscated equipment and urged police to cooperate with investigations, describing the incidents as an attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information.
The Ol Kalou by-election, triggered by the death of MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, was won by Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, who garnered 35,440 votes against UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah’s 5,450. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said voter turnout stood at 57 percent.
Ademba’s arraignment is expected later Friday, when prosecutors are likely to outline the charges against him.
