Media owners in the country have been asked to assure journalists working for their media houses of their safety while working on various assignments in the field.
Article 19 (EA), a Non Governmental Organisation dealing with media safety and security issues, raised concern on the rising cases of attacks on journalists by security officers and other outlawed gangs while discharging their duties.
“We are not pleased at the cases reported of journalists being attacked while they are discharging their duties,” said Patrick Mutahi, the group’s programmes officer in the country.
Speaking at a Kisumu hotel during a two-day workshop for journalists from Western and Nyanza Regions on safety and security while discharging their duties, Mutahi regretted that though media house owners reaped heavily from the work of news correspondents at the grassroots, their safety was not assured by their respective media houses.
He challenged media houses to ensure there are adequate safety and security plans for their correspondents in the field, to protect their lives against attacks and injuries.
"I am challenging media houses to ensure their correspondents in the field are assured of their safety and security in the course of discharging their duties," Mutahi said.
In the past few months, journalists in the country have been on the receiving end, with some being killed, others shot at and others beaten by police officers.