[allAfrica.com]  [allAfrica.com_Top_Headlines]


Police Raid Weekly Paper's City Offices

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
September 25, 2004
Posted to the web September 27, 2004

By Fredrick Onyango
Nairobi
Police yesterday raided Weekly Citizen offices and impounded copies which were
to hit the streets on Monday.
The 10-man squad of armed plainclothes policemen stormed the paper's Nairobi
offices and carted away two computers, diskettes, a camera and a printing
plate.
They arrived at the Summit House on Moi Avenue at about 7.45am and ordered
everyone to lie down.
Speaking to Nation shortly after, the publication's marketing manager, Mr Moses
Musyoka, said the men told them they were police officers but didn't show their
identification.
The editor, Mr Tom Alwaka, arrived 20 minutes later to find the police gone.
He said he reported the matter at Central Police Station, and officers there
said the raid was carried out by Administration policemen.
"Since Monday this week, I have been receiving calls from an anonymous person
asking whether I have a story on the Ndung'u Land Commission Report," said Mr
Alwaka.
He added: "The caller asked me to meet him at a hotel, where he would offer me
Sh2 million if I did not carry the story. But I told him I did not have the
story."
Kenya Union of Journalist secretary general Ezekiel Mutua condemned the raid,
describing it as "a crude and beastly act meant to cause fear and intimidation
to the journalism fraternity."
"They should have followed the laid down procedures instead of hurling teargas
canister at the employees," Mr Mutua said.

   

  =============================================================================
  Copyright © 2004 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                         Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  =============================================================================