Journalists on the run ‘find haven in Kenya’

Kenya is the freest country in the region for journalists and their work, a new survey shows.

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says in a report released on Tuesday that Kenya, like the UK and the US, is a preferred destination for journalists fleeing mistreatment, especially from countries in eastern Africa.

The report shows that Kenya is number two among the “top host countries for exiled journalists” in the world, thanks to the 66 foreign reporters working in the country having fled harsh environments back home.

The US leads in accommodating fleeing journalists with 180 while the UK is in the third position with 38. Other countries preferred by persecuted reporters are Sweden with 32 and Canada, which hosts 29.

“This means that Kenya is a natural hub for exiled journalists from countries in the region. It is still a leader in freedom of the press and professional conduct in the way they work,” Mr Tom Rhodes, the CPJ consultant for Kenya said in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Mr Rhodes said most of those seeking exile are reporters who have fallen out with their respective governments in Uganda, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Rwanda. In Somalia, journalists fled because of the two-decade war, meaning Somalia remains the worst place for journalists.

In most of these countries, “investigative reporting is considered a threat to development,” says the report. This is because some donors try to shield their wrongdoing from the press and involve governments in tightening the screws, it adds.

According to the survey, at least 300 African journalists have fled their countries for fear of violence and imprisonment in the past 10 years.

In Kenya though, reforms in laws on the working of the media and the new Constitution are some of the changes thought to have improved the working lives of journalists.

However, despite the Kenyan media being among of the most respected institutions in the country, the report shows that Kenya still has some scars of impunity in tackling cases related to torture of journalists because the law is often “are turned on its head.”

In 2009 for instance, a journalist, Francis Nyaruri, was murdered in Kisii. Although the case is still is still pending, the CPJ notes that the investigation was shoddy because the police, the key suspects, were not charged.

Last year, 10 journalists reported mistreatment and threats to the police of people who either confronted them or sent anonymous messages to them.

“I am afraid this may get worse as certain things like the election campaigns and the ICC debate intensify,” said Mr Rhodes.