Citizen TV traffic reporter assaulted by city askaris
Citizen TV reporter Kimani Mbugua was on Tuesday morning assaulted by city askaris while filming their altercation with a bodaboda rider at Koja roundabout.
Kimani was on his traffic beat in the city centre when he saw two city askaris stopping a bodaboda rider in the middle of the road who was ferrying a passenger.
The ensuing argument almost made the rider to lose control. The tussle prompted Mr Mbugua to flash out his phone and start recording.
“Vile huwa wanashika jamaa wa ndudhi huwa ni kuwangusha kwanza na alikuwa na mteja, hata yule jamaa alikuwa amebebwa alianguka akashangaa ni nini inaendelea hapo. The askaris were in plain clothes,” Kimani told Nairobi News.
BEING RECORDED
On realising they were being recorded, the city askaris turned their anger on Mr Kimani.
They grabbed him and drugged him inside the Nairobi Fire Station on Tom Mboya Street where they descended on him with blows while issuing threats.
They confiscated his phone and deleted the footage. They were however unable to find an audio recording that captured their argument with the bodaboda rider.
In the audio, one of the askaris insults Mr Kimani’s profession, saying that they have been sent to finish such things.
“Journalist kitu gani, vitu kama hii ndio tunaambiwa tumalize, wacha hiyo simu twende, leta yeye hapa. Anaekwa kwanza hapa. Huyu jamaa anafikiria ni kama ambaye sisi ndio tumejileta kazi. Keti chini,” one said.
COMPLY OR GET HURT
They then ask him to give them the phone. He refuses and they hit him more, saying he will have to comply or get hurt.
One city askari asks Kimani: Leta Simu.
Kimani Replies: No I am not giving you my phone.
City askari: (A noise like a scuffle is heard) Leta simu. Nani utaumia, hatubembelezi nyinyi hatakama ni journalist utaenda, kumbavu unaona kama sisi tumejituma. Na ulete ID. Sawa wewe ni Royal Media tutaona.