By Charles Karani/ Muoki Charles
A veteran journalist based in Thika, accused of inciting boda boda operators to attack and injure an assistant chief while covering a story six years ago, has denied the allegations, saying that he is being falsely persecuted for exposing sand harvesting cartels involving local administrators.
Francis Kilango, a freelance journalist, told a magistrate court that his crime was to cover a protest by boda boda operators at Ekalakala in Masinga, Machakos County on a missing boda boda rider only to find himself charged in court facing incitement to violence charges.
Testifying before Kithimani Senior Principal Magistrate Benson Sikuku, Kilango said he was being gagged for exposing the rot by authorities in Masinga, an infringement to the freedom of the media.
Kilango is accused of inciting bodaboda operators to attack and injure Ekalakala Assistant Chief Timothy Kivati on June 23, 2018.
Kilango pleaded with the court to dismiss the case, arguing that his actions were within the scope of his journalistic duties and that prosecuting him would infringe upon press freedom.
“Your honour, in my 30 years of practice I have never been arrested or a complaint brought incriminating me. In this case, I’m being falsely crucified for exposing the rot in Masinga. I was doing my job as a journalist covering a missing person.
“The assistant chief was an accused person and I needed to get his side of the story. Since he had not arrived at his office, he was called by the police inspector in-charge to come over and address the issue when he found the rowdy bodaboda operators. How do I come into this case?” posed Kilango.
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The prosecutor however took Kilango to task to explain why he phoned the Assistant Chief to come to the police post knowing very well that there were rowdy protestors waiting for him.
“You set him up. If you had not called the assistant chief to come to his office, he would not have been attacked and injured. You are culpable for the attack on the assistant chief” said the prosecutor.
However, Kilango said he was not the only person who called the sub chief to report to his office that day, and that he was to report to his office anyway.
“I have called the assistant chief on many occasions to clarify on many issues that affect his area. Again, I’m not the only person who called him to come to the station, that day” he said.
According to reports, the assistant chief and the missing bodaboda rider, Michael Munuve had a long standing feud over illegal sand harvesting. The riders had stopped lorries from fetching sand from the area due to massive damage to the roads, a stance which angered the assistant chief.
The reports add that when news that the rider had gone missing after being arrested by the assistant chief the previous night emerged, the locals stormed his office demanding that he produces the rider.
The mob grew impatient prompting a standoff and this forced the police to disperse them.
The hearing continues on May 14, 2024.
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