RMS Editorial Director Linus Kaikai condemns police over assault of Citizen TV's Francis Ode

Royal Media Services (RMS) Editorial Director Linus Kaikai has condemned the arrest and assault of Citizen TV reporter Francis Ode by plainclothes police officers while covering protests against rising fuel prices in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Kaikai shared a video showing officers confronting and manhandling protesters, accusing them of using excessive force against unarmed picketers, including the journalist.

Kaikai described the incident as “lawless, unwarranted and primitive,” calling on the National Police Service (NPS) and the Ministry of Interior to stop what he termed unlawful operations by unidentified officers.

“This was the moment overzealous policemen without uniforms pounced on a handful of unarmed picketers, mindlessly grabbing anyone in sight, including our reporter Ode Francis,” Kaikai stated.

“The manhandling of Ode and the activists was lawless, unwarranted and primitive.”

Kaikai warned that such operations by plainclothes officers violated the law and the Constitution, arguing that journalists and members of the public should not be subjected to arbitrary arrests or violence while exercising their rights.

“Besides innocent persons like our reporter Ode falling victim, such barbaric swoops by rogue, unidentified, so-called ‘plainclothes police’ on protesters or picketers violate the law and the Constitution,” he said.

Ode was arrested on Kimathi Street in Nairobi while covering demonstrations against rising fuel prices.

He was reportedly roughed up by plainclothes officers who repeatedly ignored his press identification before detaining him at the Nairobi Central Police Station.

The journalist was later released following public pressure and condemnation from media organisations.

The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) has since also condemned Ode's arrest and assault, demanding an official apology from Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and assurances that journalists would be protected while on assignment.

KEG President Zubeidah Kananu, in a statement also issued on Tuesday evening, said Ode had been covering a public press conference and peaceful demonstrations when officers intercepted him despite his identification as an accredited journalist.

“KEG is deeply appalled by the reported arrest and assault of Citizen TV journalist Francis Ode by police officers while he was in the line of duty,” Kananu said.

The Guild welcomed Ode's release but maintained that it did not resolve concerns surrounding the circumstances of his arrest and alleged mistreatment.

“While we acknowledge that Ode has since been released following immediate pressure and public outcry, the Guild maintains that his arrest should never have occurred in the first place,” she stated.

KEG further warned against what it described as a continuing trend of law enforcement officers targeting journalists covering matters of public interest.

The Guild called for an end to the profiling of accredited journalists, arguing that such incidents undermine media freedom and the public's right to information.

The Crime Journalists Association of Kenya (CJAK) also condemned the arrest and assault, calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

CJAK Chairperson Joseph Muraya said Ode's release from custody was welcome but should not replace accountability for any wrongdoing.

The association urged the National Police Service (NPS) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to establish what happened during the journalist's arrest and detention and ensure that officers found to have violated the law were held accountable.