NTV journalists roughed up at Azimio rally

NTV journalists were on Thursday roughed up and blocked from covering the Azimio la Umoja campaign in Dagoretti, Nairobi by individuals who identified themselves as members of the ODM security team.

NTV’s reporter Martin Mwangi, cameraman Shamason Osiago and driver Simon Ashiko were ordered to leave the rally after they were told they had occupied another media house's spot.

The press secretary of the Raila Odinga’s presidential campaign secretariat Dennis Onsarigo condemned the act and promised to follow up to ensure it does not happen again.

“I have no idea about the incidence but if it happened it is unacceptable. I will follow up,” he said in a phone call conversation with NTV news editor Ben Kitili.

NTV’s anchor Mark Masai while reporting on the news identified a man who was wearing a blue cap in the footage as the person who claimed he was a security member of ODM and ordered NTV journalists to leave.

Azimio la Umoja movement

Mr Odinga, who is currently in the United Kingdom for a week, is expected to popularise the Azimio la Umoja movement among Kenyans living there as well as other events.

The incident at the Azimio rally came a day after journalists were briefly locked out of Deputy President’s William Ruto’s event where he was being crowned as the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential flagbearer.

The journalists were barred for about an hour from covering the delegates' resolutions at the Kasarani stadium auditorium.

While defending the move, Kenya Kwanza’s digital strategist Dennis Itumbi said that the delegates at the conference were expected to have a formal session to pass the resolutions.

Countering the move, Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign spokesperson Makau Mutua said the incident implied secrecy on the part of UDA and amounted to denying Kenyans the opportunity to review their decisions about the party.

Mr Odinga and Dr Ruto are seen as frontrunners in the 2022 presidential election.