Kenya: CFWIJ condemns the attack on journalist Mariel Müller

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May 4, 2021- DW East Africa correspondent Mariel Müller was injured while covering a protest in Nairobi when police authorities confronted the demonstrators. She was attacked by two tear gas canisters fired by the police, presumably to disperse the crowd. The incident, and the ensuing silence from Kenyan authorities, has resulted in widespread international condemnation.

On Saturday, May 1, Mariel Müller was covering a protest in central Nairobi against police brutality and Covid-19 restrictions in the country when she was engulfed in tear gas fired by law enforcement officers present at the scene. According to Mariel, there were only 40 protestors on location who were entirely peaceful until the police forced a confrontation. In fact, they were even careful to adhere to the social distancing rules. Two tear gas canisters were fired at Muriel— one grazed her leg, and the other hit her directly. Following the attack, she took to Twitter to reveal the details of the incident.

According to the journalist, the police charged the protest armed with batons and illegally detained the demonstrators. She also asserted that a police officer purposely targeted her and her crew. When she confronted him about it, he denied the accusation and walked away. However, Mariel insists “he knew exactly what had happened.”

This targeted attack on Mariel, who was only present at the scene to do her job, received widespread condemnation. In a tweet, DW Director General Peter Limbourg condemned the attack and asked for an investigation into the matter.

Limbourg wrote a letter to the Kenyan Interior Ministry regarding the matter on May 3, World Press Freedom Day. "Such police behavior against the media cannot go without consequences … The freedom of the press has to be guaranteed under all circumstances. Your active contribution to achieving this is called for more than ever as today we are marking World Press Freedom Day," he wrote. 

The incident was also condemned by Amnesty International and The Foreign Press Association of Africa on Twitter. 

Finally, on May 3, the German Embassy in Nairobi also expressed their concern over the attack on Mariel in a tweet and claimed they had requested an investigation into the matter by the Kenyan authorities. However, the Kenyan authorities have yet to respond. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism thoroughly condemns what appears to be a targeted attack by state authorities on a journalist in the field. A free press and permission to peacefully protest, following social distancing rules, in these times, are the rights of Kenyan citizens, and the journalist community present in Kenya. Any attempt to infringe these rights is cause for deep concern, especially when the infringement results in bodily harm and injury. The Kenyan authorities should immediately investigate the matter and hold accountable those responsible for the attack.