Journalist roughed up by Ruto security detail

Handcuffed Daily Nation journalist Mwangi Muiruri led to Karari Police Post after he was involved in an altercation with Deputy President William Ruto's security detail on November 14, 2021. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

A Murang’a based journalist was roughed up by deputy president William Ruto’s security detail during a function at Kangari market.

However, asked to comment on the matter, Ruto’s spokesperson David Mugonyi said the officers who arrested the journalist were not from the DP’s bodyguard as alleged but local police.

“He was taking videos and he was asked to move aside by the security detail but the reporter rather resorted to abuse them. This prompted the local police to arrest him,” Mugonyi said.

The reporter, Mwangi Muiruri of Nation Media Group (NMG) was roughed up when as he took photographs of the deputy president during the official opening of Kangari United Dairy Cooperative Society.

Ruto had attended a church service at African Christian Church and School (ACC&S) at Kangari market.

Hell broke loose when Mwangi was asked by a plain cloth policeman in the security detail to explain why he was taking the photograph and videos but before he responded, he was frisked out by the police.

“I just asked the officer why he was interfering with my work as I was recording a video. Instead, he pushed out of the dairy society compound, roughed up before I was handcuffed,” the journalist said.

Mwangi was later booked at Kangari police a move that saw other journalists camp at the facility demanding his release.

The journalist was later released.

Additional reporting by Patrick Vidija