IPOA launches probe into Citizen TV journalist Francis Ode's arrest

Journalist Francis Ode arrested while covering protests in Nairobi. [Screengrab]

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation into the arrest and detention of Citizen TV journalist Francis Ode.

Ode was arrested on Tuesday, October 20, while covering demonstrations over the high cost of fuel along Kimathi Street in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), and later detained at Central Police Station before his release.

In a video seen by The Standard, plainclothes officers appeared to ignore Ode’s attempts to identify himself as a journalist before bundling him into a police vehicle alongside protesters, and later drove off.

According to IPOA, officers have contacted Ode as part of preliminary inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention and will visit Central Police Station to examine relevant police records and obtain accounts from officers deployed to manage public order during the protests.

“These inquiries will seek to establish the circumstances of the arrest and detention and determine whether the actions of the officers involved complied with the law and established policing procedures,” IPOA said.

Ode’s arrest has drawn criticism from the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) and the Crime Journalists Association of Kenya (CJAK), which have called for accountability and investigations into the incident.

The Media Council called for security discussions involving the National Police Service, media houses, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and other stakeholders to strengthen the protection of journalists covering public demonstrations.

Echoing the council’s concerns, CJAK called for an independent investigation into the arrest and alleged mistreatment, saying Ode’s release should not end efforts to establish accountability.