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State House Communication Director Dennis Itumbi has applauded the Kenya police for the attack on journalists who were covering National Resistance Movement (NRM) General Miguna MIguna’s saga at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Itumbi congratulated the police for a job well done citing that ‘Journalism is not an absolute right’.
“Kenyan Police have done well. We cannot have such kind of scenes in an International Airport anywhere in the world. Journalism is not an absolute right. If a police order is lawfully given, you leave and if you believe it was wrong, challenge it in court. You cannot openly defy a police order on live TV. On that I must say police did well. You will never see such stuff in other Airports. It took a bit long, but great decision. To sum it a bit more bluntly, our economy is far more important than a News item. We cannot allow the broadcast of our Airport in such terms as happened today. Strict filming, photography and filming procedures as contained in airport guidelines should be enforced,” Itumbi posted on his Facebook page.
There are several journalists who got injured during the incident including NTV Cameraman Robert Gachira whose broadcast equipment also got destroyed and Citizen TV reporter Stephen Letoo who was roughed up and taken to the hospital and has since been discharged.
Itumbi’s post, however, got a lot of negative reactions from Kenyans who supported the work of journalists.