Watch Female Police Officer Harass Citizen TV Journalists At Lang'ata Cemetery [VIDEO]

A female police officer was on Wednesday, September 20 captured harassing journalists who were deployed to cover protests at Lang'ata Cemetery, one of the largest burial sites in Nairobi, whose workers staged a strike over delayed salaries.

During the protest at the cemetery grounds along Lang'ata Road, the workers claimed that they had not been paid for the past three months.

In a video shared by Citizen Digital, the officer was captured in blue uniform telling off journalists who were deployed to cover the protests, threatening them with consequences if they failed to keep her off the cameras.

“Remove your things there” the police officer could be heard yelling at the journalists.

However, the journalists reporting live remained undeterred and the cop was seen walking towards them and grabbing one of the scribes, pulling him aside and then shoving away the cameraman recording the proceedings.

The female cop was enraged and intensified her harassment towards the members of the Fourth Estate, who retaliated in a heated confrontation involving an exchange of words between her and the journalists.

“We are live and at work, we are doing live coverage” one of the journalists defended herself.

Aggrieved by the extremities the officer resorted to, the journalists compelled her to explain why she was turning her rage towards them as they were only doing their daily duty of informing the public in real time.

“Why are you harassing us, this is harassment, we pay you with our taxes and we are at work” questioned one of the journalists while clutching onto a Citizen TV microphone.

The female cop was joined by her colleagues as the journalist was backed up by her colleagues, engaging in a heated verbal showdown that lasted the entirety of the one-minute clip, as the cop kept threatening to attack the cameraman.

During the protests, the cemetery attendants locked the gates and ordered mourners to go back with the bodies of their loved ones until when the Nairobi County Government will clear their dues. 

The protest caused disruption to burial services at the cemetery as the workers set up bonfires both at the site and around the gates.

Lang'ata Cemetery, established in 1958, serves as the resting place for over 100,000 Kenyans. However, the rapidly-growing population of Nairobi has brought forth pressing concerns regarding space constraints within the cemetery. 

Additionally, the cemetery grapples with the detrimental impact of illegal activities, including grave robbing and vandalism, which further compounds the challenges it faces.

Meanwhile, the Media Council Of Kenya (MCK) was yet to issue a statement by the time of publishing this article, coming a day after it warned Kenyans of whatever occupation against targeting journalists who are fearlessly carrying out their duties of informing them of the evils that go on within the society of the country.

“We wish to remind members of the public that freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society, and journalists play a crucial role in keeping the public informed by highlighting societal evils. It is essential that journalists can carry out their work without fear of violence or intimidation,” MCK’s statement read in parts.

Here is the video: