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Police yesterday launched investigations into the killing of a journalist on yesterday morning, ironically a day after the world marked the Press Freedom Day.

Pamoja FM presenter Mohammed Marjan is reported to have been killed at the doorstep of his in Makina, Kibra just a few metres from Kibera Law Courts as he arrived from duty. 

The journalist,  said to have been an active member of the Kibera Community Policing Committee, was stabbed six times and died on the spot.

 His death amid rising crime cases  in the country to rise, with killings reported in various parts of the country.

Kilimani Police boss Lucas Oigara said detectives will rely on CCTV footage to track the culprits in Marjan’s kiling, saying the area is covered by surveillance cameras.

The Kenya Community Media Network (KCOMNET) condemned the  killing as well as the increased attacks on journalists.

KCOMNET and Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) claimed some attacks are perpetrated by elements within the security forces under the guiseof enforcing government measures to fight coronavirus pandemic.

“We call on the police to swiftly launch investigations into this incident and bring those responsible to justice. Increasing failure to prosecute such cases only encourage more violence against journalist, which in turn undermine press freed,” the network said in a statement.

“We are deeply concerned with cases of intimidation and harassment of journalists across the country in the course of duty especially over the last two months of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Meanwhile in Nandi county, two people among them an intelligence officer were stabbed to death as they were responding to a distress call from a wife under attack from her estranged husband.

The officer, Benjamin Sugut, 58, who was based in Kisumu county owned a building at Kapkeringon trading centre in Mosop where the assailant’s wife had rented a shop.

The suspect attacked Sugut and Edwin Kogo when they came in rescue of his wife. County Police Commander Samuel ole Kine said his officers had arrested the suspect.

The bodies were taken to Kapsabet county referral hospital mortuary pending post-mortem.

Kine said trouble started when the suspect stormed his estranged wife’s shop with a mission to kill her after she refused his overture to reunite after separating.

“In a fit of rage, the assailant removed a knife from his trouser and aimed the weapon at his estranged wife but missed prompting her to shout for help attracting the attention of neighbours among them the owner of the business premises,” said Kine.

Exchange of fire

Elsewhere in Trans Nzoia, police gunned down a 27-year-old suspected robber in a mission aimed at recovering two rifles stolen from Kenya Forest Service Rest Outpost in Kinyoro.

Trans Nzoia West Deputy County Commissioner Abdulilahi Khalifa said a multi-agency team gunned down the man but his accomplice escaped with gun injuries.

“The two were asked to surrender when they were found walking towards Mount Elgon Forest near Chorlim and they instead chose to fire at the officers prompting an exchange of fire leading,’’ he said. The officers recovered  a riffle and 10 rounds of ammunition.

And in Migori, a man reportedly went berserk and clobbered his family members, inflicting serious injuries on them.

He was however over-powered by neighbors who responded to the alarm raised and tied him with ropes and was rushed to nearby health centre. – Reporting by David Musundi, Tom Rachuonyo and Winstone Chiseremi