Photo/Courtesy Standard Group journalist Rodgers Otiso has narrated the terrifying ordeal he and his colleague, photojournalist Sammy Omingo, endured while covering the violence that disrupted the Linda Mwananchi convoy in Koduogo, Homa Bay County.
Otiso said the situation changed abruptly after he and Omingo stepped out of their vehicle to document a standoff involving the convoy and groups of youths.
The two journalists had moments earlier been positioned on top of the vehicle, taking photographs and recording developments along the route.
However, their coverage was interrupted when youths began hurling stones at vehicles in the convoy, forcing the journalists to jump down for their safety.
“We feared the stones would injure us seriously. I feared the youth, who were wielding pangas, would attack us with ease while on the vehicle,” Otiso recounted.
What followed was a frantic search for safety as the journalists found themselves separated from their vehicle and surrounded by hostile crowds.
“We don't know where they came from. We lost concentration. We lost focus. We didn't even know where our vehicle had gone,” Otiso said.
Otiso said he was particularly frightened by the presence of youths allegedly armed with pangas as the situation descended into chaos.
“I was tensed and confused because the only people I could see around me were the goons. We ran into a maize plantation,” he narrated.
The journalist said armed men followed them as they attempted to escape the scene, forcing him and Omingo to seek refuge in nearby homesteads.
Their first attempt to find shelter failed after the occupants of a nearby mabati structure refused to accommodate them.
The two journalists were therefore forced to continue running until they found another homestead where they eventually obtained refuge.
Otiso sustained injuries during the escape but managed to reach safety alongside his colleague.
He described the incident as one of the most frightening experiences of his journalism career, but said it had reinforced his commitment to reporting stories affecting ordinary Kenyans.
“It was a frightening experience, but it has reminded me why journalism is a calling,” Otiso said.
He maintained that journalists often expose themselves to difficult and dangerous situations to document events and ensure that the public receives information about what is happening on the ground.
“Despite the risks, I will not give up. I will continue telling the stories that matter,” he added.
The chaos also affected other journalists covering the Linda Mwananchi activities, with reports indicating that media personnel were assaulted and equipment damaged during the clashes.
In another incident during the violence, a vehicle belonging to the convoy came under direct attack.
Otiso recalled seeing an armed man approach the vehicle and strike its window with a panga, shattering the glass.
“A man came straight to where I was sitting and struck the window pane with a panga and the glass shattered,” he said.
The accounts by journalists have added to growing concerns over the safety of media workers covering politically charged events, particularly as Kenya heads towards the 2027 General Election.