This archive report was first published on 14 November 2021.
On Sunday, November 14, 2021, NTV journalist Mwangi Muiruri was detained by Deputy President William Ruto's bodyguards while covering a rally in Muranga County.
According to Muiruri, the incident occurred when he and other journalists scrambled to get a better angle of the DP in a restricted area. He accidentally stepped on one of the security detail's feet while moving back to get a better shot.
Despite his explanation, Muiruri was immediately surrounded by other bodyguards who questioned who he was. One of the men confiscated his badge before he was frog-marched out of the premises.
He was then handed over to the Kangari Directorate of Criminal Investigations Offices (DCIO) in a police vehicle waiting outside the gate. The vehicle proceeded to the area police station.
At the station, Muiruri identified himself as an NTV journalist upon enquiry by the police officers. He was grilled for hours and informed that Ruto already had a media team and had not engaged any other media house.
During his detention, Muiruri stated that the police officers made several calls to Faruk Kibet, the DP's personal assistant. Kibet eventually called and instructed the officers to release Muiruri once the DP had left the area.
Muiruri believes that the incident was related to the strained relationship between the DP's team and journalists from NTV. He recalled an incident on November 5, where some journalists were covering Ruto in Gatanga, and the DP's team claimed that the journalist went on to incorrectly report on the event.
