New low for Jubilee as ‘Nation’ editor arrested over story
Daily Nation‘s parliamentary editor John Ngirachu was on Tuesday arrested by CID officers at Parliament over a story last week on Interior ministry spending.
Interior Secretary Joseph Nkaiserry, moments after the arrest, told journalists that Mr Ngirachu will be released when he reveals the source of the story.
Journalists in Kenya are not obligated by law to reveal their source of information.
The arrest follows media exposure of a parliamentary exposure into Sh3.8 billion spent in controversial payments by the ministry.
The Auditor General Edward Ouko has already questioned the expenditure.
The controversial payments are detailed in an August 26, 2015 letter that the Auditor General Edward Ouko wrote to the Principal Secretary of Interior Monica Juma seeking evidence that the payments were actually made for actual goods and services rendered.
The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) condemned the arrest and called for Mr Ngirachu’s unconditional release.
“The Kenya Union of Journalists demands unconditional release of John Ngirachu who was arrested today November 10, 2015. Forcing journalists to reveal their news sources cannot be entertained in a democratic country like Kenya,” KUJ secretary general Erick Oduor said in a statement.
