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Photojournalist charged with sneaking into Brookside plant to take photos

By ERIC WAINAINA November 6th, 2017 1 min read

A foreign photojournalist was on Saturday arrested after he allegedly trespassed into the Brookside Dairies, which Nasa has named as one of the three companies whose products should be boycotted by its supporters.

The firm, located in Kiambu County, is owned by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family.

Mr Yasuyoshi Chiba, a Japanese national who works with Agence-France-Presse (AFP) in Nairobi, was arrested by police officers from Ruiru Police Station and released on a Sh10, 000 police bail pending his appearance in court.

He had gone into the company to take pictures.

Mr Chiba was on Monday produced before Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Atambo over the matter but did not take plea.

Brookside Dairies is the complainant in the case where four people have been listed as witnesses.

DEFECTIVE CHARGES

This was after the photographer’s lawyer Harun Ndubi told the court that the charges as they appeared on the charge were defective, and successfully asked Ms Atambo to defer the plea to Tuesday when he is expected to make submission regarding the charges.

Mr Chiba, who police claim was arrested inside the mega milk processor where he was allegedly taking photos, has been charged with “trespassing upon a private land” contrary to section 3 (1) (11) of the trespass Act Cap 294 of laws of Kenya.

Mr Ndubi applied that the suspect be released on a Sh10, 000 cash bail pending his appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon when he is expected to take plea.

The prosecution did not object to the application.

The court, however, directed that the photographer’s passport, which was confiscated by the police after his arrest, be deposited in court.