Stay Put Not Safe Yet Back Home, Journalist Advised

By Mwakwaya Raymond

The ongoing abductions and disappearances of government critics particularly the youth and civil society officials, continues to elicit fears and posing threats to freedom of expression.

Immaculate Waweru, a once vibrant multi media journalist who was forced to seek asylum due to her hard hitting stories still has fear of stepping on Kenyan soil again.

Speaking to us, her cousin, Loice Wanjiku who operates a retail shop in Mombasa, the fugitive journalist would love to be back home but still fears for her life.

Wanjiku, who is worried about the presence of her cousin in the country, says things have not changed so much for her and it would be tent mounting if she makes a comeback at this point in time.

“Honestly, looking at the situation that is going on across the country since the wake of the GenZees protests resulting in the wave of abductions, I cannot advise my cousin to fly back home.”

Miss Waweru is known for standing with the voiceless whenever she executes her duties as a journalist and that would land her in unclear situations.

” Until 2016, while in Kenya, I worked as a Journalist, correspondent with several publications as well as a Radio Presenter for local Radio Station, I was actively involved as a gay right activist,” the journalist says via the SMS.

According to her the stand she took made her look like an outcast in her village including her church for supporting the gay community.

She narrates how she narrowly escaped being lynched by youth opposed to gay.

“I still fear stepping on Kenyan soil because some people who were unhappy with her story are still holding powerful positions in government.”

She also followed up several corruption related stories that rubbed government officials wrong way,

During the GenZees protests several journalists were assaulted by police while undertaking their official duties without the perpetrators being brought to book over the atrocities.

Currently, several youths have since been abducted with some being released unconditionally while others’ whereabouts still remain unknown.

However, the government has vehemently distanced itself for such heinous acts, but reminded parents to caution their children to use the Internet responsibly.

Interior cabinet secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has so far indicated his stand with youths using the Internet to vilify the country’s leadership that they would not walk Scott free.

But his counterpart public service cabinet secretary Justin Bedan Muturi has since distanced himself from the government’s stand accusing the same for having a hand in the abductions.