By KANERE News Desk – September 2021
A KANERE journalist was arrested by Kakuma police for reporting on a teachers’ demonstration outside the UNHCR main entrance on the morning of September 10th, 2021.
Primary school teachers suspended all classroom activities by sending learners back home due to what teachers describes as delays and disproportion of wages for equal work loads.
It was on a Friday morning at about 7:00 am when KANERE editors were notified by teachers’ representatives about their organized strike.
An hour later, the streets of Kakuma 1 area were filled by teachers carrying posters and chanting about their rights being violated by education implementing partners, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
It was apparently clearly that the refugee teachers have had their protest well planned; teachers from different zones arrived in groups and their first meeting point was at the Equatoria Boys football field before they moved to the UNHCR compound.
However, before the teachers departed the football field, an LWF vehicle was seen on site with two to three staff on board. They were trying to convince teachers not to go on strike; the key figure from the LWF on the scene was an employee the teachers identified as Okello, who they said was unable to heed their long-time complaints.
“Both LWF and the UNHCR have failed teachers, and this violation on our employment rights has been there since 1990s,” H/Teacher in Zone 2 school told KANERE.
Some of the slogans and posters expressed teachers’ grievances with illustrations that read: “Teachers want their careers valued and respected.”
The teacher’s march was huge and it was joined by students while the situation was slowly getting attention of humanitarian agencies and the police. Anything was likely to escalate tension as the crowd was very energetic.
By 7:31 am a huge but peaceful demonstration was staged outside UNHCR’s main premises in Kakuma 1. At this time, two KANERE journalists were on the ground observing the situation from a side, while another was conducting a side interview with a school teacher.
At 7:55 am Kenya police arrived, and in blink of an eye situation became tense.
A demonstrator was shouting about seeking attention from the UNHCR but still remained very orderly and peaceful.
At around 8:00 am police fired teargas into the huge crowd that included teachers and primary school students. People started running in different directions, some were screaming as results of irritations from teargas while most teachers remained behind.
At 8:04 am a KANERE journalist was arrested and forceful put into the police vehicle by four police officers.
The journalist was handcuffed to the rooftop of the police vehicle for one hour.
By 9:05 am the journalist remained handcuffed to rooftop of the police vehicle, which was making rounds in the area shooting teargas to disperse demonstrators.
By 9:10 am the vehicle carrying the journalist had returned back to the police station where victimized journalists was interrogated and held for 2 hours.
The alleged reason for arresting the journalist was for participating in the protest, which was entirely a false allegation because journalist was taking photographs and interviewing some members of protesting teachers.
At 11:12 am the journalist was released by the Officer Commanding Station Following press phone calls as the strike situation is being well heard.
In the process of being forcefully arrested, the journalist sustained minor injuries, such as a torn apart shirt, and a damaged camera and mobile device.
“My camera was broken; I lost my camera’s memory card but I can’t claim it on the police, but I lost value staff in the process.” Victimized journalist told senior KANERE staff in an interview.
The journalist also describes witnessing school going refugee children among the demonstrators who are being teargassed by the police.
KANERE continues to seek reforms and improvement of poor climate of media freedom in Kakuma and other refugee camps.