The arrest of journalist Collins Kweyu has sparked outrage among media professionals and rights advocates, who are demanding his immediate release. Kweyu, a reporter with one of Kenya’s leading media houses, was detained at the Central Police Station in Nairobi following a complaint filed by a judge from Migori.
Details surrounding the case remain unclear, but Kweyu has linked his arrest to an investigative story he was working on. The report allegedly mentioned the judge in connection with a Ksh10 million bribery scandal. The timing of the arrest has raised suspicion, as police carried out the operation late on a Friday, a move seen as calculated to ensure the journalist remained in custody over the weekend.
The journalists’ body condemned the arrest, terming it an attempt to intimidate and silence a reporter probing possible corruption in the judiciary. They described the move as a direct attack on press freedom and the rule of law. In particular, concerns were raised over court orders that allowed police to raid Kweyu’s home and confiscate his computer. This, they argued, was a thinly veiled attempt to uncover his confidential sources an act contrary to the fundamental principles of journalism.
The association reiterated that protecting sources is at the heart of press freedom. Any efforts to compel journalists to disclose them not only undermines constitutional guarantees but also weakens public trust in the media’s ability to hold powerful institutions accountable.
Media advocates also drew parallels with previous cases of journalists facing harassment, intimidation, or even death in police custody. The memory of such incidents continues to cast a shadow over Kenya’s press freedom record. They warned that Kweyu’s detention should not become another case where state power is misused to stifle investigative reporting.
Calls have been made for his unconditional release or, if there is genuine evidence against him, for him to be presented before a court without delay. Rights defenders insist that holding a journalist incommunicado under unclear charges erodes democracy and emboldens corruption.
The detention of Kweyu highlights growing tensions between state institutions and the media, particularly when journalists dig into sensitive stories touching on governance and integrity. Advocates have vowed to resist any form of intimidation against reporters, reaffirming that a free and independent press remains central to safeguarding democracy in Kenya
