Paris - The UN's cultural body on Thursday urged Kenyan authorities to thoroughly investigate the bludgeoning to death of a veteran journalist whose murder has raised concerns about the erosion of Kenyan press freedom.
John Kituyi, 63, the editor and publisher of the Mirror Weekly, a regional newspaper he founded in the western city of Eldoret, was attacked while walking home from work last Thursday.
According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) he was "hit repeatedly with a blunt object" and his phone was stolen, but not his money or his watch. Kituyi later died in hospital from his injuries.
"It is important that the Kenyan authorities conduct a thorough investigation into this crime," UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova said in a statement.
"The freedom to produce, disseminate and receive news and information from free, diverse and independent media hinges on states' commitment to ensure that media workers can carry out their professional duties without fear of violence and reprisal.
AFP
