NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 9 – Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has strongly condemned the killing of Meru political blogger Peris Mugera.
Speaking during the distribution of relief food to needy Muslim faithful to mark the holy month of Ramadan at Nyayo House, Nairobi on Saturday, Mwaura emphasized that diverse opinions expressed through new media platforms cannot be silenced by acts of violence.
He expressed regret that such killings, driven by intolerance to dissenting views, are occurring at a time when Kenya has made significant progress in upholding freedom of the media and free speech.
Mwaura highlighted the risk of reversing the hard-won gains enshrined in the Kenyan constitution due to such incidents.
“The government wishes to condemn in the strongest terms the persistent killing of bloggers, the latest one being in Tharaka Nithi county. Bloggers have the right to express themselves on various topics because the media landscape has been democratized, and bloggers play a crucial role in disseminating valuable information,” said Mwaura.
Mugera was reported missing on February 29. Her body was discovered yesterday in Kirinyaga County, showing signs of injury on her forehead according to a police report.
Her murder follows the killing of prominent Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani, known as Snipper, whose body was found dumped in Mutonga River in Tharaka Nithi County on December 16, 2023.
A postmortem examination, conducted by government pathologist Johansen Oduor at the Marimanti Level 4 Hospital Mortuary in Tharaka Nithi, Meru County, revealed that the blogger died from strangulation.
