“It haunts me to this day, but in retrospect, this was way beyond my control. My life was in danger. I was frogmarched to the scene, surrounded by armed men. They demanded that I switch on the camera and record every detail. Without hesitation, they began cutting off his limbs one after the other until he could breathe no more.”
In August 2012, ethnic clashes erupted between Orma and Pokomo in Tana River, at the Coast of Kenya, approximately 300km from Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
The violence resulted in the death of at least 50 people, one of the deadliest in the region.
The violence is believed to have been triggered by a dispute over land rights. The Pokomo people are largely farmers, while the Orma are cattle herders who move from place to place in search of pastures.
Kenya’s KTN News TV deployed senior cameraman Moses Baya to cover the clashes. He recounts the horrific tales in the line of duty.
“This was such an important story, and tension was building across the country when the editors contacted me. I was in Mombasa when the call came in, and we had to sum up everything and hit the road to Tana River.
“Covering ethnic conflict between two warring communities is such a tough ask, audiences want the whole story, and you must endeavor to deliver, and this is where the real test comes in.”
“When we arrived in Tana River, we heard that some village had been attacked a few hours ago. We set out, and when we reached the village, things were hot.”
I was busy interviewing the villagers when suddenly a shrieking sound came from a nearby thicket. When we went out to look at what was happening, we found a man writhing in pain. He was one of the attackers.
He had been shot by an arrow that had hindered his movement. The men I was interviewing earlier changed suddenly; they became wild. They ordered me to switch on the camera and record as they murdered the helpless man.
“This must make news today. Record every bit so that our enemies know that we mean business,” they ordered.
At this point, I was absolutely under their mercy. There is nothing I could do to convince them otherwise.
Without hesitation, they started cutting off his limbs one after another until he could breathe no more. The man took his last breath right before the lens of my camera.
Once this was over, they dragged the body and piled it up with the other bodies that were lying nearby.
It was tough. Really tough to watch!
Eventually, we left Tana River, but there was no way some of these pictures could be broadcasted. We edited the piece in line with our editorial policy.
Most people need to learn that when you’re covering from the front lines, you cover much more than what people see on air. The pictures you see on your screen are just a fraction of what we cover. There are pictures we can’t bring you on air because of how gory and disturbing they are.
And so, for a long time, I didn’t realize what these experiences, gory images, and everything had done to me. There are days I used to be very hostile for no apparent reason, you’re disturbed, but you can’t figure out exactly the reason behind it. Most journalists don’t share these things, even with their closest kin. They keep them to themselves. With time, it gets extremely overwhelming.
My recovery journey began when I opened up to my close friends. I couldn’t bear the burden anymore. A problem shared is half solved, as they say, it. I feel much better these days.
In an article published on the International Centre for Journalists’ website, Abeer Saady, a war journalist and conflict media specialist who has over 27 years of experience reporting in conflict zones, advises:
“While covering areas controlled by armed groups, it is important for journalists to fully acknowledge their own identity in the context of the conflict. Anything from your nationality or ethnicity, to what language or dialect you speak, to the publication or media house you’re reporting for, can affect your relationship with the people you are dealing with.”
Some media organisations in the continent have set up mental wellness desks to support journalists dealing with mental health issues.
Mental health among journalists for a long time has been pushed to the back burner. It is often overlooked with the assumption that stress is part and parcel of the profession, but increasingly it is apparent-it cannot be ignored anymore.
Moses Baya still works for Kenya’s KTN News at the Coast of Kenya, and today he dedicates most of his time to helping young journalists to deal with mental health challenges.
Are you dealing with mental health challenges? Would you like to share a thought with us? Please feel free to write to us: ed****@pr******.ke
