Kenyan police summoned three journalists over an investigative report regarding the Nairobi mall attack while authorities fired 15 immigration officers after an audit of the carnage.
Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo Thursday directed Standard Group journalists John-Allan Namu and Mohammed Ali and company CEO Sam Shollei to appear before the Criminal Investigations Department for questioning, Xinhua reported.
The investigative report suggested that terrorists who attacked the upscale Westgate shopping mall Sep 21 may have escaped after causing mayhem.
Kimaiyo said the Kenya Television Network's coverage of the conduct of security officers during the rescue operation in its investigative series violated article 33 of the constitution.
The special report also raised questions about the government and security forces' response during and after the four-day siege, with footage of security agents seemingly looking through mall merchandise while searching for the attackers who killed at least 67 people and injured 175.
The Kenya Television Network footage showed soldiers of the Kenya Defence Forces looting shops in the mall although the chief of the defence forces, Gen. Julius Karangi, said the soldiers were only carrying water bottles in the plastic shopping bags.
Kimaiyo said article 33 limits journalists to a certain extent and warned: "If you are one of the people in the channel carrying out such offences, we cannot fail to come for you, we will deal with you firmly.
"There is a limit that you need not provocate a propaganda war, you need not incite Kenyans," Kimaiyo said.
The summons have drawn criticism from the journalists union, foreign diplomats and the association of lawyers who have termed the directive illegal.
Former prime minister Raila Odinga also condemned the police directive, saying the move will curtail press freedom.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan government fired 15 immigration officers following an audit of the Westgate mall attack.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku said Friday in Nairobi that the officers were implicated in the issuance of Kenyan identification documents to illegal immigrants, according to Xinhua.
"These officers will soon be arraigned in court," Lenku said. He said the purge will extend to many other government departments.
"We want to remove all those who may have been part of the network that is facilitating the issuance of Kenyan identification documents to illegal immigrants who turn out to be criminals," he said.
The government has redeployed experienced officers to the department of immigration to help streamline and reorganize the department.
The cabinet secretary noted that the government was also seeking to amend the laws that govern the registration of persons.
There are close to 350,000 uncollected identity cards in registration centres across the country.
"I have given instructions that if cards are not collected within three months, they be destroyed," the official told journalists.
