A group of journalists with credentials to cover parliamentary events from the media precincts has claimed there is an effort to prevent them from accessing these areas.

Royal Media Services journalist Stephen Letoo shared on Tuesday that he was informed of plans to move the media to outside the parliament buildings.

Letoo stated that journalists were labeled as a “security threat” to the Members of Parliament.

Additionally, Letoo mentioned that the proposal was allegedly backed by the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula, who is also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Service Commission.

“So now Hon Wetangula, National Assembly Speaker, and Parliamentary Service Commission Chair want to remove journalists covering Parliament from the precincts (Media Centre) on the grounds that we pose a ‘security threat to MPs’ following the #OccupyParliament coverage!” the statement partly read.

Following the detailed reporting on the parliamentary breach by journalists at the parliament buildings on June 25, the journalists also claimed that two prominent figures were banned.

According to Letoo, Seth Olale, another journalist from the Royal Media Services, was also banned from accessing the newly designated media area.

“Besides the relocation of Parliamentary Journalists to outside Parliament, there is a resolution to BAN some journalists, myself included, who covered #OccupyParliament from entering the new area. Seth Olale, who exposed the MPs’ escape tunnel, was also banned.”

Seth Olale confirmed that he had been banned from the precincts.

“Reliable sources within the Parliament of Kenya confirm that I have indeed been BANNED from Parliament along with my colleague Stephen Letoo because of our role in highlighting OccupyParliament,” Olale’s statement read.

Olale described the PSC’s decision as misguided and a violation of media freedom.

However, at the time this article was published, the Parliamentary Service Commission had not yet released a statement on the issue.