A video clip of Citizen TV’s Hassan Mugambi striking a number of people believed to be journalists with the palm of his hand went viral yesterday.
A video that has attracted a number of reactions on social media with some praising him for controlling the crowd while others condemned him for dealing with the situation using violence.
The journalist has come out to explain why he was forced to slap some members of the crowd.
He disclosed that the crowd had formed a human ring around CS Matiangi blocking the view. A move that defied an earlier agreement that no one would block the frontal space of the venue to enable each journalist to get a clerk shot of the CS.
But the agreement was quickly thrown out of the window and they each rushed to take a shot of the CS, a situation that exasperated the journalist driving him to mete out some slaps.
“I was live on Citizen TV when the selfish and quite inconsiderate group decided to form a human ring around the CS’s venue for the press conference. Our camera person couldn’t get a decent shot of the CS, who was about to address the journalists. Until that incident, we had agreed that no one would block the frontal space of the venue, where the CS made his address. However, the group quickly forgot our agreement and decided to defy it, with some occupying that space while carrying their smartphones. I was, consequently, angry because our news director was shouting in my earpiece asking for a clear shot. I found myself being aggressive toward the group,” Hassan explained to E Daily.