British journalist says detained in Kenya without charge

NAIROBI, Kenya – A British journalist for The Times of London newspaper said Friday he was being detained at a Nairobi airport without explanation or charge after entering Kenya.

“Just been arrested at the airport on orders of security services,” Jerome Starkey tweeted Friday morning after his arrest Thursday.

Starkey is being held over immigration issues, said Rono Burnei, the deputy police chief in charge of all Kenyan airports, declining to give details.

Starkey said in a statement that immigration officials told him security agencies had put a “block” on his passport.

Starkey has lived in Kenya since 2012, when he was appointed Africa correspondent for The Times after years working in Afghanistan.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Kenyan authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Starkey.

“It is utterly outrageous to arrest a journalist without any explanation or clear cause,” said Murithi Mutiga, East Africa representative.

It is not clear if any of Starkey’s reporting triggered Kenya’s actions, Mutiga said.

A 2015 report by CPJ found that a combination of legal and physical harassment has made it increasingly difficult for journalists to work in Kenya, once a beacon for press freedom in Africa.