Why scribes left duty for higher honour at DusitD2

Journalists dropped pens and cameras to help evacuate casualties from the scene of action during the terror attack at the DusitD2 hotel on Tuesday in a show of humanity.

An account by the scribes to the Star yesterday painted a picture of a compulsive urge of humanity in them to help out with tens of the hostages they served seeing a first port of call in them.

In what observers have termed as a spectacular display of Kenyan journalism, some of the scribes who arrived at the scene before the arrival of security forces and rescuers dropped their call of duty for a moment.

Roncliffe Odit who works for BBC, whose bureau office is along Riverside Drive, said he was from lunch with other colleagues when he heard the first blast but thought it was a transformer which had blew up.

“When we heard the second blast and people screaming and others scampering for safety, we decided we must rush to DusitD2 and see what’s happening, and help,” he said.

Odit said he then quickly called for his protective gear from their office and at the gate of the facility under attack, he met two people bleeding with bad gunshot wounds. “We carried them to safety and administered first aid to them before advancing in to rescue scores more,’ he added.

Odit, who is trained on covering high-risk areas and war zones, said getting the evacuees was the first urge of the instinct even as he ensured his safety as well.

“The work we did was humanity at its best. In this world you must help others, regardless of who you are and what you are doing,” he said.

“Tomorrow it could be me,” the former KBC anchor said.

Read: International community, diplomatic missions condemn Dusit attack, vow to stand with Kenya

The account was fairly the same for Thomas Mukoya who works for Reuters.

With cameras hanged on his shoulders, Mukoya had to carry a lady who was shot and bleeding to safety besides assuring many others hiding under cars at the car park that it is safe.

“It was not the time to take photos, the humanity in me could not just allow,” he said, adding that “evacuating the injured and the traumatised to safety was the priority. We also encouraged and gave them hope that officers were already in to save people”.

Kennedy Mureithi, an NTV reporter told the Star journalists at the scene that he had the spirit of multitasking; informing people of what is going on while helping the casualties and the rescuees.

“The spirit here was to help in any way because at the end of the day we are humans. Ultimately this what will count and be remembered,” he said.

“We are humans first, Kenyans second and journalism follows,” he said adding that “even the reportage of this attack has been responsible”.

Dai Kurokawa and Simon Maina, both working for foreign media outlets, the European Pressphoto Agency and AFP, respectively, were actively involved in the rescue operations and even their picture was splashed in the Star’s Wednesday edition.

“I carried two people, all women with gory wounds, to safety before embarking on my work,” Maina said.

“Helping out was a higher honour, even more than the call of duty. I have always done this as I have covered many conflict zones in Somalia, DRC, Burundi and other places,” he said.

Kurakawa, who is of Japanese descent, said he was among those who arrived first and carried one person to safety ad administered first aid.

Shadrack Miti and Hussein Mohammed, both working for Standard Media Group, said they arrived when it was not clear what was happening.

“Ours was to ensure we got the right information and disseminated it so that people stayed informed and took precaution,” Miti said. The Star’s Patrick Vidija said he helped in taking released hostages to safety.

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