Kenyan opposition newspaper raided by masked gunmen

Masked gunmen believed to be working for police stormed the offices of Kenya's oldest newspaper and set fire to first editions as they rolled off the press yesterday, one of the most brutal acts of media censorship the country has seen since independence.

More than 30 men with Kalashnikov assault rifles stormed the headquarters of The Standard, and ordered its affiliate television station, KTN, off the air. Another squad headed to the printing presses and burnt the newspapers. Computers and transmission equipment were taken.

Two days earlier, three Standard journalists were detained and charged with publishing alarmist statements. Saturday's issue had carried stories revealing meetings between President Mwai Kibaki and a senior member of the opposition, Kalonzo Musyoka. Mr Musyoka denied any such meetings, but condemned the attacks on the newspaper. The Kenyan media still works under tough laws drafted under the regime of former president Daniel Arap Moi, but has enjoyed much greater freedom in recent years.

Ezekiel Mutua, secretary general of the Kenya Union of Journalists said the raid was "the most outrageous and sinister act against the media we have seen. This is designed to create fear among journalists and punish The Standard group which is seen as supporting the opposition".

The Minister for Information, Mutahi Kagwe, insisted he knew nothing about the attack. Police confirmed the office had been raided, but denied setting fire to newspapers. In a statement, they said the raid followed evidence of a plot to incite ethnic hatred that would have threatened national security, and claimed Standard reporters had been paid to fabricate articles. The Internal Security Minister, John Michuki, said police must be allowed to do their job. He added: "When you rattle a snake you must prepare yourself to be bitten."

The US embassy said: "These acts of thuggery have no place in an open democratic society ... We call upon the government of Kenya to disavow today's actions, identify and discipline those responsible and cease efforts to intimidate the media."

President Kibaki's office has complained about several stories in The Standard,. The newspaper has run several stories detailing corruption in Kenya, including articles about how John Githongo, the former anti-corruption adviser, presented evidence of senior cabinet ministers' involvement in the Anglo Leasing scandal, in which public funds were paid to a fictional company.

The government has not managed to rule effectively since it lost a key referendum on a new constitution last November. After the vote, the ruling coalition fell apart and several ministers, including Mr Kalonzo and the former roads minister Raila Odinga, formed a new party.