Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura moved to London by New York Times after controversy over Dusit attack photos

This is what happened to New York Times reporter Kimiko Tamura after Dusit Photos controversy

Mark Mwithaga

March 4, 2019 11:12 AM

Surprising development over the embattled Kimiko

Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura

New York Times reporter Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura was denied her new job in Nairobi and moved to London following the controversy over the Dusit Complex attack photos.

Kimiko was expected to take up her new role as the East African Bureau Chief here in Nairobi before the public uproar over publishing photos of dead bodies during the Dusit terror attack.

New York Times reporter Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura Pulse Live Kenya

The Paris born journalist is now based in London and maintained her position as a foreign correspondent for the NYT.

Kimiko had come under fire from Kenyans on twitter after she was considered to have been rude in her response to the request of the removal of the 14 Riverside attack photos from the newspaper’s website.

“As I’ve said, I don’t choose the photos. Please direct your anger to our photo department.Thank you,” read Kimiko’s tweet which she later pulled down for unknown reasons.

The move by the Japanese, Portuguese-Irish American, French speaking journalist, had angered Kenyans who eventually called for her deportation over the matter.

Media Council of Kenya goes after New York Times over Dusit photos

The Media Council of Kenya in January, responded to the matter after concerns raised by the citizens and had given the American media house a 24-hour ultimatum to take down the photos.

The international media house however chose to keep the photos and offered an explanation for the move.

Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Officer and Secretary David Omwoyo Omwoyo during a past media briefing Pulse Live Kenya

Director of Photography Meaghan Looram stated that, “Our role as journalists to document the impact of violence in the world, and if we avoid publishing these types of images, we contribute to obscuring the effects of violence and making debates over security and terrorism bloodless,”

MCK on its part had announced it would revoke the licence of Kimiko following the decision made by her employer.

Mark Mwithaga