Shame As Kenyan Born Journalist Sells DusitD2 Pictures.

Just a week after the 14 Riverside attack that claimed 21 lives, it has emerged that  Kabir Dhanji a Kenyan-born photojournalist is selling some of the pictures as much as  Kshs.  50 000 per photo through Getty Images.

Dhanji is a graduate of the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts degree in media and communications. He is a self-taught photographer who   has worked across Africa, covering and documenting the continent.

Getty Images ,  a visual media company that supplies stock images, editorial photography, video and music for business and consumers, showed some of the DusitD2 photos being auctioned and the instruction was clear that credit should be given to Dhanji.​

His works have previously been used by The New York Times, Time, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Times, Le Monde, the Wall Street Journal, The Australian, and the Washington Post amongst other publications.

This comes after New York Times published bodies of DusitD2 attack victims. Kenyans and the Media Council (MCK) termed the photos as disrespectful and reckless although New York Times maintained that it had no ill intention as the purpose was to give readers a clear picture of the horror acts.

MCK also quoted its Act No.46 of 2013 Clause 10 (2) that states: “Publication of photographs showing mutilated bodies, bloody incidents and abhorrent scenes shall be avoided unless the publication or broadcast of such photographs will serve the public interest.” The same Act goes on to say: “In cases of personal grief or shock, inquiries shall be made with sensitivity and discretion.”

The media watchdog in Kenya also threatened to revoke licenses of the New York Times journalists in the country but this caused a huge debate online as lawyer Donald Kipkorir termed the threats as ‘stupid.’ “In threatening The New York Times, MCK  is engaging in puerile stands. It’s like Kenya threatening US or Burundi threatening France. Some threats are just stupid!”

“The Owner of NYT is as rich as Kenya. We should look for our playmates,” stated the lawyer.

While some sided with him, others maintained that MCK was right to issue a complaint because of the trauma the publication of    such photos would cause on the affected families.