OPINION: Bwire - For a responsible and independent press in Kenya, media freedom warriors are needed

Press freedom trends for the year 2025 in Kenya were largely disappointing, recording average and very ugly experiences.

While internal press freedom violation reports by media stakeholders in the country were mild giving an average score, global press freedom watchdogs including Reporters Without Borders were harsh reporting that press freedom in Kenya is currently under threat within an overall shrinking civic space.

Away from challenges including declining economic performance by media outlets, loss of jobs by journalists, impact of digital technologies including artificial intelligence on media performance, traditional challenges noted include misapplication of the legal regime especially defamation and the computer and cybercrime law against the media and independent content creators, editorial influencing by external players including politicians, owners and advertisers, police excesses, threats; digital, physical and mental to media practitioners, credibility and professional concerns including corruption and misinformation, and poor working conditions which are having chilling effects on press freedom.

The country retains laws such as the books and newspaper, public order management, Official Secrets Acts and tendencies such the ever-looming threat to plug off broadcasters or cut off the internet or deny media advertisements whenever they make us uncomfortable.

Despite the challenges, journalists and the media have remained patriotic to their core professional calling and brought out public interest news and stories of hope including how Kenyans are coping with life challenges such as food insecurity, rising  cost of living, access to education and health, unearthing massive scandals in both public and private spheres, exposing human rights violations in the country and contributing to holding duty bearers accountable to the public.

As we start 2026, it’s important that journalists re look and listen to the issues content consumers are raising especially relating to the lack of professionalism and corruption in the sector, disunity amongst professional associations working in the media sector, suspicion and refusal to work as team that have exposed the sector to vulnerabilities, eroded their bargaining power thus poor remunerations and dearth of professional ethics and credibility.

The industry has reported many cases of failure by the media to report accurately on public interest issues, incidences of violations of the code of ethics for the practice of journalism in Kenya, mishandling of information given by sources, package content that resonates with audience mode and engage in constructive journalism are just a few examples where we have not lived to our professional expectation.

The year, and especially with politicking taking shape ahead of the 2027 general election requires a shape up in mind and way of doing things for the journalists- journalists cannot continue to be all to these emerging things that seem threatening trust and credibility of the profession.

 Media products both news and advertisements must be professional, relevant, consumable and competitive, as the media space has more players.

Gatekeepers in the industry must tackle the issue of corruption in media as a matter of public and professional concern immediately. Corruption by some in the profession and lack of action thereof has led to loss of credibility and trust amongst journalists. Journalists must work to restore this credibility and trust from people, even as they work on guarding independent and professional media in the country.

The threat to media capture is real and the consequences of the news already tested-news become very predictable- those with access, power and money influence and dominate our news, at the expense of issues of public interest.

Journalists must continue to engage with duty bearers, seek information using information to information law, do joint ventures and focus more on constructive journalism through problem solving stories, localize our content to speak to our audiences and invest more in research and investigative journalists. The industry must invest in quality journalism, by hiring more professionals not firing, and look for revenue outside the traditional sources.

This year we must seek to practice constructive journalism; journalism that seeks to describe events and developments in a holistic manner and to give hope for developments that can address concerns and problems facing people.

Content must be factual, localised and offer solution, predict future trends and interpret for the audiences, include coping mechanisms and how others solved a similar challenge elsewhere.

Kenyans should also appreciate the environment in which media is operating and offer support through sharing information, documents and constructive criticisms. Journalists should be allowed to exercise their professional discretion, while those charged with advising government on policy matters, work on a media policy for the country.

The Country requires to address concerns around state /public advertising including allowing advertising on community and regional media houses, reviewing the law banning advertising of alcohol by traditional media, repeal the following sections in the penal Code 40 (1); 66; 66A; 67; 96; 194-200.

Touching in different issues but unduly limit freedom must be repealed, review the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Act to make KBC, Kenya Information and Communication Act(amended), the Media Council Act, amend,  the Films and Stage Plays Act, repeal the Books and Newspapers Act , introduce a section in the law  to ensure that the overall responsibility of running a media enterprise shall lie on a qualified professional journalist and above all, relook at the Computer misuse and cybercrimes Act in support of freedom of expression and self-regulatory.

We a need a legislation on media information and digital literacy very soon as Government intensifies efforts to dialogue with big techs on fair compensation for content from local media, which will facilitate hire and pay for competent journalists.

And with the shadow of the 2027 General Election looming, the media sector must prioritize issue of safety and protection of journalists, guard against allowing themselves to take obvious political sides aware of the repercussions of such and jointly prepare to give Kenyans the best media coverage on matters of public interest.

The author is the Programmes Manager at the Media Council of Kenya