World Press Freedom day

Media practitioners and stakeholders came together on Wednesday may 3rd for the Annual Media Summit to mark World Press Freedom Day.

Scribes from various media outlets in the country met at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi for the event with delegates from Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe also present.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Shaping a Future of Rights – Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other Human Rights.

President of Kenya Editors Guild Zubeidah Kananu Koome, speaking during the summit, said media freedom is increasingly under threat.
She said in countries like Sudan and Ukraine, it is now dangerous to be a journalist.

Koome said journalists face threats both physically and online as they do their work.She called for an immediate stop to violations of journalists, saying scribes must be allowed their constitutional right to work freely.

The KEG president also lamented that at times journalists face challenges when sourcing news. She said the media has a right to operate without hindrance.

Speaking in commemoration of World Freedom Day.Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki , called for a review of the payment terms of Kenyan journalists.

Prof Kindiki said thousands of journalists continue to highlight issues affecting the society daily “but lack even basic human provisions because of poor pay and uncaring media sector actors who find this normal.Kindiki called on media owners to ensure they give journalists remuneration commensurate with their day’s work and today’s cost of living.

The Interior Cabinet Secretary at the same time noted a threat to the individual safety of Kenyan journalists and pledged that his ministry will not hesitate to punish those who threaten reporters in their line of work.

Bungoma Deputy Governor Janepher Mbatiany WHILE Addressing Bungoma journalists during the Annual World Press Freedom Day urged Members of the Fourth Estate to execute their duties diligently without bias. Mbatiany recognized the press as the key watchdog in the society.

Mbatiany reported that the media has been very instrumental as an intermediary between the government and the people as well as offering a platform for the public to directly participate in developmental matters.

She further implored the media fraternity to uphold professionalism in execution of their watchdog function.

The Deputy County Boss assured members of the press that Governor Lusaka’s administration has a well defined commitment of ensuring journalists easily access information of public interest and that the legacy regime will support and create a conducive environment for the press to perform their duties efficiently.

She also urged the public, Stakeholders and Governments to accord the press their freedom as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution as the primary third eye in the society .

Celebrated on May 3 every year, World Press Freedom Day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly declared to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

The right to freedom of expression is enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.