KEG Trustee roots for media freedom

Let media do their work,
KEG Trustee tells MPs

By The Anchor Reporter

Parliamentarians have to accept as normal the discomforting work of Kenya's media, a Trustee of the Kenya Editors Guild   has said. 

Making a presentation during the National Assembly Post Election Induction Conference, Mr. Martin Masai explained that an essential component of media work is to scrutinize the actions of leaders, which causes annoyance.

" That is why the framers of our constitution and the people of Kenya ring fenced Media Freedom, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Articles 33,34 and 35 to ensure that media does its work", Mr Masai said.

" So therefore Hon Members, there is a necessity to accept that media must be let to do their work", he added, telling the legislators that democracy and journalism are intertwined and that media freedom was necessary for democracy to thrive.

He spoke while representing KEG President Mr. Churchill Otieno.

He said the constitutional guarantees bring tremendous responsibility  upon media. " The Guild lives to raise professional standards to honour these constitutional guarantees".

The presentation was titled "Effective Media Engagement ; Giving Parliamentarians a voice", Mr Masai urged the leaders to take advantage of expanding media space including vernacular FM stations and pitched a case for better funding of the State Broadcaster KBC.