The first 2022 presidential debate will be held on July 12, 2022 and the second on July 26, the Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) has announced.
Speaking in Mombasa Monday during the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and media sector meeting at the Flamingo Beach Resort, KEG President Churchill Otieno said journalists and the media have no preferred candidates in the August 9, 2022 General Elections.
“We have a code of conduct for journalists enforceable as part of the law, having been enacted as Schedule 2 of the Media Council Act, 2013,” he said.
The code embodies professional standards developed by the industry and which are binding on all journalists in Kenya, he added.
“Any transgressions of this code should get the attention of the Media Complaints Commission,” said Mr Otieno.
The editors’ guild will in October 2021 have a session with the civil society and political parties to explore how best to serve the voter.
Media Council of Kenya Chairman Maina Muiruri during the engagement meeting with IEBC in Mombasa on August 9, 2021.
Adequate space
“Nomination for presidential candidates ends on June 10, 2022. We have set the first presidential debate for July 12, 2022 and the second one on July 26, 2022. Ensure media practitioners understand the rights of women and men, the importance of inclusiveness and giving sufficient or adequate space for them to articulate their issues,” insisted the KEG president.
Mr Otieno said editors are working to reduce any chances of the editorial space being contaminated by influential politicians.
But he acknowledged that in some instances, media owners have declared their political biases openly.
“In such instances, the journalists come under much pressure and sometimes personal risk. We acknowledge that interests by some media owners, managers and leaders leave media professionals torn between telling the story as it is and following the bosses’ covert or overt instructions,” he said.
Self-reflection
Mr Otieno said the editors’ guild is conducting self-reflection to assess whether Kenya’s democracy has matured enough to allow media houses to endorse parties and candidates.
“We are also particularly concerned about the possibilities that the powerful in our society would want to take advantage of our nascent vernacular FM radio stations to spew hate and bigotry. We are collaborating as an industry to see how best to forestall this,” he assured Kenyans.
Mr Otieno also assured Kenyans that the editors’ guild will tell balanced political stories.
He urged all players in the electoral process to allow journalists to access information.
He further urged the Judiciary to put in place measures to ensure courts are not abused or misused by those keen to block information from getting to the public.
“We expect that IEBC will be upfront with information in timely and practical formats,” Mr Otieno said. BY DAILY NATION