The Media Council of Kenya will petition the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission not to clear politicians who threaten journalists for elective seats.
MCK chief executive David Omwoyo regretted that some politicians incited the public against journalists in their line of duty.
Omwoyo spoke in Garissa on Wednesday during a courtesy call on county commissioner Meru Mwangi.
“As we move towards elections, we want to push the IEBC harder so that politicians who incite the public against journalists or directly threaten them, are not be cleared to vie,” he said.
He at the same time reminded editors and media owners of the risks faced by journalists on particular assignments including Covid-19 and stressed the importance of them being provided with protective gear.
Omwoyo urged journalists to be impartial and avoid highlighting matters that can escalate conflicts or intercommunity clashes.
He said the council has introduced press cards with biometric features verifiable by the public to weed out fake journalists.
“It’s very easy to discover if someone has a fake card. This can be done even through a short text message,” the MCK boss said.
He announced that regional MCK offices will be opened in Mombasa, Kisumu, Meru and Nakuru to deal with increased threats and attack against media workers.
Mwangi said the national government officials will work closely with the media and share verifiable information.
He acknowledged the importance of the media and promised journalists of protection against aggression.
The administrator at the same time called on the media to be professional by avoiding bias and publishing credible news.
“We need factual and evidence-based information from the media. Nobody is above the law. If anyone attacks or threatens journalists, we will take decisive action against them,” he said.
The Media Council officials had been in Garissa since Monday, training journalists and civil societies on public interest, fake news, and ethics of professional journalism.
The team will be in Tana River from tomorrow.
- mwaniki fm