The European Union ambassador to Kenya has urged local media to preach peace and not stoke violence ahead of the 2022 general election.
Saying the political environment in Kenya was becoming hotter, the envoy Henriette Geiger said media had a responsibility to calm the waters and not make the situation worse through their reporting.
“So the temperature is already very hot now and the way media reports can either increase the temperature or lower the temperature. What we need is lowering the temperature” Geiger said.
She was speaking at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday at the start of a two- day conference on enhancing Media and Civil Society collaboration towards the 2022 general elections. The forum is organised by the Kenya Correspondents Association.
“The media is key to keep that pre-election phase peaceful. This is all in our common interest but we know as international partners that this not in our hands but in yours. If there is no peace, we will all lose,” he ambassador said.
She noted in the event of breakdown, Kenya and Kenyans would be hurt the most but international partners would also lose big as they had invested heavily. She said Kenya was seen as a beacon of peace and stability in the horn of Africa and beyond.
“So we want stability in Kenya and Kenya needs stability for development. All the young people who are coming out of school need jobs.
"The economy coming to halt during elections, violence interrupting economic activities — all that can be influenced by you through your messages,” she told journalists.
Geiger also said journalists can guard against being exploited by political players.
“The only instruments should be the ones calling for peace and calm and for people to register to vote and make use of their democratic right. We know there is a lot of voter apathy; it is not something that can be remedied by you,” Geiger said.
“You are the watch dogs and the monitoring factor for any government activity but also for anything that happens in the country and its citizens. Through you, citizens feel empowered to have a voice,” she added.
(Edited by V. Graham)
