COUNTY GOVERNMENTS URGED TO WORK WITH JOURNALISTS TO UPHOLD MEDIA FREEDOM

Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) has called on the County Governments to work closely with journalists based in their areas and to uphold media freedom to facilitate free flow of information to the public in line with the provisions of the constitution.

KCA, which has launched a project to train journalists on effective reporting on the implementation of Devolution and the operations of the County Governments, has noted with concern that some of County Governments have already began to deny journalists access to information and in some cases, have shown hostility towards the media.

“KCA has launched a project on media and devolution, which aims at building the capacity of journalists in reporting devolution.  We call on the County Governments to uphold media freedom and create an enabling environment for journalists to do their work, including putting up press galleries in the County Assemblies,” said William Oloo Janak, the KCA Chairman.

Janak urged journalists across the country generate accurate and well researched stories on the devolution implementation process and the role of the county governments to enable citizens participate effectively and from an informed position.

The association formally launched the Media and Devolution Project for Nairobi County on Tuesday August 20, 2013 at forum in Nairobi attended by officials of the Nairobi County Government, journalists and stakeholders including key institutions involved in the implementation of Devolution.

KCA members during a workshop at a Mombasa hotel recently

Key institutions including the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), Transition Authority (TA) and Nairobi County Government pledged to work closely with KCA and other media organizations to enhance access to information and effective public participation.

The project, which has kicked off in both the Coast Region and Nairobi County aims at building the capacity of 60 journalists on County Budget Literacy, Governance and Planning and reporting County Assemblies. It will be rolled out to other counties and is expected to benefit more than 500 journalists, mostly correspondents spread in the 47 Counties.

Speakers at the forum urged the National and the County Governments to encourage greater consultation in the implementation of the devolution process to reduce the ongoing acrimony as this could lead to the collapse of devolution as happened in the country’s first experiment with the process between 1963 and 1966.