Journalists in Kenya want their security to be assured as the country gears towards a general election next year.
Speaking during the Scribes 254 end year party in Kajiado on December 11, 2021, the members of the 4th estate maintained that as messengers, their work was simply to pass the message.
The scribes said that they should not be targets of political parties and their operatives.
This year’s event was sponsored by Amnesty International and Media Council of Kenya (MCK) among others.
The theme of the meeting was, ‘Protection of Journalists for a Peaceful Election’.
Amnesty International Kenya’s Ramadhan Rajab reiterated the need to protect journalists.
He said the media plays a critical role in any democratic elections.
“As we head to elections, we will see more and more journalists facing threats from various political players,” he said.
“That should not be allowed to happen.”
The journalists called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to accord them support during the electioneering journey.
The journalists used the event to reflect on the last 2 years since the pandemic started.
During the period, many of them lost jobs while others got pay cuts.
“Our jobs can become very stressful, and such events offer a relief for us as we gear towards the next year,” said Roncliffe Odit of BBC.
Odit is the Scribes254 President.
Terry Nzau of Mbaitu FM was awarded as the most outstanding journalist of 2021.
The party which started Saturday 2pm went all the way to the wee hours of Sunday morning.
The journalists enjoyed Nyama Choma and danced their souls out.
Scribes Kenya is the first digital platform bringing together over 250 journalists.
The members are drawn from print, television and radio.
There are also online reporters and photographers working and corresponding for a broad range of outlets that have reach beyond Kenya.
The WhatsApp Group ensures a strong influence and collaborations among journalists in Kenya.
Members envision that this results in robust news reporting.
The platform helps the scribes to share news assignments, contacts, interviews and peer to peer mentorship.
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