Key stakeholders in the media industry have expressed strong support for new regulations aimed at aligning Kenya’s journalism standards with evolving global trends and digital challenges.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation, officials from the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) and the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) backed the proposed Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025.
At the session chaired by Vice Chairperson Hon. Robert Gichimu (Gichugu), KEG President Ms. Zubeida Kananu and KUJ Secretary General Mr. Erick Oduor confirmed that they were actively involved in developing the new code.
“We respectfully submit that the Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025 represents a significant and necessary advancement for the Kenyan media sector,” said Ms. Kananu, who presented a joint memorandum to the committee.
The memorandum was also endorsed by other media organizations, including the Media Owners Association, Digital Broadcasters Association, Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association, and the Association of Media Women in Kenya.
“We therefore strongly urge the committee to ratify the Code as gazetted. Timely ratification will support its swift implementation, which is crucial for ethical journalism and robust, public interest reporting in Kenya,” Ms. Kananu added.
Two weeks ago, Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo appeared before the same committee to explain the proposed regulations.
He was accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Telecommunications and Broadcasting, Mr. Stephen Isaboke, and the CEO of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), Mr. David Omwoyo.
The new Code introduces stricter measures for media practice, including penalties for misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the dissemination of misleading AI-generated content.
It also mandates a clear separation between betting content and news reporting and introduces sanctions for misleading headlines that do not reflect the actual content of a story.
One of the key proposals is a mandatory seven-second delay in live broadcasts to prevent airing of inappropriate content.
While MPs welcomed the move to modernize media regulation, they raised concerns about possible threats to press freedom, especially provisions on live coverage.
Committee Chairperson Samuel Chepkong’a (Ainabkoi) warned that some clauses might unfairly target individual journalists while exempting media owners from accountability.
In response, CS Kabogo assured the committee that the Code is a product of broad stakeholder consultation and is consistent with the Media Council Act.
“In May 2025, I enacted Legal Notice No. 88, replacing the Second Schedule to the Media Council Act with this revised Code. It aligns Kenya with international standards on digital media, ethical journalism, and child protection,” he said.
PS Isaboke emphasized that public participation was conducted nationwide, led by MCK, and included feedback from journalists, media houses, and the general public.
MCK CEO Mr. Omwoyo confirmed that journalist unions and media associations were actively consulted and their views incorporated.
Following concerns raised during the earlier appearance by the CS, the committee had resolved to invite key media stakeholders to verify if they supported the regulations.
At today’s session, the committee confirmed that all major stakeholders were consulted and support the Code.
"As media practitioners, you are the most affected by these regulations. If you confirm that you were fully involved in the public participation process and support the Code, then we have no objections," observed Hon. Gichimu.
Earlier, Fikirini Jacobs, the Principal Secretary incharge of the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy appeared before the House Team.The PS who was accompanied by officials from the State department briefed the Committee on the draft Films and Stage Plays (Film Classification) Guidelines, 2024.
Among others, the proposed guidelines seek to protect children and vulnerable members of the society from inappropriate and indecent content and provide viewers with guidance on nature of film content prior to viewing.
