The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) and the media have today signed a media guideline on elections results management reporting.
The Kenya Editors guild and Kenya Union of Journalists signed on behalf of the media.
According to IEBC ,the guidelines are meant to enhance collaboration and complementarity among media houses.
The guideline will help in designing and deploying a comprehensive framework for access to reliable information and election management reporting.
Further ,the guidelines provide media houses with a structured manner for collaboration with the IEBC in relation to election management.
Additionally , the guidelines provide a framework for timely access to electoral information in a bid to enhance transparency in the electoral process.
Speaking during the signing, IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan said the commission’s doors will be open to the media.
“We respect the media as we expect them to tell our stories with credibility and transparency ,” said Marjan
Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill Otieno noted that Individual media houses will be doing their own tallies.
“They are working on ways to collaborate to do one tally ,” said Otieno
Kenya Union of Journalists secretary general Erick Oduor decried the delayed accreditation of journalists for election coverage.
“If we want to facilitate the role of Media, we must ensure that journalists are accredited by MCK and IEBC in time “ he said.
IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the signing of the media guidelines and protocols is a commitment to work together, empower and strengthen relationships
At the same time, he said that IEBC embraces positive criticism, and we will not infringe in the media’s watchdog role.
“We are committed and have nothing to hide. We are very transparent, ’he said.
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