Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) President Zubeida Koome said journalists have a critical responsibility to scrutinise political candidates, their campaign promises and their track records as the country prepares for the next election.
Speaking during the launch of the KEG 2026 Annual Editors Convention, which will be held in Mombasa, Koome urged editors and journalists to use their platforms to promote a peaceful, objective and accountable electoral process.
“Journalists are also stakeholders in the election. They need to ensure credible coverage to ensure an accountable team wins the election,” Koome said.
She challenged journalists to go beyond reporting campaign speeches and closely examine what candidates promise voters, comparing their pledges with their previous performance.
“It is the editors, it is the journalists who will be able to tell members of the public what it is that the candidates are promising the citizens and what has been their track record,” she said.
Koome urges journalists to remain independent
Koome cautioned media practitioners against compromising professional standards while covering the increasingly competitive political environment ahead of 2027.
She urged journalists to prioritise accuracy, accountability, independence and objectivity when reporting on political parties, candidates and electoral issues.
“Remember to remain accurate, remember to remain accountable, and especially this one, to remain independent and objective,” she said.
The KEG president said the media industry has a responsibility to help create an electoral environment that encourages peaceful participation, informed decision-making and accountability.
“It is important to remember there is an election coming and it is the players in the media industry who can set the agenda for us to have a peaceful election, for us to have an objective process, for us to have an accountable team getting into leadership,” Koome said.
Media houses urged to invest in election coverage
The former news anchor also challenged media organisations to strengthen their election coverage by investing in journalists’ capacity building, equipment and safety gear.
She said adequate preparation would enable journalists to effectively cover the 2027 elections while maintaining professional standards and protecting themselves in the field.
The KEG 2026 Annual Editors Convention will be held in Mombasa from November 25 to 29 under the theme, “Navigating the Storm: Media Resilience on the Road to 2027.”
The convention will examine the pressures, opportunities and responsibilities facing Kenya’s media industry as the country moves towards the General Election.
It will bring together editors, journalists, media organisations, regulators, private-sector representatives and civil society organisations to discuss key issues affecting journalism and media sustainability.
MCK pledges support for editors’ convention
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has pledged support for the convention, including financial assistance and election preparedness training for journalists ahead of the event.
The council will also conduct a pre-convention election preparedness workshop targeting journalists based in Mombasa.
“We have already received a request from Kenya Editors Guild and I will say there is sufficient goodwill and support for the convention, first financially, but then we will also support the convention by conducting a training pre-convention,” MCK said.
The focus on election preparedness comes as Kenya’s political environment intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election, placing greater responsibility on the media to provide citizens with reliable information and hold political leaders accountable.
