The Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and Digital Economy, William Kabogo, has defended the introduction of new media rules aimed at addressing emerging global trends and digital challenges.
Kabogo appeared before the National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation on Thursday, July 3, to explain the new regulations under the Media Council Act.
He said that the proposed changes are meant to update Kenya’s media standards in line with global trends and digital challenges.
In the proposed code, strict regulations were introduced for media operations, including heavy penalties for the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or the publication of misleading AI-generated content.
The new code also states that betting or gaming content must be separated from general news.
Kabogo explained that media houses will face punishment if they use headlines that mislead readers or do not match the content of the story.
A mandatory seven-second delay was introduced in live broadcasts to prevent the airing of inappropriate or non-compliant content.
The MPs, led by Committee chairperson Robert Gichimu and Chepkong'a, raised concern, stating that if the code is operationalized, individual journalists could be unduly punished while media owners remain unaffected.
Kabogo defended the proposed changes, saying they are simply updates to what already exists under the Media Council Act and were made after talking to many different groups.
"In May 2025, I enacted Legal Notice No. 88, which replaced the Second Schedule to the Media Council Act with a revised and comprehensive Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025.”
“This review brings Kenya in line with international standards on digital media, ethical journalism, and child protection,” he said.
