Chief Justice Martha Karambu Koome has urged the media to be vigilant and play a more activist role by criticizing and holding accountable all leaders and other public servants.
The CJ advised that by being more cautious and accurate would ensure that what the media reports is important to the public and not just puppetry.
"Embracing this role will mean that the media will speak with its own voice and not merely echo the voice of the political actors," she noted.
Speaking during the 4th Annual Convention of the Kenya Editors' Guild, the CJ reiterated that the media held a critical role in society, which should be utilized by professional journalism depicting neutral reportage and proper analysis of facts.
The CJ promised that she would offer all support feasible to the press to help journalists overcome hurdles encountered in their pursuit to access and disseminate information for the common good of Kenyans.
"It is when you adopt the ‘activist role’ that I have talked about that the Kenyan media will fulfill the media’s historic role as the ‘Fourth Estate’, which is to be a force for the promotion of democratic governance," she stated.
The CJ's call comes at a time when press freedom has been put to test by law enforcers and especially the police.
Journalists always rub shoulders with authorities whenever they are in pursuit of information that conflicts with the interests of those concerned.
Last week, two Standard Media journalists based in Eldoret found themselves at loggerheads with police when they tried to follow up on a story at Langas Police Station, where several people were being held for allegedly peddling Marijuana.
Their cameras were confiscated by police upon orders by the OCS, with one of them sustaining injuries as a result of manhandling by the cops.
Another high profile instance of police brutality against journalists was reported on April 2021 in Mbeere, Embu County, where nine journalists were apprehended for covering an eviction of people from a parcel of land.
