By Redempter Mmbone,
The IEBC has committed to partnering with the media to ensure an accurate and transparent electoral process.
During the National Election Pre- Conference meeting in Nairobi, the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati confirmed that his commission will work closely with the media to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati. [Photo courtesy]
He elaborated on the importance of media and the key role they will play in the upcoming elections. He added that the public trust lies in the media, hence it is a vital tool to ensure transparency in the electoral process.
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“Let us work together, and ensure that Kenyans get to witness the electoral process and receive the actual results.”
The IEBC chairman said the electoral process is teamwork and requires every stakeholder to participate to accomplish a free, fair, and peaceful election.
“The media are our eyes and ears. For us as a commission to manage elections, we can’t do it on our own, we need the media to work with us,” said Chebukati.
Early this year in March, Chebukati met with The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the Editors guild among the main agendas involved Media in the process to enhance the transparency of the electoral process. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed.
He assured Journalists that the accreditation portal for accreditation of journalists covering the elections will be reopened, so far 4,024 out of the 4,068 journalists have been accredited by the electoral management body.
“Even though the deadline for accreditation closed on the 28th of June, we said for the media we must open it up and we must work together,” he indicated. Chebukati further noted that 2,000 badges are ready just awaiting distribution while another 2,000 is being printed.
Chebukati asked for the media’s presence in the polling and tallying stations to aid in relaying results to the public.
“We would like to have 46,000 media personalities reporting from all the 46,000 polling
stations. That is what we would like to see as a commission. It is our wish that the media is
present in all the polling stations and tallying stations so that we may walk this journey
together,” he added.
He praised the Media for their role in agenda setting during elections.
“We will have live reporting of all the events around the elections, we will have live reporting
of the results as they are announced by the commission. The media has a very big role in
shaping elections. The media has a choice of either sitting and criticizing the electoral process
and the electoral commission and writing negative stories or they can work with the
commission to help it to grow. That is a choice the media can make,” he added.
