The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has said that it will recall all press cards issued recently in a bid to tame rising cases of fraudsters posing as journalists.
In a statement released on Friday, MCK said the new Press cards will have additional unique features that will be used for identifications.
“Media Council of Kenya to recall all accreditation cards in a bid to contain fraudsters posing as journalists.
“New Press Cards to have additional features including a barcode and QR code that can be scanned using any smartphone,” the council said.
MCK Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Omwoyo confirmed that the current press cards will cease to be functional to pave way for new cards.
However, the timelines for effecting the changes were not revealed by the media regulator but Omwoyo confirmed that the council will issue a comprehensive statement regarding the process and essence of issuing the new cards.
He noted that the number of impostors had ballooned to the hundreds and comprised of former journalists who still pose as reporters of various media stations.
He also noted that there were cases of random impostors who have no qualifications but pose as journalists with forged press cards.
“It has come to our attention that there is an escalation of fraudsters masquerading as journalists and media practitioners who get access to events to extort and harass people,” Omwoyo said.
“The council is committed to fostering a conducive working environment for journalists and media practitioners through improved standards and constantly engaging relevant stakeholders to address pertinent issues.”
