Speaking at a regional media sensitization forum organized by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) in Mombasa, MCK Mombasa Regional Coordinator Maureen Mudi stated that dealing with misinformation and disinformation will be one of the main challenges in this election cycle.
“It is prudent that all journalists and media organizations work toward the establishment of fact-checking desks to ensure that everything that goes out has been verified,” Mudi said.
Francis Gachuri, Political Affairs Editor at Citizen TV, urged journalists to avoid being partisan by reporting on political issues objectively. In addition, the media remains one of the most trusted institutions.
“Elections are a process, not a one-time event.” “We have to be careful about how we report on it because it will either make or break us,” he said.
Mombasa County Commissioner John Otieno, who officially opened the event, stated that security agencies have been working with players from all sectors to ensure peaceful elections in the county.
“We have been conducting thorough checks on hotspot areas, and I can confirm that a place like Majengo, which was previously problematic, is now relatively peaceful.” We’ve been holding a lot of sensitization forums and peace meetings, and we’ve seen these kinds of changes,” said Otieno.
Mudi stated that MCK and the UNDP are in the process of establishing virtual fact-checking desks and other arrangements to improve journalist professionalism.
Judy Gathoni, Administrator of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), walked journalists through the ORPP’s mandate, party processes, and laws governing political party management.
ORPP regional boss Ezekiel Obonyo stated that they would be meeting with various special interest groups such as women, people with disabilities, and youth in their quest to sensitize the masses.
The majority of journalists need to be educated on the verification tools available to combat fake news, as the majority are unaware of them.
