The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has called for timely, accurate and accessible information ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that gaps in information can fuel misinformation and undermine public trust.
Speaking at the Information and Data for Accountability (IDUA) forum, MCK Chairman Maina Muiruri said the growth of digital platforms had created new challenges in the fight against misinformation, particularly through the formation of online echo chambers.
“Digital platforms built to connect us have also built echo chambers where misinformation spreads. They reinforce what we already believe rather than challenge us with what is true,” said Muiruri.
The MCK Chairperson called on institutions to proactively disclose information to enable citizens to verify claims against original sources, hence limiting the spread of falsehoods.
“When institutions disclose proactively and citizens can check claims against original sources, falsehood has far less room to take root,” Muiruri noted.
Additionally, Muiruri urged stakeholder to expand access to information while maintaining integrity.
“Let us expand access to information while safeguarding its integrity. Approach the digital landscape with curiosity, question what we encounter, and uphold the public’s right to know,” he added.
On his part, the Registrar, Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, John Cox Lorionokuo noted that institutions responsible for informing and educating Kenyans must ensure information is accurate, timely and delivered through appropriate channels.
“Information and not just information, but accurate information, availed at the right time through the right avenues, must be a constant deliverable by all institutions and persons charged with the mandate to educate and sensitize all Kenyans,” said Lorionokuo.
He said access to reliable information was critical to democratic governance, service delivery and public trust.
“Democratic governance, service delivery, and trust of Kenyans in service delivery relies on the extent to which institutions and those in authority are committed beyond words to promoting access to correct and timely information to the citizens,” the Registrar noted.
He called for the need to package information in formats that are both accessible and also comprehensible.
“We need to embrace proactive measures to provide access to information as required by law. We need to package information in formats that are both accessible and also comprehensible. We need to strengthen our institutional accountability and control measures for information management,” he added.
IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon said access to information would also be important in enabling Kenyans to make informed decisions during the electoral period.
“We recognise the right to access information, so that Kenyans can make decisions that are objective come election time,” Ethekon said.
Kenya Editors Guild President Zubeida Kananu noted that access to information is not a favor from the government but a constitutional right.
“When credible information is missing, delayed, or difficult to access, we create an information vacuum,” Zubeida said.
Adding that: “For us, in the media, access to information is the raw material for verification. How do I fact check a claim when I cannot access the facts? How do I tell the public that something is false when the institution holding the authoritative information is silent?”
