As we mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the Kenya Editors Guild joins the global community in reaffirming the fundamental principles of press freedom, editorial independence, and the public’s right to accurate information.
This day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 and commemorating the Windhoek Declaration, is both a celebration and a call to vigilance. It reminds us that a free, independent, and professional media remains essential to democracy, accountability, justice, and informed citizenship.
We pay tribute to journalists around the world, and in our region, who have lost their lives or faced threats, harassment, detention, and intimidation in the course of their duty. Their courage underscores the high cost often paid in pursuit of truth.
To editors, journalists, and media practitioners in Kenya: your responsibility remains vital. Uphold accuracy, fairness, ethics, and courage in an era of disinformation, polarisation, and rapid technological change. Protect credibility, defend editorial standards, and place the public interest above all else.
To our audiences: press freedom is not only a media issue; it is a public issue. When journalism is free, citizens are better informed and institutions are more accountable. We urge the public to support credible journalism and reject falsehoods that weaken democratic discourse.
The Kenya Editors Guild calls on all stakeholders to safeguard media freedom, ensure the safety of journalists, and uphold constitutional protections for freedom of expression and access to information.
A free press strengthens Kenya. An independent newsroom serves the people.
