Kenya has a new code of conduct for media practice, marking a significant departure from the previous edition that focused on journalism.
This is happening at a time the media landscape is teeming with talent and competition as journalism, filming, podcasting, and entertainment acquires new tempo.
Published in Kenya Gazette in May this year, the tool replaces the Code of Conduct for Practice of Journalism in Kenya.
The new code, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) says, sets “firm” guidelines for ethical AI use, safeguards children and vulnerable individuals, promotes responsible user-generated content, and ensures principled editorial conduct.
Already the journalism pipeline is full with tonnes and tomes of online media outlets made possible through technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), modern graphics, and increased training of media personnel.
Among other challenges, tech growth is one of the headaches for media regulators as was recently discussed at a press councils workshop in Tanzania.
According to the MCK, the Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025 marks “a significant milestone for media professionalism and accountability in Kenya”.
Some of the events that set the tone for the review of the code was a High Court ruling that declared the Broadcasting Code unconstitutional and ordered the MCK to establish age-appropriate standards to protect children and the vulnerable.
“This is a defining moment for media regulation, professionalism and the unyielding defence of press freedom in the country,” the MCK said about the guidelines.
Accountability, responsibility, and professionalism are some of the age-old challenges for the media across the world whose market is marked by a cut-throat competition, sometimes leading to bending of rules in the quest for breaking news.
Building the code was a collaboration across media, legal, academic, and civil society sectors and the regulator says the final product is “a pact to uphold the highest journalistic standards” that will deliver integrity and trust while serving the public.
Traditionally, journalists ring-fenced their turfs by banking on ‘Breaking News’, but this is slowly shrinking or becoming irrelevant in the era of social media and citizen journalism where many people claim to be journalists.
It is expected that the new code will streamline dispute resolution, faster handling of complaints and upholding of professional integrity.
The MCK has a fully-fledged complaints commission that is built to foster self-regulation within instead of legal suits where huge compensations were known to cripple operations, thus hurting sector growth.
Earlier this month, Kenya Editors Guild president Zubeida Kananu and Kenya Union of Journalists Secretary General Erick Oduor tolf MPs the media industry had taken part in drafting the code.
“This new Code is a much-needed step forward for the Kenyan media sector,” Kananu said.
Other groups, including the Media Owners Association, Digital Broadcasters Association, Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association, and the Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) have backed the new rules. They urged Parliament to adopt the code quickly.
MPs on the committee raised concerns about press freedom and whether the rules could unfairly target individual journalists while sparing media owners. National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation chair Samuel Chepkong’a reiterated the need for responsible journalism.
“As media professionals, you are the most affected by these laws. If you were involved and support them, then we have no objections,” said Robert Gichimu while chairing a session of the settings.
The code contains tougher rules for journalists, including penalties for misuse of AI, publishing misleading headlines, and failing to separate news from betting-related content. It also introduces a mandatory seven-second delay in live broadcasts to arrest inappropriate material.
