The government has assured support to the Media Complaints Commission to enable it to operate under its principles of establishment.
Principal Secretary of the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications at the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy Prof Edward Kisiangani says that the government is steadfast in supporting the Commission in various capacities to encourage it to execute its duties through a fair and biased free process in handling the complaints.
The PS pledged his support to the Commission to undertake its publicity activities using the broadcasting channels and urged the Commission to endeavor to undertake impactful outreach programs to sensitize people on its mandate.
“It is essential that the public is made aware of the Commission’s existence as this will greatly impact conflict resolutions in a speedy and less costly manner, more so in this era where the court fines at times lead to the closure of the small stations”, he said while in a meeting with the MCK Complaints Commission at his office in Teleposta Towers, Nairobi.
He further noted that the Commission strongly needs to stay firm and strong in creating an atmosphere that embraces peaceful and smooth conflict resolution mechanisms even in extreme scenarios where parties can still sit and resolve their indifferences amicably.
“We as the government encourage you to execute your duties with due diligence. We recognise and understand the challenges that might be affecting you in the line of duty and we are willing to assist you in any capacity within our means to support your course”, he said.
MCK Complaints Commission Chair Mr William Oketch gave an overview of the role of the commission and its composition.
“We are the arbiter who handles issues of disputes within the media sector in Kenya. The team is composed of a chair and six members, and our work involves mediation or adjudication of disputes between the media and other parties”, said Mr Oketch
“We do this through enforcement of the Code of Conduct for the Practise of Journalism in Kenya which is in the schedule of Media Council Act 2013. We also have an internal system that is impartial, efficacious, and cost effective”, he added.
While making her presentation, Commissioner Prof Nancy Booker noted that the legal framework that has allowed the commission to perform its mandate is clearly defined. She further stated that the commission has a high degree of independence from government, media organizations and other vested interest.
Other issues discussed during the meeting resonated around the success and challenges faced by the commission in the execution of their duties.