05 Oct 2023

The Complaints Commission has affirmed its commitment to ensure compliance with the set media standards in the media industry in Kenya.

The Complaints Commission Chairman Mr William Oketch noted the importance of reflecting the Commission’s mandate and its impact on the media industry in Kenya.

He said the Commission was rich with information on past cases and resolutions requiring prosperity documentation.

“This is basically a retrospection of where the journey started and how it has been, the success, challenges and the opportunities that we still have as a Commission. It is a momentous time for us to take stock, reflect and also look ahead on the coming days and what legacy we can build for the members of this industry,", said Mr Oketch at the Commission’s end-term retreat in Naivasha.

He mentioned that the Commission’s end-term report will be used for the purpose of experience sharing in the media industry.

Complaints Commissioner Prof Nancy Booker underpinned the relevance of the opportunity to introspect as the Commission completes its tenure.

She further noted the adoption of mediation as part of the Commission’s proceedings to determine cases as a major milestone.

“This opportunity to work on our end-of-term report allows us to reflect on our journey as we assess our achievements and challenges.    I believe our decisions will be valuable to the media industry, including the academic community, and these can be used to shape journalism practice and training. Some of our cases have set important precedents and we take great pride in being the first Commission to utilise mediation in resolving some of the complaints brought before us”, said Commissioner Booker.

The Commission’s Registrar Mr Eric Ngaira reiterated that the exercise is aimed at reviewing past cases and looking at how they were resolved.

“The end-term report will be used to guide the incoming Commission on the status of the cases handled by the current Commission.

The Commissioners are currently developing an end-term report on cases handled during their tenure. The members were appointed on a three-year term ending in October 2023.