Parliament Proceedings Open to All Journalists-Speaker Wetangula
Assured the media of their constitutional right to access information on parliamentary work.
By RTN Special Correspondent
National Assembly Speaker the Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses Wetang’ula refutes claims a section of journalists have been barred from covering parliamentary proceedings and accessing information in Parliament buildings.
This clarification follows misinformation on social media, suggesting that some journalists had been denied entry to cover events in Parliament.
Two Royal Media Services political reporters, Stephen Letoo and Seth Olale, had sensationally claimed they were barred from accessing Parliament's precincts after covering the "Occupy Parliament" demonstrations last month.
Speaking at a media stakeholder meeting Speaker Wetang’ula assured the media of their constitutional right to access information on parliamentary work.
“Media is an integral stakeholder in parliamentary work, through which national values of transparency and accountability are achieved. Parliament cannot work without the media,” he said.
The Speaker emphasized that the Constitution of Kenya 2010 recognizes the role of the media, as captured in Articles 34, 35, and 118.
“Cognizant of this fact, the Parliamentary Service Commission, chaired by yours truly, held discussions with representatives from the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ), and the Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association (KPJA) to review the current situation in the institution and reassure the media of a continued cordial partnership in ensuring that factual and timely information is relayed to the public,” he said.
The Speaker further announced that, under his stewardship, the PSC is committed to establishing an ultra-modern media center within Parliament Square to facilitate parliamentary reporters in effectively delivering their mandate.
Addressing the current situation in the country, he highlighted the need to uphold media guidelines, including adhering to the media code of conduct, which spells out rules of operation, particularly during unique and unprecedented situations like those on June 25, 2024.
He clarified that renovations were underway in the main Parliament building, necessitating the relocation of the media to a new area to allow these renovations to occur.
His Senate counterpart Speaker Amason Kingi, echoed the sentiments of Speaker Wetang’ula, saying that Parliament values the role played by the media in information dissemination.
“Parliament is traditionally a representative of the people; hence, what happens in Parliament should effectively reach the people,” said Speaker Kingi.
Both leaders assured the media industry that the two Houses of Parliament would re-examine existing media legislation to align it with current trends and technological advancements.
Present at the meeting were Hon. Patrick Makau, Hon. Mishi Mboko, Sen. John Kinyua, Sen. Erick Mogeni, Clerk of the Senate Mr. Jeremiah Nyegenye, Clerk of the National Assembly Mr. Samuel Njoroge, and Director General of Parliamentary Joint Services Mr. Clement Nyandiere.
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