MCK call for accurate information ahead of 2027 polls

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has urged for timely, precise and easily accessible information ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that information gaps can spread misinformation and erode public trust. At the Information and Data for Accountability (IDUA) forum, MCK Chairman Maina Muiruri highlighted how digital platforms have compounded the issue of misinformation.

"Digital platforms built to connect us have also built echo chambers where misinformation spreads," Muiruri stated. He advised institutions to voluntarily provide information, enabling citizens to verify claims against original sources and limit the spread of falsehoods. "When institutions disclose proactively and citizens can check claims against original sources, falsehood has far less room to take root," Muiruri emphasized.

Muiruri also encouraged stakeholders to broaden access to information while maintaining its integrity. "Let us expand access to information while safeguarding its integrity. Approach the digital landscape with curiosity, question what we encounter, and uphold the public’s right to know," he urged. John Cox Lorionokuo, Registrar of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, echoed this sentiment.

He stressed the importance of institutions delivering accurate, timely and appropriate information to Kenyans. "Information and not just information, but accurate information, availed at the right time through the right avenues, must be a constant deliverable by all institutions and persons charged with the mandate to educate and sensitize all Kenyans," Lorionokuo stated.

He advocated for making information available in formats that are both accessible and comprehensible. IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon also underscored the significance of access to information, particularly during the electoral period. "We recognise the right to access information, so that Kenyans can make decisions that are objective come election time," Ethekon affirmed.

Zubeida Kananu, President of the Kenya Editors Guild, reiterated that access to information is a constitutional right, not a favor from the government. "For us, in the media, access to information is the raw material for verification. How do I fact check a claim when I cannot access the facts? How do I tell the public that something is false when the institution holding the authoritative information is silent?"