Journalists Trained on Responsible Election Reporting Ahead of 2027 Polls

NAKURU, October 30, 2026 – Various organisations, including civil society groups, public commissions and the National Police Service, have joined efforts to train journalists on election coverage ahead of the August 2027 General Election.

During separate training workshops held in Nakuru, journalists, including bloggers and content creators, were urged to uphold professionalism, accuracy and impartiality in their coverage of political campaigns and elections to promote peaceful, credible and transparent electoral processes.

The call was made during two media training sessions organised separately by International Justice Mission (IJM) and Mid-Rift Human Rights Network. The workshops aimed to equip media practitioners with the skills needed to report responsibly before, during and after the elections.

The sessions also sought to foster working relationships between media practitioners and key institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the National Police Service (NPS), ahead of the electioneering period.

Mid-Rift Executive Director Joseph Omondi underscored the importance of fact-checking and verifying information before dissemination to prevent the spread of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.

He reminded journalists of the events that preceded the retaliatory attacks in Naivasha and Nakuru during the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence, emphasising the need for conflict-sensitive reporting and adherence to journalistic ethics.

“There is a trend of journalists being recruited into political camps ahead of the 2027 General Elections, but they should always avoid spreading misinformation and disinformation that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process,” he said.

During the workshop, funded by the United Kingdom and implemented by Mid-Rift and the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA), Omondi urged journalists to prioritise issue-based reporting rather than promote narratives that could divide communities along regional or ethnic lines.

“Media practitioners should always maintain political neutrality, giving all candidates fair coverage and relying on credible sources when reporting election-related developments,” he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Media Council of Kenya Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Joseph Mecha, who cautioned journalists against publishing unverified claims, inflammatory statements and content that could incite violence.

“Media practitioners should report responsibly while ensuring that women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups are adequately represented in electoral processes,” he said.

Mecha urged journalists to uphold professionalism, avoid discriminatory language and provide equal opportunities for diverse voices to be heard.

At the workshop organised by IJM, journalists were trained on how to identify and combat misinformation, particularly in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), where fabricated content can easily be generated and spread online.

Media Council of Kenya Assistant Director for Training and Curriculum Development Christine Nguku urged journalists to use gender-sensitive language in their reporting while adhering to media ethics.

She also underscored the importance of conflict-sensitive reporting during electoral processes, particularly in volatile areas, to help ensure peaceful elections in 2027.

Nguku said conflict sensitivity was particularly important for content creators and programme hosts, given the media’s influential role in setting the public agenda.