In cooperation with Protection International, the Kenya Media Working Group has published a Protocol on the Safety and Protection of Journalists in Kenya. This safety manual, published in both English and Swahili, contains essential guidelines for ensuring the general safety and security of journalists. It aims to provide journalists and media houses with tips and tools that may be useful for improving their protection and security.
Journalists’ investigations often reveal human rights violations that would otherwise remain unexposed. In this watchdog role, however, journalists are equally vulnerable to violent repercussions by the perpetrators of those violations. In Kenya, the working environment for journalists has become increasingly hostile. This safety manual thus responds to the challenges faced by Kenyan journalists and addresses the gap between existing journalist support initiatives and their practical needs and challenges.
During the launch of the safety manual, Media Owners Association representative Tom Mshindi explained that journalists are exposed to several risks daily and that the protocol should be adopted to secure and protect them while doing their work. “[The] issue of safety of journalists is a key factor in a journalist’s line of work and we call upon all media owners and stakeholders to incorporate this document to allow for better journalistic practice,” Mshindi said.
Protection International is delighted to see its methods of developing a security and protection plan come alive in this document, all while taking into account how to assess and deal with risk.
The manual gives journalists the capacity to develop a security and protection plan tailored to their needs. Ultimately, as the manual says, “Safety is everybody’s responsibility and we all must keep others and ourselves safe”.
Download and read the manual in English or Swahili:
For more information, please contact Protection International at: kenya@protectioninternational.org
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