The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) together with various stakeholders has unveiled the revised Elections Reporting Guidelines ahead of next year’s general election.

They held the unveiling event on Tuesday in Kisumu.

The guidelines that were first developed in 2013 and reviewed in 2017 have been updated to reflect critical issues in the prevailing media environment and landscape.

MCK and other key players in media have been meeting to deliberate on preparedness for the 2022 polls and approve the updated guidelines before being published and launched to be followed by all journalists and media houses in the country.

A committee comprising representatives from various media houses; experienced editors, and independent journalists and media experts have developed new guidelines that will be applied to ensure the forthcoming elections are free and peaceful.

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This comes after Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna urged journalists to report objectively during elections to enable the distribution of accurate information among political players and the electorate.

"This country belongs to all of us including members of the fourth estate, and we should guard the peace we enjoy all the time," said Oguna.

Speaking at the event, MCK Chairman Maina Muiruri called for unity by all stakeholders to guarantee a conducive working environment for journalists during the election period.

He also called for responsibility from political affiliates when dealing with media during the elections.