CJ orders courts to grant MCK accredited journalists access to all proceedings

Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome has said all court stations should grant access to Media Council of Kenya (MCK) accredited journalists access to court proceedings.

This is in respect to a letter MCK wrote to Koome concerning incidents where accredited journalists have been denied access to court proceedings.

Koome through an internal memo wrote to all principal judges and presiding judges about the matter.

“My office is in receipt of a letter dated February 18, 2022 from the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) concerning cases where MCK accredited journalists have been denied access to cover court proceedings in various stations,” Koome wrote

Koome said the Media and the Judiciary are ‘accountability twins’, given that our two institutions are intended to serve as checks on the functioning of the State.

She further noted the two institutions play a role in societal development as they work towards bringing to the fore the various problems in the society and nudging the duty-bearers to work towards the resolution of such problems.

According to Koome, she assured during a meeting with the Kenya Editors’ Guild that the shared overarching role in the society will help shape and steer the relationship between the media and the judiciary during her tenure as the CJ.

At a recent meeting with the Kenya Editors’ Guild, I assured that this shared overarching role in the society will shape and steer the relationship between the Judiciary and the media during my tenure in office as Chief Justice.

She asked all court stations to grant unrestricted access to MCK accredited journalists to cover court proceedings.

“In this regard, I would like court stations to grant access to MCK accredited journalists unrestricted access to cover proceedings in courts,” Koome said.