Press Freedom: Katiba Institute recognised at the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards 2024
Katiba Institute received the Media Freedom Award 2024 during the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards (AJEA) 2014. The award recognised KI’s unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of media freedom in Kenya.
The Annual Journalism Excellence Awards, hosted by the Media Council of Kenya, recognises and celebrates excellence and professionalism in Kenya’s media industry. The awards are usually the peak of celebrations to commemorate The World Press Freedom Day, marked globally on 3rd May.
Promoting Media Freedom
Katiba Institute has consistently promoted media freedom through litigation, research and capacity building.
On 18 March 2024, The High Court of Kenya outlawed the offence of subversion. The Court thus found that the provisions of section 77 of the penal code were overbroad and vague, that they limit the right to freedom of expression, and there is a lack of clarity as to the purpose and intent and that the limitation in section 77 is not “provided by law. Katiba Institute was the first petitioner in the case Katiba Institute & 8 Ors Vs DPP & 2 Ors HCCHRPET No E016 of 2023.
In the case of Republic vs. Ezra Chiloba, Director General Communications Authority of Kenya, in which KI was the 1st ex-parte applicant, the case challenged the censure of TV stations for broadcasting protests. The court, quoting the General Comment No. 34 of the UN Human Rights Committee on Article 19 of the ICCPR reinstated the close inter-linkage between the right to freedom of expression and the enjoyment of other rights.The safety of journalists is a gateway to the enjoyment of other rights and freedoms. The court found that the censure actions of the then Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya were a ‘procedural impropriety’ contrary to Article 47 and the Fair Administrative Action Act, 2015.
KI has also litigated other cases that govern the operations of journalists, including the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Offences Act and the Penal Code that contain provisions that have been used to curtail freedom of expression and press freedom.
Access to Information
Access to Information is a crucial part of the freedom and independence of media. Katiba Institute in partnership with the Media Council of Kenya and other media organizations including Kenya Correspondents Association, has conducted trainings targeting journalists in various counties.