By Dickens Wasonga reporting from Kisumu Kenya.
The Judiciary is set to hold a two-day media workshop in Nairobi from today as part of its efforts to open up to the media and enhance effective reporting of the ongoing transformation in the Kenyan courts.
The two-day workshop will bring together more than 250 journalists drawn from the state – owned Kenya News Agency (KNA) and members of the Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) drawn from all the 47 counties, Kenya’s new governance units.
In a communication to the journalists invited to the conference, the Director, Public Affairs and Communications at the Judiciary, Naim Yaseen Bilal said the workshop was part of the efforts “to make the institution more accessible to the public”.
“The Judiciary is transforming as part of its efforts to live up to the dictates of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Many of its aspects and approaches are changing,” he added.
The workshop, organized by the Judiciary in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications and Kenya Correspondents Association, is expected to herald the start of a sustained engagement between the Judiciary and the two institutions and journalists based in the counties to enhance effective and accurate reporting of judicial matters.
“We are convinced that a sustained engagement between the media and the Judiciary will enhance public confidence in the courts and improve service delivery to the ordinary Kenyans. Journalists will also have their capacity built to improve the reporting of court proceedings and related judicial processes,” said Oloo Janak, the KCA Chair in a statement.
During the two day workshop, media experts and judicial officers will discuss among others, the ongoing Transformation of the Judiciary, the Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities of Reporting the New Judiciary and Building partnerships between the Media and the Judiciary.
The journalists will also give the experiences and challenges they have faced in reporting the judiciary in the past and make recommendations on how to improve their interaction with and access to information from the judiciary.
END.