Kenya Union of Journalist

18/08/2026

We joined the industry in launching the guidelines for elections coverage and Media Council of Kenya's Strategic Plan. The guidelines were reviewed to make relevant given the ever changing media ecosystem triggered by innovation and technology. The Strategic Plan will ensure MCK is well on track to regulate the media industry.

17/08/2026

For immediate release
Nairobi,
August 17, 2026,
Warning shot to politicians sponsoring violence against journalists
The continued attacks on journalists when carrying out their obligations is a dangerous trend that must be condemned in strongest terms possible.
Yesterday, scores of journalists were injured in Hom Bay County while covering political rallies organised by Linda Mwananchi leaders. These barbaric political strategy of targeting members of the Fourth Estate is unacceptable, and perpetrators must be brought to book. Journalists working for Standard Group, Royal Media Services, K24 and AFP were attacked by goons who injured them and destroyed their tools of trade.
Violence should never be a strategy to stop Kenyans from exercising their constitutional rights during elections season. Journalists always find themselves sandwiched when two opposing sides resort to violence. The media play a critical role in connecting Kenyans and their leaders during the campaign period to ensure informed decisions are made at the ballot.
However, we have witnessed a trend where journalists are usually the first target whenever violence has deployed as a strategy to counter a rival political group. We demand action against the planners of the violence that was witnessed in Homa Bay country, which has inflicted pain in the media sector. Only arrest and arraignment in court will ensure justice for journalists who are currently nursing injuries.
We take this opportunity to issue a warning that politicians fond of instigating violence against journalists will suffer from media blackout during this campaign season as a way of a fight back to restore respect and dignity to men and women in the media.
This is a final warning to politicians to call their supporters to order to desist from targeting journalists during political rallies, or else they will henceforth face media blackout.
Ends
Erick Oduor
Secretary General

11/08/2026

The Federation of African Journalists - FAJ has unveiled 𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, Africa's first continental guide dedicated to helping journalists report accurately, fairly and responsibly on the just transition.

The guide was unveiled in Nairobi during the conference on African Workers' Contribution to Energy Sovereignty, Green Industrialisation and a Common African Position for COP31, bringing together trade union leaders, journalist leaders, civil society organisations and African climate negotiators from across the continent.

Speaking at the launch, FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman said:

"𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦'𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴' 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦."

ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important contribution to strengthening collaboration between journalists and trade unions. He called for greater media attention to workers' concerns and proposed recognising outstanding journalism on the just transition to encourage quality reporting across Africa.

Developed by African journalists with contributions from experts in climate policy, labour and media, the guide covers climate justice, climate finance, renewable energy, workers' rights, information integrity and other issues central to Africa's just transition. It is available in English, French and Portuguese and will be distributed through FAJ's affiliated journalists' unions and media organisations across the continent.

The publication was produced with the support of Mondiaal FNV, the international solidarity organisation of the Dutch trade union movement. FAJ will continue working with ITUC-Africa, its affiliated journalists' unions and other partners to strengthen public interest journalism and ensure African voices remain at the centre of reporting on the just transition.

03/08/2026

Our Secretary General Eric Oduor looks at the evolution of newsrooms in the wake of changing technology and how it affects journalism

27/07/2026

Today, the leadership of Kenya Union of Journalists paid a courtesy call to Media Council of Kenya during which the two institutions discussed an existing Memorandum of Understanding. The two institutions also discussed plans for a major national conference to discuss welfare of journalists in the face of media sustainability challenges the media is grappling with

23/07/2026

Today together with Media Council of Kenya Kenya Editors Guild we had great discussions with Executive Director of Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. on areas of partnership between the media and the regional body

16/07/2026

https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-07-16-kuj-condemns-attacks-on-journalists-in-ol-kalou

"We wish to state that journalists will not succumb to intimidation from the sponsors of anarchy," KUJ SG Erick Oduor said.

16/07/2026

For Immediate Release

Nairobi
July 16, 2026

Stop this madness of attacking journalists

It has come to our attention sustained attacks on journalists while in line of duty. This madness must stop, because an injury to a journalist or a media worker, is an injury to our national spine. Nation Media Group and Star journalists were injured after they were attacked by armed youth in Ol Kalou Constituency in an attempt to stop them from gathering news on a by-election.

These acts of violence against journalists will come to haunt us as people when the armed gangs will take control of our country before the country slides into anarchy.

The violence that was unleased against journalists before and during the by-election in Ol Kalou Constituency are signs that sponsors of anarchy have identified the media as the only institution that is recording and keeping records of bad behaviours in our politics. We wish to state that journalists will not succumb to intimidation from the sponsors of anarchy. We will profile and expose enemies of Kenya who believe violence in our politics is the way to go.

The media as the Fourth Estate Exists to promote public good for the benefit of all us as a people. We are calling on security agencies to scale up their operations to protect journalists who have been deployed to inform Kenyans of what is happening in Ol Kalou. We have a duty to protect freedom of the media, which is a pillar of our democracy and agents of good governance.

Erick Oduor
Secretary General

15/07/2026

Kenya media stakeholders raise concerns on attacks on media freedom, demand compensation of journalists injured in line of duty

28/06/2026

Federation of Eastern Africa Journalists (FEAJ) statement on shutdown of media in Uganda
Nairobi,
June 28, 2026
We have noted that the with impunity, the Ugandan government has shut down NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor and Spark TV. While the government is chest thumping for the primitive action of brazen attack on freedom of the media, we wish to warn leaders hellbent on perpetuating bad government that these are signs of a crumbling regime.
We wish to remind Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), that terrorizing the media is no solution to challenges the country is facing and fast fading public trust in President Yoweri Museveni regime. World over, even in the worst dictatorship regimes, the media will always prevail and will live to tell the story. We are certain that the media in Uganda and journalists will win the war, and will tell the story of impunity, abuse of power and bad governance under President Museveni.
We urge the Ugandan journalists not to be intimidated by the shutdown, but remain steadfast in holding the government to account to rally the citizens to stand up against dictatorship. We expressed our solidarity with the journalists in Uganda who are facing state reprisals due to the good work of openly leading conversations against the rule by iron fist.
We call upon the government to follow the law if they believe that there were violations that occasioned the draconian actions of storming media houses to shut them down. Uganda has a constitution that we hope one day President Museveni regime will come back to its senses and refer to when making decisions.
ENDS
Erick Oduor
President
Federation of Eastern Africa Journalists