Stakeholders in the media and Information Technology sectors have rooted for the digital space even as the world marks International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
The day is celebrated to highlight the fundamental right of individuals to access information held by public authorities and to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.
On Thursday, September 28, the Media Council of Kenya marked the day in Kirinyaga County, under the theme, "The Importance of the Online Space for Access to Information".
Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo, ICT PS Edward Kisiangani and MCK CEO David Omowyo led Kenyans in marking the day.
Owalo expressed government commitment to enabling access to information saying they will ensure the media enjoy their fundamental rights.
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It is because of that reason, the CS said, that the government has rolled out ICT centres across various parts of the country to enable those who can't afford data to access online spaces through the Wi-Fi hotspots.
"As a government, we don't want any Kenyan to fail to get access to information because they cannot afford the cost of data," the CS said.
He urged the media to leverage their rights to perform their mandate diligently adding that there is also a need to exercise caution not to abuse the rights.
"We want the media to enjoy the fundamental freedom that is bestowed upon it by our 2010 constitution, however, we expect the media to exercise reasonable or the expected threshold of responsibility in the execution of their mandate," he said.
Omwoyo on his part expressed his satisfaction with the progress made in the digital space saying the sector is improving with each passing day.
The MCK boss said he is impressed how the media has leveraged their digital space to disseminate information in a timely manner enabling Kenyans to access information in time.
"The Kenyan media space has attained remarkable progress in transforming the news value chain and mitigating the dynamic media space," Omwoyo said.
"Media houses have been forced to adopt converged business models to ensure sustainability. We are witnessing situations where most media houses are investing in digital platforms to enable them to leverage new innovations in the market which heavily impact consumer consumption habits."
Omwoyo said the use of social media, podcasts, websites and blogs, mobile apps and other emerging technologies has enabled Kenyan journalists to reach a wider audience and to report on the news in more innovative ways.
He said the Government of Kenya being a signatory to the Open Government Partnership, and its relentless commitment to open governance, has reinforced the utilisation of digital technologies across different sectors of the economy, both formal and informal.
"Access to information remains a key enabler for the realisation of a broad range of human rights, including of the media to freedom of expression," he said.
"Access to information is a fundamental right that should be accorded to journalists to facilitate them in reporting factual and accurate information."
PS Kisiangani on his part lauded the MCK for diligently performing its role and ensuring the media does the right thing.
He cautioned the media to process the accessed information in a manner that serves its intended purpose to tame distortion of facts.
"The Media Council of Kenya has been playing a facilitative role in ensuring the media industry is regulated in a way that everybody can celebrate the freedom to access and use information well," he said.
"However, we must also recognise that access to information is not just enough, how we process this information is critical."
