The Communications Authority of Kenya has directed Media houses to ensure that journalists with political ambitions quit office by April 9, 2022.
"The Authority requires broadcasting licenses to ensure that aspiring candidates associated with or employed by their station, take the required leave of office by April 9, 2022, as gazetted by the IEBC in Gazette Notice No.340 published on January 20, 2022, as the timeline that political parties shall submit the party membership lists to the commission," CA in a statement said.
In a statement, the Authority stated that employees have to proceed on leave during that election period or quit the station and focus on their ambitions.
CA says employers have a legal write of terminating the contract of those journalists who continue serving yet have political ambitions or inclinations.
Read More
"The Authority would like to bring to your attention Section 7.2.4 of the Programming Code that states: If a person working on programmes for a station becomes a candidate or is employed or retained in any capacity by a political aspirant or a political party, he/she shall go on leave for the duration of the election period or his employment may be terminated by the station," the Authority added.
CA also appealed to journalists and media stations to ensure objectivity while covering news and reporting on political stories.
The Authority asked Media owners to bar journalists, with an open bias to a political side, from the day to day operations of the station to avoid interfering with the editorial independence of the station.
