Siaya Press Club marked International World Press Freedom Day by trading their notebooks for shovels, planting over 100 trees at Siaya Central Comprehensive School.
The event, served as a dual-purpose mission, to green the environment and to issue a firm call for a safer, more transparent working landscape for the Fourth Estate.
The day’s guest of honor, County Commissioner Norbert Jara Komora, offered a reassuring message to the local press corps.
In a move toward greater transparency, Komora pledged an “open-door policy,” specifically guaranteeing security for reporters as the country edges closer to the 2027 general elections.
“The era of harassing journalists is long gone,” Komora stated, though he balanced his promise with a reminder for the media to uphold the highest standards of objectivity and ethics.
The conversation wasn’t just about protection, but about the nature of the stories being told.
South Central Alego MCA, Masidis Scholastica Madowo, challenged the media to look beyond “negative” headlines.
She urged journalists to highlight developmental progress, noting that Kenya’s constitutional media freedom is a hard-won right that must be guarded “jealously.”
While the history of journalism in the region has been punctuated by instances of harassment, Siaya Press Club Chairman Philip Onyango noted a welcome shift.
“Of late, our relationship with stakeholders has been cordial. We are moving from a past of friction to a present of professional cooperation.”
