NAIROBI, Kenya, March 2026 -In August 2027, Kenya heads to one of the most monumental general elections following the fast-changing political landscape dominated by the youth voice. Since he was elected president in 2022, William Ruto has faced stiff resistance from several quarters.
First, it was the young people who pressed him to resign. This situation saw Ruto’s government face strong turbulence, forcing him to reorganize his government after violent protests against his reign. This was worsened by the impeachment of his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, which also threatened his government as Rigathi joined hands with other opposition leaders to launch a bid to make Ruto a one-term president.
And, at the centre of these intrigues is the media, which has borne the brunt of those who feel disgruntled by the role played by the fourth estate in keeping them in check. A media and Civil Society Organization (CSO) dialogue recently exposed their fears ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the event, which marked the 3rd Annual Media/CSO Conference held at Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi on 19th and 20th November 2025, the players called for enhanced preparedness if the media and the CSOs have to deliver on their mandate during the electioneering period.
According to Civic Freedoms Forum (CFF-Kenya) Board Chairperson Davis Malombe, the country’s civic space continues to shrink. He said the media has become a victim of bad governance as those in power muzzle the press through shutdown, economic sabotage, and crackdown through illegal legislation.
“Going into 2027, we must ask ourselves who pays for the losses made by the media during shutdown,” he noted, with the remarks referring to the government threats to the media during the 2023/2024 Gen Z protests.
In August 2024, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) reported that at least 24 journalists were attacked by the police during the GenZ protests. Kenya National Commission on Human Rights CEO Benard Mogesa said the media provide information that facilitates accountability, hence that space must be protected. He said vague laws targeting media and CSOs remain a challenge as state aggression grows.
“The media and CSOs are rights holders and must be protected from vulnerabilities which hinder their work,” he said.
Shakeel Shabbir, the chair of the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC), noted that the removal of the media centre from the Parliament building was one of the ways of keeping the media in the dark on what is going on in parliament.
He said parliament has continued to be captured by the executive, hence being used to pass laws aimed at clipping the wings of the media.
“The Cyber Crime Act was compromised and pushed in parliament without quorum, and must be re-examined,” said
The fears of these human rights defenders were confirmed by Ms Misako Ito, Regional Adviser for Communication and Information in Africa, UNESCO, who graced the event.
According to Ms Misako, reports have shown a deteriorating freedom of expression index globally, with up to 10 percent every year. She said self-censorship now stands at 63 percent globally as the government tightens control over media and CSOs.
“We have, however, witnessed improved regulations of community media (in Kenya) with relations to licensing, and other aspects, making them access support for funding,” said Misako.
The Media/CSO Conference is an annual event that brings together stakeholders to reflect on the state of media and civil society organisations in Kenya, to identify gains and gaps aimed at strengthening the work of these entities.
The event is annually convened by the Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) and Civic Freedoms Forum (CFF) in collaboration with other CSO partners.
The writer is the Chairperson Kenya Correspondents Association-Nyanza Chapter.
