Chief Justice Martha Koome who is also the president of the Supreme Court has directed all courts in Kenya to grant journalists access who want to cover court proceedings.
Journalists through the Media Council of Kenya had launched complaints against some courts that had denied journalists access.
Koome directed all Principal Judges, Presiding Judges and Heads of Stations, to grant Journalists access as this will go a long way to promote accountability.
“The Media and the Judiciary are ‘accountability twins’, given that our two institutions are intended to serve as checks on the functioning of the State,” reads the memo dated March 4.
Koome said that the two organizations, media and judiciary,are supposed to work together for the wellbeing of the society.
“The two institutions play a role in societal development as they work towards bringing to the fore the various problems in the society and nudging the duty-bearers to work towards the resolution of such problem.”
“At a recent meeting with the Kenya Editors’ Guild,” Koome added, ”I assured that this shared overarching role in the society will shape and steer the relationship between the Judiciary and the media during my tenure in office as Chief Justice.”
She directed that all the MCK accredited journalists should be granted unlimited access.