Kenya on Monday joined the rest of the world in celebrating the annual World Radio Day, a day set aside to recognize the achievements of radio the world over.
UNESCO, in collaboration with local partners like the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the Communications Authority (CA), organized an event in the capital Nairobi, themed “Radio is You!”, where journalists were brought together to celebrate the day.
The event was officially opened by the country’s Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology Sammy Itemere, who expressed his satisfaction with the progress made over the years in the industry.
“Kenya has one of the most dynamic and robust broadcast media in the region. I am happy to note that the prevailing policy, legal and regulatory environment has gone a long way in fostering media pluralism and diversity, and guaranteeing the sustainability of our democratic tradition, ” he said.
Itemere also urged the journalists ,to ensure they perform their duties ethically, noting that if radio is put into wrong use, it can cause ethnic animosity.
“As we celebrate the enormous strides that our country has made in the broadcasting front, let us not lose sight of the fact that radio, if put into wrong use, can trigger ethnic and religious animosity,” the PS said.
Itemere also took time to urge the media stations in attendance to ensure they act responsibly, especially now that Kenya is scheduled to hold its general elections in August.
“I call upon broadcasters and broadcast stations to exercise their freedom confided to them by the constitution prudently and responsibly, especially as we prepare for the 2017 general elections,” he urged.
The World Radio Day was endorsed by the UN General Assembly in December 2012, as proposed by UNESCO, to coincide with the day United Nations Radio which was established in 1946.
