Access to information is only the beginning
Access to timely, credible information is important not only to journalists but to every citizen seeking to understand candidates, issues, public decisions and the electoral process.
There is a peculiar difficulty about living in an age of abundant information; having too much of it does not necessarily make it easier to know what is true.
A person can receive the same story from several platforms, encounter conflicting accounts of the same event, watch a convincing video and read an apparently authoritative statement, all within a few minutes.
The difficulty is no longer simply finding information. It is knowing which information is credible, which is incomplete, which requires verification and which has been deliberately manipulated, even for emotional gain. This is why the conversation about access to information must now also be a conversation about information integrity.
Access to information is a fundamental right. Article 35 of the Constitution grants every citizen access to information held by the state and, in specified circumstances, by another person when needed to exercise or protect a right or fundamental freedom. The Access to Information Act implements this right and requires public entities to facilitate access.
These provisions recognise something fundamental about an open society: People cannot meaningfully participate in public life if they do not have access to the information needed to understand the decisions that affect them, question those in authority and make informed choices. But a right to information does not, by itself, guarantee an informed public.
Digital environment
Information may exist but remain difficult to obtain. It may be released too late to be useful. It may be technically available but presented in ways that make it difficult to comprehend. And even when credible information is available, it competes in the digital environment with content designed to provoke, mislead or attract attention. This is where information disorder becomes particularly dangerous.
Misinformation and disinformation do not thrive only because false information exists. They also find room to grow where reliable information is unavailable, difficult to verify, or arrives after a false narrative has already taken hold. The responsibility, therefore, cannot rest with one institution or one profession.
Public institutions have a duty to make relevant information available, respond to legitimate requests and, where appropriate, disclose information proactively. Openness should not be treated merely as a legal requirement. Timely and credible information can reduce speculation, strengthen public confidence and allow citizens to engage institutions on the basis of facts.
The media has a corresponding responsibility. Journalism provides one of the important processes through which information is tested, verified, placed in context and subjected to scrutiny before it reaches the public. This responsibility becomes even greater when journalists are operating in an environment where information can be produced and distributed at extraordinary speed. Technology has changed that environment considerably. Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist with research, verification and access to information, but it can also make it easier to produce convincing false content at scale. Social media has widened participation and given citizens greater opportunities to speak and access information, while at the same time making it possible for misleading content to travel faster than corrections.
Citizens, too, are part of this information ecosystem. Media and information literacy is, therefore, increasingly important. People need the ability to validate information, distinguish fact from opinion, recognise manipulation and seek reliable sources before accepting or sharing what they encounter. This is particularly important as Kenya moves towards the 2027 polls. Elections generate an enormous demand for information, while political competition can create fertile ground for unverified claims, manipulated content and narratives intended to influence public perception.
Access to timely, credible information is, therefore, important not only to journalists but to every citizen seeking to understand candidates, issues, public decisions and the electoral process. The answer cannot be to restrict the flow of information in the name of protecting the public from harmful content.
Information integrity and freedom of expression are not competing objectives. A healthy information environment must allow people to access, produce and share information while maintaining the standards, safeguards and professional practices that help distinguish reliable information from harmful falsehoods.
Practical improvements
This is also why implementation matters. Kenya has developed laws, policies, professional standards and institutional mechanisms dealing with access to information, media practice and the changing digital environment. The question is whether these frameworks are translating into practical improvements in how information is produced, accessed, understood and used.
The Media Council of Kenya’s work sits within this broader effort. It has continued to engage public institutions on access to information, support professional journalism through training and capacity building, and strengthen standards for journalists working in an increasingly complex information environment.
Its work on election coverage, digital responsibility, AI and verification is part of the same larger objective: enabling the media to provide the public with information that is accurate, responsible and useful.
As Kenya marks the International Day for Universal Access to Information, these questions deserve attention. The 2026 theme, “Upholding Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The role of access to information in addressing information disorder,” recognises that the right to information cannot be considered separately from the quality and reliability of the information people are able to access.
Today’s MCK’s commemoration in Nairobi provides an opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the right of access to information.
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The writer is the MCK Chief Executive Officer, East African Press Council Chairperson, and World Association of Press Councils Chairperson.
