KEG announces annual editors' convention to be held in November

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The 9th Annual Editors' Convention will take place towards the end of November in Mombasa.

The convention, which will take place in Mombasa, will be themed “Navigating the Storm: Media Resilience on the Road to 2027”.

 Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) President Zubeidah Kananu said the event will bring together editors, media leaders, journalists, partners and friends of journalism to reflect, reconnect and, importantly, ask themselves some difficult questions about the industry they serve.

“Over the years, we have deliberately worked to improve the quality and impact of this gathering. Yes, the convention allows us to step away from our busy newsrooms, bond, network and catch up with colleagues we may only see across bylines, screens and WhatsApp groups. And yes, we do have a little fun along the way,” said Kananu.

“But beyond that, the convention has become an important space for learning, honest reflection and conversations about how we can make our industry better. Every year, we ask ourselves: What has changed? What are we getting right? Where are we falling short? And what must we do differently?”

Ms Kananu said they have also deliberately made the convention not only about editors. Every year, the first day is dedicated to a masterclass for reporters, who are on the front lines of journalism, gathering stories, engaging sources, verifying information and often working in very difficult environments.

She said this year’s convention comes at a time when the country is preparing for General Elections in August 2027 and therefore, the polls will be part of the agenda.

“And as we head towards 2027, the quality and credibility of our election coverage will depend on how prepared we are, from the reporter in the field to the editor making the final editorial decisions. This brings me to this year’s theme: “Navigating the Storm: Media Resilience on the Road to 2027”. It captures the moment we find ourselves in,” said Kananu.

“The road to the 2027 General Election is already taking shape. The political temperatures will rise. The information environment will become noisier. Mis- and disinformation will become more sophisticated, particularly with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Journalists will face pressure from different quarters, while questions around safety, independence, public trust and media sustainability will become even more important. We know this terrain. We have covered elections before. But every election presents a different test. Our responsibility is not simply to survive the storm. We must be prepared to navigate it."

That, she said it means protecting editorial independence, embracing technology responsibly, strengthening our capacity to counter misinformation and disinformation, safeguarding journalists and, above all, ensuring that our journalism remains firmly anchored in truth and the public interest.

“Because when the political noise becomes loud, the public must still be able to turn to the media and find credible information,” she said.

Francis Openda, KEG Vice President and also chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, said the event has been held in various places and not just Nairobi and Mombasa cities.

“Every other year we have held a convention since we started with Nairobi; we have intended to try and hold it in major key cities, that is, facilities allowing. We have been in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and now going back to Mombasa,” he said.

“We also do town halls and we have been as far as Mandera up north and down south all the way to Lamu just to interact and find out how journalists in those environments work,” said Openda.

He said the convention comes ahead of the general elections and in every election the government normally has an interest and those in positions in government want to use and control the media, making the situation dicey, urging media houses to be strong, independent and fair to each candidate.

The VC also urged young journalists to register and join KEG as members, so that they benefit from opportunities that come by and also so that they can take the Guild forward when they retire.

Christine Nguku, assistant director in charge of training and curriculum development at the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), said the council is willing and ready to support the convention financially and technically to ensure that the event is a success.

“The MCK is committed to supporting the convention. We have already received a request from the KEG and there is sufficient goodwill to support it first financially and also by conducting a pre-convention training workshop on election preparedness in Mombasa,” said Nguku, who lauded KEG for the ability to hold the past eight conventions and now going to the ninth.

She told KEG that as they go to the convention, they are going to set an agenda for the upcoming elections and therefore, the convention is key and she challenged them to remain accountable, accurate and independent and objective.

Andrew Kagwa, Council Member for Print Media, said the agenda will also include pre-election, election and post-election challenges affecting media houses, including welfare on mental health and payment.

Queenter Mbori, executive director of the Association of Women in Media (AMWIK), also lauded KEG for being able to hold conventions for the past eight years.