CJ MARTHA KOOME MAKES A TOUGH RULING

Chief Justice Martha Koome has directed court stations to grant journalists seeking coverage of court proceedings access to the premises.
This follows complaints by journalists through the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) that some have been barred from covering proceedings at various stations countrywide.

CJ Koome, through an internal memo to all Principal Judges, Presiding Judges and Heads of Stations, stated that the judiciary and the media need to work together towards 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.

“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.”

The Supreme Court President further noted that she is keen on fostering a good relationship between the Judiciary and the media during her time in office to propel justice.

“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.”

“In this regard, I would like court stations to grant access to MCK accredited journalists unrestricted access to cover proceedings in courts,” she said.

Courtesy