
Chief Justice Martha Koome has directed all courts to grant journalists access to court proceedings.
This comes just after journalists complained through Media Council of Kenya(MCK) that in some places they are barred from covering court stories.
Through an internal memo the CJ wrote to all the Principal judges, Presiding judges and Heads of Stations noting that the Judiciary should work with the media for liability.
“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,” read the memo.
“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 revolution of such problems, ” it furthered.
Koome said that during her tenure in the office she will ensure that she has foster a good relationship between the Judiciary and the media.
She further noted that the overarching role in the society should steer the relationship better between the two at a meeting with the Kenya Editors’ Guild.
“In this regard i would like court stations to grant access to MCK accredited journalists unrestricted access to cover proceedings in courts,” Koome said.