Three veteran Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) journalists have been elected into the executive board of the Kenya Environment and Science Journalists Association (KENSJA).
Senior environment journalist Judith Akolo was elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairperson while Justus Wanzala clinched the Deputy Secretary General position of the Association.
The head of Kalenjin station Kitwek FM Joan Bett was elected the Deputy Treasurer.
Akolo takes over from Wangari Ndirangu of Kenya News Agency.
The election of Akolo and Wanzala will help to increase the national broadcaster’s visibility on the issues of environment and the sticking challenge of Climate Change.
“We are living at a time when climate change is a major challenge to the globe as it is affecting every facet of our lives,” said Akolo in her acceptance speech and added, “It therefore calls on media to unpack the information and make it usable by policy makers and the public as we move towards the quest for adaptation to climate change as well as mitigating the effects of climate change.”
Wanzala noted that his election is coming at a time when science communication to the public is a key ingredient of development “in terms of creating awareness, educating, informing, doing surveillance and empowering the population by highlighting opportunities emanating from research in spheres such as health, agriculture ICTs, climate change adaptation and mitigation and technical areas.”
He lauded the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation for prioritizing issues relating to science and environment in its programmes and news saying as a national broadcaster KBC has the onerous role of educating the public.
During the elections held in Nairobi, KENSJA Chairperson Dancun Mboya a freelance journalist was elected unopposed. Vera Okeyo of JPiego was elected Secretary General while Catherine Muindi of Kenya News Agency was elected Treasurer.
The Organising Secretary is Carol Oyugi. Committee members are Dan Kaburu of K24, Gilbert Koech of the Star and Lilian Mukoche of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology FM. The KENSJA Patron is Ochieng Ogodo of SciDev.
The Chairman noted that the task ahead for KENSJA members is to help in improving the quality of environment articles in the media “as well as promote science reporting in the country,” said Mboya, noting that there is need to set standards in reportage by providing well researched and simplified stories on science in order to help in policy change and behaviour of populations.
“As KESJA we are committed to educating the population on controversial science topics with the help of experts to make populations value the role that science plays in their day to day lives,” says Mboya.
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