Susan Burns takes a selfie with grassroots
journalists from across the country in Mombasa on Thursday / BRIAN OTIENO
Grassroots journalists have a huge role to play in the development of any country, being a voice for the voiceless at the grassroots, acting US Ambassador to Kenya Susan Burns has said.
Burns said the US government is ready to partner with the grassroots journalists to empower the people.
“The storytelling that you are doing really drives the conversation in your communities, strengthens and empowers them,” Burns said.
She spoke on Thursday in Mombasa when she attended the Association of Grassroots Journalists of Kenya’s community media conference.
She said Kenya and the US share the belief that free speech and a free press is key for democracy.
“We stand together as nations where journalists can question leaders, question policies and pursue the truth without government censorship,” Burns said.
Communities, she said, are dependent on local journalism across the world, and it is especially true in Africa.
Burns, who is the charge d’affaires in the US Embassy in Kenya, said the US-Kenya relations go beyond Washington DC and Nairobi.
There are connections even at the grassroots levels especially when it comes to trade, which she said is thriving.
“I did get a chance to speak to business leaders here in Mombasa who told me about the growing opportunities for American and Kenyan companies, opportunities to strengthen regional supply chains and ensure that all of the Mombasa port continues to be a catalyst for business not just for Kenya but across East Africa,” Burns said.
Association of Grassroots Journalists of Kenya chair Dennis Beru said when the community media thrives, the community thrives.
“Because we are at the heart of our communities,” he said.
Beru said when communities come together, the country unites and peace prevails, creating a conducive environment for business and trade to thrive.
AGJK advisory board chair Dennis Kioko said the work of grassroots journalists is mostly to amplify the voices of the downtrodden or the forgotten.
“Information is like food. It decays. It gets cold as it winds. The community media stand in to enable information that is timely, consistent and useful to the communities to save lives, to empower communities and to amplify their voices,” Kioko said.
He called on the US embassy to help grassroots journalists do their work even better by supporting them in various ways so they can also acquire equipment that helps them in their trade.
Burns said Kenya has abundant young innovators who need platforms so their innovations can be seen.
She said such innovators need digital skills development to showcase their innovations to the world.
Burns said young people in the creative industries can also help counter societal problems like violent extremism, drug abuse and other vices that are rampant in the Coast region.
She noted that the Mombasa port plays a critical role in the shared prosperity for Kenya and the US.
She said the Mombasa port is doing a great job but it is not being highlighted enough.
Burns said the US-Kenya relationship has shifted from the previously Aid-dominated to one that is more balanced and sustainable.
“Your job as grassroots journalists is to translate some of the government-speak and the bureaucracy that we use into stories that the community understands,” the acting envoy said.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Grassroots journalists in Kenya are vital for giving voice to marginalised communities, exposing local issues ignored by mainstream media. They promote transparency and drive socio-economic development through citizen-led, authentic storytelling, countering corporate biases and ensuring diverse perspectives reach the public, even while facing risks like violence and misinformation.
