National Assembly conducts training for scribes to improve reporting

Parliament has embarked on a critical initiative aimed at bolstering the quality of reporting of the house activities.

The August House through the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPST) is rolling a training for Parliamentary journalists on how to cover the house businesses.

The first cohort of the scribes took place two weeks ago.

The second training started on Friday and will run up to Saturday.

The session was officially opened by Deputy Clerk Serah Kioko.

Through the collaboration with Parliament’s premier institute; the Centre for Parliament Studies and Training (CPST), journalists participating in this program are set to gain comprehensive insights into legislative procedures, budget formulation and ethical standards.

Kioko underscored the pivotal role of the Fourth Estate in disseminating accurate information about parliamentary workings to the public.

Kioko reaffirmed Parliament's unwavering support for journalists, highlighting this training initiative as a concrete step forward following resolutions made in discussions between National Assembly Leadership and Editors during their annual engagement in September 2023.

“Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood, ” she appealed.

She noted that Parliament is an evolving institution, where in every session of Parliament emerges the need to tweak the Standing Orders and House Rules to address emerging issues. 

She pointed out the need for the journalists to constantly refresh their knowledge of the operations of Parliament to maintain accuracy in their reportage.

Her sentiments were echoed by Prof. Nyokabi Kamau, the Executive Director of the CPST who urged the Parliamentary reporters to be factual in their reporting, considering the high influence that the media has in shaping public opinion.

 Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association (KPJA) Duncan Khaemba expressed gratitude to Parliament Leadership for their responsiveness to Editors' requests, by ensuring tailored training initiatives that address the specific needs of journalists covering parliamentary affairs.

The two-day training is set to cover the following, Standing Orders, House Rules, Access to Information during the law-making process, Functions of the National Assembly, Budget Making Process and Media Industry Standards on Ethics.