EA Media Protocol Opens Door to Journalists’ Cross-Border Freedom
East African Community, Secretary General H.E. Veronica Nduva, CBS, far centre in a meeting with the East Africa Press Councils delegation led by Chairperson of EAPC and CEO of the Media Council of Kenya David Omwoyo and Vice Chairperson and Executive Secretary of the Media Council of Tanzania, Ernest Sungura.
ARUSHA – Journalists across East Africa may soon enjoy seamless cross-border recognition of their work following a major breakthrough in Arusha, where the East Africa Press Councils (EAPC) reaffirmed their commitment to develop a regional media protocol in partnership with the East African Community (EAC).
At a high-level meeting held yesterday, September 12, 2025, at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, the EAPC executive met with EAC Secretary General H.E. Veronica Nduva, CBS, to present the proposal and fast-track collaboration on the protocol.
The Secretary General welcomed the initiative, reaffirming the Community’s commitment to deepen engagement with the media as a trusted partner in advancing democracy, good governance, and regional unity.
The talks build on the Arusha Declaration II, adopted on July 15, 2025, during the EAPC Annual General Meeting. The declaration set in motion the development of the East Africa Media Protocol, which is expected to be the first official EAC instrument dedicated to the media sector.
The proposed protocol will harmonize media policies, standards, and codes of conduct to ensure professionalism across all partner states. It introduces a regionally recognized accreditation system for journalists to allow free movement and mutual recognition of their work across borders, while embedding media rights into the EAC Treaty provisions on the free movement of persons, labour, and services.
Beyond mobility, the protocol will promote ethical journalism, enhance journalist safety, safeguard media pluralism, and establish guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence while building regional capacity for digital transformation.
EAPC Chairperson and CEO of the Media Council of Kenya, David Omwoyo, said the absence of a common framework has long hindered collaboration among journalists and media houses. “This milestone will not only empower journalists but also cement the media’s role in driving the East African Community agenda,” he emphasized.
During the Arusha meeting, the EAPC executives also requested observer status within the EAC and proposed media representation at the forthcoming Heads of State Summit to highlight the role of the press in regional integration.
The EAPC delegation was led by Omwoyo and included Vice Chairperson and Executive Secretary of the Media Council of Tanzania, Ernest Sungura; EAPC Secretary and Board Member of the Media Council of Uganda, Peter Okello Jabweli; Chairperson of the Media Council of Uganda, Paulo Ekochu; Treasurer and Gender Secretary of the Women in Media Federation of Somali Journalists, Habiba Mohamud; and Executive Secretary of the Rwanda Media Commission, Emmanuel Mugisha. They were accompanied by technical team members Prudence Wakesho and Evans Teddy from the Media Council of Kenya, and Ziada Kilobo from the Media Council of Tanzania.
If adopted, the East Africa Media Protocol will mark a turning point for journalism in the region, embedding media into the heart of East African integration and opening the door to unprecedented cross-border freedoms for journalists.