Finally, the East African Press Councils association is here!

By Paul Mallimbo

An association bringing together media councils in East Africa has finally been registered after being on the drawing board and the offices of the registrar in Nairobi for three years.

The East Africa Press Councils association (EAPC) was registered on January 20, 2023 at the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in Nairobi, Kenya. Among other things it aims to promote and protect free, independent, professional and accountable media in East Africa as well as promote media pluralism and diversity.

“A new era has dawned for the East African media fraternity. This shows our commitment to look out for each other, to be one another’s keeper, to have one another’s back”, said an elated Kajubi Mukajanga of MCT. The founding councils of EAPC are Media Council of Kenya (MCK), Media Council of Uganda (MCU), Rwanda High Media Commission (RMC) and the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT).

The interim leaders are Kajubi Mukajanga of MCT as the Chairperson, David Kasanga from Media Council of Uganda as the Vice Chairperson, David Omwoyo from Media Council of Kenya as Secretary and Emmanuel Mugisha from Rwanda as Treasurer.

The officials will have a responsibility to nurture the sub-regional organisation for the next two years and among other functions to reach out to other potential members from Burundi, South Sudan and DRC.

While the Media Council of Tanzania chairs the association the Media Council of Kenya provides the secretariat.

The association’s responsibility will be to strengthen and promote the institution of independent media regulatory bodies in East Africa, to create awareness and promote the concept of self-regulation through Press/Media Councils as a viable option of holding the media accountable in the region.

The association will also have to create a forum through which media regulatory bodies may share experiences and exchange information on emerging issues in media regulation, to seek and raise finance, as appropriate, to sustain and promote these objects, to undertake all activities as may be determined from time to time and to harmonize the Code of Ethics for the Practice of Journalism.

 Membership to the Association will be for media regulatory bodies in the region that adhere to the objectives of the EAPC as set forth in Article 3 of the Constitution.

Membership shall also be subject to the approval of the Executive Council. If the Executive Council rejects a request for membership, the decision of the General Assembly on that matter shall be final.

Individuals or institutions that are or have been associated with media regulation may be invited by the Executive Council to become Associate Members.  Such members shall have no voting rights.

The Executive Council shall comprise of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Committee members. Ends.