Information gaps could fuel misinformation ahead of 2027 poll, MCK warns
Speaking today at the Information and Data for Accountability (IDUA) forum, MCK Chairman Maina Muiruri said the rapid growth of digital platforms had made the fight against misinformation more difficult, particularly as online users increasingly operate within echo chambers.
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has urged public institutions to provide timely, accurate and accessible information ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that information gaps could create fertile ground for misinformation and erode public trust.
Speaking today at the Information and Data for Accountability (IDUA) forum, MCK Chairman Maina Muiruri said the rapid growth of digital platforms had made the fight against misinformation more difficult, particularly as online users increasingly operate within echo chambers.
“Digital platforms built to connect us have also built echo chambers where misinformation spreads. They reinforce what we already believe rather than challenge us with what is true,” Muiruri said.
He called on public institutions to proactively disclose information, allowing citizens and the media to verify claims against authoritative sources before falsehoods gain traction.
“When institutions disclose proactively and citizens can check claims against original sources, falsehood has far less room to take root,” he said.
Muiruri urged stakeholders to widen access to information while protecting its accuracy and integrity, calling on citizens to critically examine information encountered online.
Registrar of Political Parties John Cox Lorionokuo said institutions mandated to educate and sensitise Kenyans must ensure information is accurate, timely and disseminated through appropriate channels.
“Information and not just information, but accurate information, availed at the right time through the right avenues, must be a constant deliverable by all institutions and persons charged with the mandate to educate and sensitize all Kenyans,” Lorionokuo said.
He said reliable information was essential to democratic governance, effective service delivery and public confidence in institutions.
Lorionokuo also called for information to be packaged in formats that citizens can easily understand, alongside stronger institutional accountability and controls over information management.
IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon said access to reliable information would be critical during the electoral period, enabling voters to make informed decisions.
“We recognise the right to access information, so that Kenyans can make decisions that are objective come election time,” Ethekon said.
Kenya Editors Guild President Zubeida Kananu said access to information was a constitutional right rather than a favour from government.
She warned that delayed, unavailable or inaccessible information could create an information vacuum that allows misinformation to flourish.
“When credible information is missing, delayed, or difficult to access, we create an information vacuum,” Kananu said.
She said access to authoritative information was particularly important to journalists seeking to verify claims.
“For us, in the media, access to information is the raw material for verification. How do I fact check a claim when I cannot access the facts?” she posed.
