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In 2010, when Kenya introduced its current constitution, many individuals believed that true press freedom had finally been achieved. For a long time, stringent laws offered minimal protection to journalists, and the new constitution appeared to mark a sincere new beginning.

However, more than 10 years later, that promise has only been partially fulfilled, and in certain aspects, it has diminished. Rather than establishing a courageous and assertive press, the new system has introduced more subtle but broader challenges to media freedom.

By as early as 2010, the year many regarded as a fresh beginning for press freedom, media analysts noted that while visible violence against journalists had decreased, the lack of recorded deaths, injuries, and arrests in new media freedom reports did not automatically indicate true press freedom.

By October 2015, a media monitoring organization named Article 19 had expressed worries regarding the sluggish implementation of constitutional provisions ensuring media freedom in Kenya, cautioning that unconstitutional laws continued to exist past the deadlines outlined in the constitution.

Article 19 also warned that non-legislative influences on press freedom, especially financial pressure via advertising, were turning into subtle yet effective methods of affecting editorial content.

These initial warnings have, in many respects, come true. More than 10 years later, the government has kept increasing its control over the media by cutting off advertising funds and, most recently, allocating multi-million-shilling state advertising budgetsbe directed towards online platforms exclusively.

It is therefore no surprise that Kenya’s media environment is currently characterized by financial instability and pressure, which ultimately has more profound consequences for press freedom.

Equally alarming are ongoing safety issues. Reporters still encounter physical dangers, legal intimidation, and mental harassment while performing their duties. These pressures not only put individual professionals at risk but also diminish the media’s capacity to function as a reliable overseer in a democratic system.

Regrettably, numerous instances of violence and intimidation directed at journalists often go unexamined, creating an environment where those responsible face no consequences. For instance, during the widely known Gen Z protests in 2024, several reporters were allegedly attacked or detained while reporting on the events, and media organizations received threats due to their coverage. To this day, many individuals involved in the open cases of attacks on press freedom during these incidents have not been held accountable.

The structural limitations within Kenya’s media regulations are equally important. The Kenya Media Sector Working Group has highlighted a complicated network of laws that are frequently used to control and, on occasion, restrict media operations. The Media Council of Kenya has publicly advocated for an examination of colonial-era remnants still present in Kenya’s media legislation.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has passed, its impact on media freedom is still being experienced today. The crisis led to a surge in job losses and reduced salaries within media organizations, causing many journalists to face financial and professional challenges even after the pandemic ended.

Public confidence in the media is also under pressure, according to a 2024 report showing that many Kenyans view media coverage of government matters as unjust. Amid a delicate political climate, these views represent a risk to press freedom.

Overall, these trends indicate a media industry facing continuous challenges, including legal restrictions, financial instability, physical danger, and political influence.

The 2026 World Press Freedom Day, therefore, comes not as a time for celebration but as a chance for introspection. The constitutional protections from 2010 are still important, but they require more goodwill to implement; they need more intentional actions to remove restrictive laws, safeguard journalists, and reinforce the financial base of the media sector.

Above all, responsible Kenyans, along with their leaders, should acknowledge press freedom, not only as a constitutional principle but as a vital component of democracy; one that requires more than just the lack of physical danger, but also a setting where journalists can operate without fear, bias, or compromise.

Until now, the promise of press freedom in Kenya will continue to be a work in progress, written into law, but frequently challenged in reality.

The author serves as the CEO of the Kenya Editors Guild.