The media has been urged to play a proactive role in shedding light on the ongoing transformation agenda of the public service that seeks to align it with global best practices.
Kenya School of Government (KSG) Director General Prof. Nura Mohamed regretted that despite the numerous milestones achieved in the public service transformation journey over time, many often go unnoticed because the media has not been roped in.
“Media is a bridge between government and citizens, helping to translate reforms, policies, and services into information people can understand and act upon,” said Prof. Mohamed during an engagement forum with the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) held at KSG Lower Kabete Wednesday.
“Editors set the agenda, hold institutions accountable, and spotlight innovations in governance. Accurate, responsible journalism complements KSG’s mission by building trust and transparency in public service,” he added while vowing to strike an everlasting partnership with the media going forward.
To ensure this materializes, Prof. Mohamed proposed the establishment of a framework of collaboration between KEG and KSG to institutionalize areas of partnerships between the two entities, a viewpoint shared by the editors and other key KSG senior officers present.
Areas of collaboration with the media
The proposed areas of partnerships include capacity building for journalists where KSG will design tailored training on governance, policy, and ethics to support informed reporting, and enhanced visibility and storytelling, with the media tasked to showcase success stories in the public service.
Other areas of collaboration include public awareness campaigns that will involve the rollout of joint initiatives to educate citizens on governance reforms, ethics, and digital transformation, and thought leadership forums that entail co-hosting platforms where policymakers, academics, and the media engage on national issues such as climate resilience, devolution, and public accountability.
On its part, KEG underscored the importance of collaboration between the two entities to ensure the realization of a transformed public service that is visible, understood, and trusted by the public.
“Public service reforms can only be meaningful when citizens understand them, see their impact, and have confidence in the institutions delivering them,” said Agnes Mwangangi, an Executive Council member of KEG representing radio who spoke on behalf of the Guild’s President, Zubeidah Kananu.
“Media provides the bridge, interpreting policy, amplifying reforms, holding institutions accountable, and enabling citizens to engage. Without collaboration, reforms risk being misunderstood, underreported, or lost in the noise of daily headlines,” added Mwangangi who is also a news editor at the National broadcaster, KBC.
KSG’s role in transforming the public service
For over a century, KSG has been pivotal in transforming Kenya’s public service.
The school delivers training, research, consultancy, and policy advisory services that equip public servants with the knowledge, skills, and values to deliver exceptional services to citizens.
Its programs focus on leadership, governance, ethics, digital transformation, and citizen-centered service delivery.
To better focus on national priorities, KSG has since established specialized delivery centres and units that include; the Centre for Leadership and Public Policy, Regional Centre for Digital Skilling and Artificial Intelligence for the Public Service, and the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Governance, among others.
