- More than three-quarters (77%) of Kenyans say the media should “constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption.”
- A comparably large proportion (72%) support media freedom, though 26% think the government should have the right to prevent the publication of content it disapproves of.
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Kenyans say the country’s media is “somewhat” or “completely” free to report and comment on the news without government interference, but 34% disagree.
- The share who perceive the press as free has declined by 7 percentage points since 2019.
- About three-fourths (74%) of citizens say they feel “somewhat free” or “completely free” to say what they think, while 25% feel “not very free” or “not at all free.”
- Reports of freedom of speech go up as respondents’ economic status rises.
- Small minorities of Kenyans report contacting the media (7%) and posting political content on social media (11%) in the past year.
- Radio and television are the most popular sources of news in Kenya, used at least “a few times a week” by 79% and 67% of citizens, respectively.
- Social media (57%) and the Internet (46%) beat newspapers (12%) as regular news sources.
Kenya ranks 117th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders’ (2025) World Press Freedom Index, a significant decline from a high of 69th in 2022. In the East African Community, only Tanzania (95th) and South Sudan (109th) hold superior rankings. The deteriorating media environment poses challenges to access to information and fuels self censorship (Media Council of Kenya, 2024; Reporters Without Borders, 2025; Friedrich Naumann Foundation, 2023).
Kenya’s media landscape is heavily regulated. The Constitution guarantees freedom of expression (Article 33), media freedom and independence (Article 34), and access to information (Article 35) (Republic of Kenya, 2010). But the 2013 Media Council Act established an independent media regulator, while the 2013 Kenya Information and Communications Amendment Act established a framework for independent broadcasting. Civil-society organisations describe these laws as “overly restrictive, containing severe criminal penalties for journalists and media outlets” (Article 19, 2021).
The Access to Information Act of 2016, designed to strengthen government transparency and accountability, spells out the need for proactive disclosure of information by public institutions (Media Council of Kenya, 2021). However, public dissemination of key information, particularly relating to public finance, debt, and procurement, has been weak (Article 19, 2024; World Bank, 2023, Katiba Institute, 2025).
The 2018 Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act was enacted to address emerging digital threats, including cybercrimes. But the act contains ambiguous and broad phrases that legal professionals say could undermine freedom of expression (Mutemi, 2018). And in fact, civil rights groups allege that law-enforcement agencies have exploited these ambiguities to target social-media commentators and bloggers under the guise of criminal defamation (Article 19, 2021).
For journalists, safety is a perennial concern. In October 2022, Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was killed by a police officer, and numerous journalists have been physically harassed and attacked, both by members of the public and security officers (Reporters Without Borders, 2023, 2025). Deliberate targeting of journalists during demonstrations, most notably the 2024 anti-tax “Gen Z” protests, has contributed to a climate of fear among media practitioners (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025). Related concerns include restricted physical access to cover protests, bans on live broadcasts of the protests, and digital surveillance of media practitioners and human-rights activists (Amnesty International, 2025; Ehl, 2025).
Where do ordinary Kenyans stand on the role and rights of the media?
Afrobarometer survey findings from April-May 2024, before the “Gen Z” protests, show that nearly two-thirds of citizens believe that their country’s media is generally free of government interference, although this perception has weakened in recent years.
About three-fourths of Kenyans think the media should act as a watchdog over the government, investigating and reporting on government mistakes and corruption. A similar proportion value media freedom and reject the notion that the government should be able to prevent publications it disapproves of.
Notably, a majority of Kenyans report feeling free to say what they think, and a few make use of this freedom to engage with traditional or social media to express their views.
Radio and television are the most popular news sources in Kenya, accessed at least a few times a week by about four-fifths and two-thirds of citizens, respectively.