Kenyan media colleges face a fresh audit on their capacity to deliver professional courses, if a new training policy approved by the Media Council of Kenya is approved by the Ministry of Information, writes Dennis Itumbi for journalism.co.za.
Colleges offering journalism and other medi- related courses will now be required to employ certified and accredited lecturers and have a minimum set of training facilities before being allowed to operate.
All colleges expect the Nairobi University School of journalism, Daystar University and the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication will have to re-apply for accreditation to offer media courses.
There has been complaints by media players that most institutions were offering sub-standard courses and flooding the industry with half-baked professionals.
"The situation is so serious that people are graduating with diploma's in film production and they cannot even switch on a camera," Esther Kamweru, the chair of the media council said in a telephone interview.
To ensure compliance with the new directive if approved, the council is mobilizing human resource departments in media houses to reject graduates from non-accredited institutions.
"The move by the Media Council of Kenya is a boost to freedom of the media, which is anchored on professional training of journalists," Eric Odour of the Journalist Association of Kenya said in supporting the proposal by the Media Council.
