The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has sounded the alarm over what it describes as an organised and escalating campaign of misinformation and disinformation across online platforms, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to public trust and the integrity of Kenya’s media landscape.
In a media advisory issued on November 20, 2025, the Council said it was gravely concerned by the sharp rise in the deliberate spread of manipulated content, misinformation and disinformation across digital platforms, noting that much of the material is intentionally crafted to mislead the public and damage reputations.
“This content represents a serious breach of journalistic ethics and a clear violation of the Code of Conduct for Media Practice,” MCK stated.
“It serves no legitimate public interest and is designed solely to undermine the authority and reputations of public officers and prominent figures.”
According to the advisory, rogue websites and anonymous social media accounts have increasingly published unverified, fabricated and manipulative content.
The Council said these platforms regularly deploy “sensational fabricated headlines, doctored images, invented quotations, overtly partisan narratives and, in many instances, the blatant theft of logos and branding from legitimate media houses.”
MCK said these practices violate several key provisions of the Code of Conduct, including the obligation to verify accuracy before publication, the prohibition against manipulating images in ways that distort reality, and the requirement to issue prompt and clear corrections when errors occur.
The Council warned that the scale and systematic nature of the violations are eroding the credibility of genuine journalism.
“The systematic nature of these violations poses a profound threat to public trust, erodes the credibility of genuine journalism and jeopardises the integrity of Kenya’s information ecosystem,” it said.
In response, MCK issued three directives aimed at protecting the public and strengthening enforcement mechanisms.
The Council urged Kenyans to exercise vigilance when consuming information online.
“Members of the public are strongly urged to exercise extreme caution and independently verify any information originating from unaccredited or anonymous digital platforms that impersonate legitimate news outlets,” the advisory said.
MCK announced that it has referred rogue platforms to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for investigation.
The CA will probe ownership, operations and potential violations, with powers to remove offending pages.
The Council further said its Fact-Checking Desk will intensify real-time verification and dissemination of accurate information.
“The MCK Fact-Checking Desk will intensify its efforts to debunk false narratives in real time,” it said.
The advisory concludes that these measures are necessary “to defend the integrity of journalism in Kenya and to protect the public from deliberate deception.”
