IGAD Leadership Academy Trains Kenyan, Somali and South Sudan Journalists in Machakos

The IGAD Leadership Academy conducted a three-day workshop in Machakos from October 6 to 8, 2026, bringing together journalists from Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.

The programme was designed to help participants counter misinformation, narrative laundering and artificial-intelligence-driven disinformation ahead of the forthcoming elections in each country.

Dr Simon Nyambura, director of the IGAD Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, opened the session, describing the media as the heartbeat of a healthy democracy and urging journalists to produce proactive stories that debunk harmful narratives.

Dr Sam Kamau, a media and communications lecturer, warned that public confidence in journalists is falling and stressed the need for rigorous verification and swift correction of errors.

Prof Hideaki Shinoda of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies praised the high level of participant engagement and highlighted the Government of Japan’s support as a focus on capacity building rather than large-scale infrastructure.

Noriko Kobayashi of the Embassy of Japan said the workshop was timely because technological changes have reshaped the media landscape and created a need to strengthen the media’s democratic role.

Sessions covered public-interest journalism, story framing, verification techniques, the impact of AI, foreign information manipulation and narrative laundering, and included practical exercises in digital verification and open-source intelligence.

On the second and third days, journalists worked in country-specific groups to develop publishable stories on public-interest issues, with the resulting pieces expected to appear across various media platforms.

A panel discussion featuring Citizen TV reporter Melita Ole Tenges, Somali National News Agency editor Abdigan Abdullahi, The Radio Community editor Daniel Garang and communication specialist Sharon Kinyanjui underscored the centrality of verification in reporting.

Tenges cautioned colleagues to prefer being late over publishing inaccurate information; Abdullahi highlighted the importance of reliable data for Somalia’s first direct elections in decades; Garang explained how information laundering seeks endorsement from mainstream outlets; Mercy Washira described the training as a valuable opportunity to reinforce verification skills.

The workshop was jointly facilitated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Government of Japan.

Established after approval by IGAD Heads of State and Government in July 2022, the IGAD Leadership Academy seeks to develop leadership, promote democracy, accountable governance and regional integration.

Kenya is preparing for the general election scheduled for August 10, 2027, and the training aims to equip journalists to address the anticipated surge in misleading information during that period.