Media stakeholders team up to tame disinformation among slum dwellers

As the Covid-19 pandemic raged and fake news gained ground across the world, the Kenya Correspondent’s Association (KCA) a journalists’ entity in Kenya, teamed up with several stakeholders to tame disinformation among slum dwellers.

Led by the chairman, William Oloo Janak, the association initiated an eight-month project that would see Kibera residents’ access valid information on Covid 19.

“Our focus was on availing correct, timely and reliable information to the communities in Kibera so that they are able to observe the health protocols,” said Janak.

KCA formed a team christened Crisis Communication-Kenya and in partnership with the Deutsche Welle Academy, which the association was able to counter disinformation through sport, art and theatre.

“We mapped across the country and found that Kibera is one of the areas where information was not flowing through because some of the people do not listen to Radio or watch TV,” Janak said on why they chose Kibera given the numerous slums in the country.

The project brought on board over 30 community leaders such as chiefs, women leaders, local security teams, public health officers and youth groups.

The team was able to distribute posters and T-shirts in addition to oral information and field visits.

In supporting the project, the Government and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services increased vaccination centres within Kibera accelerating the jab uptake within the slum population.

“Previously they used to go to Mbagathi and Kenyatta Hospitals but now there are about 8-10 vaccination centres within Kibera. We have asked health workers to put up posters to show where the centres are,” he added.

The KCA chairman was delighted to announce that the project was a success in Kibera.

Even the communities that were reluctant to take the jab went for it after we got the health officials to explain that the vaccine was safe.

The project whose first phase ends in March was also undertaken in Zambia and Mongolia and according to Janak hopefully they can get funding to sustain it.