









































Communication, Society and Media 
ISSN 2576-5388 (Print) ISSN 2576-5396 (Online) 

Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm 

111 
 

Original Paper 

Challenges and Opportunities for Increasing Media Coverage of 

Climate Change in Kenya 
Amb. Dr. John O. Kakonge1* 

1 President, the Association of Former International Civil Servants in Kenya (AFICS-Kenya) 
* Amb. Dr. John O. Kakonge, President, the Association of Former International Civil Servants in 

Kenya (AFICS-Kenya) 

 

Received: March 23, 2020        Accepted: April 7, 2020        Online Published: April 20, 2020 

doi:10.22158/csm.v3n2p111                      URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/csm.v3n2p111 

 

Abstract 

Globally, media coverage of climate change has been disappointing in both advanced and developing 

countries, Kenya included. This article addresses the need to educate and train African journalists so 

that they can report adequately on climate change and in doing so, help not only to raise awareness of 

climate change but also to increase understanding of the multiple aspects of the phenomenon. Although 

Kenya has an elaborate governance structure in support of climate change, coordination across key 

ministries, departments and institutions at national and county levels has been wanting. Coverage of 

climate change by Kenya’s main print media houses and television stations over the last decade 

(2010-2019) is investigated and found to be minimal. A survey of the opinions of the local media sets 

the parameters for a discussion of the current challenges faced in increasing media coverage of climate 

change. Lack of journalistic capacity, conflicting media priorities and inadequate funding to train and 

support journalists are major concerns. The paper concludes with a discussion on how media coverage 

could be improved to close the gaps in science journalism and, in particular, coverage of climate 

change in Kenya.  

Keywords 

climate change, media, funding, disasters, capacity, opportunities 

 

 

 

 

 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
112 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

1. Introduction 

Given the continued threat of climate change, there is an urgent need to educate the general public 

about the issue. The media are perfectly positioned to do this and yet in many countries coverage of 

climate change is sparse, and globally, the problem of climate change persists. A BBC (2009) 

documentary entitled: Least responsible, most affected, least informed, suggested that African citizens 

are among the least informed about human-induced climate change, its causes and its consequences. 

Despite having a comprehensive set of policies around climate change in place, media coverage of 

issues related to climate change is scant in Kenya and the lack of awareness of climate change issues by 

the general populace in Kenya is typical of the BBC’s African citizens.  

This article addresses the need to educate and train African journalists so that they may report on 

climate change and in doing so, help not only to raise awareness of climate change but also to increase 

understanding of the multiple aspects of the phenomenon. A decade ago, Tagbo (2010) noted that media 

coverage of climate change is disproportionate to the level of threat that it poses to the African 

continent, Kenya included. Her observation is just as true today. This paper, therefore, considers the 

challenges associated with, and opportunities for, much better media coverage of climate change in 

Kenya. 

 

2. Methodology 

A literature review was carried out to develop an overview of general global trends in media coverage 

of climate change over the last few decades. The politics of climate change in Kenya was then 

reviewed with regard to the role of national ministries, legislation, NGOs and civil society. Having 

provided the political context in which the local media operates, a web-based survey was undertaken to 

determine the extent of climate change coverage by the print and television media in Kenya over the 

last decade (2010-2019). Guided by the literature and results of the online survey, a questionnaire was 

developed and used to gather the opinions of professionals working within the local print and television 

media regarding the challenges associated with increasing coverage of climate change. Their opinions 

inform the discussion of how media coverage could be improved in Kenya.  

 
3. Results 

3.1 Politics of Climate Change in Kenya 

Kenya has extensive climate change governance structures, ranging from national policies, acts and 

ministries, to other government institutions, county governments, the private sector and civil society. 

The National Climate Change Framework Policy of 2016 was developed to provide guidelines on 

responding to climate variability and climate change and to support the National Climate Change 

Action Plan of 2013. It outlines the system of climate change governance through low carbon growth, 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
113 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

an enabling regulatory framework, efforts to enhance climate resilience and adaptive capacity, and the 

mainstreaming of climate change into planning processes. The National Policy is in line with Vision 

2030, which is the Kenyan government’s blueprint for development projects. It provides opportunities 

for low carbon development for both individuals and communities. 

The Climate Change Act of 2016 also addresses the development, management, implementation and 

regulation of mechanisms to enhance low carbon development and climate change resilience for 

sustainable development in Kenya (KOEE, 2018). The ministry responsible for the coordination of 

climate change response in Kenya is the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Numerous departments 

within the ministry have been established to deal with different aspects of climate change. The National 

Climate Change Secretariat has the mandate to develop policies, strategies and action plans. Other 

departments that also play a role in climate change response include the National Environment 

Management Authority, the Kenya Meteorological Department, the Mines and Geology Department, 

the Directorate of Environment and the Department of Resources, Surveys and Remote Sensing. The 

Ministry of Environment and Forestry is the national focal point for the United Nations Framework 

Convention on Climate Change (KOEE, 2018). 

The National Environment Council, which is chaired by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, is 

responsible for policy formulation under the Environment Management and Coordination Act. This Act 

sets out provisions in such areas as climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance. In addition, the 

National Drought Management Authority, established in 2011, has as its role the supervision and 

coordination of drought management and climate change adaptation in the country (KOEE, 2018). 

Other ministries which are responsible for aspects of climate change include the Ministry of Energy, 

which is mandated to produce clean, sustainable, affordable and secure energy while protecting the 

environment and addressing climate change. The Ministry of Agriculture implements various climate 

change programmes and projects, such as that on climate-smart agriculture, and the Ministry of Water 

and Irrigation has prioritized the streamlining of climate change adaptation in the water sector by 

implementing the 2030 National Water Master Plan. 

Besides the ministries, other government institutions which have climate change units and focal points, 

including the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS); the Kenya Forest Services (KFS); the Kenya 

Agricultural Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute 

(KEFRI). 

At the county level, the County Governments Act of 2012 requires each county government to develop 

a climate change adaptation plan within a framework that integrates economic, physical, social, 

environmental and spatial planning.  

The private sector plays a big role in the delivery and design of many adaptation services in Kenya, 

such as weather observation technology and early-warning systems, the distribution of 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
114 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

drought-resistant seeds and other agricultural products, and water management infrastructure and 

technologies. The private sector also provides financial support for the above activities. Equally, civil 

society plays a role in monitoring and evaluating the progress of climate change projects, and in raising 

popular awareness of the need for concerted climate action (KOEE, 2018). 

Clearly, the current Kenyan climate change governance structures are elaborate and extensive. Their 

impact on the ground, however, is minimal at best and the country is grappling with the negative 

impacts of climate change. A serious omission of the national climate change governance structures is 

that it does not incorporate the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology which 

regulates the media sector. 

One of the objectives of the National Climate Change Action Plan, as outlined in its preface signed by 

former President Kibaki, is to strengthen nationwide actions towards climate change adaptation and 

mitigation. President Kibaki emphasized that the National Climate Change Action Plan was 

people-centred, ensuring that climate change actions support Kenya’s achievement of its development 

agenda (GOK, 2013). Sadly, the role of the media was not clearly spelled out in the national plan and it 

is doubtful whether the government will apply Section 9 of the national plan which focuses on 

knowledge management and capacity development and bring in the media to cover and disseminate 

climate change information to all segments of Kenyan society. 

3.2 Global Trends in Media Coverage of Climate Change 

The extent of media coverage of climate change differs from one nation to the next (Kansas University, 

2019), but generally, coverage is poor, leading Thysen (2019) to lament that the media have essentially 

ignored the climate crisis for three decades. In the USA in October 2018, following the IPCC release of 

its landmark special report on the impacts of global warming, documenting the 1.5 per cent rise in 

global temperatures above pre-industrial levels, only 22 of the country’s 50 biggest newspapers covered 

the report (Pope & Hartsgaard, 2019). 

Kansas University (2019) argues further, that although rich countries have been covering climate 

change for over 30 years, they have not slowed the warming of climate. In fact, the Kansas University 

report states that if rich countries want to increase public awareness of climate change, the media need 

to address the phenomenon as a matter of urgency. By considering how the media have portrayed 

climate change, we can better understand how to improve their coverage of the issue, with the hope of 

giving it a priority status that is reflected in policy. 

In a journalism workshop in Peru funded by USAID, it was observed that climate change continues to 

be perceived as a threat and bad news. Media coverage of flooding, retreating glaciers, droughts and 

failed crops presents a bleak and depressing scenario. The workshop concluded that by changing how 

the media report on climate change, this bad news could be given a positive spin. For example, 

addressing climate change could be seen as a chance to be prepared, to grow in a sustainable way, to 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
115 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

improve our crops, to promote group collaborations, and so on.  

Although some editors fear that climate stories will not sell papers, Thysen (2019) observes 

encouraging signs that some media outlets are trying different approaches which may, in turn, deepen 

the understanding and engagement of targeted groups for a longer duration. For example, CDKN (2018) 

suggests that journalists should find human interest and development angles to convince editors and 

audiences that climate change really is a story about people’s lives and well-being and about 

sustainable economies. Moreover, reporting on a recent workshop organized by the Earth Journalism 

Network and the Solutions Journalism Network on how media coverage of climate change could make 

a difference, Schonhardt and McCann (2019) recommend the following: 

 Don’t make people look like victims or heroes. 

 Don’t promote silver bullets or a one-size fits all solutions. There is no one solution or answer to 

the climate crisis. 

 Don’t avoid other factors. Natural disasters such as wildfires are caused by drought and rising 

temperatures but also development decisions and policies.  

 Look at what’s working. 

 Don’t overstate the role of climate change. Individual weather events are sometimes difficult to 

link to climate change. 

 Start with a local example of action and then tie that into a broader trend or issue. 

 Avoid activism by focusing on an approach. 

 Connect stories to people or places. Look at impacts on food, health, gardening, travel (things 

people care about and are familiar with). 

 Good practices (adaptive measures) have taken on new urgency; move the conversation forward. 

 Tell diverse stories. Climate change will affect different communities in different ways, and 

similar communities may learn from one another. 

UNESCO (2018) adds that through informed reporting, journalists can shine a light on the wealth of 

activities that people are undertaking to respond to climate change. At the local level, covering climate 

change can help to save lives, formulate plans, change policy and empower people to make informed 

choices. Writing about developing countries, Kakonge (2012) suggests that the way forward for 

journalists and editors is to humanize climate change messages and stories. 

3.3 Media Coverage of Climate Change in Kenya 

Kenya is among the countries which are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Recurring droughts 

and floods are frequent. Rainfall is unpredictable and current projections are that temperatures will rise 

by 2.50C by 2050. Consequently, it might be expected that media coverage would be representative of 

the seriousness of the problem. Reporting in 2011, however, Kakonge found systemic apathy in the 

media with regard to covering climate change. To determine if this is still the case, a web-based survey 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
116 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

was conducted of the number of climate change articles published in three of the national newspapers 

and the number of programmes produced in three of the national television stations, between January 

2010 and October 2019. The results of the surveys are presented below. 

3.3.1 Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change 

The Daily Nation and The Standard are the two largest national newspapers in Kenya. Founded in 1902, 

The Standard is the country’s oldest newspaper, while The Nation Group was established by the Aga 

Khan over 60 years ago. The Star began circulation in July 2007 as the Nairobi Star and was rebranded 

as The Star in 2009. All three papers cover a wide range of topics, namely politics, governance, 

agriculture, county, regional and international news, business, entertainment, culture and sports.  

The number of articles related to climate change carried by each newspaper over the last decade 

(January 2010-October 2019) is reflected in Figure 1. These figures are dependent on how well the 

online archives are structured. Data for The Star were only available for 2013-2019. Analysis of the 

data clearly demonstrates that, before 2018, there was scant coverage of climate change issues. Not one 

of three papers reported more than eight stories in an entire year, supporting an earlier observation that 

developing countries’ editors and their audiences appear to lack interest in climate change (Kakonge, 

2011). Between 2017 and 2018, climate change coverage increased fourfold in both The Daily Nation 

and The Standard, from 5 to 22, and 1 to 4, in the two papers respectively. The Star, which on average 

covered more stories annually than the other papers, also upped its coverage almost threefold, from 7 to 

20 in the same period. This new reporting vigour has been carried through to 2019, with all papers 

having published significantly higher numbers of climate change stories than ever before. By October 

2019, when the data for this study were collected, 106 articles had already been reported in the three 

papers. 

 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
117 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

 
Figure 1. Local Printed Media Reporting on Climate Change by Three of Kenya’s National 

Newspapers (2010-October 2019) 

Note: Data for the Star were only available for 2013-2019. 

 

The stories covered by the Kenyan print media tend to focus on politics, scandal, crime, sports, culture, 

with little interest shown, until very recently, in climate change-related activities. The reason for this is 

because the print papers and television channels are driven by a single objective: to make money, 

failing which they will go out of business. For the Kenyan papers to survive, they must cover stories 

which can sell. While coverage of climate change has increased substantially over the last 

one-and-a-half years, an examination of the content of the stories shows that, in most cases, they 

focused on the negative impacts of climate change at both national and county levels, namely floods, 

drought, malaria and hunger. Some of the stories also referred to global warming and greenhouse 

emissions. In addition to local news, The Daily Nation featured international stories covered by the UN 

and other agencies geared towards climate change. The Star featured both international and national 

stories on climate change and a few articles on drought within the country. The Standard also covered 

renewable energy. Clearly, most of the stories carried by the national papers referred to climate change 

in terms of disasters. The papers carried these stories because of their sensational impact and immediate 

relevance to readers, in particular, those living in areas that have been affected or who know someone 

from those areas.  

3.3.2 Television Coverage of Climate Change 

KTN (Kenya Television Network) is the oldest free-to-air privately owned network in Africa. It began 

its operations in 1990. Citizen TV was established by Royal Media Services in 1999 and relaunched in 

June 2006. It broadcasts mainly in English and Swahili. National TV was established by the Nation 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
118 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

Media Group in 1999. It was revamped as NTV in 2005 and is a general entertainment channel. 

From a review of the online archives, it was possible to determine the number of television 

programmes that focused on climate change (see Figure 2). Again, it is important to bear in mind that 

these figures are dependent on the accuracy of the archives. 

It is clear that very view television programmes have addressed climate change. In the review period, 

The Citizen only aired a total of six programmes, NTV eight and KTN nine. One positive sign is that, so 

far in 2019, the amount of coverage on two of the three networks has been greater than over the nine 

previous years combined.  

 

 

Figure 2. Local Television Reporting on Climate Change (2010-October 2019) 

 

3.4 Challenges Facing the Kenyan Media with regards to Covering Climate Change 

In light of the sparse reporting on climate change by the newsprint and television media, the next stage 

in this research exercise was to collect the opinions of people working in the media in Kenya in an 

attempt to understand the reasons for this disregard. Based on the literature, a questionnaire was 

developed and sent to journalists and editors working for various media organizations and also to 

freelance journalists. The questionnaire comprised open-ended questions on such issues as coverage of 

climate change by the main local papers; why papers only cover crises or disasters; challenges facing 

climate change journalists; the framing of climate change articles; the improvement of climate change 

coverage; and opportunities for media coverage of climate change. The 10 participants’ views, which 

are based on their expertise and personal opinions, are integrated in the discussion that follows. Three 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
119 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

major themes emerged from their responses, namely: a lack of journalistic capacity, the focus of media 

priorities, and a lack of funding for science journalists. 

3.4.1 Journalistic Capacity 

Most of the literature acknowledges that the lack of coverage of climate change information is due to 

the limited capacity of journalists and editors. According to Corner (2011), quoting Catherine 

Mwesigwa, most journalists in newsrooms have arts backgrounds and have little understanding of the 

science of climate change. In fact, even Tagbo (2010) acknowledges that a lack of understanding of the 

issues surrounding climate change makes it difficult for most African journalists to do a good job of 

reporting it. This is a view supported by the organization KOEE (2018), which attributes the challenges 

facing climate change reporting to inadequate understanding by journalists of the complex nature of the 

subject.  

The war to combat climate change cannot be won without a strong and credible media. Strengthening 

the capacity of journalists in Kenya and elsewhere is crucial and it must be a continuous exercise and 

not a short-term affair. According to one respondent: 

“Kenyan journalists lack the requisite skills to cover issues not just of climate change, but many other 

environmental issues as well. I think we do not have specialists in this sector who can contribute great 

content on these issues. Most journalists want simple political stories that make no significance in 

society and are soon forgotten… besides those journalists who cover climate change in the country who 

do so out of sheer interest in this sector. But these are few and far between.”  

Some studies, such as those of Corner (2011), KOEE (2018) and Tagbo (2010), suggest that efforts to 

build the capacity of journalists need to be carried out in collaboration with editors and media owners. 

This will ensure teamwork and support of the climate change stories being covered by journalists. 

However, while the media is an important source of information on climate change, many journalists 

find it difficult to get editors’ buy-in for stories on climate change. 

3.4.2 Media Priorities 

Kenya is not alone when it comes to inadequate coverage of climate change by the media. Other 

analysts, such as Tagbo (2010), confirm that the media focus on politics, corruption, entertainment and 

business, because copy on those topics sells better and, in that way, they can command the lead in 

newspaper placements. In short, as the previous respondent noted, there is a tendency by the Kenyan 

media to concentrate only on political stories and scandals, hyping and sensationalizing mundane 

matters at the expense of serious journalism. Consequently, climate change only becomes a topical 

issue when there is an opportunity to write a sensational story.  

3.4.3 Financial Constraints 

One of the challenges identified by a number of studies, including Corner (2011) and KOEE (2018), is 

the cost of training both journalists and editors to cover and report about climate change issues 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
120 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

effectively. The training of journalists to cover climate change is not cheap and necessitates the support 

of many sponsors, governments, development partners, donors, media owners, and others (Kakonge, 

2012). Unfortunately, this has not been the priority of the Kenyan government, media houses or donors. 

While a few development partners have supported training workshops for journalists in climate change, 

the impact has been minimal.  

Given the continued threat of climate change, there is a need for aggressive fundraising, not only to 

train journalists and editors in the science of journalism but also to buy dedicated space with the local 

papers (The Daily Nation, The Standard, The Star) for climate change issues. For example, The Daily 

Nation has a dedicated space for innovative and smart agriculture, known as “Seeds of Gold”. Another 

example may be seen in The Guardian in the UK, which has a dedicated section for environmental 

issues and, by extension, climate change. 

After the twenty-fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on 

Climate Change, known as COP 24, the Kenyan Government promised to issue sovereign green bonds, 

and establish the Climate Change Fund and Disaster Risk Finance Strategy. All these instruments are 

intended to cushion the economy from fiscal risks arising from the effects of climate-related shocks and 

natural disaster. In addition, in 2018, Garissa County launched its County Climate Change Fund and 

allocated the amount of 60 million Kenyan shillings (some 600,000 US dollars) to help in mitigating 

the harmful effects of climate change (Ngotho, 2019). Four other counties—Makueni, Wajir, Kitui and 

Isiolo—have also established County Climate Change Funds to identify, prioritize and finance 

investments to reduce climate risk and achieve adaptation priorities (IISD, 2018). These examples 

should be instructive to other counties. Moreover, during his address at COP 24, the Kenyan Minister 

of Environment, Keriako Tobiko, emphasized that lack of adequate funding has hindered 

implementation of the national climate change action plans of many developing countries, including 

Kenya (Mwangi, 2018). Of course, this has implications for funding programmes relating to the media 

and climate change.  

IIED (2011) observed the extensive need for predictable and adequate funding to strengthen the 

media’s capacity to cover climate change issues. The availability of such funding would help countries 

like Kenya to plan and implement national programmes to increase public awareness and 

understanding of climate change issues, and these, in turn, would support the country in meeting its 

international obligations. Likewise, CDKN (2018) has emphasized that no matter whether the amounts 

concerned are small or targeted, funding can make all the difference in enabling journalists to get out 

and cover the climate change stories that otherwise would go unreported. 

3.5 Opportunities and Best Practices for Covering Climate Change 

It is not easy to report on climate change. Even when journalists have capacity, when there is buy-in 

from the media houses, and when funding is available, the complex nature of the subject and its 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
121 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

associated scientific terminology often make it difficult for the public to understand. CDKN (2018) 

observes, however, that communication from the IPCC and other scientific bodies has improved over 

recent years and many more press releases, headlines, documents and slides are available and 

accessible to ordinary people. The media has a crucial role to play in educating the public about climate 

change. The following paragraphs set out some ideas about how the media in Kenya can be supported 

to develop their capacity and coverage of climate change. 

3.5.1 Government Support 

Ideally, the elaborate Kenyan government framework on climate change should benefit journalists by 

giving them access to a broad spectrum of climate change issues. This review of the scant climate 

change coverage provided by the country’s print and television media demonstrates, however, that 

communication with government structures is inadequate and, in some cases, altogether lacking. There 

is a need to revisit the national climate change governance structures in the country to ensure that there 

is better coordination among the ministries, institutions and organizations vested with climate change 

responsibilities. Proper coordination between climate change experts and journalists could enable better 

and routine coverage of climate change issues.  

3.5.2 Increase Journalistic Capacity 

Participants in the study were generally of the view that climate change is not covered by Kenya’s main 

local newspapers and television stations because some journalists do not know how to articulate 

climate change issues. Other journalists pointed to the lack of sponsorship, which has limited research 

and investigative work concerning climate change. Further, participating editors also noted that local 

papers and television networks lack a dedicated desk for reporting science-based issues such as climate 

change. To improve the coverage of climate change in Kenya, journalists and editors must be trained on 

substantive issues, myths about climate change need to be challenged and corrected, and strong 

networks and relationship with experts need to be built to encourage routine sharing of climate change 

updates. 

3.5.3 Provide Funding 

The issue of funding is closely related to that of journalistic capacity. Lack of funding was one of the 

challenges cited by all journalists who responded to the questionnaire. All journalists and editors 

confirmed that media houses dedicate very little funding to climate change stories, which means that 

insufficient information is published or aired on these issues. The way forward, as President Kenyatta 

acknowledged, is for all stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental, to undertake and 

share responsibility for climate change initiatives. The study participants recommended that a national 

media fund with flexible bureaucracy should be established and be accessible to journalists who are 

interested in covering climate change stories and who want to attend climate change conferences. 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
122 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

3.5.4 Encourage Proactive Reporting 

Globally, there is a tendency for the media to focus on crises or disasters that result from climate 

change. Feedback from participating local journalists and editors indicated that issues around climate 

change only receive limelight and publicity when catastrophic events like droughts or floods occur. 

While some participants argued that covering disasters provides them with an opportunity to inform 

and educate the public, others noted that coverage of these crises is directed primarily towards exposing 

the failures of either the national or county governments to respond to climate change. In addition, as 

noted by some journalists and editors, organizations will sometimes sponsor media houses to cover 

crises in order to acquire information. NGOs, for example, can use that information to solicit money 

from their sponsors. 

Regardless of the motives, Kenyan media coverage of climate change tends to be reactive rather than 

proactive. Adopting a more informed, proactive approach, focusing on the human stories of people 

making a positive contribution to curbing climate change, through better agricultural practices, for 

example, could have a direct and benefic impact on the way people respond to climate change. 

3.5.5 Sponsorship Support for Proactivism 

As noted above, media sponsors tend to favour stories of disasters such as floods, droughts and famine. 

While sensationalism will always sell papers, a more informed public will also relate positively to 

stories of a more sustainable, proactive nature. If sponsors can be encouraged to support these stories, 

then coverage of climate change should improve. One idea worth exploring is the institution of awards 

for both journalists and media houses that give priority to and good coverage of climate change. 

Sponsors could also be encouraged to support these awards. 

3.5.6 Target University Students 

Finally, to grow a new generation of scientifically savvy reporters and journalists, science graduates 

should be encouraged to take postgraduate journalism and communication courses. These students 

should be financially supported and provided with mentors to hone their skills. 

 

4. Conclusion 

The media coverage of climate change in Kenya is very much like that in most developing countries. 

Although print media coverage has increased substantially over the last year and a half, television 

coverage remains minimal, and stories still tend to focus on natural disasters and other sensational 

events. Without strong political and financial support, the media will find it difficult to maintain their 

momentum and produce informative and engaging stories. 

Climate change is a complex subject and journalists, reporters and editors working on climate change 

stories need to understand the science behind the subject. Journalists who are passionate about climate 

change and the environment should be encouraged and supported in efforts to deepen their 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
123 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

understanding and to develop their networks of specialists. Editors and media houses must enable more 

extensive and regular coverage of climate change, not only when disasters happen, but also to highlight 

stories that present proactive approaches to the issue. By engaging their readers and viewers with 

inspiring stories about such good practices, public empathy with be encouraged, and this, in turn, could 

result in changes in attitudes and more responsible behaviour. 

The Kenyan government’s climate change governance structures should be revised to reflect the current 

realities. In particular, the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology need to make 

provision for and support extensive and informative media coverage of climate change. The 

government should devise innovative ways to support climate change coverage in print, television and 

radio media. National and county governments should establish climate change funds to cover the 

training of journalists and editors and also to enable them to travel to affected areas and provide 

comprehensive media coverage. Recent cases of established climate change funds in Garissa, Makueni, 

Isiolo, Wajir and Kitui counties are instructive in this regard. Implementation of the Climate Change 

Action Plan calls for a strong political will and commitment. Accordingly, allocating adequate funds 

from the government’s budget will demonstrate national commitment, this commitment is essential 

before funds can be solicited from partners and donors. 

Above all, as Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, affirmed in April 2016, upon signing the Paris 

Agreement on behalf of his country: “Climate Change will test our intelligence, our compassion and 

our will. But we are equal to that challenge”. Echoing his sentiment, we marginalize the media at our 

peril. The media must be recognized as a critical partner in the war to combat climate change and be 

supported to develop informative, accurate and humanized coverage of the multiple aspects of climate 

change. 

 

Acknowledgements 

I wish to acknowledge the substantial contribution made by Cyprian Ogoti and Nobert Maina to this 

paper. I also am grateful to the following for responding to the climate change and media questionnaire, 

namely: Georgia Achia (Science Africa), Sharon Atieno (Science Africa), Otula Owuor (Science Africa), 

Henry Owino (Science Africa), David Aduda (Daily Nation), Samuel Waweru (Catholic Mirror), 

Namuswa Nanjinia (The Standard), Lorna Kivuta (Anecland Science), Marietta Musyoki (Journalist 

Schipi), Aga Khan University, Leopold Obi (Daily Nation). However, they bear no responsibility for 

the contents of this paper. 

 

 

 

 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
124 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

References 

BBC. (2009). Least responsible, most affected, least informed: Public understanding of climate change 

in Africa. Policy Brief, Oct.2009. 

CDKN (Climate and Development Knowledge Network). (2018). Communicating climate change: A 

practitioner’s guide. Netherlands. 

Corner, A. (2011). Communicating Climate Change in Uganda: Challenges and opportunities. Panos 

Eastern Africa, Kampala, Uganda. 

GOK (Government of Kenya). (2013). Kenya National Climate Change Action Plan: 2013-2017. 

Nairobi, Kenya. 

IIED. (2011). Why the media matters in a warming world: A guide for policymakers in the Global 

South. Policy Brief 2011.  

IISD. (2018). Kenya’s County Climate Change Funds. Policy Brief 2018. 

Kakonge, J. O. (2011). The role of media in the climate change debate in developing countries. Global 

Policy Essay, November 2011. 

Kakonge, J. O. (2012). Fostering partnerships with media organizations to improve climate change 

coverage in Africa. Science Communication, 35(3), 411-416. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547012464216 

Kansas University. (2019). How media around the world frame climate change news: Rich countries 

politicize issue, while poor countries present climate change as international concern. Science Daily, 

13 August 2019.  

KOEE (Kenya Organization for Environment Education). (2018). What ill’s the climate change? 

Nairobi, Kenya. 

Mwangi, M. (2018). Insufficient funding hurting climate plans. The Star, 17 December 2018.  

Makower, J. (2019). Two steps forward: Climate change and the media: More news is good news. 

GreenBiz, 17 September 2019.  

Ngotho, A. (2019). Garissa allocates KSh60 to fight climate change. The Star, 2 August 2019. 

Pope, K., & Hertsgaard, M. (2019). Why are the US news media so bad at covering climate change? 

The Guardian, 22 April 2019. 

Reichel, C. (2018). Covering climate change: What reporters get wrong and how to get it right. 

Journalist’s Resource. 

Schonhardt, S., & McCann, S. (2019). Reporting on Climate Change from a Solutions Lens. Earth 

Journalism   Network and The Solutions. Retrieved from 

https://earthjournalism.net/program-updates/reporting-on-climate-change-from-a-solutions-lens 

Tagbo, E. (2010). Media coverage of climate change in Africa: A case study of Nigeria and South 

Africa. Reuter Institute Oxford University, UK. 



www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm               Communication, Society and Media                Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 

 

 
125 

Published by SCHOLINK INC. 

 

The Star. (2018). Uhuru tells counties to sort climate crisis. The Star, 11 October 2018. 

Thyssen, M. (2019). Is one week of environmental courage enough? Euro News, 

Living/2019/08/29/170. 

UNESCO/IPDR. (2018). Getting the message across: Reporting on climate change and sustainable 

development in Asia and the Pacific. A handbook for journalists, Paris, France. 


