Kenya Environment and Science Journalists Association (KENSJA)

According to KENSJA, the organisation strives to give environment and science journalists and communicators a platform for professional development, as well as local and international networking opportunities. Through the KENSJA website, members can find and share information about such issues as the effects of climate change, new emerging health issues, and new technologies. The website also offers tips for journalists on reporting on environmental and science stories.

Overall, KENSJA works to:

• give science journalists a platform for sharing and setting standards for bringing to the readers and listeners well-researched and simplified stories concerning science;
• enable journalists to gain more knowledge through mentorship and fellowships;
• help mainstream science issues in the mainstream media;
• help educate the public on matters that are not given airtime but that touch their daily lives;
• train and mentor future science journalists;
• host talks on crucial debates in Kenya;
• promote science journalism;
• help journalists share ideas and to jointly decide on story angles; and
• put science journalism on the map in order to help inform the public about the science world.

KENSJA also publishes a newsletter called KENSJA News; organises congresses, symposiums, and workshops; and maintains a list of contacts of journalists.

Environment, Media Development, Science

KENSJA was created in February 2007 in Nairobi by journalists who were attending the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) Environmental Reporting Training Course that ran from January 29-February 2 under John Vidal, The Guardian [United Kingdom] Environment Editor. It was founded as a result of the realisation that journalists practicing in the two areas had no platform where they could share and talk about their own developments as journalists and also to promote environment and science journalism in the country, and beyond.