By Reuben Olita

KENYAN president Mwai Kibaki has urged the media within the East African Community (EAC) to promote awareness, discourse and lively debate of interest to the region’s integration agenda.

Noting that EAC was the most advanced regional bloc in Africa, Kibaki asked the media to engage stakeholders and rally support from citizens in the region.

He challenged the media to invent captivating ways of promoting the achievements that the African continent had accomplished.

Kibaki told media practitioners to avoid being Afro-pessimists who think nothing good can come out of Africa, adding that the continent had managed to overcome its challenges in shorter periods than the developed countries did when they faced similar challenges.

The Kenyan leader was speaking during the opening the Pan Africa Media Conference at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi yesterday.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Nation Media Group and the Africa Media Initiative.

The gathering will be addressed by world leaders including Paul Kagame of Rwanda, former Mozambique president Joachim Chissano, Kenyan vice-president Raila Odinga and environmentalist Wangari Mathai.

Noting that the increased freedom had led to unprecedented increase in the number of media outlets in the region, Kibaki cautioned the media to be responsible and uphold the pillars of journalism.

He urged the media to be guided by the public while executing their roles of informing, educating and entertaining society since they are the public custodians of the communication channels.