AMWIK@40 Celebrations –Crown Plaza Hotel: March 22-23,2022

Remarks by William Oloo Janak – Chair, Kenya Correspondents Association

I bring solidarity and fraternal greetings from the Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) on this auspicious occasion of the marking of your 40 years of existence and growth. I also bring a basket of congratulations to AMWIK- its board, secretariat team and membership.

We at KCA are proud to be associated with AMWIK and its growth over the years. We have worked together over the years and benefitted from its programs and activities. Indeed, it is AMWIK which benefits from cross-membership of journalists from other associations. A number of KCA’s members are also part of AMWIK.

Allow me to highlight a number of key things that in my view, define AMWIK and its journey over the last four decades:

   AMWIK is a study in resilience at institution building – enabling it to weather many storms over the period despite the tough media environment, perhaps much more than other media associations.

   Resource mobilization capacity for its programmes/projects, way better than other media associations;

   Has developed and sustained a measured engagement and respect within the media industry;

      Has had a trailblazing role in gender mainstreaming, bringing to the table

important, albeit, difficult discussions, including gender violence and sexual harassment in the newsroom/media sector;

   Has had profound contribution and impact in media training and mentorship within the media industry;

      Has made significant contribution in the training of women leaders in

various spheres, including in politics, in the process, contributing to the quest for gender parity and women representation within the governance of newsrooms and the political sphere.

      Networking and collaboration: – with other local and regional organizations

– in East Africa and beyond, which has raised its profile.

   The association has also made significant contribution to the body of knowledge through monitoring, documentation and publishing, which have been useful contributions to the media industry;

AMWIK has a rich story which its members need to document, including the individual stories of its founders and the great women who have shaped the association and the media industry.

Yes, there have been challenges: institutional, leadership, membership commitment and inadequate resources. But that AMWIK has survived this long and is today marking 40 years of growth and impact in the media industry is a feat that we join the membership in celebrating.

We look forward to re-energized AMWIK, repositioned, with a new Strategic Plan, for more impact, within the next 10, 20 or 40 years when obviously, some of us will be gone. But we will be happy to continue watching its success from that distance!

Congratulations to AMWIK@40!