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For 55 years, the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) has been at the heart of how our nation communicates. Since its founding in 1971, PRSK has guided practitioners through political transitions, economic milestones and the digital revolution. It has nurtured a profession that builds trust, strengthens civic engagement and shapes national narratives.
During the World PR Day, celebrated yesterday under the theme ‘The Golden Age of Strategic PR’, Kenya had cause to reflect. Communication today is no longer a peripheral support function. It is as vital as national infrastructure, roads, ports or digital payment systems. Every government directive, crisis response and policy rollout depends on it. Yet in a world reshaped by social media, artificial intelligence and algorithmic manipulation, voluntary codes of ethics alone cannot safeguard the integrity of public information.
The Public Relations and Communication Management Bill 2024 offers the solution. It transforms PRSK into a statutory institute with the authority to certify practitioners, enforce ethics and protect the public from misinformation. Passing this Bill will give Kenya an accountable professionalised cadre of communicators, capable of managing crises while strengthening investor confidence. It costs the taxpayer nothing and disrupts no one currently in practice.
