SJAK members during the AGM
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30 – Ahead of the world events scheduled for 2020 in Kenya, the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) has lined up a series of activities that will empower its members, the body announced on Saturday during the sixth Annual General Meeting held in Nairobi.
The Association’s General Secretary Mike Okinyi said SJAK will conduct trainings for its members with a view of enhancing their journalistic skills and understanding the mechanics of operations of various sporting agencies.
The official said the Association in collaboration with various agencies will conduct six training workshops with first one earmarked for February.
Okinyi said Kenya will be hosting six major international events hence the need to empower the sports journalists with requisite training skills.
Kenya will be hosting the IAAF World Under-20 Championship, Safari Rally Kenya which is now a leg of the World Rally Championships (WRC) returning to Kenya after 18-year hiatus and the Magical Kenya Open which is a round of the European Tour.
SJAK officials during the AGM
Next year will also be an Olympic year where the Summer Games will hosted in Tokyo, Japan.
“Kenyan journalists need regular refresher courses that will come a long way in helping them increase knowledge in the so called ‘minor sports’,” he said.
Okinyi urged journalists to diversify from area of specialization to increase their chances of opportunities in the sports coverage field.
“We want reporters to learn how to use cameras and vice versa broadcast journalist to know how to write stories for print and digital platform so that they are not left out when various opportunities spring up,” he said.
Okinyi said SJAK in collaboration with world athletics governing body will recruit a woman commentator to be the voice of the World under 20 Championships.
The exercise of interviewing the woman journalists to be considered for the chance will conducted in February and urged the Kenyan female journalists to prepare and take a shot at the opportunity which will be conducted fairly and transparently.
SJAK member signing in during the sixth AGM meeting.
Okinyi added that the Association is in collaborating with the Kenyan Government to offer sports journalists for fully paid up trips to cover international and continental events.
The Association’s treasurer Alex Isaboke said despite the hard economic times where sponsors were shying away from funding programmes, SJAK made a surplus of Ksh1 million.
A proposal floated by Isaboke in the treasurer’s report of reducing the annual membership fee from Ksh6, 000 to Ksh4,000 was unanimously passed by the members as a way of encouraging and motivating increased membership.
Isaboke informed the members that the SJAK executive has waived outstanding membership fee owed to the association so that they can start on a clean slate which was applauded by the members.
