Journalists and editors from every corner of Kenya and even neighboring Sudan had come to witness the book launch of "Healing the Messenger - A journalist's trauma booklet" published by the IMS and presented by Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) and Kenya Association of Photographers, Illustrators and Designers (KAPIDE)

Correspondent and secretary general of KCA, Moses Radoli, welcomed everybody and declared that all Kenyans suffered during the post-election violence - including the journalists who witnessed horrible images and were responsible for passing these on to the general public.

Taking notes about lessons learnt. A journalist at the book launch in Nairobi. Photo: Lena Bjørnsen.

- The messenger got injured, he stated and explained;

- These were people who for the first time touched dead bodies, for the first time performed first aid, and who feared the publication of their stories.

William Oloo Janak, chairman of the KCA, hereafter introduced a short video with some of the disturbing images that journalists faced during the crisis

- As we gather here today we reflect on what they went through. The journalists were the ones on the ground - one came back and found out that his wife was one of the people who had been ejected from their house, had been beaten senselessly and was now lying in the hospital, he said.

Repairing and preparing

150 Kenyan journalists participated in trauma counseling session conducted by psychiatrist Dr Sobbie Mulindi in different areas of the country. At the session people talked about traumatic experiences so sensitive that they had to be promised anonymity.

Dr. Sobbie Mulindi speaking at the launch. Photo: Lena Bjørnsen/IMS

Dr Sobbie Mulindi was optimistic about the outcome of the sessions and believed that the journalists who participated would be able to report better in the future. An achievement he found to be crucial after having seen the negative power of the media in countries like Rwanda.

- Journalists have a critical role to play in a country to create peace and stability. The only thing that can heal a country is the truth and reconciliation, he said.

Dr Levy Obonyo, member of the Media Council of Kenya hereafter officially launched the book noting that the news rooms have to take notice of the hardship their journalists go through. After having seen the police throw tear gas at correspondents during the post election violence he found it important that more resources were put into the security of journalists when reporting from the areas of violent conflict.

- The question we should ask ourselves is whether journalists are ready to do the job we ask of them. The media should not wait for conflict to come, but prepare themselves now, he said.

Booklet picked up by media in the region

William Oloo Janak then left the microphone open to the guests of the evening to talk about their own experiences as journalists and editors.

Visiting Sudanese correspondent, Faisal Elbagir, emphasized the importance of the book as a way for him and his fellow journalists in Sudan to hear from the Kenyans' experience as an election is coming up scheduled for February 2010.

- We are a conflict zone," he said; "but this is a book that we can learn from.

At the end of the book launch the first of 1800 copies of the booklet were handed out and the participants were urged to bring extra copies for their news rooms and colleagues.

Read more about the coverage of the event.