For the media the most crucial element of the Constitution is the explicit guarantee of freedom of expression, media freedom and access to public information. In practice, public information remains largely inaccessible to the media and the wider public. The only officials permitted to speak on behalf of government are permanent secretaries within ministries and they are not easily accessible or available for comment. The role of the official government spokesperson seems to be that of managing information rather than facilitating access to the information that the public or the media may be seeking. The public and more specifically the media, also have to deal with the bureaucracy of putting in a formal request for information. This process takes so long, that if and when the information is released it is outdated and irrelevant. Despite the events of the past few years, Kenyans at every level of society are exercising their rights with vigour, by speaking openly and candidly especially about politics and politicians. A group of artists working in plain sight of the general public sprayed a prominent wall in the city centre with graffiti which depicted politicians as overbearing vultures ruling over the general populace. A few hours into their exertions they were being filmed by television crews and the incident was eventually put on air. Participants pointed out that this would have never been allowed by State authorities few years ago. The media on the other hand continue to restrain themselves from commenting on certain political issues for fear of being targeted by politicians or the State. It is standard practice for many journalists to write explicitly about a contentious subject then lie low for a while and eventually reappear in public a few days later when the storm has subsided. Growth of the media industry is a paradox. Print media products have increased in diversity and range which has automatically translated into increased readership yet print runs have been reduced because circulation figures have dropped. The print media is considered pricey at a cost of US60 cents per issue. Known for their enterprising spirit, Kenyan vendors have overcome this problem by renting out daily newspapers for a nominal fee for an hour or two. Once the person has read the paper it is handed back to the vendor who will place it back on the newsstand. The steady interest in print media could be attributed to the fact that the mainstream media has shifted its focus slightly on the type of news it carries. The larger papers have started including more local stories from different parts of the country instead of concentrating on political and urban centred news. Television audiences have grown in number and at 7pm every evening the majority of Kenyans tune into a specific channel of their choice to catch the main news 8 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER KENYA 2012