NewsLight Kenya Among 10 Media Houses Trained on Financial Compliance Ahead of PWD Cybersecurity Project

Ten media organizations, including NewsLight Kenya, have undergone a comprehensive financial management training as part of the rollout of the Trustlab project, which aims to conduct various project themes on digital threats and misinformation.

The training, led by Rose Mwangi,a project Manager at DW Akademia ,marked the official project kickoff and onboarding session, bringing together participating media houses to align on compliance, accountability, and effective project implementation.

During the three-hour session, Mwangi emphasized the importance of strict adherence to donor requirements, particularly those set by the European Union, which is supporting the initiative. She underscored the need for transparency and accuracy in financial reporting as key pillars for successful grant implementation.

Participants were taken through critical aspects of financial and accounting regulations, including the distinction between eligible and ineligible costs, proper receipt management, procurement procedures, and the use of standardized financial templates.She also highlighted the importance of maintaining accurate records and utilizing the settlement summary sheet for reporting expenses.

The session further outlined clear procedures for budget management, and communication channels among project partners. Media houses were advised to submit any contract amendment requests at least one month before implementing changes to ensure compliance with donor guidelines.

Mwangi also introduced the project structure, noting the roles of the project director, manager, and administrative team in overseeing execution. She stressed the importance of understanding the full project cycle to ensure smooth coordination and timely delivery of activities.

As part of the next steps, partners will receive donor-approved financial and visibility templates, as well as Excel tool to standardize reporting. A follow-up session focusing on project visibility is scheduled for this week and will be led by Project Manager Bahia Albrecht.

The Trustlab project is expected to strengthen the capacity of media houses to not only manage grants effectively but also deliver impactful projects equipping them with essential skills to navigate.To NewsLightkenya, training persons with disabilities (PWDs) on phishing and online fraud threats will help the PWD to identify and avoid phishing scams in an increasingly digital world.