Nairobi, May 3 -- Kenya joined the rest of the world in marking World Press Freedom Day, amid renewed concern over journalist safety and a deteriorating global environment for independent media.

Press freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), is at its lowest for the first time in over two decades.

The average score across the 180 countries evaluated in the World Press Freedom Index by RSF fell to its lowest level since the index was first introduced 25 years ago.

Over half of the world's countries, for the first time, now fall into the "difficult" or "very serious" categories for press freedom, RSF said.

Observed annually, the day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation b...