In a move to streamline communication and convey his policies clearly to the Kenyan public, President William Ruto has appointed former nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura as the official government spokesman. Mwaura's appointment comes after a prolonged search for a government mouthpiece to address issues of incoherence and confusion in information dissemination.
Isaac Mwaura will be supported by two deputies: Gabriel Muthuma and former K24 and KTN news anchor Mwanaisha Chidzuga.
Notably, Mwaura had previously been appointed as the Chief Administrative Secretary at the office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary. However, he had not commenced his duties in this role due to a court ruling declaring the positions unconstitutional.
The Government Spokesperson position had been vacant for a year since the resignation of Col (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna in October 2022. Oguna left the role after serving for two years to join the Siaya County Government as Chief of Staff.
Isaac Mwaura's loyalty to President William Ruto remained steadfast even after losing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party nominations for the Ruiru parliamentary seat ahead of the August 2022 General Election. He had previously applied unsuccessfully for roles in the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) and as a Principal Secretary (PS) before being appointed as CAS and subsequently as Government Spokesperson.
Mwanaisha Chidzuga, a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) politician, had ventured into politics after her career in journalism. She lost the Matuga Constituency parliamentary race to Tandaza Kassim Sawa of the Amani National Congress in the 2022 General Election.
The appointments coincide with a government reshuffle that saw key cabinet secretaries reassigned. President Ruto initiated these changes two months after expressing concerns about the competence of some government officials.