By Philip Nyamai via fb
There is something unique about this government of the day that is worth noting. We have moved from those days where anyone could speak for the government to a very streamlined communication where individuals have been trained to speak. Today if something happens in any part of the country, you will see police officers or those charged with the responsibility of speaking on behalf of the government becoming thorough in their briefing.
Look at how the current goverent spokesperson Rt Canon Cyrus Oguna is doing a miracles at the coast. His Swahili is almost beating his English. When did Luos start becoming this thorough in Swahili? How about the head of Recovery team Colonel Lawrence Situma? He has equally done well, his grammar too is on to the point. Save for sending our own internationally trained diver Moses Owaga.
Coast leaders will tell you about their divers and how they should be incorporated in Kenya Navy as if Kenya Navy is all about diving, but they will be quiet about Kenya Ferry Services MD Bakari Gowa, a confused fella by all standards coupled with little qualifications from Coastal region, he does not have any idea in dealing with ferry disasters. Ferry operates in water yet this confused MD has no standby divers leave alone hi-tech equipment for any sort of rescue. Even if ocean is in their land and MD position is probably their birthright, couldn’t they find a better person to be the MD there? You look at him and the first thing you see is his incompetence. You don’t have to look at his papers, facial expression is everything. I saw him addressing the media and it was like a punishment to him.
In all these, I am yet to see the communication officer or head of corporate affairs for Kenya Ferry Services. Most of the blunders we have witnessed in KFS is partly as a result of incompetent communication team. You can visit their social media handles to ascertain this. No one graduates from any school of communication without going through crisis management unit.
Back to our retired Canon Cyrus Oguna. You see, he is not only fluent in the two languages, but also intelligegent. His words are carefully thought-out. He seemingly took time to understand the whole issue he is dealing with. He is keen not to make any mistake. Even PS Esther Koimet kept on taking glances on him to get signal on when to stop giving finer details of the recovery. One wonders how qualified persons like Retired Canon Cyrus and many others out here were not considered be the statehouse spokesperson leaving that incompetent lady at the house in the hill. On streamlining government communication, President Kenyatta has done well save for his choice for statehouse spokesperson.
