Communication is key in driving a government’s agenda. During the campaign period, the Kenya Kwanza coalition appeared to be the most articulate and effective political movement. Their messaging was so persuasive that many citizens came to believe in the symbolism and promise of a wheelbarrow. The Plan, which outlined the coalition’s manifesto, became a compelling tool that galvanised support across the country.
However, since the government assumed power, it has become increasingly difficult to discern a clear and consistent message. What should the public believe? What does the government actually stand for?
In professional communication, especially in government and corporate settings, there are foundational concepts every communicator must understand and safeguard: identity, image, and reputation.
- Identity refers to the internal definition of the organization, its mission, values, culture, and what it stands for.
- Image is the perception that external audiences form about the organization based on its behavior, communication, and brand elements.
- Reputation is the long-term, cumulative perception formed over time, built from consistent images experienced by stakeholders.
An organisation can occasionally deviate from its identity without severe consequences. However, when such deviations become frequent, they distort the image of the organization. Repeated inconsistencies eventually erode its reputation. Once a reputation is damaged, rebuilding it is an uphill task, even with the application of advanced strategies like Image Repair Theory (Benoit, 1995).
Take, for instance, recent events surrounding education policy in Kenya. On Thursday, February 27, 2025, as reported by the Daily Nation, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning of Kenya stated that it is not sustainable to continue providing free primary education. This sparked widespread uproar among citizens who fondly recall President Kibaki’s bold introduction of free primary education in 2003, a policy many saw as transformative.
PS Bitok clarified that “free primary and secondary education is still in place,” as reported by Citizen Digital. The president, too, affirmed the government’s commitment to free and quality education for all Kenyans.
Afterwards, the CS for the National Treasury and Economic Planning of Kenya, Mbadi, claimed he had been misquoted by the media. The public is left wondering: Who do we believe?
This inconsistency in messaging raises critical questions:
- Does the government lack skilled communication professionals to craft and drive coherent messaging?
- Or has communication become so decentralised, taken over by bloggers, influencers, and media, that the once-powerful narrative has completely fractured?
Kenya Kwanza boasts several communication professionals in its ranks. Some hold impressive qualifications, including degrees in journalism, political communication, and strategic media. Why is it hard to create strategic coordination of government messaging, alignment with policy, and public trust? Or is the problem not communication but the substance of the communication?
Let me take this opportunity to introduce a topic that might be useful if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, even in a family setup where your spouse, children, and other relatives each seem to say their own thing: the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), developed by W. Timothy Coombs. SCCT provides a framework for understanding how organizations should communicate during a crisis, recommending different strategies based on the cause of the crisis and public perception.
If you are facing credibility and trust erosion, driven by inconsistent statements, lack of coordination, and poor crisis response, the following steps could be taken to mitigate further damage:
- Establish a central communications office to harmonise all your messaging.
- Train the employees or family members on media engagement and public speaking.
- Adopt a proactive communication approach using strategic spokespersons in the family, usually the father 😊
- Invest in reputation audits and stakeholder feedback mechanisms.
- Develop and adhere to one universal communication strategy for the organisation or family, aligned with key policy goals.
If communication is not urgently streamlined, any government or organisation risks long-term reputational damage that no theory or public relations effort may be able to fix.
References
Benoit, W. L. (1995). Accounts, Excuses, and Apologies: A Theory of Image Restoration Strategies. SUNY Press.
Citizen Reporter. (2025, July 27). ‘We’ll make money available’: Mbadi says was misquoted on education funding. Citizen Digital. Retrieved from https://www.citizen.digital/news/well-make-money-available-mbadi-says-was-misquoted-on-education-funding-n367023
Coombs, W. T. (2007). Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory. Corporate Reputation Review.
Kipruto, R. (2025, July 25). Free education won’t be scrapped, Education PS now says. Standard Media. Retrieved from https://www.citizen.digital/news/free-primary-and-secondary-education-still-in-place-ps-bitok-clarifies-n366941
Muchung’uh, D. (2025, February 27). Can’t pay, won’t pay: Mbadi on billions owed to schools. Daily Nation. Nation Media Group. Retrieved from https://nation.africa/kenya/news/education/cant-pay-wont-pay-mbadi-on-billions-owed-to-schools–4944562