Ruto Hires Former Cabinet Secretary to Communications Team as Critics Question Growing Media Empire

President William Ruto has recruited former Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney to join his expanding communications apparatus, a move that has intensified scrutiny over what critics describe as a “bloated” and increasingly expensive government media operation.

Karoney, who previously served in former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, has been tapped to provide strategic communication services across all ministries, according to sources familiar with the appointment.

This addition comes as questions mount about duplication of roles and ballooning costs within the Executive Office of the President.

“The President is creating an unprecedented communications empire at taxpayers’ expense,” said Prof. Gitile Naituli of Multimedia University, a governance expert who criticized the structure as “inherently flawed” with “no clear hierarchy, no unified messaging strategy, and often, overlapping mandates.”

Karoney joins an already crowded field of government communicators that includes State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura and his deputy Mwanaisha Chidzuga, Presidential Communication Service head Munyori Buku, and the National Communication Centre led by former police spokesperson Charles Owino.

The appointment represents yet another broken promise from President Ruto, who pledged in early 2024 to reduce the number of advisors in government by at least 50 percent as part of austerity measures.

Instead, he has consistently expanded his team of advisors and communicators.

When contacted, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura defended the growing communications infrastructure, arguing that modern governance requires specialized teams to navigate today’s complex media landscape.

“We are no longer in the era of a single story as this space has been democratized,” Mwaura told reporters.

“Communication is now individualized and personalized, necessitating the specialization of communication teams to help the government disseminate information more effectively.”

However, Ruto’s administration has faced persistent criticism for its messaging failures.

Police officers taking positions as youths storm parliament buildings during June 25, 2024 protests.

During the Gen Z protests in June 2024, the President himself acknowledged communication shortcomings when explaining the widespread opposition to his proposed Finance Bill.

“We did not explain ourselves better, I am sure my communication team failed, and our communication architecture did not deliver,” Ruto admitted after being forced to withdraw the unpopular legislation.

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has since drafted a Government Communication Strategy for 2024-2027, aimed at implementing a “One Government, One Voice” approach to improve messaging coherence.

Opposition figures have seized on the communications challenges as evidence of broader governance issues.

During a recent public event, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna confronted President Ruto directly, saying: “Working with you is very difficult Mr President. Some of your people in government commit blunders every day.”

Political analysts suggest Karoney’s appointment represents more than just an attempt to fix communication problems.

The move follows a pattern of providing positions to political allies, including former Cabinet secretaries like Eliud Owalo and Moses Kuria, who now serve as presidential advisors.

“The inflation of state functions is not for efficiency, but for patronage,” Prof. Naituli argued. “Each new appointment serves a political purpose—rewarding loyalty, balancing ethnic or regional interests, or managing internal party dynamics—rather than solving an actual communication gap.”

As Kenya faces economic challenges that have necessitated tax increases and service cuts, the irony of an expanding presidential staff has not been lost on citizens.

Social media commentators have noted that while ordinary Kenyans are being asked to tighten their belts, the government continues to create new positions for political insiders.

Ms. Karoney has yet to provide details about her specific role, reportedly promising to share more information in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Kenyans continue to watch as the President’s office grows in size and expense, despite earlier promises of fiscal restraint.