Ruto Hires PR Firms To Repair Its Damaged International Image

The government has retained a Pan-African news agency to disseminate information about its activities as President William Ruto seeks to repair Kenya’s damaged international image and project the country as a big investment attraction hub.

Since the June-July 2024 Gen Z protests over punitive taxes in the Finance Bill 2024, among other governance grievances, Kenya has been on the spotlight internationally as Western capitals and human rights organisations have been criticising the government of using excessive force to quell protests.

The use of extrajudicial means, including abductions, enforced disappearances and killing those who criticise the authorities on social media has further affected Kenya’s standing internationally.

It has, however, emerged that the Kenya Kwanza administration has now retained APO (African Press Organisation) Group, a leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service

Sources said the agency has in the last one week been distributing news about the activities of the presidency as well as various ministries to the global audience.

While the consultancy’s primary mission is to empower companies grow their businesses, their role in Kenya appears to have been expanded to include heliping Ruto’s beleaguered government spruce up its image.

It specialises in designing the best communications strategy by delivering influential messaging and securing the right press coverage with the most impact.

Apart from providing access to an extensive media network, APO also undertakes media monitoring.

President Ruto has on numerous occasions complained that Kenyans have been posting negative things about his administration warning that they risked discouraging investors from putting their money in Kenya.

Apart from the crackdown on Gen Z, the Kenya Kwanza government has also been accused of corruption and making decisions that are not in the best interest of citizens such as the aborted plan to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to India’s Adani Group for 30 years.

The plan, alongside another deal for the construction of electricity transmission lines and substations, was cancelled in the face of protests, court action and the indictment in the United States of billionaire Gautam Adani for his alleged role in a US$265 million (Shs 34,301,600,000) bribery scheme.

“We are at the stage in social development when digital technologies have immense capacity to amplify disinformation, magnify fake news and distort facts beyond all recognition. If we give in to these emerging negative trends, we shall pay with our freedom, democracy and development,” President Ruto warned during the Jamhuri Day Celebrations.

In the face of negative publicity that has followed the President since he came into office and even before, he has been relying on bloggers to promote the successes of his Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenca (BETA).

Last year, for instance, it emerged that the government had hired bloggers, including those with YouTube channels and Facebook users, who were being paid between Ksh30,000 and Ksh100,000 per month to post positive stories on the gains made in the affordable housing programme.

“The scope of our work is largely to counter the existing perception about the project, especially claims that it is a white elephant project akin to a pyramid scheme,” a blogger told a local daily.

The government has found it difficult to build public trust in the project as well as others such as Universal Health Coverage, which is underpinned by the Social Health Insurance Fund.

Last week, media and communications experts, Carol Mandi, Archie Ojany-Alai, Boniface Odinga and Patrick Amimo,

Others were Wambui Ng’ayu, who has worked in advertising, and Alloyce Obare, a product development and delivery expert.

Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo stated that the team’s mandate is to position the government, its leadership, projects, and programs effectively as viable products in the marketplace, enhancing communication and stakeholder engagement across all government sectors.