The government has issued a directive to all ministries and state agencies to synchronise their communications to avoid releasing disjointed messages.
The Head of the Public Service, Felix Koskei, urged state agencies to make proper use of innovation, warning that the digital era has opened up avenues for the mismanagement of information.
In a speech delivered by his deputy, Amos Gathecha, at the National Forum on Enhancing Government Communication Through Digital Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Practices, Koskei reiterated that communication is integral to governance.
“Inclusive communication is when every Kenyan from the pastoralist in Turkana to the fisherfolk in Lamu, from the youth in Kibera to the professionals in Nairobi feels heard and understood, then government becomes real, tangible, and alive,” Koskei said.
On his part, Gathecha reiterated that digital spaces have now become powerful tools of mobilisation, even as he called for a need for strong defences against misinformation and disinformation.
“In this environment, delays or inconsistencies in government messaging create space for alternative narratives - some factual, but many false or deliberately distorted,” Gathecha stated.
UHC Contradiction
Koskei's remarks came a day after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and Medical Services PS Ouma Oluga were forced to address an alleged case of misinformation in which they appeared to contradict each other.
Ministry of Health denied claims made by the Daily Nation purporting that the Health CS and Medical Services PS contradicted themselves on the fate of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workforce.
In a statement, Oluga clarified that while Duale assured the conversion of UHC workers to permanent and pensionable terms, his sentiments did not contradict the PS's call for scrutiny before permanently absorbing the staff.
The PS said that his letter to the Council of Governors focused on verifying which staff members are on duty and which are not, for payroll cleansing, and did not in any way rebut Duale's pronouncement.
He added that his stance on UHC workers was part of a coordinated reform agenda aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness in managing the UHC workforce.
The media house later pulled down the article.
Standard Front Page
The clarification followed a case where CS Duale called out The Standard newspaper on August 28 after he was featured on its front page with the headline "The Untouchables" for the second time this week.
The article linked Duale and Social Health Authority (SHA) Chairperson Abdi Mohamed to the ongoing SHA payments scandal.
Amid rumours of "ghost" hospitals and questionable payments, Kenyans and politicians have been calling for both men to resign.
