Five years ago in 2018, Mike Gitonga - the recently-appointed Secretary of State Functions in the Ruto administration - tried his hand at acting when he starred in a series titled ‘The System’ on Showmax.
While the movie did not in essence flop, it was generally moot and failed to propel him into the echelon of the film industry in Kenya even though Gitonga had already made a name for himself as a journalist.
On January 7, 2023, Gitonga took to his social media accounts to announce to Kenyans that he had taken the greatest stride in his career.
He drew a parallel between his time on the show where he played the role of a Vice President named Jeff, who is caught in the political intrigues within his jurisdiction, and his current role under President Ruto.
“Almost 5 years ago I tried a hand at acting, 5 years on I now have to act,” Gitonga juxtaposed.
In the clip of the show shared by Gitonga, his character, Vice President Jeff, is seen addressing journalists after a murder that left the country in shock.
Looking back, the scene could have foretold Gitonga's role in the current government following his appointment as Secretary State Functions, which is more or less similar to the office of the government spokesperson.
“I take this opportunity to thank the President of Kenya William Ruto for appointing me as Secretary of State Functions,” excited Gitonga announced on January 7, while accepting his new role that mirrors his acting role.
A man who had failed to make a name in the local acting scene was now responsible for performing various media duties such as research, writing and reviewing press releases, and developing recommendations.
While he is well-known for his contributions as a journalist, Gitonga is a trained engineer by profession.
He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Nottingham University in the United Kingdom.
Mike ventured into journalism by working at Family Media but made his mark at Standard Group PLC where he was a news anchor for KTN.
He has extensive experience in radio having hosted “Mike on the mic” on Radio 316, for 10 years. He won the Radio Presenter of the Year award in the 2012 Groove Awards.
His brilliance saw him land a job at the Office of the First Lady where he served as the Director of Communication.
A testament to his humility, he made a glowing tribute to First Lady Rachel Ruto after he was appointed by the President to be Secretary State Functions.
“I am indebted to The First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto for her leadership and guidance which has been invaluable,” he appreciated the First Lady.
While Gitonga will not entertain Kenyans through starring in exhilarating crime series, he now has a role in creating such content.
His new role involves providing oversight of the technical operations of the Directorates of Information, Public Communication, and Film Services, Kenya News Agency, Government Advertising Agency, Office of the Information Secretary and the Government Media Centre.
