CS Mutua Poaches Ex-NTV Boss In Changes To His Ministry

Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua on Wednesday, August 16 appointed former Managing Editor of Nation Media Group's (NMG) Broadcasting Division Emmanuel Juma as the Head of Communication in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mutua in a statement welcomed Juma to the vital ministry, hailing his determination and charisma for success in the media industry, which he hopes to bank on in terms of enhancing the Ministry's image.

"I have today welcomed renowned journalist and editor/producer Mr Emmanuel Juma as the Ministry’s Head of Communication.

CS Alfred Mutua meets veteran journalist Emmanuel Juma at his office on August 16, 2023. /ALFRED MUTUA

"Mr Juma brings a wealth of experience in all Media areas and has the personality, creativity and drive to enable the Ministry to communicate its Foreign and Diaspora positions more effectively," stated the CS.

Mutua shared photos of him and Juma at the former's office and was seen in discussions with the latter, presumably taking him through the responsibilities of his new role.

As the Head of Communication, Emmanuel Juma will be tasked with controlling information between the Ministry and Kenyans who rely on it for services such as passports, diaspora and international travel. He will not only manage a team to provide timely responses but also oversee the Ministry's marketing strategy. 

Juma will also have experience responding to emergencies such as crises or setbacks with an eye on consistency across releases. This requires significant management skills that can be difficult without previous managerial roles.

Ultimately, he will be responsible for the integrity and perception of Mutua's office through Public Relations (PR) crises to preserve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' reputation at all times.

Mutua resultantly announced that he will raise the frequency of media conferences from September 2023 to update Kenyans on any developments in terms of his docket as well as ensure accountability to members of the public

"To start with, the Ministry under my leadership will hold regular Press Conferences starting in September to brief the Nation on Foreign and Diaspora matters.

"The media sessions, to be named The Foreign Brief, will be presided over either by myself or in my absence, by either of the Ministry’s two Principal Secretaries Dr. Korir Sing’oei or Roseline Njogu," he added.

Juma started his career at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) before moving to the Kenya Television Network (KTN) where he worked as a reporter.

He then moved to NTV in 2005 where he ran a political humour programme dubbed The Bull's Eye, one of the greatest political satire shows to date.

On January 1, 2021, Juma left NTV as announced by the Kimathi Street-based media house on December 11, 2020.

Juma now joins the likes of Francis Gachuri, Joshua Arap Sang, Karen Karimi Knaust, Kennedy Muriithi, and Hussein Mohamed amongst other former journalists hired into government positions by President William Ruto's administration.

This increasing trend has seen Ruto utilise the popularity of some of the biggest names in Kenyan media to enhance his government's image and ensure accountability to Kenyans.