Mixed Career Of Jacque Maribe Rumoured To Be Hired By Rigathi Gachagua

Former Citizen TV anchor Jacque Maribe has had a zig-zag career with ups and downs aplenty. Just recently, rumours went rife that she had landed a plum government job.

Word had gone round all over social media that Maribe had been appointed as the Director of Communication in the office of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

She was then forced to issue a clarification on Monday, September 26 after she topped the trending list on Twitter for the entire country for what would have marked her greatest comeback in the media industry.

A past photo of Jacque Maribe at Citizen TV studios. /FILE

Maribe had denied reports that she was appointed to Gachagua's office, even after she received congratulatory messages from colleagues, friends, and fans, whom she thanked for believing in her.

"I am not the Director of Communications at the Deputy President's Office. Thank you all for the well wishes, calls, and text messages. Mambo ya God," Maribe wrote on her Instagram stories.

According to reports, Maribe's new role would have seen her organize press conferences for the DP and gatekeeping information from the office of the Deputy President.

She's not new to media circles however. The former prime-time TV journalist had once worked as part of former Safina Party presidential candidate Jimi Wanjigi's secretariat, meaning she has experience managing the communications of politicians.

Wanjigi was poised to go toe to toe with Azimio la Umoja coalition's Raila Odinga, William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza, George Wajackoyah of Roots Party and David Mwaure of Agano Party before his dreams were shattered for failing to meet the threshold set by the elections body Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Maribe's flourishing career on TV was however turned upside down after she was implicated in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, and her career has never aligned back to her expectations since.

However, developments offered her hope of a resurgence after it emerged that her DNA did not match that found at the crime scene. Investigating officer Inspector Maxwell Otieno told the court that her genetic composition was not found in the evidence collected.

The speculations of Maribe being appointed to Gachagua's office come under mounting pressure on President William Ruto to name his cabinet in the second week since his inauguration on Tuesday, September 13.

Notably, he might line up current and former journalists to join his press team and that of Gachagua. Former Citizen TV anchor Hussein Mohamed was appointed as the Director of Communications in the WSR Presidential Campaign prior to the elections and is one of the likely picks for Ruto's government.

Hussein, who played a key role in selling Ruto's image to the public that helped him win the elections, could be the next State House Spokesperson, taking over from Kanze Dena, who also once worked at Citizen TV.

Jowie and Jacque Maribe in court. /FILE