Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has called for prioritization and centralization of communication departments within government Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the benefit of the people.
Speaking during the Ministry’s Media and Communication Training in Naivasha, Kagwe said communication departments should be part of any CEOs structure, since that’s where communication lies and the need to make quick decisions and identify Potential Publicity Point (PPP) that builds public awareness.
He said the reason for the media and communication training meant that something needs to be done that has not been done and the story has to be told.
The CS recommended training as a starting point for tapping the opportunities and addressing the challenges in government communication, while encouraging continuous capacity building and closing the gap between learning and practicing.
“As you sit in your offices every other day, to you it is a normal routine, but to people out there, it is a very interesting story. You are sitting on a lot of potential publicity points, but you don’t see them because you are with them all the time,” said Kagwe, adding that when communicators engage with the leadership, they see what is going around; otherwise they sit on success stories that can be told.
The CS championed for proper planning and organization among government communication units to enhance service delivery and attract enhanced budgets, sponsors and investors who want to be part of success stories.
He challenged the government media and communication professionals to dispel the notion of a lack of funds and instead innovate on fulfilling their mandate of informing and educating their stakeholders.
“It’s never about the lack of money. There is nothing you can set your mind on and fail to achieve for lack of money,” said Kagwe, adding that it’s the ideas and the drive to achieve excellence that matter since they can be done.
He urged communicators to have a plan, identify their audience and answer to what is of interest to them about the story.
Kagwe further called for collaboration, unity and support for ongoing government programs and defending the truth when falsehoods circulate.
The CS advised communicators to organize themselves and come up with well documented plans on what they intend to do, affirming that only then would money be found.
“When you sit at your desk and think hard, not necessarily on the money that you don’t have, you will ultimately realize something can be done even with the little resources already available,” said Kagwe, while reporting that his Ministry recently invested Sh4 million in communication equipment.
“Nothing will happen if you are shy and adopt the usual lethargic civil service approach where you say even if it does not happen, I have my salary,” he said.
“There are plenty of opportunities in the communication sector, especially in the various social media platforms, such that from where you sit, you can still make an impact,” he observed.
The CS cited some success stories from the Ministry of Agriculture, where some potential partners expressed interest, including the just concluded one-week World Farmers Organization Conference that brought together over 1000 farmers from around the world to Nairobi, among others.
By Joseph Kamolo
