The countdown to the 2027 General Election appears to have entered a new phase, with President William Ruto’s administration directing senior government officials to intensify public communication on its policies, programmes and achievements as it enters the final year of its first term.

A circular issued by Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei to all Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, the Government Spokesperson and heads of government agencies directs officials to proactively engage the public and communicate what the administration has delivered.

The directive, framed as a strategy to improve public information and engagement, comes at a politically sensitive moment when the government and opposition are increasingly positioning themselves for the 2027 contest.

In the circular dated August 17, 2026, Mr. Koskei warns that the government has been largely reactive in its communication, sometimes issuing conflicting narratives, a situation he says has contributed to an erosion of public trust.

The circular, therefore, effectively turns government communication into a coordinated, whole-of-government undertaking, with Cabinet Secretaries, PSs and agency heads being personally tasked with ensuring that Kenyans hear more about government policies, projects and programmes.

“Your attention is drawn to the urgent need to proactively communicate and timely engage the public on key Government policies, programmes and initiatives,” Mr. Koskei says in the circular.

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.

Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group

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The directive is significant because it comes as President Ruto's administration approaches the final stretch of its first term, with political parties and prospective presidential candidates already laying the groundwork for the 2027 election.

While the circular does not expressly mention elections or campaigning, its timing and emphasis on communicating government achievements are likely to give it a political dimension.

The government has spent much of the past four years defending itself against criticism over the cost of living, taxation, public debt, healthcare reforms, housing, education and unemployment.

At the same time, the opposition has sought to make the government's economic record a central issue in its campaign to dislodge President Ruto in 2027.

The latest communication directive, observers say, could therefore be viewed as an attempt by State House to ensure that the administration's own narrative reaches citizens directly and consistently.

Mr. Koskei observes that the government has been too reactive in communicating its work and has sometimes allowed conflicting narratives to emerge.

This, according to the circular, has created gaps in crisis communication and contributed to declining public confidence.

The administration now wants to reverse that approach by making communication an integral part of government operations rather than an afterthought.

Under the new framework, every ministry, department and agency will be required to develop communication strategies aligned with the National Communication Policy recently approved by Cabinet.

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The strategies will include clear explanations of policies, programmes and projects, crisis and emergency communication protocols, citizen and stakeholder engagement plans, budgets for public communication and continuous media engagement.

WhatsApp Image 2024-09-18 at 05.43.29 — President William Ruto chairs a past Cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi.

Photo credit: PCS

Communication officers are also expected to be given greater prominence within government institutions.

The message from the Head of Public Service is that government officials are no longer expected simply to implement programmes and leave communication to State House or the Government Spokesperson.

They are expected to become the public faces and ambassadors of the administration's work.

Cabinet Secretaries, PSs and heads of agencies have been directed to take “full responsibility” for proactive, timely and coordinated communication in their institutions.

They have also been told to counter misinformation and prevent “external actors from shaping national discourse”.

That language is particularly revealing in an increasingly digital political environment where government policies can be challenged, criticised or reframed within minutes on social media.

The administration appears determined to compete more aggressively for the public narrative.

At the centre of the new communication architecture will be the National Communication Centre, which the circular directs the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications to operationalise “with immediate effect”.

Established through Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, the centre is intended to serve as the government's central information repository and coordinating entity.

Its responsibilities will include receiving, collating, validating and preparing government information for dissemination.

This represents a significant attempt to create a central mechanism through which information generated by different arms of government can be coordinated before being released to the public.

The Office of the Government Spokesperson, Charles Owino, will then amplify government communication across different platforms based on agreed narratives and positions developed with the relevant ministries and agencies.

The objective is to ensure that different arms of government do not contradict one another when explaining policies or responding to politically sensitive issues.

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The circular specifically calls for “consistency and coherence and effectiveness” in government messaging.

That could become particularly important in the coming months as the administration seeks to defend its record while navigating increasingly intense political competition.

The directive also requires all major government projects to have a communication plan and risk identification and mitigation strategy from the beginning of the planning process.

In practical terms, this means communication will become part of the life cycle of government projects.

A new road, hospital, housing project, water scheme, education programme or economic initiative will not simply be implemented; its intended beneficiaries will also have to be informed about it, its progress and its expected impact.

The government has also been directed to integrate communication plans into performance contracts.

This could make public communication a measurable responsibility for senior officials rather than an optional public relations exercise.

The move potentially gives the administration a structured way of building a catalogue of achievements that can be repeatedly communicated across the country.

It also creates an institutional mechanism for ministers and senior officials to take ownership of the government's record in their respective sectors.

The circular identifies a wide network of government-owned and government-supported platforms that will be used to amplify official communication.

These include Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Kenya News Agency, Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board, Government Advertising Agency, the National Communication Centre, ICT Authority, Directorate of Public Communications, government websites and official social media platforms.

The State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications and the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy have been directed to continuously provide platforms, capacity and opportunities for government communication.

President William Ruto gestures as he speaks during the launch of the 'National Conversation Beyond 2030' at the KICC, Nairobi, Kenya, August 12, 2026.

Photo credit: Reuters

This points to a multi-platform strategy designed to reach citizens through traditional media as well as the increasingly influential digital ecosystem.

The instruction to adopt a “mobile-first approach” is particularly important given the centrality of smartphones and social media to political communication in Kenya.

The administration appears to recognise that government messaging can no longer depend primarily on press conferences, television interviews and newspaper advertisements, but must also compete for attention on X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp and other digital platforms where political narratives are increasingly shaped.

The government argues that citizens have a right to accurate information about public programmes and that taxpayers deserve to know how public resources are being used.

However, the timing of the directive is telling, just a year to the elections.

The 2027 election is now less than a year away, and President Ruto is expected to make his administration's record a central part of his re-election pitch.

The President has repeatedly highlighted initiatives such as affordable housing, the Social Health Insurance Fund, the Hustler Fund, agricultural reforms, infrastructure development and other programmes associated with his Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

Opposition leaders — People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua (centre) leading United Alternative Government and Linda Mwananchi members in addressing journalists at Hermosa Hotel in Nairobi on August 19, 2026.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation

The opposition, meanwhile, has intensified its criticism of the administration and is seeking to consolidate around a common platform ahead of the election.

In that environment, the battle over the government's record is almost certain to become one of the defining features of the 2027 contest.

The Koskei circular gives the administration a more formal mechanism to ensure that its side of that debate is communicated consistently.

It also places responsibility on officials who may previously have preferred to remain behind the scenes.

Perhaps the clearest political implication of the directive is its instruction that Cabinet Secretaries, PSs and agency heads must personally take responsibility for communicating government programmes.

The era when a ministry could quietly implement a project and expect State House or the Government Spokesperson to explain it appears to be ending.

Every senior official is now expected to sell the work of his or her institution to the public.

In effect, the government is building an army of communicators across the country.

The circular says officials must enhance public awareness, counter misinformation and prevent external actors from shaping the national discourse.

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The challenge for the administration, analysts say, will be ensuring that the communication drive is perceived by Kenyans as providing useful public information rather than becoming a taxpayer-funded campaign machinery for incumbents.

That distinction could become increasingly important as the election approaches.

"Kenya's electoral laws and public finance framework place limits on the use of public resources for partisan political activity. Government communication will therefore have to remain focused on legitimate public information and avoid crossing into direct partisan campaigning," advocate Chris Omore says.

The circular, he says, ultimately reveals an administration that recognises that delivering programmes is only one part of governing; communicating them effectively is another.

President Ruto's government has faced persistent criticism over what its opponents describe as poor communication, contradictory statements and inadequate explanation of controversial policies.

Mr. Koskei's directive acknowledges that weakness and seeks to impose greater discipline.

The administration now wants government to speak with one voice, respond faster to crises, use modern media platforms more effectively and put communication at the centre of policy implementation.

But as Kenya heads towards 2027, the stakes are higher thus, the new communication architecture could therefore become one of the government's most important political tools in the year ahead.

Mr. Omore says that with the election clock already ticking, the battle to control the national narrative has just begun.

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jjochieng@ke.nationmedia.com