JAMILA’S MEMO: Seals, Shifts, and Blame - Mwaura’s struggle with government communication

Three days is a long time in politics, especially in Kenya, where shifting positions and changing goalposts are practically a national pastime. This week, Isaac Mwaura, the Government Spokesman, gave us a perfect demonstration of how to cause confusion, backtrack, and then blame the media for it. All in the span of just three days.

On Monday, Mwaura confidently posted a video declaring that the Public Seal had been transferred from the Attorney General to the Head of Public Service, boldly stating it was done “in accordance with the law”. It’s nice to know that laws can be passed and seals can be moved without so much as a public announcement. But, of course, this raised a few questions about the legality of such. But no worries—Mwaura had it all covered.

When a journalist asked whether the public had been made aware of this transfer, Mwaura doubled down. Quoting the new law passed. When asked when this law passed, and when was public participation done, Mwaura was unsure…words like sometime last year were uttered…

Later that day, Mwaura went on to say that, the Head of Public Service, is “the number one public servant” in Kenya. He doesn’t just hold the seal—he executes the President’s directives, manages the daily operations of the government, and even tackles corruption like some kind of public service superhero.

But wait, just two days later, Mwaura did a full 180, completely reversing his earlier statement. Now, apparently, the Public Seal remains with the Attorney General. The “new law” he had mentioned? Gone. The “executive clarity”? Also gone. Now he was citing the Office of the Attorney General Act and the Constitution—which, incidentally, contradicts everything he had confidently said just days before.

"The Public Seal remains with the Attorney General, in line with Section 28A of the Office of the Attorney General Act and Article 9 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010)," he now says.

And here’s the kicker, instead of acknowledging his own flip-flopping, he decided to blame the media for the confusion. Apparently, the “momentum” caused by all that misinformation was the media’s fault. Not the government’s inconsistent statements or Mwaura’s own lack of clarity, of course. No, it’s the media’s fault.

"We want to tell media houses to verify their facts before they publish. I think that is what created the momentum. So, we withdraw and clarify that," he said.

This entire fiasco is a textbook example of how to completely wreck communication in three easy steps. First, confuse the public with contradictory statements. Then, brush off legitimate questions from the media, and finally, blame the media for your own mistakes. Brilliant.