Mr Mutahi Kagwe, Please Note That There Are Some Images That Can’t Be Cleaned

Recent developments in government clearly show Mutahi Kagwe’s rising influence within government. One of the things that he has been promoting is the increased use of professional Public Relations (PR) services.

This blogger has practiced PR extensively and I can tell you that no amount of PR can clean this government’s image.

Mutahi Kagwe (pictured above), the current minister for communications has had some past experience in PR and owns a local PR firm called Tell-em PR.

The Bush PR Campaign Of The Century
Probably what is inspiring Kibaki government insiders to try out PR is the amzing victory that President George W Bush handlers managed with their PR campaign in the last American presidential elections.

However there are a few differences with that case. Firstly there is very strong party affiliation in the American political system. President Kibaki has no political partyu as we speak.

Then the biggest difference is that the American scanrio was a two-horse-race-affair which is extremely easy to manipulate. Bush did it beautifully by creating fear in the electorate that terrorists needed a tough President and that the weak John Kerry was exactly what Osama Bin Laden and company wanted. In the end Americans voted Bush not so much because they liked it but because he seemed the better option in the circumstances.

Then Kerry went and committed the classic PR blunder. He refused to open up and let the electorate get to know him – warts and all. Many Americans did not vote Kerry because they said they didn’t know him. Bush was very well-known because he made his stand clear on many controversial issues. Voters will always prefer an honest person rather than somebody who seems to agree with them on everything and even changes their minds with them when they start to think different.

Can Kibaki Pull Off A Bush?
The situation is very different in Kenya. Even the ODM is in for a few surprises. You see for the first time in Kenyan history politicians will be facing very angry voters. An angry person is capable of doing anything.

Our advice to the government is to stop wasting tax payers funds trying to pretend they are somebody else. Why not just do it the plain old fashioned way and change genuinely. Kenyans don’t need some expensive spin doctors to see genuine change, especially now.
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(See election 2007 predictions)