Presidential press directors recalled after dress down

President Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU) directors bounced back to office after three days in the cold. Deputy Chief of Staff at State House Nzioka Waita “reinstated” the team yesterday following what insiders say was a thorough dress-down on operations and practice.

The four directors - Dennis Itumbi, Munyori Buku, Eric Ng’eno and James Kinyua had been instructed to keep off their State House offices on Thursday “until certain conversations are held” once their boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta, returned from Botswana.

Consequently, sections of media picked the instructions and reported the team had been disbanded. The four also kept quiet and did not respond to reports widely discussed on mainstream and social media.

“Whereas the Unit has faced some challenges in the execution of its mandate, it is working to resolve them. The Unit and its Staff team remain intact and fully committed to their duties,” Waita said in a press statement last evening.

However, Waita’s statement sold out the very reason for Wednesday’s instructions: “The Unit will continue to improve on the coherency and consistency of messaging in order to keep the public informed of the President’s transformative development agenda.”

Insiders privy to the deal which saw the quartet bounce back say they are now under firm instructions not to issue any unilateral press statement unless with authority of State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu.