The appointment of Charles Owino as the new government spokesperson has raised questions over his ability to serve with impartiality and communicate government business in a transparent manner.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced that Owino, who is the former spokesperson of the National Police Service, now transitions to the executive office of the President as the government’s spokesperson from his previous role at the National Communications Centre under the Ministry of ICT.
His return to high-profile state messaging has however revived memories of his controversial remarks that seemed to justify excesses by the police following the death of a hawker, Boniface Kariuki, in June 2025 during the Gen Z protests first anniversary, or those in support of a contentious order by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen for officers to “shoot-to-kill” following a wave of protests in the country that saw several police stations razed down.
For years, Owino served as the prominent face of the National Police Service (NPS) and during his tenure earned a reputation as an unyielding and combative defender of the police force, frequently shielding the institution from widespread public outrage over police brutality, extrajudicial killings and the use of excessive force.
And with President William Ruto’s administration facing mounting scrutiny over the handling of goons, police brutality and economic policies, Owino’s new role places him back in the spotlight- a development that has left Kenyans wondering whether he will serve impartially or rely on his familiar playbook on institutional defense.
Pundits argue that whereas the pushing out of his predecessor Isaac Mwaura was long overdue, the appointment of the thick-skinned Owino was a political move that casts doubt on the government’s intent, especially ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Security expert George Musamali avers that Owino’s appointment was not based on merit but rather propelled by “political bias” and his reputation as a person known to defend government systems.
“During his tenure, we should expect his statements to be skewed in defense of the government. It’s not that he is coming into this position to give us the reality of situations as they are,” says Musamali who goes on to describe Owino as a politician.
“I am afraid because we are now getting politicians into very sensitive spaces. When he resigned as the police service spokesperson, he did so wanting to contest for the Siaya gubernatorial seat but the minute he lost he came back to public service. This should tell you something.”
His sentiments stem from incidents in the recent past where Owino has attracted the ire of the public after seemingly defending atrocities by the state and the police.
At the height of the Gen-Z protests in 2025, Owino found himself smack in the middle of public outrage after he commented on the fatal shooting of hawker Boniface Kariuki by the police. During an interview on Citizen TV on June 30, 2025, Owino claimed that the hawker who was shot in the head during anti-police brutality protests in Nairobi, insulted the officer who fired the shot.
He claimed that on review of the widely shared clip of the incident, Kariuki made a slur that seemingly triggered his shooting.
"It was a very simple exchange. If you listen to that clip closely, you will hear that boy abusing the policeman. But you are an officer, you must have restraint, and shoot him with a rubber bullet. You can see what has caused the image of the police so far," he stated.
He also argued that given the age of the officer who pulled the trigger, he (Klinzy Barasa) might not have been able to contain anger.
“Such a young boy... If you abuse him... you know what may happen," said Owino.
But in his defense, he did condemn the shooting, stating that the police are trained on justifiable circumstances to use firearms. His utterances were however, his undoing, especially coming at a time that the doctors had declared Kariuki as brain-dead.
Owino also found himself in the crosshairs of public outrage after making comments that seemingly supported a “shoot-to-kill” order to police issued in the same month by Interior CS Murkomen.
Following the June protests in commemoration of the lives of 62 protestors killed in initial June 2024 protests, Murkomen gave the police a shoot-to-kill order, assuring them that any police officer who was charged would be supported effectively by his Ministry and the government, as he reiterated that his was an 'order from the above' which was interpreted to mean he had orders from President William Ruto.
The CS assured the police officers of his support should they face challenges of legal implications in case they kill the protestors who he described as anarchists. He said he had watched from the police command center the progress of the protests.
"We have told the police officers that whoever comes near the police station must be shot," he said at Kikuyu police station amid jeers from some members of public who disagreed with him urging that suspects ought to be arrested and prosecuted and not shot.
"The person who comes to steal a gun, he must know that guns are not mandazis. We can't allow goons to be beat police officers, to invade police stations. The incident will be the last of its kind to happen...a police station to be invaded. The guns were not given to be mere decoration. If a person threatens you, save yourself first, the other story will be dealt with later and I will be the first person to defend you,” he added.
In another incident, Owino found himself on the defensive after he criticized the police accounts and series of events following the death of Albert Ojwang who died in police custody.
Professor of History and Governance Macharia Munene now terms Owino’s appointment as the government’s spokesperson as a political move by the Ruto administration and his appointment was occasioned by the current hostility towards his regime.
“Ruto opted for Owino because he has thick skin and can defend the indefensible. By doing so he also sought to spruce up the image of government...To the extent that he was an officer and knew what to say, then that’s why he got the job. But whether the public believes what he says is another thing,” says Macharia.
“His work will be to skew the facts and defend the government irrespective of what. If he has to do very ridiculous things to achieve this, then he will because that’s his job description.”
Macharia is also convinced that the removal of Isaac Mwaura was not only to bolster the government’s image but pacify Ruto’s political base.
“Unfortunately for Mwaura, he had outlived his usefulness because no matter what he said, the public did not believe him...he was spit out but got a soft landing because he is part of the broad-based government and is also an Oburu Odinga man. He had to be retained in government so that Ruto can appease ODM and retain the fragile pact that they have with UDA,” he observes.
As questions continue to mount on whether an official known for aggressively spinning instances of state-sponsored violence can transition into an impartial conduit between the Presidency and a skeptical public, only time will tell.