STEPHEN ISABOKE is a confessed workaholic. The Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications says he is often the first into the office and among the last to leave.
As he settles into government after three decades in the private sector, his latest assignment is less about working longer and more about making government communicate better.
For him, the newly adopted National Communication Policy is an attempt to solve an old problem with a modern solution: a government that has plenty of information but has not always communicated it quickly, consistently or convincingly.
The policy seeks to move Government communication from a reactive, fragmented and largely one-way exercise to a coordinated, proactive and citizen-centred system built around the principle of “One Government, One Voice.”
The down-to –earth but firm PS sat down with The Star’s Victor Amadala to explain what the changes mean, how the National Communication Centre will work and why the Digital Superhighway is central to the new communication architecture.
The National Communication Policy: why is this conversation happening now?
Talking more was never the goal. Communicating better was.
For years, government communication has sometimes appeared fragmented, with different ministries, departments and agencies issuing messages independently and, at times, responding only after a crisis has already captured public attention.
The new policy seeks to change that culture. It establishes a framework in which communication becomes part of government management rather than an activity brought in at the end of a project.
The objective is to ensure that citizens know what Government is doing, why it is doing it, how they can benefit and where they can obtain services.
The policy also responds to a rapidly changing information environment in which social media can turn a rumour into a national conversation within minutes.
This is why the National Communication Centre, the Office of the Government Spokesperson and communication teams in ministries and agencies must operate as parts of one system.
What is the core framework behind the reform?
The biggest change is philosophical: communication is no longer being treated as a supporting function.
That means communication should be considered when a programme is being designed, when a project is launched and when a crisis emerges.
It proposes a coordinated architecture involving the Presidency, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, the Office of the Government Spokesperson, the National Communication Centre and communication departments in ministries, departments and agencies.
The intended result is simple: fewer contradictory messages and faster access to verified information.
Is Government communication now becoming a performance responsibility?
Yes. That is one of the most important changes.
Under the new approach, every ministry, department and agency is expected to have a communication strategy and plan covering its policies and programmes, crisis and emergency communication, citizen and stakeholder engagement, media relations and communication financing.
Major government projects should also have communication and risk plans from the beginning.
This is significant because poor communication can itself become a project risk.
A delayed road, controversial levy, health emergency or change in public service can quickly become a communication crisis if citizens do not understand what is happening.
In the recent circular, the Head of Public Service has directed state agencies to make communication more proactive and coordinated, with plans incorporated into performance contracting and measurable outputs established.
What exactly should an MDA communication plan contain?
It should explain the institution’s policies and programmes, identify audiences and stakeholders, provide for continuous media engagement and establish mechanisms for crisis, emergency and risk communication. It must also have a budget.
That is crucial because a communication strategy without money is little more than a wish list.
Communication spending should be viewed as an investment in public trust rather than a discretionary public-relations expense.
The real test will therefore be whether accounting officers allocate enough resources for professional communication officers, digital monitoring, content production, research, public engagement and rapid-response systems.
Is the State Department adequately funded for this job?
No. Communication requires a significantly larger allocation than it currently receives.
A conservative benchmark should be about 2.5 per cent of a Sh1 trillion budget. A paltry Sh6.4 billion was allocated to the State Department in 2026.
However, the bigger question is not simply how much Government spends on communication but what it gets for that money.
A modern communication operation needs data analysts, digital-content specialists, audience researchers, crisis communicators and technology capable of monitoring conversations in real time.
In the age of artificial intelligence, the government can no longer wait for the evening news to discover that a false story has gone viral.
So what exactly is the National Communication Centre?
Think of it as the Government’s information nerve centre — not another television station or newspaper.
Its job is to receive information from ministries, departments and agencies, collate and validate it, process it and help ensure that verified information reaches the public through appropriate channels.
The National Communication Policy envisages the centre gathering information from public communication officers and government institutions, monitoring public feedback in real time, analysing emerging issues and helping develop content and digital engagement tools.
It is also expected to support crisis communication. That could become particularly important during floods, disease outbreaks, security incidents, financial shocks or other emergencies when citizens need accurate information quickly.
The centre is therefore intended to create a single, credible source of government information.
How will ordinary wananchi have their voices heard?
This is perhaps the policy's most important test. Government communication cannot simply become a more efficient way to broadcast official messages.
The Policy envisages a centre monitoring public voices and feedback, analysing recurring issues and transmitting those concerns to relevant institutions.
In other words, the feedback loop should work in both directions. A citizen should not merely receive a message about a government programme.
The centre will use digital platforms, social media monitoring, public engagement tools, surveys and other feedback mechanisms to identify emerging concerns.
The danger, however, would be turning the centre into a centralised publicity machine. Its credibility will depend on whether it is trusted to validate information, acknowledge problems and allow citizens to question government decisions.
What role will Cabinet Secretaries, PSs and agency heads play?
They become the owners of communication. Cabinet secretaries should provide strategic leadership and explain ministry policies. Principal secretaries should ensure communication is integrated into implementation and performance.
Heads of agencies, on the other hand, should provide timely and accurate information within their mandates.
Communication officers, meanwhile, need access to information and decision-making processes. An officer who learns about a major government announcement from social media at the same time as the public cannot possibly communicate effectively.
How does this fit into Kenya’s Digital Superhighway?
The two reforms are inseparable.
Government can only communicate digitally if citizens are connected.
The Digital Superhighway was conceived as a major national infrastructure programme involving fibre-optic expansion, public Wi-Fi, digital hubs, e-government and digital skills.
Government plans have targeted 100,000 kilometres of fibre, 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots and 1,450 digital hubs.
The scale is enormous. It is targeting 37,645 kilometres of backbone fibre, connectivity to 18,680 public institutions and 27,516 public Wi-Fi hotspots, while also seeking to train one million young people in digital skills.
It has since resulted in rapid growth in digital government services. By the end of the last financial year, the number of digitised government services had risen to more than 21,500, compared with 353 in 2022.
This changes the meaning of public communication. A citizen no longer necessarily needs to travel to a ministry headquarters to find out about a service. The information can be delivered to a phone.
Is Kenya really ready for a fully digital Government?
The progress is substantial, but the digital divide remains a serious obstacle.
According to the Communications Authority (CA), the country had 84.1 million active mobile subscriptions in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, equivalent to mobile penetration of 157.7 per cent.
Those figures demonstrate how deeply mobile technology has penetrated Kenya. But subscriptions are not the same as meaningful internet access. That is why the Digital Superhighway cannot be judged only by kilometres of fibre laid.
The real measure is whether a farmer in a remote village can access agricultural information, whether a young person can earn online, a patient can obtain health information and a citizen can access a government service without travelling to Nairobi.
How do you ensure the Digital Superhighway does not become an urban privilege?
By taking the last mile seriously. Government plans include digital hubs across wards, public Wi-Fi and connectivity to public institutions.
Connectivity alone is not enough. A person may have fibre nearby and remain digitally excluded because internet bundles are expensive, devices are unaffordable or they lack the skills to use online services.
The next phase will therefore combine infrastructure with affordability, digital literacy, relevant local content, device access, cybersecurity and data protection.
What about artificial intelligence?
AI makes the communication challenge both easier and harder.
It can help Government produce content, translate information, analyse public feedback and identify emerging narratives. It can also accelerate the production of convincing false information.
That means speed will matter, but credibility will matter even more. Government cannot win the information battle simply by producing more messages.
It must produce information that is accurate, timely, understandable and independently verifiable. This is why retraining communication officers is part of this transition.
What remains to be done?
Plenty. We are working towards closing the digital divide, making internet access and devices more affordable, expanding digital literacy, simplifying government platforms and strengthening cybersecurity and data protection.
Government must also make its digital services easier to navigate. Most importantly, it must build trust.
The phrase “One Government, One Voice” should not mean one government opinion. It should mean one reliable source of facts, while leaving room for scrutiny, criticism and public debate.
Conclusion
For Isaboke, the task is ultimately about building a government that listens as much as it speaks. After 30 years in the private sector, the former corporate executive appears to be bringing the same work ethic to his public service role.
He is a true believer in G.K. Nielson’s maxim: “Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.” He greatly admires this virtue in President William Ruto.
Away from the office, he makes time for family, friends, church and community activities. He occasionally plays golf, preferably early in the morning.
He is also a certified counsellor and life coach, spending time mentoring young people. Perhaps that explains his broader view of communication.
