The Government is strengthening coordination, funding and public engagement in its communication architecture under the new National Government Communication Policy.

Principal Secretary (PS) for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Stephen Isaboke has said the policy harmonizes communication across government, establishes a common source of truth and clarifies the roles of officials and communication structures.

Speaking Tuesday during a television interview in one of the local media houses, Isaboke said communication may have lagged behind the scale of the government’s development and reforms, with programs receiving inadequate communication support.

He explained that the new approach treats communication as an integral part of development, not an activity introduced shortly before a project launch.

“We acknowledge that communication is the lifeline of any government, therefore, communication has to be embedded from the beginning,” the PS noted, adding,  “In the new policy, projects will include a communication component and the resources to explain them to the public and all that shall be measurable.”

Henceforth, communication will become part of performance management, where Ministries must deliver projects and demonstrate that they are communicated about them.

“It is not just: Have we delivered the project? It is also about: Have we adequately communicated about it?” he posed.

Meanwhile, the government’s communication architecture includes the President and Presidency communicators, the Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, the Government Spokesperson, Ministry’s communication officers, County structures and National Government Administration Officers including Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs.

 Isaboke described the arrangement as an orchestra, with different players performing distinct roles under a common direction.

“The Government Spokesperson is actually the Official Spokesperson for the government. He will normally amplify positions of government, either coming from the presidency or coming from ministries,” he elaborated.

Cabinet Secretaries on their part are responsible for policy within their ministries, while Principal Secretaries interpret and implement those policies, with clearer definition of roles that reduces conflicting messages and keeps government communication coordinated.

“First, ensure that you’ve got one source of truth at least. Number two, define roles. The upcoming national communication center will help synergize communication, giving real-time factual information and also receiving real-time information,” he said.

The Policy responds to a gap: the government undertook extensive development without communicating sufficiently about it.

“We did so much in terms of brick-and-mortar development, but in fact, the communication element was actually lacking or a bit underfunded,” he observed.

Inadequate communication drives public uncertainty and a trust deficit, said the PS adding, “The trust deficit is a legitimate comment and the only way you can close the trust deficit is to carry people along and keep them informed.”

In the absence of this, citizens turn to unofficial sources, rumours and misinformation when official information is unavailable.

The policy therefore strengthens two-way engagement. Communication is not government issuing information to the public, it is a channel for citizens to ask questions, give feedback and influence implementation.

“Communication is not talking at them, but talking to them,” he stressed.

The PS said public participation, National Government Administration structures and digital platforms are the mechanisms for engagement.

He maintained that  Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs remain key grassroots channel, carrying government information to communities and citizen feedback back to government.

Isaboke noted that social media has changed the communication environment. “There is an avalanche of information,” he said, adding, information circulates on WhatsApp and X platform before official institutions issue their own communication, creating both opportunities and challenges including misinformation and unverified material.

The PS insists that credible sources are essential during emergencies and other situations requiring timely public action.

 Isaboke cited government communication on the El-Niño weather phenomenon as the model, where he notes, the Meteorological Department supplies the scientific information; communication professionals translate it into language citizens understand.

“The technical people provide the science, but the communicators get it and translate it into simple, understandable information,” he said. The same principle applies across government: technical agencies provide authoritative information and communicators make it accessible.

On whether “one government, one voice” meant government controlling information, Isaboke explained that the call advocates for  consistency and  not control of information.

“For us, I think it’s more consistency,” he said. Constitutional protections for freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information mean the government cannot control the wider media and social media environment. The government’s task is to ensure its own officials work from the same facts and understand their communication roles.

On NYOTA Fund and the Social Health Authority, the PS said public concerns reflect the need for clearer information on eligibility, coverage, and procedures, and the government has room to improve.

“We obviously have areas that can actually do better,” he said. Citizens need more information on what public programs cover, what they don’t,and what to do when help is needed.

The PS emphasised that the government communication must go beyond repeating successes. It is a continuing conversation with citizens, including space for criticism and feedback. “We need to satisfactorily communicate,” he said.

The Communication Policy’s effectiveness will be tested by whether the new structures deliver timely, coordinated, and understandable information and give citizens effective channels to question policy, report problems, and give feedback.

by Violet Otindo (PCO)