The Brand Kenya Board has called on the government to rebrand the public service and make it vibrant in and outside the country.
The Brand Kenya Board Manager and Media Publicity, Ms. Maureen Mambo said branding and positioning of the public service will create uniformity, a visible and compelling face of the government.
Giving the Board’s recommendations to the Information and Communications taskforce at a Nairobi hotel, Mambo said rebranding would develop a believable and trustworthy image of the government to the citizenry.
The task force was appointed by the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary, Joe Mucheru to gather views on how to improve government information and public communication functions.
“There is need to bridge the gap between what the service is, how it desires to be and how it is currently perceived in the public sector,” said Mambo.
Mambo highlighted some of the challenges Brand Kenya faces which include political instability during elections, ever changing parent ministries where the board has been shifted severally in different ministries and allocation of insufficient funds.
“The government has set aside only between sh. 20 and sh. 40 million in the past years for nation branding which is too little for the purpose,” she added.
The Manager said for the government to communicate effectively, it has to build good media relationships and engagements.
“There is need to verify all government digital platforms and encourage diverse use of them,” she added.
In her remarks, Brand Kenya Board CEO, Floice Mukabana said the merger of Brand Kenya Board and Export Promotion Council (EPC) to create Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) will be a challenge to the board as it will interfere with the current operations.
The Cabinet approved the merger of the Brand Kenya Board and Export Promotion Council to create Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) late last year after a Presidential directive on the key objective of the integrated National Exports Development and Promotion Strategy (NEDPS) which the Government launched mid last year.
The merger is aimed at growing Kenya’s exports at an average rate of 25 percent per annum.
By Rahab Wanjiru/Babra Adhiambo
