Best and worst communicators of 2016

In compiling their annual Best and Worst Communicators list, applied and academic communications practitioners invited nominations from the public, of which we received close to 300 using various online survey platforms.

From the analysis, it is clear that the overarching theme for Kenyan Audiences in 2016 was on a communicator’s credibility. How an individual frames their initial credibility, gains their derived credibility and earns terminal credibility with audiences is key to determining a good or bad communicator.

The researchers also deduced that an individual’s hierarchy or position in society may accord them a bigger megaphone, but it does not guarantee an automatic elevation into a good or effective communicator who connects with audiences.

The study was led by Paul Achar, a speech coach and communication practitioner; Kentice Tikolo, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Impact Africa; Sam Kamau, a tenured lecturer at Aga Khan University's Graduate School of Media and Communications; Wangui Kiili, a communication coach and the CEO of Lead Speak Reach; Mukurima Muriuki, an analyst and conflict and diversity expert based in the United States; and Nation Media Group's online research team.

The list is bound to generate heated debate but, hopefully, readers should use it as a learning opportunity.

BEST COMMUNICATORS

1. Fred Matiang’i: Authoritative communication

From a communication style perspective, the Education Cabinet Secretary is a direct communicator. That means he deploys a bold, assertive no-holds-barred approach to communication. His appointment to the Education portfolio and the eventual emphasis on a hands-on, high-energy approach reinvigorated the sector and it is no wonder he was mentioned in various forums as among the top public servants in 2016. Communicating with diverse stakeholders, the CS impressed many with his articulate, knowledgeable presentations on matters education. A key attribute great communicators possess is passion and the CS was certainly not lacking in this. He is also big in deploying imagery, a technique of language that helps to enhance the understanding of a message.

2. Raphael Obonyo: Inspirational and authentic storyteller

There are people whose life story leaves you inspired and aspiring to become a better person. Raphael Obonyo is one such individual. He is an authentic storyteller who is able to masterfully weave youth policy ideas with his own life story that began in the informal settlements of Korogocho, Nairobi. The author of Conversations about the Youth in Kenya is also Africa’s representative to the World Bank’s Global Coordination Board on Youth and Anti-Corruption, and the UN Habitat’s Youth Advisory Board, among other positions. Mr Obonyo stands head over shoulders over so many other motivational or inspirational speakers in spite of his relative youth.

3. Daisy Amdany: Passionate and purposeful communication

If you are looking for someone to passionately and eloquently advocate an issue that affects women in society with conviction, then Daisy Amdany is your person. The co-convener of the National Women Steering Committee, a consortium of women’s advocacy groups, has been at the forefront of the push for the two-thirds gender rule guaranteeing the place of women in political leadership. Despite the open resistance and sometimes hostile political chatter, Ms Amdany wins her audience’s hearts and minds with sincere enthusiasm, force of reasoning and a compelling message. Regardless of the platform, three things stand out: Her eloquence, passion for her cause and commanding presence.

4. Dr Patrick Njoroge: Humble and authentic confidence

The Central Bank of Kenya Governor, Dr Patrick Njoroge, is a systematic communicator. These can appear introverted but are generally good with tasks that require a mastery of facts and statistics. He speaks in measured tones, expresses deep knowledge and exudes confidence and humility. In a context where public officials are obsessed with title and the trappings that come with them, Dr Njoroge’s outlook and approach, which communicate freedom from the trappings of title, greatly impressed and appealed to Kenyans.

To quote him, “It’s not my faith, my life is my marathon. I don’t distinguish my faith from my profession, from my relations with others, it’s one package, it’s a seamless package.”

It is unique to hear a Kenyan leader express the guiding philosophy towards public service so candidly. By openly communicating his beliefs and values, he was ultimately viewed as an as an authentic, humble and confident leader, a good fit at a time when the banking sector has been fraught with many challenges.

Dr Njoroge has inspired many and proved that humility is, indeed, a great strength.

5. Phyllis Wakiaga: Knowledgeable and credible communication

The chief executive officer of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers comes across as a spirited communicator. She has a friendly demeanor, mastery of issues relating to the manufacturing sector and an articulate presentation style.

Major topics of her presentations in 2016 revolved around “multiple taxation by Kenya Revenue Authority on Manufacturers”, “The Trade Bill”, “Regional Integration” and “The Mining Forum”, subjects she knowledgeably addressed.

Good communicators are able to enhance their credibility either by invoking knowledge, experience or associations and Ms Wakiaga gets it. Whether in a television interview or standing in front of diverse audiences, she knows what aspects to deploy.

Our research also focused on media appearances or mentions. With 245 appearances, she reinforced our belief that it is not the number of times but rather it is the quality of their presentation which matters.

6. Sunny Bindra: Champion of ethical leadership

Perhaps the reason Sunny Bindra resonates with many as an excellent communicator is because he lends a firm voice to a diversity of issues that touch on people’s lives – from basic manners, leadership, social ethics, conversational norms and many others, pretty much subjects that a majority of people resonate with.

He has a strong voice on social media and additionally, the self-confessed introvert is a very able voice in person. His crisp delivery of information in a neutral tone of voice and facial expressions works to command the attention of his audience. He is a considerate communicator but possessing the direct communicators ‘tell it like it is’ attribute when he speaks and writes.

Mr Bindra brings on the refreshing insight of an introvert’s mind and, when he shares orally or through the written word, one can see the simplicity with which he presents complex insights.

7. Dr Jacquline Kitulu: Confident and knowledgeable

The chairperson of the Kenya Medical Association is gifted with a “good broadcast voice”, eloquence, a great command of language and a genial personality. Dr Kitulu’s intelligence, credibility and professionalism are aspects you cannot miss when she stands behind a lectern. She radiates confidence and passion and demonstrates wide knowledge on healthcare and social policy issues and her mastery of the vocal, visual and verbal aspects of communication enhance her competency. A considerate communicator who speaks in a soft, assertive style, Dr Kitulu is comfortable in different contexts and has learned how to leverage her strengths to connect with her audience.

8. Wesley Korir: Authentic communication

Cherangany is home to, arguably, some of the great orators in Kenya. Remember one-time MP Kipruto Arap Kirwa? Well, the current MP has not only presented himself as a great orator but an outstanding long-distance runner as well.

Wesley Korir’s name is best remembered for winning the 2012 Boston Marathon, a race Kenya has dominated for eons. In 2016, he was part of Kenya’s marathon team at the Rio Olympic Games. A mix-up of his water would cause him stomach upsets, forcing him to exit the race on the 30-kilometre mark.

As the face of the hiccups the team went through, Mr Korir became a source of information, via social media and in subsequent television interviews. He comes across as an authentic communicator.

9. Irungu Houghton: Differences don’t mean disrespect

Mr Houghton presents the causes he advocates with passionate articulation. Advocacy and extensive experience in the development world lent him credibility and his mastery of content was a factor that rated high in the nominations.

He was involved in various high-profile civil protests. The widely publicised one against the grabbing of Langata Road Primary School playground in Nairobi translated into a media circuit. Listening to him in discussions with panellists opposing his perspectives, it was clear that Mr Irungu uses his words with intention, as should any good speaker, and that it was possible to disagree without being disrespectful.

Mr Houghton came across as driven by certain values and ideals, which he eloquently espoused. His arrest during the playground saga and the sobriety in subsequent interviews positioned him as a calm and articulate speaker even in the face of opposition.

10. Sicily Kariuki: Reflective listener

Famed theologian John Powell postulated that in true listening, we reach behind the words and see through them, to find the person who is being revealed.

Sicily Kariuki replaced Ann Waiguru as the CS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, a docket that had been mired in controversy summed up in the NYS scandal in which billions of shillings are reported to have been embezzled.

The ministry bore the image of everything that is wrong, corrupt and unethical. But Ms Kariuki has tactfully brought sanity back. Her use of reflective communication skills is remarkable and compelling.

Reflective listening involves restating the feeling that the other party has communicated in a way that demonstrates understanding and acceptance. She has not taken a defensive route, a near-admission that things are not alright in the ministry but can be better. She has shown a down-to-earth demeanor and is effective with her non-verbal communication, which most of the time does the talking for her.

WORST COMMUNICATORS

1. IEBC selection panel: Closed interviews

In a year when interviews for high-level public appointments were streamed on live television, the IEBC Selection Panel’s decision to conduct most of the new commissioners’ recruitment away from the glare of cameras, effectively limiting public participation in a process important to a nation moving into an electoral year, was a huge oversight.

Effective communicators possess the ability to analyse the societal context in which they operate and use that to guide their strategic communication. The panel clearly misread the social context or completely disregarded it with disastrous consequences.

They were conducting interviews in the context of an outgoing IEBC plagued by credibility concerns among Kenyans and, to ensure the incoming team gained the initial goodwill and credibility required, they needed to exhibit transparency by encouraging public participation.

2. Aden Duale: Divisive rhetoric

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale leads a fractured Parliament. Between January 1 and December 31, 2016, some 3,065 stories that tagged or involved the actions of Mr Duale were published by mainstream media and online. The content of these stories had a potential reach of 518,283,508 people globally.

Of the 32,820 posts made on social media, 10,273 (33.34 per cent) received a negative sentiment score and terms such as “arrogant”, “divisive” and “insensitive” were bandied around. The direct communicator had only had 16.65 per cent positive and 50.01 per cent neutral score.

3. Josephine Kabura: Deceitful and inconsistent Narrative

Josephine Kabura, 34, is Kenya’s most famous hairdresser. She is no “mere hairdresser”, dominating headlines in 2016 as the central suspect in the NYS scandal. Her story – “From hairdresser to a millionaire” – would have been an inspiration for many young women were it not for the dodgy manner in which the wealth was acquired. When she appeared before a parliamentary committee over the scandal, she engaged in tactful evasiveness, stonewalled MPs and made mockery of the entire investigation.

4. Stephen arap Soi: Guilty non-verbal communication

After the Rio Olympics Stephen arap Soi, Kenya’s chef de mission at the Rio Olympics, appeared in court pending investigations into how Nock and Sports ministry officials spent Sh25 million at the Games. His attempt to “clear the air” was just but contempt in the court of public integrity for Kenyans who expected their Olympic heroes to be treated with dignity and respect.

Mr Soi eschewed a lack of credibility and his name became synonymous with failure. His body language betrayed him and showed a leader who is not telling the truth, and nothing but the truth. He was not comfortable with what he was saying straight out of the gates and this was evident through the lack of congruence between his words and body language in various interviews.

5. Public Accounts Committee 2016: Disorganised interviewing

The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly has been plagued by credibility challenges during the 11th Parliament.

The PAC’s role is to monitor accounts on the appropriations voted by Parliament for public expenditure, or any other accounts, gather and evaluate the information and then recommend courses of action to the entire House.

It is in keeping with this mandate that the PAC summoned various persons to testify regarding the NYS scandal. The interviews, aired on live TV, exposed the PAC as disorganised, disjointed and lacking in basic interviewing techniques. The members’ communication at times seemed to merely seek to score political points as opposed to resolving the scam.

Successful panels pre-design an interviewing strategy to offer guidance on the questions, the mode of questioning and clarity on questions assigned to each member. It is clear that the PAC never followed such basics and ended up as an incompetent oversight body.

6. Ababu Namwamba: Incoherent narrative (loss of credibility)

In early 2008, Mr Ababu Tawfiq Namwamba introduced himself to the Kenyan scene with his oratory prowess, admirable stubbornness and youthful arrogance when he refused to acknowledge Mwai Kibaki as the President after the disputed 2007 elections.

He would dazzle in debates in and out of the House with his gift of garb and mastery of language. Within ODM, he positioned himself as the defender of the party leader and was fondly referred to as “Jenerali”.

When faced with controversy that led to loss of his chairmanship of the PAC, Mr Namwamba seemed to lose his communication mojo and struggled to develop a coherent, logical narrative to explain his dilemma. When he also broke ties with his political party, has struggled with a message to credibly position himself.

7. Eric Kiraithe: Government of Kenya spokesperson

Mr Eric Kiraithe’s tenure as government spokesman has been lackluster. The role involves guiding the design and development of a comprehensive government communication strategy and overseeing the tactical implementation of the communication strategy. A spokesperson must be articulate, versatile in handling diverse communication situations and earn respect as a credible authority on government messaging.

But the eloquent Kiraithe has had challenges in transforming himself into a credible authority whose word is respected as the official position.

8. Philip Kinisu: 'Diversionary-in-Chief'

In August 2016, Mr Philip Kinisu, the EACC chairman, tendered his resignation to President Uhuru Kenyatta. He was under investigations because a firm he is associated with supplied goods to a tainted NYS, a matter of conflict of interest.

Integrity includes the ability to communicate even those bits and pieces that may be uncomfortable in the short-term but are redeeming in the long-run. He failed to let the integrity which got him the EACC top job in the first place walk the talk.

When questions were raised regarding his actions, he failed the first test in crisis communication; he blamed everybody else but himself – best summed up as diversion tactics. People resort to diversion when they are uncomfortable with emotions stimulated by the conversation.

9. Hassan Wario: Defensive communication

If there was one distinct aspect about Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario’s communication, it was his defensive outlook.

Following news that Kenya’s Rio Olympics team had faced challenges that brought national shame, during his appearances in Parliament and at news conferences he seemed more interested in protecting himself than being contrite.

Why did this earn him a worst communicator spot? Because, when caught in a crisis in which many people are affected, a leader’s greatest tool is empathy. Empathy combined with accountability can help mediate between all parties involved.

10. Ezekiel Mutua: Braggadocious communication

The Head of the Kenya Film Classification Board failed to understand that a key attribute that great communicators possess, regardless of their achievements, is humility. Mr Mutua’s communication lacked the discretion and general sensibilities required of his position. On social media, he bragged about various things – from his diplomatic passport to his business class air travels, actions many would expect a younger person to engage in.

His attempt at framing his braggadocios communication as “God’s blessings”, aimed to inspire others coming from a social background of extreme depravation like himself, failed miserably.

Another attribute key to connecting with audiences is “likeability”, an aspect his bragging robbed him of.