Communications strategist Lone to return to Raila's side

The return of veteran communications strategist Salim Lone to Orange Democratic Movement presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s team promises a breath of fresh air as the campaigns enter the homestretch with less than seven weeks to this year's General Election.

Mr Lone, a former advisor and spokesperson for Mr Odinga, will assume the role of chief publicist for the National Super Alliance on Monday. He is expected to commence regular press briefings. He returns at a time the Jubilee Party and Nasa are engaged in vicious cut-throat competition to control the campaign narrative.

Speaking to the Nation on Friday, Mr Lone said he was excited to return home from his New York base.

“We want to make the communication more responsive and immediate. We will work as a team,” he said.

Part of this, he hinted, will entail tweaking the existing communications structures for the five parties, ODM, Wiper, ANC, Ford-Kenya and CCM into one coordinated outfit without necessarily disrupting operations.

Mr Lone is thought to have the advantage of a shared history with most of Nasa principals such as the presidential running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetang’ula and Isaac Ruto. He is therefore able to directly and perhaps forcefully differ in opinion without fearing to “annoy the boss”.

“They know I am always honest in my opinion; this is not about to change,” he said.

Mr Denis Onyango who has been the former premier’s spokesman keeps his docket although for the campaign period Mr Lone will be his superior. Other senior coalition’s communication strategists are Mr Mudavadi’s advisor Kibisu Kabatesi and Ms Kathleen Openda.

UNITED NATIONS

Mr Lone, a former director of the United Nations’ News and Media Division, he will have to contend with the challenges of new media, most recent being fake news. He says he has lived through a lot of changes in the industry and in all the occasions fitted in seamlessly.

“An article by The New York Times claiming that Saddam Hussein (the former Iraqi president) possessed weapons of mass destruction about 15 years ago was later proved to be false. Now, did the word fake news exists? No. Fake news is not a new phenomenon, the word is. It has always been there in the form of rumours and propaganda. Parameters of communication has changed but the bottom remains the same,” he said.

He says the antidote of fake news is the truth.

“I will never lie or subvert the truth. My greatest credibility as a spokesman is my credibility.”

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN

Interestingly, Mr Lone was initially meant to be the government spokesman for the Kibaki administration in his first term but the infighting within Mr Kibaki’s inner cabinet fueled by a perception that he was too close to Mr Odinga, then Roads and Public works minister saw the appointment rescinded before he could take it up.

Another key player in the Odinga campaign team has been Mr Walter Mbindyo, who has been covertly mobilising a grassroots intelligence machinery that feeds him with information. Known only to him and Mr Odinga’s closest allies, this structure has maintained constant communication, and has informed some of the key decisions made. The impact of this particular network is likely to be increasingly felt as this year's General Election approaches.

Some of his achievements is a wide-ranging interview he had with the late Uganda’s dictator Idi Amin in 1973 at a time few journalists would dare sit down with him. Mr Lone was also incarcerated by the Moi administration at the height of the crackdown on civil liberties on accusation of being disloyal to the State.

Explaining that so much is at stake in this year's election, he said he wanted to be part of history when the country experiences “the third and final liberation”.

'OUR COUNTRY'

“It was not an easy decision to take up the role. This is our country and we must do what we can to make it a better place,” the communications strategist said.

He explained why this year's General Election is more important than any in the past, “In 2002, we had an inclusive government committed to democracy but it did not fulfil its promise. It was squandered by those around Kibaki, people who did not want to share power, remember we were the most optimistic people on earth that time (according to Gallup survey).”

Putting a case for Mr Odinga, He said the country was more divided today than it was 15 years ago and a win for Jubilee will entrench the problem further.

“Raila stands for change. There is no other leader with passionate support outside their communities than him. Unless we change the direction, the future remains bleak” says Mr Lone.