Jubilee doing a poor job selling its agenda

What you need to know:

  • Even such towering firsts as the recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit and the upcoming Nepad and WTO meetings could well end up radiating less glory than they should.
  • Now, having, as I do, a keen interest in the art of engaging the public, I am amazed at the dismal capacity Jubilee has demonstrated for building a compelling narrative for its achievements and plans
  • That some have international exposure is an added advantage while others are tested editors, legal brains and journalists, but not necessarily political communication specialists.

I am not a junkie of Jubilee, nor have I ever been. But much as I have always had a soft spot for ODM, and more lately, Cord, I don’t approve of the dowdy theatrics that they sometimes indulge in.

It gets worse when internal party contests in ODM end in the loss of life and limb. The needless pain suffered in the name of waging such political supremacy battles is as unnecessary as the action itself is primitive.

Yet even as ODM continues to decay from within, Cord’s brigade of mischief-makers still assail Jubilee to the point of obscuring the notable impact of such game-changers as Huduma Centres or Beyond Zero.

Even such towering firsts as the recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit and the upcoming Nepad and WTO meetings could well end up radiating less glory than they should.

Now, having, as I do, a keen interest in the art of engaging the public, I am amazed at the dismal capacity Jubilee has demonstrated for building a compelling narrative for its achievements and plans. On this matter, there is no excuse whatsoever for there is no shortage of fodder for such a narrative.

And talking of narratives, there are no two ways of creating winning stories. The chroniclers must be possessed of exceptional proficiency at doing so besides being convincing, remarkable and uplifting. Therefore, it should concern anyone intent on winning public favour what qualities to look for.

An average storyteller simply goes through the motions of unravelling her yarn without much thought about how audiences receive the story. But a good storyteller knows the right bait with which to capture the imagination of her audience.

A great storyteller ensures that her audiences are riveted to it until the end. True virtuosi in this art aim at spellbinding their audiences. They attach explicit value to every utterance, syllable and histrionic. More importantly, they are conscious of the need to build their exploit to a refreshing crescendo.

It is the glaring lack of craft necessary in moulding and escalating the Jubilee storyline in a captivating manner that is regrettable. For things to change for the better, the ruling coalition’s spin-doctors, bloggers, word-mongers and propaganda artists must avoid falling into serial faltering.

The President and his Deputy are doing their bit quite satisfactorily and so should their chroniclers and criers.  

Back to the question of ingenuity and coordination within Jubilee’s communication conclave. True, the current team comprises considerably seasoned communication experts.

That some have international exposure is an added advantage while others are tested editors, legal brains and journalists, but not necessarily political communication specialists. In the same mix, unfortunately, are a few charlatans who, oftentimes cause more harm than good.

The focus should be to assemble a lean mean team with members who work well with one another. Most importantly, the team must bear in mind that both the presidency and the government are solemn institutions that cannot afford scruffy joyriders.

It’s all very well to have excellent mastery in communications but real skill demands exceptional perceptiveness in local politics and acute sensitivity towards the chicanery that goes with it.
Mr Nyogot is an independent journalist and creative writer based in Nairobi. ([email protected])