Blow to Citizen TV as key reporter joins Uhuru team

Royal Media Services has suffered a blow after promising business reporter and anchor Anne Mumbi Warui resigned to join the President’sl Delivery Unit.

She becomes the second journalist to join the outfit, headed by Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita, after NTV business anchor Laban Cliff Onserio, who quit last month.

Warui started her career at K24 where her profile rose as she conducted several prime interviews including with Deputy President William Ruto before moving to Royal Media Services about two years ago. She was seen as one of the most promising young talents in TV business journalism in the country.

Apart from reporting, she also anchored “Citizen Extra Business”, which has been airing on Wednesdays at 11 am since March this year.

Similarly, Onserio used to anchor the daily business bulletin on NTV and also wrote for the Business Daily Newspaper.

A key plank on the desk, he had worked for five years at NTV.

“I’m excited about our fresh blood and all brilliant ideas they have, remember to stay sharp, stay focused eyes on the prize,” he said in his goodbye letter to colleagues at NTV.

Established in 2015, the President’s Delivery Unit, which is based in the Office the President, has the primary remit of improving the coordination of National Government flagship programmes, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on and the timely fulfillment of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s key development priorities.

The Delivery Unit works alongside other essential offices and departments within the Presidency.

By assembling a core team of journalists, it is apparent that Waita is seeking to strengthen the outfit’s messaging capabilities especially at a time the Jubilee administration has embarked on implementation of its Big Four Agenda, which is billed as one that would define Uhuru’s legacy when he leaves State House in 2022.

It also comes at a time the stature of the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit, now headed by former Citizen TV anchor Kanze Dena, who replaced Manoah Esipisu in June.

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Its directors, Munyori Buku (public communications), Eric Ng’eno (messaging), Dennis Itumbi (digital communications and diaspora), James Kinyua (branding and events)  and Munira Mohammed, have all but sidelined with some now operating from Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee House Annex office.

They had come under fire for dabbling in politics and in the process muddling State House communications.