Nation Media Group (NMG) online sub-editor Beatrice Obwocha has joined the long list of journalist leaving newsrooms to manage communication departments in county governments.
Obwocha, who held a similar position at the Standard Group before joining NMG, has been tapped by Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui to be his Director of Communications.
Previously, she was a staff writer at the Standard writing news and features articles especially on environment, business and tourism. She also worked at the Nakuru bureau for the newspaper.
Obwocha hold a BA (Communication Science) from the University of South Africa (UNISA), a diploma in Human Resource Management from the Kenya Institute of Management and a diploma in photojournalism from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.
Several journalists have since the advent of county governments in 2013 taken over as communication specialists in the devolved units.
Those who have migrated after the 2017 polls include former People Daily reporter Sarah Ndung’u and former Royal Media Services news editor (radio) Richard Bosire, who are in charge of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s communications operations.
K24 senior reporter Joab Mwaura, who was named by Sonko as the director of the Governor’s Press Service in October, did not take up the job.
Earlier, Sonko had named Radio Africa Group chief editor Charles Kerich as the County Executive Committee member in charge of ICT and E-Government and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) Head of Radio Operations Larry Wambua as CEC (Devolution, Public Service and Administration).
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KTN senior reporter Carol Nderi was also named as the director of communications by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga while former NTV journalist Kenneth Mureithi is the new head of communication in Tharaka Nithi Governor Onesmus Njuki’s office.
Several others were also elected in both the 2013 and 2017 elections. Those elected in the last polls include Governors Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Granton Samboja (Taita Taveta), Senators Enock Wambua (Kitui) and Ben Oluoch Okello (Migori), Women Representatives Gathoni wa Muchomba (Kiambu) and Sabina Chege (Murang’a), Gatundu North MP Wanjiku wa Kibe, Nyali MP Mohammed Ali and Kaloleni MP Paul Katana.
