President William Ruto has continued to do away with some of the structures and routines at State House that were put in place by his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta.
During the key functions at State House, in the country and out of the country, Mr Kenyatta’s photos were shared but watermarked with the State House logo.
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta at Lang’ata Barracks in Nairobi during a farewell ceremony hosted in his honour as the outgoing Commander-in-Chief in line with the traditions and custom. Photos sared by his press team bore watermarks.
Barely a month in office, not a single photo of President Ruto shared on official channels has been watermarked.
On Thursday, President Ruto went to the neighbouring country Ethiopia for a state function, accompanied by key leaders in his government.
The president’s press team shared the photos of the president and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with the editors, and all were not watermarked.
President William Ruto in Addis Ababa, where he held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and also launched Safaricom Ethiopia. The president’s press team shared the photos of the president and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with the editors, and all were not watermarked.
Also, the identity of the State House media outlet appeared to have changed a day after Mr Kenyatta left office.
Mr Kenyatta’s media team went by the name Presidential Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU), but the fifth president annulled the name.
Dr Ruto’s press team
But press releases shared by Dr Ruto’s press team now bear the initials PPS (Presidential Press Service).
PPS was used by former presidents the late Mwai Kibaki, and the late Daniel Moi.
It is, however, instructive to note that as Deputy President, Dr Ruto retained the name DPPS (Deputy Presidential Press Services) for his media team.
Also, President Ruto has done away with the Barack Obama-esque lectern that was used by his predecessor and even changed the colour and the design.
Former US President Barack Obaa. Uhuru Kenyatta’s lectern had borrowed heavily from the one used by the former US leader.
That is not all. The State House website has been deactivated by President Ruto’s team, and there is no information on the site.
Also, President Ruto’s administration has ensured that whenever the president is attending key functions, the function is live-streamed on social media, majorly through Facebook and Twitter, where the president enjoys a big following.
The live streams are offered through the State House channels and his personal channels.
Even during his campaigns, Dr Ruto maximised social media to reach out to his supporters.
This is unlike retired President Kenyatta who closed all his personal social media accounts. BY DAILY NATION