President William Ruto has replaced former KTN presenter Kathleen Openda as chair of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) with former Police Spokesman Charles Owino.
Ruto announced the appointment in a Gazette Notice on Friday, stating that it will be effective September 29, 2023, for a period of one year.
KIMC is a state-run educational institution that trains journalists and other communication professionals.
After five years as chair, the president removed Openda’s appointment.
Owino served as the police spokesman from 2015 to 2021 before entering politics.
Initially planning to run for Siaya governor, he later joined forces with former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo to oppose James Orengo.
Owino was previously the Siaya County Coordinator for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Owino is one of the officials Ruto appointed shortly after taking office to counter the influence of opposition leader Raila Odinga in the Nyanza region.
Owino was a member of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party and Gumbo’s running mate in the 2022 General Election before abandoning him.
At the time, UDM was a member of the Azimio coalition.
Owino withdrew his candidature and returned to the police force, where he was the director of the Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Owino later relocated to Kenya Kwanza after President Ruto was elected.
