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Former spokesperson of the National Police Service Charles Owino. [File, Standard]
The appointment of Charles Owino as the new government spokesperson has raised questions over his ability to serve with impartiality and communicate government business in a transparent manner.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced that Owino, who is the former spokesperson of the National Police Service, now transitions to the executive office of the President as the government’s spokesperson from his previous role at the National Communications Centre under the Ministry of ICT.
His return to high-profile state messaging has however revived memories of his controversial remarks that seemed to justify excesses by the police following the death of a hawker, Boniface Kariuki, in June 2025 during the Gen Z protests first anniversary, or those in support of a contentious order by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen for officers to “shoot-to-kill” following a wave of protests in the country that saw several police stations razed down.
