Maina Muiruri has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Media Council of Kenya.
In the latest appointment by ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Muchiri, Muiruri, who is immediate former editor at the People Daily, will serve at the helm of the council for a period of three years.
Mucheru made the appointment through a Gazette notice dated October 3.
Muiruri, a seasoned editor and media manager, started his journalism career at the Kenya News Agency (KNA) in 1991 and later moved to The Standard as a reporter, rising to head the features desk.
Muiruri now succeeds suspended Nairobi County Finance executive Charles Kerich.
Kerich was the Star newspaper’s head of content when he was appointed to the position in 2015.
He later resigned in 2017 after he was picked by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to serve as a county executive.
With the exit of Kerich, his then deputy Julius Kinyeki took over in an acting capacity until their term ended mid last year.
Muiruri has a degree in Political Science and Government from University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Mass Communication from Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.
In the same Gazette notice, journalists Roselyne Ndisi Obala - Standard group, Timothy Wanyonyi Chetambe- Nation and Public Relations Practitioner Patience Sanguli Nyange - who is serving at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, have been appointed as board members for three years.
Others who have been appointed include IEBC corporate communications manager Tabitha Mutemi, Daystar University lecturer Susan Karago, Communications expert Dr Stanley Mbugua Njoroge and David Mghanga Mwasika.
The team heads to the council amid escalating fears of the governments plan to arm-twist its operations.
