Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Gladys Boss Shollei has admitted that gaps in government communication are allowing social media and other informal sources to shape how Kenyans understand government policies and programmes.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Tuesday, the Uasin Gishu Woman Representative said the government has not done enough to consistently explain its decisions to the public, leaving citizens to form their own views about policies without adequate official information.
“The challenge has been that we have not been very efficient in making sure that we inform Kenyans,” Shollei said.
She said the communication gap can create a difference between what the government is doing and what citizens believe is happening, especially when new policies are introduced or major government programmes are being implemented.
According to Shollei, when official information is not easily available, Kenyans are forced to turn to other sources, including social media, where information may be presented without the full context.
“What then happens is people decide what they are seeing. They make up their own minds, and they interpret it,” she said.
The legislator said government institutions need to communicate more regularly and clearly, particularly on policies that directly affect the lives of citizens.
She used public debates around the Finance Bill to explain how the lack of official communication can influence public opinion. Shollei recalled a conversation with her daughter, who had been following discussions about the Bill on social media and had come to believe information that was later found to be inaccurate.
“My daughter told me that she was reading everything about, like last time when we had the Finance Bill. She was reading all this stuff, and then she said she truly believed what was being said on social media,” Shollei highlighted.
She said her daughter later came across claims that prompted her to seek clarification from her.
“She asked me, and I said, that's not true. So I gave her the actual document, and she just said, but mom, why don't you guys tell us about this? Because we are reading what's in the social media?”
Shollei said the experience showed how easily social media can become the main source of information for citizens when government agencies fail to provide timely and accessible explanations.
She said effective communication should not only happen when the government is making announcements, but should continue throughout the implementation of major policies and programmes.
The Deputy Speaker said citizens need clear information on why a policy is being introduced, how it will affect them and what they will be expected to do. She said this would also allow members of the public to ask questions, challenge decisions where necessary and provide feedback.
Shollei said communication gaps can create confusion and give room for inaccurate information to spread, especially when official explanations are not available at the time Kenyans are seeking answers.
She called on government institutions to make public communication part of the policy implementation process instead of treating it as an activity that comes after decisions have already been made.
The Uasin Gishu Woman Representative said sustained engagement with citizens could help build greater trust between the government and the public by ensuring Kenyans remain informed as programmes and policies are rolled out.
Her remarks came during a discussion on government programmes and the implementation of the 2010 Constitution, with Shollei stressing the need for citizens to have enough information to understand government actions and participate meaningfully in public affairs.
She said Kenyans are more likely to engage constructively with government programmes when they have clear and reliable information about their purpose, how they will affect them and what is expected of them.