Alfred Mutua: From Kenya’s First Gov’t Spokesman to Foreign Affairs CS

Alfred Nganga Mutua is the immediate former governor of Machakos County in Kenya. He was born on August 22, 1970. Mutua served as Kenya’s government spokesman before stepping down in 2012 to run for Machakos County Governor.

Early Life

Mutua was born in the Machakos County town of Masii. He was a businessman, professor, civil servant, and politician who lived, studied, and worked in Kenya, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

He shares three children with his ex-wife, Dr Josephine Thitu.

After his divorce, he started seeing Lilian Nganga. They ended things in 2021.

Education

He attended Jamhuri High School and Dagoretti High School for his O and A levels, respectively. He graduated from Whitworth College in the United States with a BA in Journalism and Eastern Washington University with an MSc in Communication. The University of Western Sydney in Australia awarded him a PhD in communication and media.

Professional Career

Journalism

Mutua began his career as a journalist while still in high school, and at the age of 15, he published his first story in the daily newspapers. He published features for The Sunday Nation, Standard Newspaper, and the defunct Kenya Times Newspaper after graduating from high school. He formed his first firm, Golden Dreams Company, in 1989, when he was 19 years old, and began publishing a newsletter/magazine called “Golden Times.”

While in the United States for further studies, he wrote for many American newspapers and began working in video production, releasing the documentary “An African in America” in 1996. He worked for a number of television channels, including Seattle’s PBS. From 1997 to 2001, he worked as a reporter and features writer for Nation Media Group.

He also taught at the University of Western Sydney, Macquarie University, and a number of Sydney TAFE institutions. In 2002, he was poached from Sydney and transferred to the prestigious Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates as an Assistant Professor of Communication and Media.

He conducted Middle East study and traveled to Oman and Beirut, Lebanon to present papers and studies on the use of media and communication for peace and development while in the UAE – Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

In 1999, he wrote a popular weekly travel column called “Msafiri” for the Daily Nation’s Friday edition, as well as contributing editorial pieces to the Sunday Nation.

Mutua began consulting work at Nation TV in 2003, where he trained and assisted journalists in transitioning to modern broadcasting standards when the channel changed its name and appearance to NTV.

Film Work

Mutua continued to make films while in Dubai, and in 2002 he released “And the Desert Smiled,” a film about constantly dreaming and winning. In 2005, he resurrected his company, Golden Dreams Company, and produced Kenya’s first modern action TV series, “Cobra Squad,” which became a hit. Other shows he produced include Beba Beba and “How to Be Rich in Africa.”

Civil Service

Government Spokesperson

In June 2002, then-President Mwai Kibaki selected Mutua as Kenya’s first official government spokesman. He held the position till September 3, 2012.

He was also the Secretary of State for Public Affairs and the Director of the President’s Office of Public Communications. Mutua developed Najivunia Kuwa Mkenya, a public campaign to promote patriotism, during his tenure.

Political Career

On March 27, 2013, Mutua was sworn in as the first governor of Machakos County. He picked Bernard Kiala as his Deputy Governor.

Mutua then founded a political party named Maendeleo Chap Chap Party in August 2016.

In 2022, he backed ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Presidential bid but went back on his word and instead pushed for a William Ruto presidency.

Dr Ruto beat Raila to become Kenya’s fifth President. He then appointed Dr Mutua as the Foreign Affairs CS.