This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 8, 2020, Dennis Itumbi claimed he worked as the Director of Innovation, Digital and Diaspora Communication in the Office of the President for a year without pay.
Itumbi, who was a member of the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit (PSCU), explained that he faced opposition from former State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, now Kenya's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Itumbi proposed changes to transform the President's communications team, but Esipisu's approval was required for the PSCU to be formed and new hires made.
After being kept waiting, Itumbi decided to bypass Esipisu and approached President Uhuru Kenyatta directly to sign off on the project.
"They (Manoah) saw it as Breaking News on their phones as they took their stroll in the gardens," Itumbi wrote.
Itumbi's stint at PSCU was marked by a combative defense of the President and government projects online.