In this age of tea, get hold of a communications counsellor

By Ayub Mwangi 

Tea has shifted.

It is no longer the dark brew made of tea leaves mixed with water that is served with or without sugar, with or without milk, with mugs or cups but a new form of conversation in which gossip, rumour, innuendo, allegations, and counter allegations circulate online.

Many celebrities find themselves in the public limelight for things they may have done or alleged to have done in private, with grievous consequences to their businesses, psychological wellness and reputation.

For instance, in the last one week, we have been treated to high level tea in which the life and times of the Most Reverend Benson Kamau also known as Ben Kiengei or Guka wa Nairobi of the Jesus Compassion Ministry in Ruiru Kiambu County has been laid bare.

An apparent fallout between his friends has left him hanging naked and fighting for his reputation. His alleged escapades have been laid bare and if it is true that is who he is then lives life with a big spoon.

But, none of the actions could have been more damaging than the telephone conversation dumped into the social media allegedly given by one woman at the heart of the controversy.

Listening to the conversation, two things emerge, a woman in deep pain who was ready to pour her heart out to a dishonest and slimming blogger driven by views and clicks. I can see the glee in the blogger's face as she squeezes every drop of pain from the businesswoman, knowing that the tea will be served hot.

The moment Bishop Ben and his friends went into controversy and started trending; they should have been prepared for the hundreds of phone calls that were to come their way by people purporting to want to get clarity on the matter. In journalistic lingo, we call it the right of reply.

This is where now their media advisor should have stepped in. We can borrow from the example of Dr. Fiona Hill a British woman who had worked for four American Presidents as Advisor on Russian affairs.

When Dr. Hill was asked how she conquered fear during the hearing on the impeachment of President Donald Trump, she said that she relied on the advice of a media person for preparation and training.

“……..I think, the benefit of having someone like yourself who’s been in the media who worked with me just before the impeachment trial, and that sounds in some respects somewhat absurd, but was basically saying, Look, you’re going to get up there, there’s going to be cameras stuck in your face, this is going to be like nothing you’ve ever done before and you have to find some focus,” Dr. Hill who was presenting a lecture titled “Freedom from Fear” in the BBC 2022 Reith Lecture series said.

A media interview can be scary and at the same time, the interviewer can use subterfuge to draw information from you that you may not have intended to reveal, sometimes even contradicting yourself.

A media person will help ensure the consistency of the message and at the same time guard against overwhelming demands for response.

The advisors will tell you when to write a short press statement that does not say much, but buys you time to let the whole controversy die down.

While responding in person puts the people at the heart of the controversy in the forefront of the hot tea, it does not help much but fan the conflict.

People who are in anger, loss, or revenge, will always try to outdo each in revealing stuff that was done in secret, much to the detriment of the bro code.

A media person will help you deal with the situation objectively and without anger. They know how the press and to some extent bloggers ask questions and will respond professionally and promptly.

Nonetheless, the client must watch out for well-trained media relations experts and not the one who is ready to carry client bags in order to impress them.

Clients must find advisors who will give sound professional counsel and not the praise singing gatekeepers, who are not ready to tell you the truth on your face.

The writer is a communication consultant based in Mombasa. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.