Karambu Kubai, Media Relations & PR Lead at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Plc, has called on organisations to reposition Corporate Communications as a strategic business function rather than a support service focused primarily on photography, publicity and event coverage.
Kubai argued that Corporate Communications remains one of the most misunderstood functions within many organisations, with some equating it to marketing, while others view it as a non-technical support function that should only become involved after major decisions have been made.
According to her, this perception often results in communications teams being brought into projects at the final stages, leaving practitioners to respond to last-minute requests ranging from event publicity and photography to crisis management and media relations.
She noted that communications professionals are frequently asked to provide photographers for corporate visits, design event banners, generate publicity for meetings that have already taken place or address negative media coverage after it has emerged.
Kubai maintained that such an approach limits the ability of communications teams to contribute strategically to organisational objectives.
“Corporate Communication is a strategic function that serves to bridge the gap between an organisation and its stakeholders,” she said, stressing that communications should be integrated into corporate planning from the outset.
She explained that while organisations may spend considerable time developing strategies, objectives and implementation plans, the desired results can remain elusive if those plans are not effectively communicated to the appropriate audiences.
Kubai therefore urged organisations to move away from simply assigning communications teams specific outputs, such as photography or social media posts, and instead involve communication professionals from the inception of projects, programmes and corporate initiatives.
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She said early involvement enables communicators to understand the intended outcomes, identify key stakeholders and develop communication strategies tailored to different audiences.
“Effective communication helps to correct misconceptions. When people understand things, they’re more likely to support them,” Kubai said, noting that some programmes encounter resistance not because they are poorly conceived, but because stakeholders lack sufficient understanding of the facts.
She further highlighted the importance of collaboration between communications professionals and technical departments, particularly in sectors where complex technical issues must be translated into accessible messages for the public.
Drawing from her experience in Kenya’s energy sector, Kubai cited Kenya Power’s 2024 campaign to encourage customers using prepaid meters to update their meters ahead of a global deadline that could have rendered the meters obsolete.
She said the campaign demonstrated the value of integrating communications with technical and operational teams from the beginning.
According to Kubai, the communications team worked closely with engineering and ICT teams, which helped communicators understand the technical aspects of the project and translate complex information into simple messages that could resonate with diverse customer groups.
“Having understood the nuts and bolts of the project, we (communications team) crafted simple messages that could be easily understood across all our customer categories,” she said.
She added that the campaign’s communication strategy also considered the different needs of target audiences in selecting appropriate media channels.
In an effort to reach audiences beyond conventional corporate communication channels, Kubai said she even featured in a television play, Vioja Mahakamani, to reinforce the campaign message.
“For the first time, I featured in a TV play (Vioja Mahakamani) to emphasise the campaign message—because we were determined not to leave anyone behind in this critical exercise,” she said.
Kubai’s experience underscores her broader argument that effective Corporate Communications goes beyond generating publicity. When communicators are embedded in the decision-making and implementation process, they can help organisations translate complex initiatives into clear narratives, build stakeholder understanding, manage perceptions and ultimately strengthen support for corporate objectives.
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