O is for #OleLenku

Joseph Ole Lenku is a Kenyan politician and current Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in the Jubilee Government. Lenku’s time on social media has seen the pendulum of public sentiment swinging heavily against him and his ministry. Initially during his appointment and particularly following decreasing faith in the country’s security apparatus under the threat of terror and rising insecurity.

Appointed and answerable to the President, he’s endured seasons of harsh tweets and criticism especially in the face of insecurity incidents in the country alongside the Inspector General of Police, David Kimaiyo (@IGKimaiyo). This came to a head during and after #Westgate in September 2013 where many picked on Lenku’s lack of previous high-level security experience in his career and took him to task on words he said in various press conferences during the siege. The criticism on social media was heavy with pressure even on traditional media urging for his resignation or dismissal by President Uhuru Kenyatta. He remains among the country’s foremost security officials in the Cabinet and continues to engage and share updates on Twitter and online.