Why Julie Gichuru has turned down prestigious government job

Why Julie Gichuru has turned down prestigious govt job

Sue Watiri

May 10, 2019 11:51 AM

This is why.

Julie Gichuru (Instagram)

Former Citizen Journalist Julie Gichuru was among those who had been offered plum state jobs in the latest reorganization of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.

The media personality who is a household name was appointed to the board of Kenya Export Promotion and Brand Agency in the recent gazette appointments. The body is tasked with ‘Promoting Kenya’s exports globally through intelligent, timely and accurate product and market information’

Julie Gichuru (Instagram) Pulse Live Kenya

As it turns out, Julie will not be taking the job due to ‘heavy prior commitments’ and an ‘intense travel schedule’. Julie, however, believes that there are many Kenyans who could serve this role well and so the Kenya Export Promotion and Brand Agency is in good hands.

“Due to heavy prior commitments and my intense travel schedule I cannot accept this appointment. I know there are many Kenyans who could serve this role well. Wish them the best and as always, repping Kenya and Africa in all that I do everywhere that I go,” Julie revealed.

Julie tuns down state job (Instagram) Pulse Live Kenya

Parastatal Appointments

This is the second time Julie has been picked to serve in a Kenyan parastatal. In October 2015, Julie Gichuru was selected as a member of the Brand Kenya Board for a period of three years in Uhuru’s celebrity appointments.

Radio Africa’s Caroline Mutoko was appointed as a member of the board of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication while former Big Brother representative Ted Mathusi was picked to serve in the Kenya Cultural Centre Council.

Julie Gichuru with Caroline Mutoko (Instagram) Pulse Live Kenya

Julie’s 15-year experience in the media that has seen her work in the fields of broadcast, print and digital media has made her an influential figure and this could be one of the reasons she gets these plum jobs.

During her time in the media, Julie was famed as a trendsetter as she pioneered what is possibly Kenya’s first investigative TV series The Inside Story on KTN.

She also hosted a peace and reconciliation program Fist to Five at Citizen TV and the immensely-popular program Sunday Live before she retired from the media.