Meet the DCI Social Media team behind captivating posts

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations social media accounts have become a go-to source for security updates, due to the comical form of reporting that has attracted close to 1 million followers on Twitter and over 300,000 followers on Facebook.

For years many Kenyans have been curious to know how the DCI social media accounts are managed.

Behind the computers sits a team of communication officials who seem to have cracked the balance between reporting crime, issuing updates and engaging Kenyans.

A police officer in charge of the call center scrolls through the directorate’s Twitter feed on a touch screen. Pulse Live Kenya

Speaking in a recent interview, Inspector Michael Mugo, the officer in charge of DCI's Corporate Communication and Public Affairs explained how the team has achieved success.

He said that he works with 10 staff members who assume different roles within the communications unit.

Swahili Guru

Sometimes the DCI posts security updates in Swahili thanks to Mwanajum Shame who is the author of the captivating statements.

“People love the way we do it in Swahili. They even recommend that we translate all the English posts to Swahili. We always choose which ones are to be posted in either of the two languages," she said during the interview.

Her daily duties include managing the Facebook page and responding to Kenyans in the DMs.

Storyteller Extraordinare

At times the DCI updates are so compelling that it seems like a movie plot or a fiction book. Jonah Kimani is known in the department for his command of English and creativity.

Jonah Kimani checks his Twitter feed while preparing some new posts Pulse Live Kenya

Before becoming a police constable, he had hoped to become a journalist and now he gets to work in the communications team.

We give crime stories reported in the police stations across the country. Our main source is the Occurrence Books manned by the police. Every regional coordinator report to the DCI, before we check for the newsworthy reports that are reported to the public," he explained his work.

International acclaim.

The DCI’s use of social media has not gone unrecognised. In 2021, the Washington Post described the narration of stories posted by Kimani as Shakespearean.

“Kenyans from top to bottom have embraced Twitter as their source of information…What I’ve learned is that people want thrills. You must feed your followers. That’s how the word gets out,” he told the Post in 2021.