PUBLIC RELATIONS TALENT

Kenyan PR professional appointed to marketing and communications role

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Wanjiru Kamotho, a former winner of the ‘Young PR Professional of the Year Award’, named Head of Marketing and Communication at BasiGo.

BasiGo, the electric bus and sustainable mobility company operating in Kenya and Rwanda, has announced the appointment of Wanjiru Dorcus Kamotho as its new Head of Marketing and Communication.

Nairobi-based Kamotho is described in a company statement as an “established communications professional with a passion for strategic, integrated and sustainability communications, with seven years of experience working with clients in the government and private sector”.

Wanjiru Kamotho. Photo: LinkedIn

The statement adds: “She is passionate about the power of technology in creating opportunities for the people in Africa and the growth of organisations committed to doing business responsibly while safeguarding our planet.”

A full member of the Public Relations Society of Kenya, Kamotho is a past recipient of ‘The Young PR Professional of the Year Award’ (Agency Category) awarded by the PRSK. She received the award in 2022.

Roles with leading public relations consultancies

Prior to joining BasiGo, she held the position of Senior Manager, Client Experience, East Africa at Weber Shandwick, an international strategic communications and consulting network.

Before that, Kamotho spent almost four years with Hill + Knowlton Strategies in the roles of Account Executive and Account Manager – Technology & Sustainability Practice.

In the latter, she planned, implemented and supervised public relations and communication management programmes for clients. Among them were BasiGo, HMD Global, Cadbury, CSquared and KWAL.

In a 2022 interview with The Comms Avenue, a platform for communications professionals, she listed the following as some of the key lessons learned on her professional journey:

Stay teachable – learning never stops. Those who keep learning stay relevant.

Get mentors – shadow someone who has been there, done that and have conversations with people who do what you would like to do. They will open your mind.

Hard work and going the extra mile never hurt anyone. Put your heart into it and you will increase your chances of doing great work.

Have a cheerleader – someone who believes in you and your ability to go beyond. They will come through for you when the imposter syndrome kicks in.

Enjoy your work. If possible, get a job you love and work will feel like play.

On her LinkedIn profile, Kamotho describes herself as a “relationship-driven strategic communication professional with a results-driven approach in building corporate brands, and establishing trusting relationships with stakeholders”.

Pre-conference masterclass discusses taking African brands to the world

Participants challenged to identify, articulate and commercialise the cultural assets that make their brand ready for a global audience.

Three people stand side by side in front of a sports direct backdrop the woman in the middle holds a blue and orange 'sports direct' sign

Africa’s first Sports Direct retail store opens its doors in Nairobi

Second outlet planned for Nairobi before year end, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco said to be future target markets.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.

Three people in formal attire pose for a photo at an awards event a woman in a pink dress holds a trophy while two men in suits stand beside her against a gold confetti backdrop

FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards

South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.

Portrait of a man with short black hair and a beard wearing a black button down shirt against a light gray background

Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths

Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.

Yellow humanoid robot at a bakery counter inspecting a display of donuts on display in front of glass cases

Consumers have doubts about products when they’re designed by AI

Researchers find that lack of perceived ‘genuine care’ is the mechanism connecting AI involvement to lower trust ratings.