Francis Gachuri was once known as a decent journalist during his time at Citizen TV. Many Kenyans respected him for his professionalism, clear reporting, and calm demeanor.
He seemed like someone who valued truth and fairness. But since he left journalism and joined government work, everything has changed.
He now works under Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and according to recent claims by Maverick Aoko, he has abandoned his principles and turned into a political operator with questionable ethics.
Maverick Aoko, a known critic who often exposes political rot through her X handle, has come out strongly against Gachuri. In her post, she openly accused him of becoming a “mkora” a crook ever since he joined politics. She pointed out that while Gachuri once stood for something meaningful in journalism, he now serves power blindly and even oversees a team of bloggers pushing government propaganda.
But what makes the situation worse is what she revealed about these bloggers. According to Aoko, the bloggers working under Gachuri for Deputy President Kindiki’s media team are being paid just KSh 3,000 per month. That amount is shocking. In today’s economy, KSh 3,000 doesn’t even cover food or transport for a week, let alone a whole month.
Yet these individuals are expected to spend their time online defending government policies, attacking critics, and spinning positive narratives. If Aoko’s allegations are true, then this is exploitation hiding behind government PR.
It is shameful and disgusting.The irony is heavy. Gachuri, who once held the powerful to account, is now accused of turning into one of them and even worse, of misusing young Kenyans struggling to make a living.
Maverick Aoko may be controversial, but she has put the spotlight on something many people are afraid to say.
Gachuri’s transformation from respected journalist to political puppet is not just a fall from grace it’s a betrayal of the very values he once claimed to stand for.
Supporting lies for KSh 3,000 per month is an insult to the intelligence of Kenyans, and Gachuri’s silence in the face of these allegations speaks volumes. If he still has any dignity left, he should come clean and fix this mess before it buries what remains of his reputation.