Mercy Milanoi

Nairobi · Kilifi · Global

Translating complex issues into clear narratives through storytelling.

Mercy Milanoi Muindi is a strategic communications leader working at the intersection of government, international development, and media — turning policy into stories that move people, partners, and power.

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10+
Years across media & gov
1.5M+
Residents reached in Kilifi
6
Global summits covered
Portrait of Mercy Milanoi Muindi, Strategic Communications & Storytelling Specialist
Mercy Milanoi MuindiStrategic Communications & Storytelling Specialist
Kilifi County Government·K24 TV·Safaricom Newsroom·Oxygène Communications·UNCTAD 14·WTO Ministerial·TICAD VI·AGRF·Global NGO Stakeholders Summit 2026·
Kilifi County Government·K24 TV·Safaricom Newsroom·Oxygène Communications·UNCTAD 14·WTO Ministerial·TICAD VI·AGRF·Global NGO Stakeholders Summit 2026·

About

Where policy meets people — and stories travel between them.

For more than a decade, Mercy has worked at the intersection of government, international development, and media — shaping how complex issues in health, governance, and sustainability are told, heard, and acted on.

She currently serves as Deputy Director of Public Communications at Kilifi County Government, advising the Governor on high-stakes policy communications, media strategy, and stakeholder partnerships across health, education, water, and drought resilience for a county of 1.5 million residents.

From boardroom briefings to last-mile development stories — a practice that holds clarity, credibility, and purpose across every audience.

"Shaping messages that resonate equally in a village baraza and a boardroom."

Core Competencies

Communications craft, end to end.

From boardroom briefings to last-mile health stories — a practice that holds clarity, credibility, and purpose across every audience.
  • 01

    Strategic Communications

    Integrated, multi-channel strategies built for complex stakeholder environments.

  • 02

    Storytelling & Narrative

    Translating data, policy, and lived experience into stories that travel.

  • 03

    Media Relations

    National and regional media placement, briefings, and spokesperson preparation.

  • 04

    Policy Communication

    Translating fiscal, health, and governance policy for public and donor audiences.

  • 05

    Public Affairs & Advocacy

    Campaigns that connect institutions to communities, donors, and decision-makers.

  • 06

    Crisis Communication

    Public health emergencies, drought response, and governance accountability.

  • 07

    Thought Leadership

    Executive positioning, op-eds, keynote framing, and convening narratives.

  • 08

    ESG & Sustainability

    SDG-aligned reporting and impact storytelling for development outcomes.

  • 09

    Development Communications

    MNCH, WASH, community health, digital health financing — at scale.

  • 10

    Digital Campaigns

    Short-form video, social strategy, and platform-specific content optimisation.

  • 11

    Stakeholder Engagement

    UN agencies, bilateral donors, INGOs, county and national government.

  • 12

    Speech & Content Strategy

    Briefs, talking points, editorial frameworks, and brand messaging.

Experience

A decade across media, government, and development.

From the K24 anchor desk to the Office of the Governor — a career built where communications meets impact.

  1. Dec 2022 — Present

    Deputy Director, Public Communications

    Kilifi County Government — Office of the Governor · Kilifi, Kenya

    • Principal communications adviser to the Governor across health, water, education and governance for 1.5M+ residents.
    • Designed and executes the County's integrated communications and media strategy, aligned to CIDP and Kenya's SDG commitments.
    • Brokered a flagship public-private partnership with Power Learn Project enabling 500 youth to access digital skills training.
    • Leads crisis communications for public health emergencies and drought response, coordinating national and international media.
    • Contributed to the Kilifi International Investment Conference — investor-ready narratives across priority sectors.

  2. Jul 2020 — Dec 2022

    Lead Editorial Consultant

    Oxygène Marketing & Communications Ltd · Nairobi, Kenya

    • Editor-in-Chief for newsroom.safaricom.co.ke and moolah.co.ke — editorial strategy, multimedia production, and team leadership.
    • Commissioned a health & development portfolio across MNCH, WASH, M-TIBA, TotoHealth, and the Uzazi Salama RMNCAH programme.
    • Grew client social media engagement 50%+ through short-form video and platform-specific content strategy.
    • Stewarded media relations and editorial standards across a portfolio of East African clients.

  3. May 2015 — Jun 2020

    Business Journalist, Reporter & Producer

    Mediamax Network — K24 TV · Nairobi, Kenya

    • Anchored and co-produced Inside Business — K24's flagship business programme — from inception over four years.
    • Covered UNCTAD 14, WTO 10th Ministerial Conference, TICAD VI, AGRF and state visits by Obama, May, Macron, and Buhari.
    • Led content production for six consecutive national budget cycles (2015–2021).
    • Interviewed 200+ leaders across health, food security, agriculture, blue economy, and humanitarian sectors.

  4. Jan 2015 — May 2015

    Corporate Affairs Intern

    Daystar University · Nairobi, Kenya

    • Led media relations, press kits, newsletters and social platforms — contributed to a 30% increase in student admissions.

  5. May 2013 — May 2014

    Radio Presenter & PR Officer

    Shine FM — Daystar University · Nairobi, Kenya

    • Produced a weekly business show; partnerships with Safaricom, Airtel and NCBA grew station revenue 60% and engagement 40%.

Featured Work

Storytelling at the intersection of impact and influence.

Selected case studies from government, development, media and advocacy.
GovernmentKilifi County Government · Office of the Governor

Communicating a county through drought, health and reform

Challenge
Translate complex policy across health, water and governance into a coherent public narrative for 1.5M+ residents and global partners.
Strategy
Designed an integrated communications and media strategy aligned to the County Integrated Development Plan and Kenya's SDG commitments.
Approach
Multi-channel storytelling — community radio, broadcast media, digital, policy briefs and field-produced video — anchored by a clear voice from the Governor's office.
  • 1.5M+ residents reached
  • Flagship PPP with Power Learn Project
  • Crisis comms for drought & public health emergencies
DevelopmentSafaricom Newsroom — Oxygène Communications

A health & development editorial portfolio at scale

Challenge
Make digital health financing, MNCH and WASH programmes legible to mass audiences without losing technical precision.
Strategy
Commissioned and edited a portfolio of stories spanning Uzazi Salama, M-TIBA, TotoHealth, BCC in Narok and the Kajiado Maternal Health Improvement Programme.
Approach
Community health promoter profiles, last-mile delivery stories, and health financing explainers — aligned to SDG 3 and SDG 6.
  • 27,000+ women reached across programmes
  • M-TIBA recognised as WEF Tech Pioneer
  • 50%+ growth in social engagement
SummitKilifi County Government

Investor-ready narratives for Kilifi International Investment Conference

Challenge
Position Kilifi to a high-level multi-stakeholder investor audience across blue economy, agriculture and infrastructure.
Strategy
Translated complex economic and development data into compelling sector narratives and executive briefs.
Approach
Investor briefs, sector storytelling assets, and conference editorial.
  • High-level investor convening delivered
  • Replicable sector storytelling playbook
  • Cross-sector partnership pipeline
MediaK24 TV · Mediamax Network

Inside Business — covering Africa's development decade

Challenge
Build a credible business television franchise covering fiscal policy, food systems, health and humanitarian affairs.
Strategy
Anchored and co-produced the show from inception; designed editorial frameworks for budget cycles and global summits.
Approach
Live broadcast, interviews with 200+ leaders, and coverage of UNCTAD, WTO, TICAD and AGRF.
  • 4-year flagship run
  • 6 national budget cycles led
  • 6+ global development forums covered
AdvocacyKilifi County × Power Learn Project

Brokering a youth digital skills partnership

Challenge
Open digital economy pathways for youth in a coastal county with limited tech infrastructure.
Strategy
Stakeholder mapping, partnership framing and advocacy narrative for a replicable PPP.
Approach
Stakeholder engagement, donor briefs, and a community-facing campaign narrative.
  • 500 youth enrolled
  • Replicable county innovation model
  • Donor-ready impact storytelling
ESGEditorial portfolio · Multiple programmes

SDG-aligned impact storytelling across health & WASH

Challenge
Connect frontline programme outcomes to global SDG and ESG reporting frameworks.
Strategy
Translate programme data into human stories that strengthen donor reporting and community trust.
Approach
Feature stories, policy briefs, impact videos and editorial KPIs.
  • SDG 3 & SDG 6 alignment
  • Donor-ready impact reporting
  • Community trust built across counties

Thought Leadership

Where the work continues — on stage, on page, and in the room.

Speaking engagements, editorial work, summit advisory, and the affiliations that shape the practice.
Summit

Global NGO Stakeholders Summit 2026

Communications & Strategy Advisor on the Secretariat — shaping the convening's narrative architecture.

Advisory · Secretariat

Speaking

Inside Business — interviews with 200+ leaders

A four-year archive of conversations with economists, ministers and development practitioners across East Africa.

K24 TV · 2015–2020

Editorial

Decoding health financing for mass audiences

Editorial leadership on Safaricom Newsroom's M-TIBA, MNCH and last-mile health delivery stories.

Newsroom.safaricom.co.ke

Affiliation

Secretary General — Financial Journalists Society of Kenya

Convening Kenya's financial press around standards, capacity building and policy literacy.

FJSK

Coverage

UNCTAD 14 · WTO 10th Ministerial · TICAD VI · AGRF

On-the-ground reporting and moderation across landmark international development forums in Nairobi.

Global Forums

Training

Sustainability & Development Planning

Executive training on SDG reporting and sustainable development communications — Strathmore Business School × KCB Foundation.

Executive Programme

Services

Helping institutions communicate with clarity, credibility and purpose.

Engagements run from full strategic retainers to project-led editorial, advisory and crisis response.
01 ·

Strategic Communications Consulting

Integrated strategy, messaging frameworks, and team capacity building.

02 ·

Media & PR Strategy

Media relations, spokesperson preparation, and editorial placement.

03 ·

Storytelling & Content Development

Long-form editorial, video, photography, and impact narratives.

04 ·

Executive & Thought Leadership

Positioning, op-eds, keynote framing and personal brand strategy.

05 ·

Crisis & Humanitarian Communications

Public health, climate and governance crisis response.

06 ·

NGO & Development Communications

Donor reporting, programme storytelling, and community engagement.

07 ·

ESG & Sustainability Communications

SDG-aligned reporting and impact storytelling.

08 ·

Event & Summit Communications

Convening narratives, executive briefs, and editorial assets.

09 ·

Advocacy Campaigns

Public affairs, behaviour-change and policy advocacy at scale.

In Their Words

What collaborators say.

"
Mercy has a rare gift — she can sit in a technical briefing on health financing and walk out with a story that a mother in the village will understand and act on.
Senior Programme LeadDevelopment sector partner
"
Calm in a crisis, sharp on strategy, and impossible to outwork. She is the communications mind every governor's office should have.
Senior County OfficialKilifi County Government
"
A journalist's discipline and a strategist's instinct. She translates complexity without losing the truth of it.
Newsroom EditorSafaricom Newsroom

Let's Work Together

Have a story worth telling well?

For consulting engagements, advisory roles, speaking, and editorial collaborations — get in touch.

Based

Nairobi & Kilifi, Kenya

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