An evaluation of public relation practice in a state corporation: a case of Kenyatta International Convention Center

Abstract

Effective government public relations aimed to build public trust and opinion, inform citizens about policies, and deliver messages through various techniques such as news media, social media, public pronouncements, and other communication strategies. However, most state corporations in Kenya faced reputational challenges, exacerbated by a lack of structured public relations practices, particularly during times of public crisis. In many cases, public relations and marketing functions were merged, with roles undertaken by employees who lacked formal PR training, leading to the neglect of essential public relations practices. Against this backdrop, this study evaluated public relations practices in a Kenyan state corporation; Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC). The study sought to determine the extent to which public relations practices have been adopted at the Kenyatta International Convention Center, identify the factors that influence public relations practice at KICC, and find out strategies that can be applied to enhance public relation practice at KICC. The study was guided by the situational theory, relationship management theory, and systems theory of publics. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, employing a sequential explanatory design with a case study methodology. Data collection involved questionnaires and interviews, with a purposive sampling used to select all 13 public relations officers for interviews. Similarly, 112 marketing officers participated in filling questionnaires ensuring comprehensive data collection from the target population. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, whereas qualitative data from interviews were analyzed thematically and presented narratively. The study’s key findings revealed that KICC had integrated public relations practices into its operations. However, despite possessing technical capacity, technological support, and an enabling organizational culture and structure, KICC had not fully implemented the requisite public relation practices to enhance their communication effectiveness. The study concluded that KICC, could improve public relations by leveraging digital platforms, creating online content and conversations, disseminating news, and hosting events through social media channels. Based on these findings, the study recommended that KICC should strengthen stakeholder engagement, develop comprehensive public relations strategies, embrace digital PR, foster media relations, invest in professional development, cultivate a positive organizational culture, and streamline organizational structures to enhance public relations practices.