By Staff Writer
He is loved and loathed in almost equal measure. How he voices his opinions and gets social media users talking or coins slogans that stick like glue is the work of a master in his trade. The former State House senior digital director Dennis Itumbi is that one man you want in your corner if you are seriously gunning for the presidency. This is evident in how he handled the Jubilee campaigns in 2013 and 2017. The ‘pig farmer’ has also done a commendable job in selling DP William Ruto and his UDA party. So what lessons can we learn from Itumbi?
It doesn’t work being callous on social media: It goes without saying that Dennis Itumbi is one of the foremost bloggers in the country. He has dined with the President and will continue enjoying the trappings of power if the DP ascends to power. Unlike his peers, Itumbi avoids insults or casting aspersions he cannot defend. He won’t use unprintable words if one differs with his opinions. That is not to say he has not made wild allegations in the past.
Well informed: The blogger has taught us that to be in his position you have to be well informed. When he appears on TV political shows, Itumbi is never intimidated and takes questions from journalists with dexterity. This cannot be said of most bigwig bloggers who are loud on social media but hollow when it matters.
Stick to one hustle at a time: Bloggers are known to do dirty work of the highest bidder and this doesn’t last beyond a couple of days. The class of Itumbi is different. He sticks to one hustle at a time and does it with a lot of gusto. His influence has seen the ‘deep state’ try to poach him-at least according to what he told political commentator Wahome King’ori:
“Let me make it easy for you. It has been tried over the last one year including one week ago and the answer is the same no.
“I am a hustler story. It is natural here. It is not even about me.
“It is about millions of hustlers.
“So, no price can get me from the hustler movement….”
To be relevant, don’t mix yourself with too many things at one go. Dennis Itumbi-for example-is known as the number one hustler blogger.
Ambition: Nothing should hold you back. Itumbi first came to Nairobi from Embu when he was 19 years old to join the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC). The drive to succeed has seen him share the same table with who is who in Kenya.
Be true to your friends: when former Citizen TV anchor Jacque Maribe was arrested and put on trial for the murder of Ms Monica Kimani, it was Dennis who stood by her. According to the disgraced news anchor, most of her friends dissociated with her but Dennis remained steadfast.