Milton Nyakundi Oriku

Professional Summary Experienced communications and media professional with expertise in child & family welfare matters, legal documentation and processes (including drafting of basic legal documents), digital media management, strategic communication, and public relations. Proven ability to advocate for children's best interests, oversee digital media outlets, implement communication plans, and increase brand awareness. Extensive experience in court reporting, including preparation and submission of court reports on case progress, and maintaining court appearance logs. Skills • Organizational Skills & Teamwork • Child/Family Welfare & Legal Compliance • • Public Relations & Media Communications Planning, Management and Execution • Editorial Skills, News Content & Digital Media Management Brand Awareness & Media Engagement Education Post Graduate Program in Data Science and Business Analytics University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business (2025) Honoris Causa (International Peace Processes) Legacy University, Texas, United States (2024) Mass Communication & Journalism in Journalism Nairobi Aviation College – Kenya (2004 - 2005) Certificate in Communication skills Kenya Utalii College – Kenya (2003) Employment & work experience 1|MiltonOrikuResume Permanency Specialist: EmberHope Connections - Wichita, Kansas (September 2024 to Present) • Work closely with case managers, attorneys, and child welfare professionals to gather relevant case information. • Assist in organizing case files and ensuring all necessary documentation is available for court hearings. • Prepare and submit comprehensive court reports detailing case progress, child welfare status, and recommendations for judicial review. • Attend court hearings, prepare and submit timely reports on cases involving children in foster care, and maintain accurate court appearance logs. • Maintain detailed court appearance logs, tracking hearing dates and ensuring timely follow-ups. • Ensure all reports and documentation comply with Kansas state regulations and foster care policies. • Communicate effectively with foster parents, guardians, and stakeholders to provide updates on court proceedings. • Monitor case developments and provide recommendations based on legal and child welfare best practices. • Communicate effectively with foster parents, guardians, and stakeholders to provide updates on court proceedings. Managing Editor: Kurunzi News – Digital content platform (January 2017 to Present) • Successfully grew Kurunzi News from a one-man entity to a fast-growing digital media outlet targeting Africa. • Oversaw a team of 15 journalists responsible for publication of digital products, aligning content strategies to maintain consistent brand identity. • Identified, trained, and mentored journalists as part of the content production teams to generate multimedia content. • Established a management leadership structure for editorial teams to coordinate correspondents and freelancers. Guided editorial teams in content planning and budgeting to ensure sustainability of the brand. 2|MiltonOrikuResume • • Kurunzi News is now one of the most identifiable sources of investigative and citizen-centric content with a combined online following of over 100,000. Communications and Engagement Manager: AfriThrive Inc. - Silver Spring, Maryland (February 2023 to September 2023) • Co-created and implemented a strategic communication and marketing plan. • Assisted with researching, writing, and editing content for blogs, proposals, newsletters, and technical briefs. • Established guidelines on the use of logos and other marketing assets to guarantee corporate identity consistency. • Deployed tools to moderate user-generated content and ensure compliance with copyright laws and ethical guidelines. • Introduced and developed organizational capacity for the use of analytical tools to monitor and evaluate social media presence. • Designed the Community Ambassadors program and developed its training handbook. Sports PR/Media Consultant StarTimes Kenya - Nairobi, Kenya (June 2015 to October 2021) • Increased brand awareness through creation of innovative news media content. • Implemented streamlined media engagement processes and workflow to increase brand visibility. • Advised on strategic professional networking ideas to maintain strong relationships with communications/media professionals. • Prepared for public relations presentations and plans by gathering information on business objectives, vision, brand strategy, competition, and industry trends. • Implemented social media messaging ideas, follower engagement, social listening, trend analysis, and leveraging competitor research. 3|MiltonOrikuResume • Drafted press releases, detailing relevant newsworthy information to support brand image. Communications/Media Advisor: Football Kenya Federation - Nairobi, Kenya (July 2014 to February 2016) • Advised on best packaging/delivery of all communications and messaging. • Developed and maintained the federation website and social media platforms. • Coordinated journalists, editors, and media practitioners to ensure accurate media coverage of federation activities. • Developed internal and external communications standards and frameworks. • Designed and implemented integrated publicity/media campaigns. • Created unified messaging of public relations efforts in conjunction with advertising campaigns. Copy Editor: MediaMax Network - Nairobi, Kenya (April 2013 to February 2015) • Created headlines and photo captions to reflect clear, concise, and accurate content tone. • Contributed at editorial meetings to review and validate proposed content ideas. • Reviewed and edited content for publication on newsprint and online. • Designed a daily newspaper and signed it off to press and distribute. • Conceptualized, assigned, and monitored stories for publication and broadcast. • Interviewed sources and maintained relationships with informants to obtain vital information for stories. Assistant News Editor: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, KBC - Nairobi, Kenya (June 2006 to February 2012) • Conceptualized, pitched, assigned, and monitored stories from origination to broadcast. 4|MiltonOrikuResume • • Reported to Editor-In-Chief about news content for TV, Radio, and Digital platforms. Interviewed sources and developed relationships with informants to obtain vital information for stories. • Monitored breaking news on incidents, events, and topics of interest to quickly assign reporters. • Worked with creative teams to develop TV graphics/radio jingles for compelling news content. • Planned for coverage of large events by assigning reporters and technical crew. • Conducted editorial meetings with reporters to collaborate and review content proposals/ideas. • Proofread, edited, and evaluated final copy to verify content aligned with set-out guidelines. 5|MiltonOrikuResume