Francis Kariuki, the chief from Nakuru who gained popularity as the ‘Tweeting Chief’ is dead.

 

The chief for Lanet Umoja Location, Nakuru North District is reported to have died on Wednesday.

 

According to his son Ken Kariuki, Francis died while being treated at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital after developing breathing difficulties.

 

Chief Kariuki got global recognition for embracing technology when most of his colleagues in public service though social media was a waste of time or had no idea about its vast niftiness.

 

His Twitter account, as of Wednesday, had slightly more than 59,600 followers, with the last tweet being sent out from the account on September 13.

 

 

Chief Kariuki joined the social media platform in June 2011, only a year after he was transferred from the Ministry of Education where he worked as a teacher.

 

Many residents of the location overseen by the ‘Tweeting Chief’ subscribe to his tweets through a free text messaging service (SMS).

 

Kariuki in 2015 graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in counselling psychology from the Mount Kenya University.