American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) 2021 AJHSSR Journal Page | 1 American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) e-ISSN :2378-703X Volume-5, Issue-9, pp-01-08 www.ajhssr.com Research Paper Open Access Evaluation of Communication Methods in the Crisis Management plan of Kenyatta National Hospital Jemima Akoto, Dr. Idah Gatwiri Muchunku, and Dr. Sammy Yaah Baya (Graduate student, Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya) (Faculty of Media and Communication, Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya) (Faculty of Media and Communication, Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya) ABSTRACT: This study evaluatedthe Communication Methods in the Crisis Management Plan of Kenyatta National Hospital(KNH).Many hospitals have challenges in mitigating crises because of inadequate and untimely communication. For this reason, many have suffered reputation loss and service disruptions due to public uproar. This study helped to determine how much communication methodsin the Crisis Management Plan, are effective in crisis management. Case study design was used for this research. Key informants were selected using purposive sampling. Data collection methods were in-depth interviews and document analysis of both the Crisis Management Plan and Crisis Communication Plan of KNH.The key finding made following the evaluation of presented facts, is that as much as there is a Crisis Management Plan at KNH, a Marketing & Communication department, the CEO as the spokesperson, there is a deficiency in the communication methods applied during crises, leading to uncoordinated and slow crisis communication approach. The recommendations were thus to have a more comprehensive Crisis Management Plan for quick action, to utilize theJoint Operation Centre and the intranet and also mobile telephony for instant messaging which will aid prompt communication. Key words:Crisis, Crisis Communication, Crisis Management I. INTRODUCTION Communication is about transmitting opinions and attitudes, which can be done in oral, nonverbal or written forms (Murtadak, 2020). According to Amaresan (2019), crisis communication is concerned with the steps an organization takes in response to an incident, to ensure that all stakeholders are informed fast and in a consistent manner.According to Taylor (2020), a crisis is an unexpected time of danger or intense difficulty, a time of trouble and during which an important and crucial decision has to be made. It is a situation that suddenly arises and which can significantly affect the operations of an institution. It brings about physical, social, emotional, political and psychological trauma. Crises should be acted upon urgently so as to minimize damage and also to re-establish normal operations within the organization. Coombs (2010) notes that a crisis is as a result of an institution’s threatened reputation. It is that which results when the opinions of publics have been altered due to an incident, which drastically affects an organization’s performance. This is what contributes toward the disappearance of valued customers, which in turn interferes with the livelihood of the organization. According to Wasson (2019), a crisis creates an informational void that will be filled one way or another. When the company at the centre of the crisis takes too long to communicate, the void gets filled by critics. A crisis takes place in three phase: Coombs (2011) elaborates on these three phases. The first phase, which is the pre-crisis phase, focuses on prevention and preparation. This phase involves locating and reducing crises risks, maintaining vigilance and assessing threats to aid in decision making, also informing stakeholders about a potential crisis and thus building reputation. The crisis response phase deals with the crisis and how to communicate with the affected stakeholders, rebuilding an organisation’s or individual’s damaged reputation. Quick response and credibility is key here. Coombs (2011) further notes that the post-crisis phase is concerned with preparation for the next crisis and aims to fulfil promises made during the crisis phase, updating stakeholders of continued efforts, including image repair. These phases are achieved by having a Crisis Management Plan that is updated and tested annually, a functional Crisis Management Team and also having the plan tested to ascertain its proper function. Crisis management is important because it is concerned with how an organization coordinates and responds towards given crises, by making speedy decisions and communicating on time. (Grimmelt, 2017).A crisis management plan(CMP) has essential components. According to Thompson (2018), it is a reference