MARCH - APRIL, 2021 KENYA 1,000/= TANZANIA 20,000/= UGANDA 25,000/= GOVERNANCE: UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMIC COST OF CORRUPTION IN KENYA DIPLOMACY: KENYA - SOMALIA MARITIME BOUNDARY TIFF ICT: INTERNET FREEDOM: WHY ACCESS IS BECOMING A HUMAN RIGHT ECONOMY: INDEPENDENCE IS AT THE HEART OF THE AFDB’S ABILITY TO BE EFFECTIVE TOP 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHAIRS OF BOARD 2021 SURVEY #1 JOHN NGUMI CHAIR OF THE BOARD INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION MARCH - APRIL 2021 Vol. 16, No 156 Selection criteria for Top 25 Most Influential Chairs of Board Impacting Business NEWS FEATURE OPINION We were interested in selecting chairs of boards who are not only role models for good From the editor: It’s time to step Shutting down the internet doesn’t corporate governance and act as champions for the cause, right up to advocating such good practices through advocacy and communications in public forums. 4 up, free press needs allies 94 work – but governments keep doing it 124 NOMINEES Flora Wanjiru Mutahi - Chair of Journalism needs an audience BEYOND BUSINESS 6 John Ngumi - Chair of Board: Board: Anti-Counterfeit Authority to survive, but isn’t sure Industrial & Commercial Since taking the position of the chair of the how to earn its loyalty Development Corporation ACA, Flora has been at the forefront As the news industry struggles to of instilling a service mentality within recapture this increasingly distant financial 12 Rita Kavashe - Chair of Board: the authority. To make the authority foothold, many within it are certain that a service-oriented government Kenya Roads Board the first step forward is to no longer agency in the 21st century. 74 take their audiences for granted. 16 Amb. Dennis Awori -Chair of board 98 and Country delegate of CFAO Carole Kariuki Karuga - Chair NEWS FEATURE OPINION 126 Independence is 20 Nicholas Nesbitt, OGW - of Board: Special Economic at the heart of the AfDB’s Chair of Board: Kepsa Zones Authority 102 Data remains an expensive 120 Antibiotic resistance: ability to be effective According to Carole, there are a number of luxury in Africa but free Public awareness campaigns 24 Isaac Awuondo - Chair of very compelling reasons to invest in Kenya, Board: NCBA Group among these, Carole points out, is the fact internet may not come free might not work RESEARCH that Kenya is a strategic location and a Michael Joseph - Chair of Board: 26 gateway to East and Central African SPECIAL FEATURE 122 How to achieve sustainable Safaricom and Kenya Airways Plc region bordering the Indian Ocean. clean water for everyone 128 How community radio 54 has contributed to building 32 Jane Karuku, MGH - Chair of 104 Internet freedom: Why access 124 Shutting down the internet doesn’t peace: a Kenyan case study Board: Vision 2030 Delivery 62 Dr. Joseph Barrage Wanjui CBS - Chair 80 Rita Okuthe - Chair of Board: is becoming a human right work – but governments keep doing it Kenya Pipeline Company Plc 36 James Ndegwa - Chair of Board: of Board: UAP Old Mutual Group 108 Here’s why some people are willing Capital Markets Authority 66 Vivienne Yeda - Chair of Board: KPLC 84 Patricia Ithau - Chair of to challenge bullying, corruption and LAST WORD Board: Vivo Activewear LLC 40 Mugo Kibati - Chair of Board: Lake 70 Kiprono Kittony - Chair of Board: NSE bad behaviour, even at personal risk Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP) Use of mobile money 86 Gen. (Rtd) Joseph Kibwana - Chair The World Bank ranks Kenya as a country 42 Mike Eldon - Chair of 72 General Rtd Samson Mwathethe of Board: Kenya Ports Authority SECTOR REVIEW with the highest user of Mobile money Board:Occidental Insurance Company - Chair of Board: KENGEN Transactions in sub-Saharan Africa. “Kenya 90 Mucai Kunyiha - Chair of 110 Is it good for you to be good? is the highest user of mobile phones for 46 Martin Luke Oduor-Otieno 78 Nicholas Nganga - Chair Board: Kenya Association money transactions in the sub-Saharan of Board: kakuzi Plc Africa region,” reads a tweet from - Chair of Board:EABL of Manufacturers 112 Understanding the economic World Bank. Let us strive to increase women’s 130 50 Stephen K. Kirogo, FPRSK, cost of corruption in Kenya participation in industry MGH - Chair of Board: Public CEO OF THE MONTH MOST By increasing the participation of women Service Commission IMPACTING BUSINESS COMMENTARY in industry we, directly and indirectly, seek to achieve our overall economic 52 Jaswinder (Jas) Bedi, EBS, MBS Geoffrey Odundo - CEO NSE goals in terms of increasing employment Kenya illustrates both the promise - Chair of Board: Kenya Export Despite the challenges COVID-19 114 opportunities, advancing skills and Promotion and Branding Agency pandemic has caused in the market, as well as the Pitfalls of devolution innovation and providing them with the NSE management is working to financial security for themselves and their 58 Dr. Wilfred David Kiboro ensure it provides value to shareholders, families, which results in better living 116 Kenya - Somalia conditions for the entire community. - Chair of Board: Nation investors and the general public. 92 maritime boundary tiff 114 Media Group Chairman 2 BUSINESS MONTHLY | MARCH-APRIL 2021 BUSINESS MONTHLY | MARCH-APRIL 2021 3 Chair of Board: Vivo Activewear LLC ANNIVESARY EDITION Publisher’s Note Selection criteria for Top 25 For all 25 we bore in mind their role as leaders of boards rather Most Influential Chair of than of management. The chair’s position, in addition to providing Board Impacting Business oversight, requires chairpersons to be champions, coaches and PUBLISHER: Dr. Hanningtone Gaya ambassadors. [email protected] We were interested in selecting chairs of boards who are not only 0722 742287 role models for good corporate governance and act as champions EDITOR: for the cause, right up to advocating such good practices through Martin O’Neil advocacy and communications in public forums. CONTRIBUTORS: Cathy Mputhia Mike Eldon Scott Bellows Lennox Yieke Anzetse Were to fulfil it. To be effective, chairs must Jeff Aludo recognize that they are not commanders PUBLISHED BY: but facilitators. Their role is to create the The Knowledge Warehouse conditions under which the directors can 020 26504 937 have productive group discussions. 0722 742 287 But, first things first. There is no short- DESIGN & LAYOUT: age of chairs in this country who qualify For all 25 we bore in mind their role as women who have and continue to excel at our expectation is that you will find these Fontana Creations for inclusion in this list of the 25 most leaders of boards rather than of manage- communicating such lofty aspirations and 25 stories inspiring, differently created and MIS & ADMINISTRATION: influential. The project team handling this ment. The chair’s position, in addition to how to fulfill them to broader audiences, told by a team of writers relying on submis- Marilene Mercy 0722 420 493 assignment decided to restrict the number providing oversight, requires chairpersons mainly through the media, seminars and in sions, research and on occasions personal to one that coincides with this magazine’s to be champions, coaches and ambassa- conferences. inputs, as each of these men and women are BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: DR HANNINGTONE GAYA 25th anniversary – while we hope to recog- dors. They must be visionaries, strategic Not surprisingly, a good proportion of distinctly different. Martin O’Neil CEO - The Knowledge Warehouse Kenya nize more in issues to come. thinkers and thought leaders, both within our Top 25 chairpersons spend significant Other than the ranking, which we know 0721 989 263 In fact, this issue reintroduces the CEO their sector and much more generally in time volunteering their services on a pro is extremely unpopular, we hope and trust ADVERTISING: orrowing heavily from an article of the Month with Geoffrey Odundo of the our society. In these days of Volatility, bono basis – to business member organi- that the content and some revelations, like Dr. Hanningtone Gaya paraphrased from a version that Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) walk- Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity zations, professional associations, service that on the very elaborate and lengthy pro- [email protected] appeared in the March–April 2018 ing away with this one. (VUCA) they must lead organizations to be organizations such as Rotary, Lions, envi- cess of recruiting Peter Ndegwa as the first 0722 742287 issue (pp.96–105) of Harvard How did we go about selecting those innovative and agile, and they must be so ronmental conservation, wildlife protection Kenyan CEO of Safaricom PLC, will stimu- DISTRIBUTED BY: BBusiness Review, an effective chair’s main we did include here? We certainly did themselves. and vulnerable community organizations, late you to reflect on your board leadership Nation Marketing & Publishing A Division of Nation Media Group role is to provide leadership to the board of not confine ourselves to easily measurable Perhaps most importantly they must and NGOs. attributes, aspirations and probably inform P.O. Box 49010-00100 Nairobi directors, not the organization he/she leads. indicators such as size of the organization be responsible leaders, role models for Their personal, professional and orga- your own CEO succession planning. Tel: 020 3288588 / 8574 This style of chair enables boards to func- or growth of revenue or profits. Rather, we healthy organizational values. They must nizational track records much speak for For the CEOs who are also chair of CONTENT: tion as the highest decision-making