May 2018 biashara leo magazine

MAY 2018 ISSUE 120 WWW.BIASHARALEO.CO.KE

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EQUITY AFIA: YOUR CARING HEALTH PARTNER Equity Group MD and CEO, Dr. James Mwangi.

INSIDE

FEATURE:

business kit:

WOMEN IN CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP (PART THREE)

CUSTOMER SERVICE, MANAGEMENT, SALES, MARKETING

guest column: KENYA POWER CUSTOMERS CAN NOW PURCHASE TOKENS CONVENIENTLY AND FAST

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY FUND NSSF ONLINE PAYMENT PLATFORMS This is to notify our employers that the NSSF online platform is now available for uploading returns.

The self-service portal (selfservice.nssf.or.ke) can compute various types of contributions to enable the uploading of monthly returns.

The NSSF Mobile App (available on Google Play Store and App Store) can enable employers to upload monthly returns up to a maximum of 20 employees.

Payments can be made using the Mobile App or directly through the Mpesa Paybill number 333300. Kindly use the Unique Payment Number (UPN) available in the e-slip as the account number.

Employers are thereby advised to submit their monthly returns electronically through any of the above channels. Please note that the member’s accounts will only be updated after receipting in our office.

A Polite reminder: No returns on portable media (Flash disks, CD’S) will be accepted.

For more details, kindly visit our website (www.nssf.or.ke) or (selfservice.nssf.or.ke) ALL OUR SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL HUDUMA CENTRES COUNTRYWIDE

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Biashara plan

That guarantees

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

Contents MAY 2018

WELCOME 3 MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS 4 ARTICULATE 6 CORPORATE BRIEFS 8 ● GE Healthcare collaborates with Kenya Cardiac Society to train cardiac health professionals ● Helb employers engagement forum ● Mastercard’s CMO forum

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STANDING OUT

• Britam launches unit-linked investment product

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• Coca-Cola celebrates 70 years in Kenya

In this issue

• Equity Bank shines • Postbank emerges tops in the Global Money Week celebrations MONTHLY CORPORATE EVENT • Safaricom Foundation 2018–2021 strategy launch

TECHIE 20 • Take the mundane out of your meetings with Cisco Webex • Intelwise technologies limited: where security meets technology GUEST COLUMN

26 • Kenya Power customers can now purchase tokens conveniently and fast BUSINESS KIT • Customer Experience • Management • Marketing • Sales

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MAIN STORY 36 • EQUITY AFIA: YOUR CARING HEALTH PARTNER FEATURE • Women in Corporate and Business leadership (Part 3)

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YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR To be authentic look beyond yourself

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Bl kilimo Agribusiness SMEs set to benefit from app that automates record keeping

@biasharaleomag

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Biashara Leo Magazine

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Welcome MANAGING EDITOR George Gichuki EDITOR ASSISTANT Catherine Kuria MARKETING MANAGER Emma Nuthu BUSINESS EXECUTIVE George Marenya SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION Joe Mwangi Patrick Maina DISTRIBUTION Nation Marketing & Publishing EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Kellen Kiambati Carolyne Gathuru John Kageche DESIGN & LAYOUT Felix Rurigi ILLUSTRATIONS Stanislaus Olonde BL Magazine is published by ASANTE MEDIA LTD. P.O. Box 25239 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 020-2025755 Cell: 0733 966 270 Email: info@asantemedia.co.ke Website: www.biasharaleo.co.ke BL MAGAZINE is published monthly.

Views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher. © 2018 ASANTE MEDIA LTD. All rights reserved.

Materials may be reproduced only by prior arrangement and with due acknowledgement to BL Magazine.

A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK?

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here are several changes regarding membership, voting rights and investment decisions that have been proposed to the Cooperative Societies Act and the Sacco Societies Act by the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Ammendments) Bill, 2018. These changes have infuriated the 22,000 players in the sector (both societies and unions). It is estimated that the sector’s asset base is Kshs. 780 billion and it is the biggest and most vibrant in the entire continent of Africa.

These players are particularly up in arms against the amendment that will make it possible (through an ordinary resolution that will be approved by the Cabinet Secretary) to create ‘social impact members.’ Even though they will not be required to buy shares in order to become bona fide members of a given co-operative society, it will be possible for them to attend Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and participate in making key decisions. In addition, they will enjoy the privilege of being elected as officials of various societies and unions.

Already, this amendment has been hotly resisted by an umbrella body of the sector – the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK). Likewise, the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives (Kuscco) has vowed to ensure that the controversial amendment(s) will not see the light of the day. The fact that these amendments have been proposed without consulting the sector’s players has further fueled their fury. By the same token, they are not sure who is sponsoring the punitive legislation.

Going by the heat that has been generated by this strange development in the key sector, passing the amendments in the National Assembly will certainly not be a walk in the park. Battle lines are clearly drawn and it shall be a do or die battle between those for and against the amendments.

It is our take that whereas the sector cannot operate effectively without water tight laws, this should not be an excuse to introduce cheeky legal stuff through unorthodox means. Any legislation with or without far reaching effects on the sector should only be effected upon consulting its stakeholders widely. It should not be a game of hide and seek.

george.gichuki@biasharaleo.co.ke

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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more than a thousand words

Joshua Oigara, KCB Group CEO: “The outlook for the year is favourable with an expected improvement in economic conditions leading to a pickup in investments across the East African region.”

Phyllis Wakiaga, CEO, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM): “It is possible to achieve a healthy balance that does not pit the workers’ cost to live against industry’s cost to survive.”

Dr. Amina Mohamed, Education CS: “One of my priorities is to ensure that all universities’ courses take the required period of time to complete; we must end the era of perpetual studentship.”

Tom Gitogo, CIC Group CEO: “To retain and motivate individuals requires compensation that is not only commensurate to their skill and time devoted to the company, but also competitive.”

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Corporate documentaries BIASHARA TV A haven for corporate documentaries Call: 0714 957 951 or 020 221 4277 Reach us on : info@biasharatv.co.ke TWITTER: @biashara_tv

Facebook: Biashara TV

Youtube: Biashara Tv Kenya biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Articulate PRIZE LETTER

Inspiring story

Being a university student at Masinde Muliro University, I was challenged by Njeri Kimata’s business journey in your April 2018 issue. I am now more than ever before determined to start a small business in order to make an extra coin even as I focus on my studies.

Michael Maina, Kisumu Via email.

Good support Thank you Biashara Leo magazine for having an agribusiness segment every month. Continue supporting agriculture and the well being farmers. Keep it up.

Erick Gatundu, Uasin Gishu via email.

Leadership Women in corporate and business leadership stories have really encouraged me as a lady because I am in the process of starting my own company.

Florence Gacheru, Kiambu via email.

WIN A FREE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Biashara Leo will award a one year free subscription to the reader whose letter is chosen as the prize letter for a particular edition.(Existing subscribers will recieve a free annual renewal).

Your view on entrepreneurship and management are of importance to this magazine.

We encourage you to share them with thousands of our readers in Kenya and the entire East Africa.

Pleasse send your views and opinions to: The Editor, Biashara Leo, P.O Box 25239-00100 Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: infoasantemedia.co.ke

All letters must bear the writer’s name and address, although you may request your name to be withheld. Letter’s can be edited for clarity.

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biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Corporate Briefs

GE Healthcare collaborates with Kenya Cardiac Society to train cardiac health professionals

There is no standardized echocardiography training course in Kenya. Indeed, many health care professional have to travel abroad to study echocardiography and come back to the country to practice. This ends up being expensive because trainees have to leave their workstation with loss of income. This is not a favourable option for many clinicians.

KCS has developed a comprehensive training model that offers trainees a chance for high quality training before embarking on their career. They have the opportunity to train while maintaining their work schedules albeit with tighter schedules.

Dr Bernard Gitura, Chairman Kenya Cardiac Society and Andrew Waititu, CEO, General Electric Healthcare East Africa sign an MOU during the launch of Echocardiography Training Program in Kenya at Crowne Plaza.

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eneral Electric (GE) and the Kenya Cardiac Society (KCS) have entered into a twoyear collaboration to offer echocardiography training to physicians and technicians in public and private hospitals in the country. The training will enable the physicians and technicians to offer primary baseline assessment for patients with identified cardiac illnesses in a better way.

The training, which will be held in sixmonth cohorts, will enrich participants with technical skills on cardiac imaging with focus to anatomy, physiology and hemodynamics as well as sonographic measurement and probe manipulation skills. It will include several practical sessions led by professional sonographers and physician cardiologists. Currently, Kenya has approximately 60 cardiac specialists. The course will see 40 personnel trained over the two-year duration of the partnership.

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Speaking at the event to announce the collaboration with the Kenya Cardiac Society, Andrew Waititu, CEO, GE Healthcare East Africa said : “The challenge in the efficient delivery of good-quality cardiac care is the absence of skilled and well-trained healthcare professionals . Our collaboration with the Kenya Cardiac Society to provide echocardiography training is a key step in improving access to quality healthcare across the country.”

Our collaboration with the Kenya Cardiac Society to provide echocardiography training is a key step in improving access to quality healthcare across the country

Echocardiography plays a vital role in the diagnosis and management of heart diseases particularly heart failure.

Therefore, this venture will help the patients through early diagnosis and referral to the cardiologists. It will fulfill one of KCS major advocacy objectives which is early detection and referral.

Training in echocardiography will fill this major gap in the diagnosis and management of heart failure.

Survey

According to the Kenya STEPwise Survey for non-communicable diseases, mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in the country ranges from 6.1-8%. Most heart failure cases are caused by undetected, untreated or poorly treated hypertension.

Good echocardiographic skills are critical in order to properly identify and diagnose the conditions that cause heart failure.

Dr. Bernard Gitura, President, and Kenya Cardiac Society said during the event: “Many facilities have inadequate echocardiography services as well as low access to training for practitioners in the treatment and management of various heart conditions. We are happy to collaborate with GE Healthcare to provide structured training that will enable participants to diagnose and treat cardiac cases in a better way.”

GE Healthcare has a long history in supporting education and training to drive improved health outcomes. In 2016, GE inaugurated a healthcare training and skills institute in Kenya designed to train health professionals. Over 1900 professionals have benefited from the institute since its launch.

Corporate Briefs

Mr.Charles Ringera, CEO, HELB.

HELB EMPLOYERS ENGAGEMENT FORUM

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n line with achieving the goal of ensuring it becomes a sustainable national revolving fund and a onestop-shop for higher education financing, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has over the years been proactive in engaging stakeholders through various forums and across all mediums.

Against this background, in 2018, HELB is sensitizing employers on their role in supporting loan repayment. The organization therefore recently held an employers’ engagement forum in Nairobi.

The event whose theme was “keeping Dreams Alive-The Role of the employer in ensuring the sustainability of the HELB Fund,” was graced by the Education Cabinet Secretary ( CS), Dr. Amina Mohamed. In her speech, Dr. Mohammed

directed that student and universities are to on board smart cards during the 2018/2019 academic year so as to eliminate loan disbursement delays. TVET institutions were also directed to introduce smart cards. Furthermore, the CS indicated that HELB should disburse a portion of the disbursement to eligible TVET students to cater for their upkeep. She also announced a 100% HELB loan penalty waiver (being enjoyed currently until the end of June 2018) for loanees making one lumpsum payment.

The event saw the launch of the HELB Employer’s Portal - an online platform designed to make it easier for employers to check on the status and remit their staff loan payment. The portal is accessible through HELB’s website. HELB also seized that opportunity to recognize and appreciate employers for playing their part in ensuring the sustainability of the HELB Fund through compliance. Additionally, HELB also introduced the Compass, a HELB publication that seeks to guide various stakeholders through informative content on various aspects of higher education financial management.

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Corporate Briefs

Participants of the CMO forum.

Mastercard’s CMO forum

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astercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, recently hosted its first chief marketing officers (CMO) forum, to explore the impact of digital transformation on brand strategy and consumer engagement. The forum was attended by top executives from leading companies including Emirates, Nestlé and McDonald’s.

Hosted by Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard, the panel discussion, titled “I Don’t Want Your Ads”; Marketing in an Ad-Blocking World, drew attention to the evolving role of marketing in connecting brands to a new generation of consumer.

During the session, Mastercard, which was recently named among the world’s top companies by Brandwatch for ‘ Bestin-Class Customer Experience’ and ‘

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Most Pleasing Brand’ , shared insights on the transformation of its marketing and brand strategy, including the evolution of its globally acclaimed campaigns such as ‘Priceless’.

The birth of the ‘expectation economy’ has necessitated the need for brands to engage with consumers through experiential marketing

The panelists, Samer Alhaider, senior manager eCommerce and mobile, Emirates Airline; Balki Radhakrishnan, Vice President, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Nestlé; and Tarek El Kady, senior director, marketing, MEA Business Unit, McDonald’s, exchanged insights on creating unique and sustainable differentiation to future-proof brands.

“The birth of the ‘expectation economy’ has necessitated the need for brands to engage with consumers through experiential marketing. With a booming population of millennials, and a long history of innovative thinking, the Middle East and Africa offer an excellent opportunity for marketers to leverage on this trend to their advantage and drive richer brand experiences that wow their consumers and enable them to create and tell their own stories.

Forums like these allow the marketing community to explore these evolving consumer behaviours from an industrywide perspective and share best practices, helping us unlock the next phase of growth for the regional marketing landscape,” said Rajamannar.

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we have 35 field offices in addition to Headquarters.

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Standing Out

Investment

Britam launches unit-linked investment product

From left to right: Ms. Njeri Njomo,Manager,Investments-Linked Products at Britam, Stephen Wandera,Principle Executive Director (Business),Dr.Benson Wairegi,Britam Holdings Plc Group Managing Director and Ambrose Dabani,CEO,Britam Life Assuarance Company during the launch of Imarika.

B

ritam has launched a unitlinked investment product which offers customers the opportunity to earn high returns while providing them with life insurance protection cover. Known as Imarika, (Kiswahili word for being strong or firm), the plan offers attractive and competitive returns of between 8 and 12% per annum, with a minimum guaranteed return of 5%. Imarika allows clients to invest with as little as Kshs.

1,000 with subsequent top ups of any amounts, depending on one’s saving ability.

The investment also guarantees a free life insurance cover of Kshs. 50,000, and the interest is not subjected to withholding tax of 15 %. An investor is also allowed to apply for tax relief if the policy is 10 years or more.

A first in the market, the Imarika Plan is flexible and affordable. It gives investors the choice on how much they want to invest, the contribution period, and the option to make lump sum contributions.

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One can stop making contributions and pick at a later date, without loss of the same. As the fund accumulates, one is allowed to make partial withdrawals of up to 30% of the fund value after three years to cater for short term needs or goals.

Meeting goals The product is designed to address the needs of Kenyans who want to save in order to meet their short and long term goals, while enjoying high returns from their investment. It targets individuals and groups who maybe saving for education, home ownership, to start or boost a business, travelling, wedding or simply to diversify investment options.

According to Dr Benson Wairegi, Britam Holdings Plc Group Managing Director, the innovation was one of the strategic pillars of the company’s 2016-2020 strategic plan dubbed “Go for Gold”.

“Imarika was developed in response to the needs of the market, and is another

feather in the cap of cutting edge products developed by Britam over the years,” Dr Wairegi said during the launch.

“The product targets Kenyans who seek to invest in low risk, but high interest earning instruments at a time when investors are looking for alternative investment platforms outside the traditional insurance products. Imarika also empowers the customer to manage his or her investments under very flexible terms,” added Mr Stephen Wandera, Principal Executive Director (Business), Britam Holdings Plc, during the occasion. He emphasized that the fund invests in quality interest bearing securities and other short-term market instruments and ensures risks are managed, while preserving the initial capital. Finally, he said that Imarika offers convenience and flexibility, and one can invest by buying online or through mobile phone platforms by logging the short code *778#. Investors can therefore save from anywhere, any time.

Standing Out

Brand Heritage

COCA-COLA CELEBRATES 70 YEARS IN KENYA

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Company to step up innovation, drive economic empowerment and environmental stewardship over the next 70 years

he Coca-Cola Company recently celebrated its 132nd birthday globally, 90 years in Africa and 70 years of operation in Kenya. Marked as Founder’s Day, 8th May 1886 was the day Dr. John S. Pemberton sold the first Coca-Cola bottle for just 5 cents in Atlanta, Georgia USA. In 1948, the company established its operations in Kenya by selling imported Coca-Cola beverages from its plant along Addis Ababa Road, in the Industrial Area of Nairobi, before starting to manufacture and bottle the iconic beverage. For seven decades, the company has been a cornerstone of special moments- bringing people together, and being at the core of their celebrations, while providing refreshments.

“We take great pride in being a part of Kenya’s fibre for over 70 years and a celebration by families and individuals who enjoy ice-cold refreshment on a sunny day.

Coca-Cola has also been a part of national celebrations, including the events to mark the attainment of the country’s independence in 1963 among other milestones,” said Ahmed Rady, the general manager, Coca-Cola East and Central Africa franchise during the celebrations. “But we offer more than just refreshments: we prioritize our value chain and contribute to the nation’s socio-economic aspirations and conservation of the environment,” he added.

With our three bottling partners – CCBA Kenya (Coca-Cola Beverages Africa), Almasi Beverages and Coastal Bottlers - the Coca-Cola system in Kenya employs over 10,000 people directly. It also supports an estimated one million people through its vast supply chain. This ensures that CocaCola products are always available ‘within an arm’s reach’, through a network of more than 340,000 outlets across the country.

Daryl Wilson, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Kenya MD observed: “70 years ago – you

Ahmed Rady, General Manager of Coca-Cola East and Central Africa Franchise. could buy a bottle of Coke for just under Kshs. 5. It was then and remains today – an affordable way to quench your thirst and celebrate magic moments in life. Thank you for making all of us at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Kenya – a part of your memories, good times, family gatherings and important occasions over the last seven decades. We are proudly Kenyan and look forward to continuing refreshing your daily meals, milestone moments and special occasions for years to come.”

The last decade has seen Coca-Cola in Kenya diversify its product range to include water and juice categories, giving customers more beverages to choose from. To complement this, in 2016, The Coca-Cola Company announced its aspiration to become a total beverage company, which has ushered in more innovations, leading to new products in the market. Some of the new beverages provide benefits like nutrition and hydration, while the company takes deliberate action to reduce sugar in beverages by reformulating products.

“Our key focus in the coming years is innovation leading to new products. However, in addition to offering refreshments, we are firmly committed to Kenya’s socio-economic advancement through investments in the communities we operate in. We have programmes focused on water stewardship, women’s economic empowerment, environmental stewardship and responsible waste management, among others. We believe that social investment makes good business sense,” Rady further said.

He emphasized: “For instance, water is a key resource in our business and a lifeline for the communities around us. That is why we have implemented a water efficiency programme in all our plants.” In that regard, at the CCBA Nairobi Bottlers Limited, the company was using 3.36 litres of water to make a one litre product in 2010.

Nevertheless, by the end of 2016, it was using 2.54 litres of water to make a one litre product. All in all, it has provided clean drinking water to over 190,000 people in Kenya since 2010. biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Standing Out

Banking

EQUITY BANK SHINES

Members of the Equity Bank team after receiving the awards won during the 4th Banker (EA) Africa Awards.

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he performance of Equity Bank during this year‘s Think Business Banking Awards was exemplary. It emerged the ‘Overall Best Bank ‘for the seventh year running.

The bank recorded a resounding victory in varied categories, bagging twenty two awards including the top slots for small and medium enterprises ( SME) banking,

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agency banking, mobile banking, asset finance, internet banking, digital banking, product innovation and sustainable corporate social responsibility ( CSR) among others.

This comes hot on the heels of similar success at the Banker Africa (EA) Awards where the bank bagged five awards including best commercial bank in Kenya and East Africa, best bank in digital

Standing Out

Banking

ALL SMILES: The Equity Bank team displaying various awards won during the 2018 Think Business Banking Awards.

offering, most innovative bank in Kenya and for the second year running, Dr. Mwangi was recognized as banker of the year 2018.

This also applied to the Think Business Awards where for the second year running, Dr. Mwangi won the CEO of the Year Award.

Additionally, the bank’s Daniel Gachau won the outstanding young banker of the year award. The award is a testament to Equity’s rigorous mentorship and coaching programme that has developed leadership which has placed the bank at the helm of the industry.

Commenting on the awards, Dr. Mwangi said: “These awards recognize the efforts we have continuously put in place in order to increase financial inclusion and integrate new banking technologies in line with our vision to champion the socioeconomic prosperity of our people.”

The bank was also recognized for being the ‘bank with the lowest charges for

individuals’. This award recognizes the fact that Equity has long positioned itself as a bank for all, developing products and services that support all members of

Equity’s strategy is to be the region’s leading digital bank delivering a remarkable client experience in key digital touch points.

In the region, we have witnessed how rapid adoption of mobile and other digital channels have transformed the way people bank

the society and in different sectors of the economy. Equity’s banking model caters for all categories of customers be it corporates, SMES, institutions, parastatals, salaried and wage workers, farmers, young people, and women.

Dr Mwangi further added: “Equity’s strategy is to be the region’s leading digital bank delivering a remarkable client experience in key digital touch points.

In the region, we have witnessed how rapid adoption of mobile and other digital channels have transformed the way people bank. We continue to put effort in being responsive to customers’ emerging needs and preferences.”

The bank won the top award in digital banking and this was attributed to the tremendous uptake of its Eazzy suite of products that were launched a little over a year ago. Moreover, the bank won the award for ‘Most Customer Centric Bank’, which is informed by the fact that its products and services are designed with the customer in mind. biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Standing Out

Banking

POSTBANK EMERGES TOPS IN THE GLOBAL MONEY WEEK CELEBRATIONS

Mr. Habil Olaka (R), CEO,KBA,presenting the Global Money Week celebrations award to Postbank’s COO,Sylvester Obuon (L).

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ostbank recently got an award from the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) for its stellar performance in the 2018 Global Money Week celebrations. To celebrate the week, the bank held financial literacy and job shadow sessions as well as branch based competitions. It partnered with two community based organizations in offering financial literacy sessions.

The objectives of the exercise which was launched by the bank’s chief operating officer, Mr. Sylvester Obuon at Arya Samaj High School were : conducting financial

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literacy campaign in schools, churches and youth forums, opening new Smata and Step accounts ( Postbank’s products targeting the youth ) and activation of the existing accounts. Over eighty branches countrywide were involved in identifying schools, churches and youth forums where savings education was conducted.

As a result of this highly successful exercise, a total of 7,500 accounts were opened in March 2018 and over twenty branches countrywide held job shadows.

In addition, the bank received Kshs. 2.2 million in form of deposits and its staff

members were able to gain important networks that can actualize into business in future. According to a report

by KBA that covers all the banks which participated in the Global Money Week, Postbank was able to reach out to 7,000 young people outperforming other players in the industry. “We are keen on inculcating a savings culture among the youth and we therefore applaud Postbank because of reaching out to this critical age group during this year’s Global Money Week celebrations,” said Mr. Habil Olaka, the chief executive officer of KBA during the colourful event that was held at Postbank’s boardroom.

Standing Out

Banking

(R) Postbank’s marketing and corporate communications manager Benson Wanyoike, Sylvester Obuon,COO and Mercy Mukami,youth products champion together with KBA’s CEO, Habil Olaka and Getrude Musau,marketing and PR officer, during the presentation of the award.

COMPARING NOTES: Sylvester Obuon,COO,Postbank and Habil Olaka,CEO,KBA.

Habil Olaka,CEO,KBA receiving a token of appreciation from Sylvester Obuon,COO, Postbank.

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Monthly Corporate Event

SAFARICOM FOUNDATION 2018–2021 STRATEGY LAUNCH

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afaricom Foundation recently launched its three year strategic roadmap, which commits to focus on health, education and economic empowerment. In the new strategy, the Foundation will also continue to provide immediate financial support to relief agencies and local organizations that are first responders to emergencies and disasters. Below are pictures from the event

Safaricom Foundation Chairman, Joseph Ogutu is joined by Safaricom Coast Region RSO Fawzia Ali-Kimathi and Safaricom Director Enterprise Business and Foundation Trustee, Rita Okuthe to mark the unveiling of the Safaricom Foundation 2018-2021 strategy.

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Monthly Corporate Event

Safaricom Foundation Chairman, Joseph Ogutu is joined by Electine Akiru of the M-Pesa Foundation Academy, Safaricom Foundation Goodwill Ambassador, Hon. Moody Awori and United Nations Resident Coordinator(UNRC), Sid Chatterjee during the colourful event.

Safaricom Foundation Chairman, Joseph Ogutu, Electine Akiru, M-Pesa Foundation Academy and Safaricom Foundation Goodwill Ambassador, Hon. Moody Awori marking the unveiling of the Safaricom Foundation 2018-2021 strategy. biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Techie

TAKE THE MUNDANE OUT OF YOUR MEETINGS WITH CISCO WEBEX

Whether you use Webex meetings or Webex Teams, you’ll see all your teammates, in crisp, clean consistent layouts.

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isco has announced the convergence of Cisco Spark ™ and Webex platforms. The result is a new Webex Meetings application for meetings and a new seamless team collaboration application called Webex Teams (formerly Cisco Spark).

Cisco is putting their award-winning video devices into this newly converged platform adding a new hardware device that turns any workspace with a television (TV) set into a Webex room. Cisco is making everything easier to buy and continuing to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence that will dramatically improve meetings, as we know them today.

Launch of an all-new version of Webex meetings The first thing one notices about the new Webex Meetings is that it is “video first.”

That means consumers will be strongly

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encouraged to turn on their camera. Gone are the days when consumers stared at the screen and the only thing they could view was the presentation. Now, they will see all their teammates, in crisp, clean layouts whether they are using their laptop, Cisco video room device or mobile device. The update of the new version of Webex shall

Webex Share™ is a low-cost, supersimple way for teams to share content on the big screen in the space

take place over the next few months.

New version of Cisco Spark with a new name

Cisco will make it simple for Webex users to take the next step to team collaboration.

The goal has always been to make Cisco Spark the simplest, most secure team collaboration tool on the planet. The new version of Cisco Spark is now Webex Teams. When companies are ready to make their move to team collaboration, they can do so with Webex. All they need to do is add the Teams extension to start using team-based persistent collaboration.

This new version has completely integrated the technology across the applications for rich Webex meeting functionality in Teams meetings, and a common experience no matter the one an individual chooses.

Webex Teams has more tools including white boarding, persistent messaging,

Techie

simple guest access, content sharing and integrated tools—to support teams, during and after the meeting.

A device that turns any space with a TV into a Webex room

Webex Share™ is a low-cost, super-simple way for teams to share content on the big screen in the space. One needs to simply plug the palm-sized adapter into the back of the TV. The he or she will pair with the system and start sharing his or her document or screen. Once done with that, individuals should keep the work going in Webex Teams space. With Webex Share, teams will be able to easily reserve rooms or know when they are already booked among other benefits. Webex Share will be available for Webex Meetings and Teams towards the end of 2018.

New roadmap

Cisco wants customers to be free to choose whichever tool is right for them. For instance, they can choose whether to use Webex for meetings or Microsoft for team collaboration. This is possible with the new Webex. Among others, Cisco works with Google and Slack.

Buying great tools for your team made easy The Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan allows companies to pay a subscription fee for

each active user and with Webex Meetings.

With the new development, up to 1,000 people can join and Cisco has added more storage, advanced security and analytics capabilities.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

In November last year, Cisco announced plans to use AI to make meetings better. To date, the company has build upon that in two ways:

Everything we do is designed with people in mind— to help them work, collaborate and create together

Webex Assistant™ (formerly Cisco Spark Assistant) will be available on more devices and with more functionality. Cisco will continue to inject AI into every meeting, call, conversation and interaction the customer makes. Based on technology from Cisco acquired MindMeld, Webex Assistant will start showing over the next couple of months in all the company’s cloudconnected Webex room kit and room series devices.

Noise suppression saves the call. The loud typist, the barking dog and the side conversation exemplify a few disruptions of meetings. But not anymore. All Cisco cloud-connected and on-premise video devices can now suppress disruptive noises. This means the next time someone starts shuffling papers loudly on a call, the system will automatically turn the volume down to an extent that the sound no longer interrupts the conversation. By the same token, when the paper shuffler chimes in with a comment, the system will “know” that and automatically stop suppressing the sound. That is good news to the user.

“Everything we do is designed with people in mind—to help them work, collaborate and create together. That’s why we have invested so much in Webex,” says Rowan Trollope, SVP and GM, Applications Group, Cisco. “Our vision is to bring this amazing experience to a billion users and conference rooms all around the world.” biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

21

Techie

INTELWISE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED: WHERE SECURITY MEETS TECHNOLOGY Professionals who offer home, office and outdoor security solutions to cater for your everyday needs

By Catherine Kuria

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n the age of hacking, phishing and social engineering, it’s easy to forget the security of our surroundings be it at home or on working premises.

Physical security is unequivocally as important as its logical cyber security counterpart. Physical security threats can be internal or external, man-made or acts of nature. People should rely on logical cyber and physical security programmes in tandem to protect their assets. However, some physical threats are more easily mitigated than others.

It would be significantly easier to bar entry to a malicious insider by enforcing access control measures such as badge swipe door locks than it is to mitigate against a natural disaster. Much like logical security, no amount of money can stop these threats entirely, but it is our responsibility to perform our due diligence to lessen the impact of loss and ensure continuity. Worry not, IntelWise Technologies Limited offers one of the best security solutions in the country.

Background IntelWise Technologies is a limited liability company that was established in 2010 and incorporated in 2014. It supplies security systems. Its vision is to be the market leader in the security systems business by being innovative, giving unmatched customer service and embracing professionalism. Its mission on the other hand is to provide high quality products and services that ensure its clients’ properties are well protected, to surpass the customers’ expectations and set high standards in the industry.

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Alice Masiva, the administrator, IntelWise Technologies.

Techie

Target market and services The company targets both commercial and residential clients and it offers security installations to them. It also provide a wide range of security systems including : CCTV cameras, intruder alarm systems, fire systems, biometric access systems, electric fencing, gate and garage automation, car tracking and fleet management, video door phone, vehicle inspection systems, barriers and road blocks, perimeter security lights, metal detectors and IT support.

“We compared security and technology whereby for one to have a good security system, you have to integrate it with technology. We did thorough research to make our services beneficial to our clients in a more technologically advanced manner,” says Alice Masiva, the administrator, IntelWise Technologies.

Given the advanced development in technology today, even simple acts (like opening a gate) have been automated.

“You can open your gate via a remote, using your mobile phone or by swiping of a card,” says Masiva.

IntelWise Technologies is able to secure a lot of business from referrals because of providing exemplary products and services to its clients. In as much as the company may bank on social media marketing, advertising via its website or printing materials, its work is the major selling point.

Challenges There is nothing more disheartening to an entrepreneur like an indecisive client who changes his mind like the weather.

According to Masiva, at times, they might go to a site to do installation for a client, and after completing the job, he or she complains that the right equipment has not been fixed. However, they have come up with ways to curb such incidences. Before any installation is done, a contract must be drafted and signed as proof of agreement.

“The agreement is that you pay a down payment, and then after the job is done, you settle the balance, “says Masiva.

Occasionally though, some clients may delay the final payment, contrary to the terms outlined in the agreement. Sadly this is a challenge that affects a lot of businesses. Clients delay payments or they fail to make any payments at all even after the job has been completed.

Growth strategy Technology has become an integral part

We compared security and technology whereby for one to have a good security system, you have to integrate it with technology of our lives today. It pervades every facet of our life. From how we work, play and lead our lives, technology has created a revolution that will grow for as long as humans continue to advance in their capabilities. As the days, months and years go by; technology just gets better and better. What was once the latest and greatest yesterday, is old hat today. The bottom line is that technology is dynamic.

If your organization isn’t keeping up with it, you will surely be left in the dust by one of your competitors.

Most people are on the internet nowadays with the global estimate being over three billion. They access the web through their personal computers, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Others have Face book pages, Twitter accounts, LinkedIn and some even have a website. Keeping pace with technological changes is a necessity if an organization anticipates long term stability and growth.

In Kenya, people are finally embracing technology unlike the past. IntelWise Technologies, makes sure that its clients see the value of their money by ensuring that they do a good job. It provides great products and its services are affordable. In addition, it has a 24 hour support system and knowledgeable engineers. This sets it apart from other players in the market.

Advice This sector of the economy like many

others has its ups and downs. Alice says that it’s not easy to penetrate the market.

Currently, the market is overflowing with ‘briefcase installers’ who are not licensed.

“Brief case installers are like freelancers.

They don’t operate under companies and they don’t have offices or specific locations.

They move around and charge prices lower than the ones registered companies charge.

Clients will flock to them but they end up doing shoddy work and they do not offer after sales service.

This ‘briefcase installers’ have come to spoil the market. Some are not even fit for the job. For those who want to start a company that offers security solutions, it is therefore not easy. The market is full of all manner of dealers. For those aspiring to invest in the field, Masiva says they should be prepared both financially and emotionally to handle various challenges that they might encounter.

Trends We are living in the most exciting times in the history of modern technology.

Technological currents have converged, amplified and remixed with each other to accelerate the pace of innovation. Now, physical security is no longer just physical, modern security systems are cyberphysical systems, inheriting both the power and pitfalls of the digital world. While the industry has seen a marked growth in physical security, information technology, logical security and cyber sectors, security has been greatly influenced by sea changes in our daily technology capabilities.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming the landscape. Physical security enterprises now incorporate big data and artificial intelligence (AI), and mobile devices increasingly monitor and manage our security. By the same token, smart phones have become indispensable.

With biometric recognition and credentials capabilities, they have become our mobile physical access passes. Security companies are also deploying cloud-based PACS. Home automation’s like gates, building management systems are taking shape as people are becoming security conscious as compared to some years back.

The company is planning to expand its services country wide. It is also putting measures in place in order to have a regional presence. Finally, it is also planning to introduce guard and community patrol services.

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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Young Entrepreneur

DEEZY MULLA: TO BE AUTHENTIC LOOK BEYOND YOURSELF A young budding Kenyan rapper with the fervour to make a difference in the entertainment scene

By Catherine Kuria

Deezy Mulla,CEO,Hotline Clique.

T

he Kenyan music industry is overflowing with talent. The diversity of young and upcoming artists is putting our entertainment scene in the charts. Artists have a unique sense of identity that makes them stand out in a field characterized by cut throat competition. Long gone are the days when music was just a thing to pass time. The diversity in the different acts has brought a spiced flavour that that Kenyan music lovers can identify with.

However, behind all that glamour, fame and fortune is a lot of hard work that these artists put. Some artists toil and sweat trying to come up with club bangers that never make it to the air waves. Breaking through in the industry, having a voice and a platform to showcase your art is no mean achievement. Derrick Mulla Cartel better known as Deezy Mulla is a Kenyan born

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rapper, producer, songwriter, marketer, strategist and web developer. He is the chief executive officer, Hotline Clique.

Career Journey Deezy Mulla started his music career at the age of ten as a producer and songwriter. He took it seriously after his twelfth grade in 2011 before joining the university. “I took music production as my career because it’s something I loved and always wanted to pursue since I was a kid and my parents supported me,” recounts Mulla. He has worked with different record labels and various artists around East Africa and abroad by making for them music beats that accompany songs. He also writes songs for them.

He narrates: “I was getting paid for doing productions and writing songs. I had a plan

of becoming my own boss. I started investing and in 2013, I was able to establish my own simple home studio where I could do most of my work.” From the look of things, he is a Jack of all trades and a master of all.

Apart from being a music producer, he is a web developer, marketer and strategist. To him music is not just a form of entertainment to make money; music is a form of expression, a voice for the voiceless that communicates with a sense of finesse.

“Music communicates with the soul, it hits spots that the mere eye cannot reach, music quenches the thirst of the soul,” he shares with a lot of sentiments. In 2015, after spending long sessions in the studio working to perfect his art, he dropped his first track known as Like This. The tantalizing track talks about the hurdles that

Young Entrepreneur

people go through in life. A few hours after hitting the airwaves, it became an instant hit. Deezy did not let the success of Like This get into his head. He dropped a couple tracks later and did collaborations with some of the leading names in the entertainment industry. After various shows and performances, he started saving for bigger projects that he intended to pursue. In January 2017, he founded Hotline Clique.

Inspiration behind hotline clique Deezy says that Tanzanian recording artist Diamond Platinumz of Wasafi Records, American artists Mike Will Made It and Dr Dre were his sources of inspiration. From watching their songs, he realized that he could also do it. To him, music production isn’t just a career but something he wanted to embrace and use to inspire the world.

He decided to start his own brand in Kenya that could produce music for different people besides supporting, promoting and mentoring talents locally, regionally and internationally.

Hotline clique is a registered entertainment company. It offers different services like marketing and promotion boost, creative designs, model management, artist management, event management, public relations, photography and branding. The company targets youths in the country and around East Africa, entrepreneurs and individuals in the entertainment industry.

“Our mission is to build a reputation of reliability on our ability to fulfill commitments and honesty in dealings to boost customers’ confidence and help support talents locally, regionally and internationally,” says Mulla. Their vision on the other hand is to provide the best service in the event and entertainment industry and to add value to their customers.

A brand sells depending on the exposure you give it. With the advent of technology ((specifically social media) , companies have found a free platform to market their brands to millions of social media users around the world. Mulla says that social media has enabled them to gain massive recognition. They post their branded items; advertise their events such as photo shoots and the results they have got since they

Do not be content with what you have already achieved but instead, take that as a starting ground to do even bigger

things

commenced operations are overwhelmingly great.

Survival tactics The entertainment industry is full of cut throat competition. Artists try their level best to outsmart each other. It is not about what you do but how you do it. In a dynamic century such as this one we are living, individuals have to bring their very best to the table. Mulla says that his unique selling point is being authentic. He is honest to himself and he does not compete or imitate what others are doing. He goes at his own pace and has never desired to be like someone else. He further adds: “I arm myself with genuineness. I have never tried to be like someone else because the moment you do that, you lose your identity as an artist and more so, as a person.”

Hurdles For Deezy, it has not been all roses without thorns. His greatest challenge has been lack of capital. An entertainment company is a business like any other and hence without capital, things cannot run smoothly. He says that he had to toil and give his all in order to get the starting capital to kickoff the business and also get funding to keep the business afloat.

He also got a lot of negative reactions and comments from people who said that he couldn’t make it. Some people (especially the older generation) have this notion set

in their mind that a career as an artist is not worth pursuing. They think that in order for a person to succeed, one has to go to school and study to be a doctor, engineer, pilot or one of those “respectable” careers.

People can excel in what they are passionate about as long as they put their mind to it.

Mulla did not let the negative critics and trolls deter him from living his dream.

He cast a blind ear on them and forged ahead. His passion for making music kept him going. He knew he had a dream and that one day, that dream would become a reality. All those negative vibes around us should serve as our motivation. Channel all that bad energy you are getting and do something worthwhile with your life. What people say or do should never define who you are or what you become.

Advice to young entrepreneurs Nothing comes on a silver platter. You must work hard to live the life that you desire.

Mulla says that success begins when one learns to face and overcome challenges.

“Do not be content with what you have already achieved but instead, take that as a starting ground to do even bigger things,” he says. “Take the risk and do not be afraid to fall because you’ll rise again. Most importantly believe in yourself because if you don’t, no one will,” he adds.

When choosing a career, he advises that one should go for what he or she cares and enjoys doing because it is a life long journey. “Do not let anyone tell you what and who you should become because nobody knows you better like yourself, “he quips. Often, people fail because they are afraid to face their fears.

In his own words “I’m very thankful to all the diehard fans who have been supporting Hotline Clique since day one and may they keep up the spirit because it fuels our energy to nurture local talent in different parts of the country,” he ends. biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

25

Guest Column

KENYA POWER CUSTOMERS CAN NOW PURCHASE TOKENS CONVENIENTLY AND FAST

By Ken Tarus

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t is the dream of any business to sustain the highest level of service to delight its customers. Thus, the constant quest by organisations to deploy new strategies that ensure they remain market leaders by securing and increasing their customer base.

The decision to adopt new ways of increasing levels of satisfaction among customers is informed by changing operating environments, customer characteristics and needs among many other factors.

Therefore, constant innovation based on observed consumer trends is key in ensuring improved customer experiences.

At Kenya Power, we apply the same principle.

The company has constantly sought to understand its customers better by taking into account their dynamics and emerging immediate needs even as it embraces technological innovations to enhance service delivery.

Kenya Power introduced the prepaid metering system in 2009 as one of the methods of retailing electricity.

The number of customers on the prepaid platform has grown over the years to the current 4.5 million. Consequently, the company has constantly pursued ways of ensuring that the prepaid service is efficient and that it offers the targeted convenience to customers.

These include: establishment of mobile money platforms, point of sale kiosks and recruitment of vendors to offer multiple channels for purchase and delivery of electricity tokens.

Kenya Power currently has contracts with more than fifteen vendors supporting

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the prepaid system, in addition to the company’s operated paybill numbers 888880 and 888888 for prepaid and postpaid services respectively.

Internally generated statistics indicate that mobile money accounts for about 86% of all payments for electricity. The company’s total customer base has grown tremendously in the last five years from 2.7 million to the current 6.5 million customers, thus putting a strain on the traffic through the mobile money channel, leading to slight delays in remitting payment through the paybill numbers, token generation and credit of postpaid customers’ accounts.

With this realisation, the company recently undertook an upgrade of the IT platform that supports the mobile money payment channel in a bid to fast track token generation and receipt of payment for postpaid bills.

The upgrade involved a direct integration of the Kenya Power system to mobile money operators’ systems to ensure

that all payments made through the two paybill numbers are received and tokens generated and customer accounts credited on an almost real-time basis.

Prior to this development, the company’s system was linked to mobile money operators through a mobile vending gateway which not only served requests for mobile money payments from Kenya Power but other companies too.

In addition, the system upgrade has created an avenue for creation of an application that will see postpaid customers self-read their meters and remit the data online for generation of bills.

As we move forward, we will continue to take advantage of advancement in technology to drive our business by continuously improving our IT systems as we seek different ways of improving customer experience.

Dr. Ken Tarus, PhD, is the Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Power

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biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

BUSINESS KIT Customer Experience

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND THE BIG FOUR

By Carolyne Gathuru

T

he Big Four agenda for the country has brought just about as much excitement as the first promise made after independence to eradicate poverty, ignorance and disease, to the greatly famed Vision 2030, launched in 2008 with much pomp and fanfare. Just as it was then, every corporate and public institution feels the need to name drop the Big Four agenda - all angling towards cashing in on the country’s rejuvenated focus and new promises. The next five years promise to be an intriguing period as all roads lead to delivering on the ambitious targets outlined in the four delivery pillars – affordable housing, food security, affordable healthcare, and manufacturing. The question that naturally follows from a customer experience angle is to examine if the objectives of this

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mission are anchored on providing service delivery that points to a high quality of life for the citizen – the ultimate internal customer that the country needs to focus on diligently.

Backdrop An excerpt from the speech that was read by the President while launching the Big Four, points to the customer experience desired for Kenyans by Kenyans that the country as the key supplier needs to deliver. The backdrop indicates that efforts were made to listen to the voice of the customer in order to design the blueprint. An abridged version of the original address reads: “In our interactions, four things emerged as the major concerns that deserve our focus.

You told me that a jobless Kenyan is a desperate Kenyan, a hungry Kenyan is a

negative Kenyan, a sick Kenyan is a weak Kenyan and a homeless Kenyan is a Kenyan without hope”. This points directly to the customers’ functional and emotional needs. The customer experience excellence principle on delivering wholesome service to customers, stipulates that the balance between these two needs, must be well coordinated. Whereas the country’s focus as outlined in - “The Big Four – Immediate Priorities and Actions; Specific Priorities for The New Term” - is filled with seventy three pages of graphs, tables, charts, process flows and geographical maps all outlining specific targets in activity levels, cost, financing and revenue expectations, and impact percentages, more social outcomes need to be plugged into the core, and outlined within the same document.

This conversation maps directly to the

BUSINESS KIT Customer Experience

customer experience and customer service agenda that once internalised, delivers on both emotional and functional customer needs. Customer experience is often confused with customer service, and organizations’ focus on service at the expense of experience. In this same light as the government goes forth to deliver the Big Four agenda and focus on manufacturing, affordable housing, food security and affordable healthcare, it behooves those at the helm of this delivery project to do so whilst acutely aware of the need to up the service delivery game in all these sectors and put the citizen at the centre. The citizen’s experience will ultimately govern the outcome of the Big Four and the objective to transform the lives of Kenyans from hardship and want to greater comfort and wellbeing, will only come to pass and be successfully evaluated when the customers - the actual citizens are in agreement that their idea of comfort and wellbeing is being addressed.

Touch points The Big Four also represent critical customer touch points for the nation.

Customers touch points are the points of contact between the customer and the brand where they interact with and experience the brand. The four agenda items are critical touch points for Brand Kenya. Given that the internal customer is really where significant effort needs to be placed to ensure satisfaction towards delivery of external customer satisfaction, it is now more than ever clear that implementation of these key pillars must ensure that citizens feel loved. These touch points will govern the overall customer experience and the feelings evoked from the interactions in all these areas. The sum total of all these interactions over time will be registered in the citizen’s mind, and create a warm feeling towards the country.

The benefits and outcomes of a country where citizens have a warm feeling, attachment, and loyalty cannot cease to be underscored over and over.

These four touch points are also intertwined and success in one area will not only positively impact the others, but conversely delivery failure will collapse the others. It goes without saying that if citizens are hungry and have no steady source of food to sustain them and their families, then there will be an insufficient and incapable workforce to run the manufacturing drive that is being implemented for poverty eradication; if decent housing is not available, that

sits at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a basic physiological need for survival, then citizen’s health will be compromised; compromised health affects the nation’s productivity and progress and the country’s objectives will be at stake, pointing at the need for affordable healthcare to ensure that citizen wellbeing allows them to thrive. Each touch point affects service delivery downstream, and just as delivering customer experience excellence demands teamwork, the drivers of the Big Four agenda need to ensure team effort is in place to deliver all the goals successfully.

Delivery targets The Big Four blue print is a well-crafted document, and has within it various KPIs and delivery targets spread across the five years for each delivery pillar. Viewing these from a customer experience lens, the specific facets of customer service are quite adequately covered. The rational performance, the facts – including if the citizen got what they came for, if the service desired was received, and if the outcome met the standards, are captured.

This has been adequately enumerated including: the import and export sectors and the manufacturing initiatives for delivery; the food and nutrition security interventions including specific food group drives, cost reduction strategies and legislative requirements for success; the 100% universal health care initiative with its five step innovative plan that outlines the institutional, financial and collaborative support required for success; and the one million homes programme centred on demand, construction cost, buyer and developer financing, and a supportive ecosystem. All are very good and plug into what is needed to serve citizens. However, customer experience is not purely limited to the ‘cold’ facts. It is a combination of rational facts and emotional engagement.

This stems from how customers feel and is governed by the senses stimulated – the sensory aspects of what they see if pleasing or otherwise, what they hear, if encouraging or not, as aligned to the body; as well as the emotions evoked – how customers feel in terms of feeling loved and cared for, listened to, provided with adequate attention and most importantly, feeling significant and important. These are the emotive aspects that the Big Four ultimately desires for Kenyans. These customer experience metrics are however not drawn out within the document and would need to be highlighted because if

the process of implementation of the Big Four agenda comes with trauma, pain, frustration and helplessness for citizens, the objective will not have been achieved.

Customers are constantly measuring and assessing their experience at every touch point. As they interact they are constantly asking themselves how they feel about each action. These measurements are not based on rational thought, but are subjective, often leaning on irrationality and gut feel. This measurement is based on feelings and irrational expectations and as human beings are highly emotional creatures, Kenyans are no exception. If over 50% of a customer’s experience is subconscious, and leans on feelings and the irrational impression about how a brand makes them feel as a human being, then it is imperative to factor these in to the Big Four agenda. The ‘what’ is indeed important, but focusing on the ‘how’ will yield sustainable results.

Peter Drucker, the management guru aptly puts it that if you cannot measure it, you cannot improve on it. In that regard, there is need to measure the customer experience elements of the Big Four agenda. Social impact metrics - the measure of the effect of any activity on the social fabric of the community and wellbeing of the individuals and families – map directly on to customer experience metrics governed by the customer’s perception of the relationship they have with the brand.

The Big Four agenda needs to embed in it, customer experience and social impact outcomes that will lead to citizen loyalty owing to feeling valued by the country.

That the Big Four is developmental is not in question. What needs to be tweaked from a customer experience angle is the how of its implementation, and the emotional impact on the citizen to ensure it is not a lope sided agenda. For as Howie Lau, CMO, StarHub renowned for his people passionate strategies says : “If you are not addressing the emotional side of things and are purely functional, it will never be sufficient. There is no hard and fast rule for how much emotional and functional elements need to be in your plan, you simply need to take a look at both lenses when creating the strategy.”

Carolyne Gathuru is the founderand director of strategy at Lifeskills Consulting. She has a wealth of experirnce in customer service strategy development and training. Email: cgathuru@life-skills.co.ke biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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BUSINESS KIT Management

NATIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MODEL

By Dr.Kellen Kiambati

A

ccording to the latest human development index, Kenya has so far recorded 39.1 per cent unemployment rate - much higher compared to other neighbouring countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. Growth of employment is not keeping up with economic growth. This is expected to be worse with the projected working age population growth of nearly 14 million people in the next ten years. It has also been reported that a large number of trained graduates have not produced the envisioned results. They are not able to secure jobs commensurate with their education and in most cases, employers complain of half-baked graduates with mismatching skills. This problem is greatly compounded by the fact that there is no diversification of economies that can acquire the multiple capabilities to produce goods and services for national consumption and export through micro industries at all levels of government. Failure to unpack and move up the value chain has made individuals and even organizations get stuck in low skills trap, leading to low rates of economic growth. This is a clear indication of dysfunctional workforce development.

Better results Kenya should be deliberate about refining her citizens’ skills and development strategies in order to yield better results.

It is possible to articulate a sustainable framework of a skills development strategy that can be effective across a broad range of economic and social circumstances. Dr. Kellen Kiambati, and Dr. Dominic Mwenja, President California Miramar University have developed and copyrighted a national workforce development model. This model, which has the potential to solve the long standing unemployment challenge in Kenya, presents a comprehensive productivity and employment creation through the use of relevant competencies, effective resource utilization, innovation and matching demand and supply. Governments should conduct job-market analyses to identify each area’s distinctive attributes and supply-and-demand dynamics, as well as the current state of the workforce.

The model is implemented by first undertaking a demographic analysis to understand the total population and skills endowment.

This in turn is linked to resources available and level of consumption of goods and services with a view of establishing demand and supply at ward, constituency, county and national government levels. The demand and supply are integrated across wards, constituencies, counties and national systems to enable people acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to get meaningful employment and provide employers with a means to communicate and meet their demands for skills.The key elements of this national workforce development model are demographic analysis, resource analysis, consumption analysis, multiple level analysis of demand and supply, capacity building and up scaling ability. It takes cognizance of the fact that in order to achieve coherence, no level can operate in isolation. The flow is as shown below:

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BUSINESS KIT Management

Workforce development has got two main functions: to enable people acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to get meaningful employment and to provide employers with a means to communicate and meet their demands for skills. Different government levels should be encouraged to cooperate with community organizations, financial institutions and other community development practitioners to their mutual benefit. An ideal comprehensive strategy removes silos and creates synergies across the varied workforce development initiatives while still meeting individual, organizational and societal needs. A comprehensive approach to workforce development means substantial employer engagement, deep community connections, career advancement, human service supports, industry-driven education and training, and the connective tissue of networks.

Linkage to the big four agenda The Government of Kenya has committed to focus on four areas over the next five years. These four areas will drive the next wave of economic development and they will affect almost every home in this country. The four areas are: universal healthcare, affordable housing, manufacturing and food security. The success of these four areas will happen when the activities that support them are based at the ward and constituency level across the country.

In manufacturing, micro industries based at the ward and sub-county level will bring the much needed productive capacity at the lowest economic and political entity. The model addresses the needs and opportunities at this level thereby localizing production to meet local needs.

In affordable housing, local market conditions will determine what type of housing will be needed in each ward, especially in the small towns where the young who do not own land will look for affordable homes to either rent or build.

By having jobs where they live and building affordable housing in the small towns, the model envisions revitalized rural towns that become engines of economic development.

By empowering Kenyans at the ward level, the model looks at enabling a majority, if not all Kenyans, in each ward across the country afford to participate in NHIF insurance scheme thereby enabling them to access healthcare. The model also looks at the penetration rate of healthcare providers based on the emerging class of consumers driven by increased purchasing power enhanced by other economic activities in the model.

In food security, the model looks at increasing the productive capacity of our land for food crops grown in each ward through specialization, trade and market development. It will focus on encouraging

our people to transition from subsistence farming to commercial farming using modern science and technology that facilitates high levels of productivity based on space as opposed to an area.

The emergence of a socio-economic ecosystem developed by the model that there is capacity building and scaling up at every level from the ward to the subcounty to county and inter-county.

In order to have a transformed 21st century society in Kenya, policy makers should pay attention to the importance of skills development for economic diversification and growth. They should emphasize on demand led skills development so as to create micro industries. Equipping individuals with skills in national investment priority areas and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable population should be prioritized with a view of forming a circle of skills investments for inclusive and sustainable growth both at the county and national government levels.

Dr. Kellen Kiambati holds a PhD in business administration with a focus on strategic management from JKUAT and an MBA from KEMU. She is certified business associate (CBPA) and a member of the Institute of Human Resource Management of Kenya. She is also the author of business Research Methods and can be reached on kellenkiambati@gmail.com

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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BUSINESS KIT Marketing

IS MARKETING AN ART OR A SCIENCE?

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he question as to whether marketing is an art or a science has been asked and answered for many decades as the marketing profession continues to develop.

While the once robust debate has waned over time, this is still a relevant question.

It has far reaching implications on how we understand and practise marketing.

In the post-world war II era, many professions developed fast as industrialisation gained momentum. Most sciences were firmed up and established themselves as respectable professions with strong regulatory regime and documented requirements. Marketing scholars wanted the profession to be viewed as a science so that it could be considered as prestigious as the other established sciences like medicine.

Art or science?

In the end, what we have today is one of the most open or liberal disciplines. Realistically, anyone can practise marketing whether or not they have been academically and professionally trained. Reality has muted the debate. In Kenya, marketing remains one of the least regulated professions. It is easy to enter and exit the profession without much scrutiny or consequences.

Art and science can be defined in complex terms but for this article we can adopt the easier definitions. However, these easy definitions are not simplistic. They encompass a lot in demystifying both science and art. Simply put, art is “to do” and science is “to know”.

The art of marketing is concerned with practising the profession in the corporate arena, while its science is concerned with generation of knowledge in the academic and consultancy arena.

The tragedy in the practice of marketing occurs when doing does not involve

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knowing. While that is more likely to harm the business, it can also harm the society. When crooked characters employ marketing strategies and tactics to sell harmful goods and services to society or even engage in a campaign of falsehood and misinformation, the profession is defiled and its honour diluted.

There are many cases in which quacks have abused the profession. For instance, we know about the pyramid schemes which left death and destruction in their wake. Untested ideas were packaged and promoted as investment products. Another company engaged in a robust marketing campaign selling land which only existed in its advertisements. There have also been many complaints of people hoodwinked into buying insurance products without

understanding what they are getting into.

They only realise something is amiss when unexplained deductions appear on their payslips. By then it is too late to have any refunds made.

Implications of the debate Entrepreneurs need to understand that marketing is not practised in a professional vacuum. Often, marketing has been harmed by the narrow prism in which it has been viewed as beginning and ending with selling. Many small and medium enterprises confuse marketing with selling thus limiting their growth by failing to benefit from the science of marketing.

In its scientific form, marketing provides evidence based approach to decision making. On the contrary, practising

BUSINESS KIT Marketing

marketing as a pure art results in endless trial and error with a steep learning curve and injurious impact on the company’s profits and financial sustainability.

Decisions once made can’t be easily reversed the way an artist erases a wrong mark on a canvass.

The science of marketing involves conducting research to inform decisions. It also involves informed application of theory wherein theories that have been developed across the decades are brought to life in decision making. Marketing models and predictive analytics inform the practitioners so that they do not have an intellectual blank cheque whereby anything goes.

Why marketing is both an art and a science Marketing is a profession with a very significant creative component. The most important concept for any business is differentiation. How can you stand out from the crowd? How can the consumers see real difference between what you are selling and what competitors are offering?

As such, great marketers are the ones who create superior product offerings and communicate the same most effectively to the target market. Thus, it is not a straight forward issue like applying accounting principles and procedures.

Despite this, creativity must be tempered with knowledge if the results are to be sustainable. If the marketer relies on creativity alone, there is great risk of short term progress with little long term value.

In the long term, what will endure is that which is deeply rooted in knowledge rather than the outcome of a single light bulb moment or genius attack.

Interactions between art and marketing Various marketing activities involve application of art. For instance product design, branding, packaging and even creation of physical evidence in service marketing. Furthermore, various marketing skills require artistic creativity for better impact. Such skills include communication, negotiation, selling and even strategy implementation.

Art disciplines such as performing arts (music, poetry, drama, film, dance etc.) and visual arts (drawing, painting etc.) are required in marketing communication.

Nonetheless, the application of these arts requires professional guidance when being used in marketing context. There are many players who perform such things to aid

Entrepreneurs who fail to establish an appropriate exchange rate between the art and science of marketing will no doubt fall by the wayside marketing yet they have little knowledge in the profession. This sadly minimizes the impact of their work and in some cases even ends up doing harm than good. A good example is the Aromat advert that became the butt of all manner of online jokes due to its low believability value.

There are also operational realities that make marketing lean further on the art side. The environment in which marketing is practised is too dynamic to be simplified into a golden formula. For instance, there is no rule that can adequately prepare one to respond to adverse legislation such as the so called Mututho laws. One has to adapt creatively to survive in an ever changing environment. Also marketing is about dealing with human behaviour. While psychology helps marketers predict human behaviour to some extent, one still needs creativity to influence human behaviour.

When it comes to certain products, consumers may not always know what possibilities exist towards meeting and exceeding their needs. This often happens in the tech world where the product developers lead the customers towards new discoveries. Also value is a complex concept. Consumers attach value both to aesthetics as well as other objective aspects of products. The marketer has to combine both the science and art and ensure that the product not only meets the needs, but also excites the customers due to its sleek looks while doing so within affordable price range.

Interactions between marketing and science The marketer in his or her work must deal with complex psychological issues.

Many models, laws and theories have been developed and proven to work over time. The good thing about marketing is that there are no restrictions and you can creatively tweak these in practise. However,

such re-engineering needs to be done carefully and in a limited scale.

Failure to apply science in marketing has seen even large corporations make serious marketing blunders. When Safaricom recently reduced the data bundle expiry period from 120 days to a maximum of 30 days there was an outcry that forced the decision to be reversed though the maximum period was still lowered to 90 days. We know from a scientific point of view that while implementing negative changes, it is advisable to do so in small instalments rather than all at once.

A minimalist approach to negative changes such as price hikes or variation of service terms is the scientific answer to such. This ensures the negative change does not shock the system resulting in irrational protests and loss of business. The goal necessitated by the negative change will be achieved at lower cost to the company. Also, the company has a chance to recover quickly from the impact of such change.

When art is overemphasized in marketing, there is tendency to circumvent the professionals and adopt a “do it yourself” approach ostensibly to save costs. There is also preference for a narrow definition of marketing functions. The company can’t benefit fully from marketing because it does not invest well in it and when it tries, it does so grudgingly. Yet from a scientific point of view, the relationship between say advertising and sales is largely proven and underinvestment in advertising will impact on the sales.

Conclusion Marketing is both an art and a science.

Entrepreneurs need to appreciate that marketing has a science side which requires application of knowledge to back action.

The idea that the entrepreneur can practise marketing himself without recruiting capable and accomplished professionals is dangerously naïve. The cost of doing the right thing may be known and evaded because it is seemingly high, but the cost of doing the wrong thing is hard to know and it maybe manifested when it is too late to recover.

Entrepreneurs who fail to establish an appropriate exchange rate between the art and science of marketing will no doubt fall by the wayside. If they survive, business to them will be an eternal struggle and they will never rise to the fullness of their potential. biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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BUSINESS KIT Sales

By John Kageche

THERE IS NO FAILURE IN SALES, ONLY FEEDBACK

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hat shatters the hard rock in the hands of the sculptor? Is it the 6th hit of the hammer, the 16th, the 36th, 76th or the 116th? Because we start to pay attention when the cracks begin to show and give absolute attention when the rock explodes to smithereens, we tend to assume it’s the last few blows that did the trick, yet in reality, it’s the persistence. Every blow counted. Likewise, which line finally wins the girl over? Is it the first or the tenth? The truth of the matter is that it’s all of them - they each spin the wheel starting with a slow seemingly endless turn, that becomes faster and faster with every spin gathering momentum as it goes, until finally it moves on its own axis. Selling is no different. Strike (contact) and goal (close) are not Siamese twins. Persistence therefore is the key to success for the salesperson. Consider the following example.

The Business Daily captured his story thus: “Initially running a one-man operation in which he was the only worker on the ‘factory’ floor and the chief salesman, Mr Kinuthia would package his goods and walk from one beauty salon to another introducing his products to prospective customers and telling them that his unbranded shampoo was just as good as the branded ones they had in stock..” Can you imagine that? Imagine the global brands he was competing with! He must have felt like a David fighting a Goliath. But that didn’t stop him.

And Forbes magazine continued about this successful salesperson, “Paul Kinuthia

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started (Interconsumer) in a makeshift apartment in the Kariobangi Light Industries 20 years ago with a start-up capital of KShs. 1,000 ($ 40 USD). He sold it, twenty years later, (to L’Oreal) for over Kshs. 1 billion. Though extreme, Kinuthia’s is a remarkable story on persistence.” That is the naked truth.

Vital lessons There are many lessons to learn from Mr. Kinuthia’s story. In a previous article, he ‘taught’ us, not to give in to the “I can’t sell” mentality when we start businesses.

Now, he is teaching us about persistence.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing

is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Spoken close to 70 years ago, these words by Calvin Coolidge still ring true today especially for the progressive salesperson.

The most successful salesperson in your organization in all probability has the biggest number of failures. That statement will surprise most, but it’s true. The reason why most will be surprised is because we

BUSINESS KIT Sales

don’t see successful salespeople (or any other successful person for that matter) in the light of failure; it’s almost as if they shield us from seeing that side. But the truth is that they do not do so. On the contrary, they just don’t let the many rejections, false promises, ignored emails, disconnected phone calls and the aborted meetings clutter their conversation. They just take these in their stride. They come with the territory; they are part of the job and an intrinsic one at that. And because they rarely mention (let alone lament) over these woes, we never get to know about them, and therefore assume these successful salespeople have their path always brightly lit and paved in gold. In truth, it’s not. What they do is to persevere.

As the quote aforementioned says, education, talent and genius are secondary to persistence. Look around you: the most successful person is not necessarily the most learned; and possibly, like me, you may know many who have a flair for the sales profession and hope that their talent will work for them. Whereas it does so in the short run, it soon wanes. It’s much akin to many who, joining employment for the first time assume that the (college or university) certificate that got them the job will keep them in it; it doesn’t. They quickly find that they must roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.

If you want to sell your product or service the key is to do so persistently. Try. And try again. And try yet again, even if it means getting rejected all the time (which is very probable). Like the successful salesperson, if you want to double your success rate, you must double your failure rate. Usually though, you find you triple your failure rate to double your success rate. And that is just the way it is along the learning curve, and with time you are able to bring your near hits from say 1 in 30 to 1 in 20 then 10 and if you are pretty good 1 in 3.

The other day, a pregnant wait for a major deal fell through. My business partner lamented: “This is very discouraging. What do we do now?” The response he got from yet another partner was: “We knock more doors.” Just like that; no qualms about the “failure”, no bickering about who was to blame, no crying over spilt milk. Just knock more doors! And such is the paradox of selling; more is more. The only way to get more sales is to knock more doors-there is no other way. And to do that you must be persistent while armed with the

knowledge that there is no failure in sales; only feed back!

Cracking the wall Persistence does not mean repeatedly banging ones head against the wall. That’s foolishness which leads to your head cracking. Persistence means banging your head against the wall but shifting the angle again and again based on feedback until the wall, not your head, cracks. Persistence could also mean questioning whether it’s only your head that can crack the wall and adjusting appropriately when you find out that a sledgehammer just might do the trick

Also, persistence is not pestering. The latter will quickly see you ignored or thrown out of an office for being a bother. Yet pestering is what many sales people are fond of. After they have sent the proposal they email, call, WhatsApp, FaceBook, Skype, text and do everything except send up smoke signals all with a singular purpose-attempting to hard-close the prospect. Socially, this is much akin to a lady feeling suffocated by a man who is wooing her and won’t stop contacting her-there’s the chase which will excite her and build to a close; and then there is downright stalking, which will see you getting a restraining order at worst, and a goodbye kiss at best. Persistence is not stalking. Persistence means having a good, productive reason for every contact - not the traditional courtesy call. Not many prospects are interested in having the salesperson “check in” to see if they’ve made a buying decision. However, many are interested in having you follow up and follow through with added value that will assist them in their decision-making process. How? Share content; information the prospect can work with not mere data he probably already has. Share relevant, new ideas or have one of your existing loyal customers call to discuss their experience in working with you. To do this effectively

Persistence means banging your head against the wall but shifting the angle again and again based on feedback until the wall, not your head, cracks

means you must prepare for every point of contact you make-know what you shall be going to share in advance. Sharing this with your prospect at the beginning of the call demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and respect their time. Don’t just wing these conversations-give them substance.

For instance, one sales person may send an email stating, “I read this interesting article attached and thought about you and the discussion we had.” The article is even relevant to the customer’s business and sending it is a good idea. To make it productive and get closer to the sale however, get the prospect to take action and say, “Did you see this article (attachedor link below)? I think it’s good for your business. Let’s get together and brainstorm ways to make this work for you. Let me know if next week is a good time to meet” Or as a reader once informed me: “I pointed out an error in a prospect’s ad which he didn’t know about and asked him to have it corrected in the next run. He’d denied me business once before and though this correction still hasn’t won him over, I still fill obliged to help him where I can knowing that it’ll bear fruits.”

Another reason to persist is because most salespeople just don’t. They make the initial contact and melt into thin air as if the prospect needs them more than they do . Yet your prospects are also your competitor’s prospects. You stand out when you don’t take that direction. And because everyone gets busy and following up may at times be a challenge, invest in contact management software to keep up with your commitments, if you must. Alternatively, just use your phone calendar or Microsoft Outlook. Do anything except succumb to the retrogressive lines, “I’m poor at remembering” or, “I struggle in keeping a diary” because when you do so, you’ll soon succumb to your struggles and bow out.

The foregoing is all good news for the progressive salesperson. It means that giving up on the second phone call isn’t acceptable; statistics show that 84% of all breakthroughs come after the fourth call.

Need I say more about persistence?

Kageche is the lead facilitator at Lend Me Your Ears; a speaker and sales training firm. Email:lendmeyourears@ consultant.com; www.lendmeyourears. co.ke ; www.lendmeyourears.co.ke

biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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MAIN STORY

EQUITY AFIA: YOUR CARING HEALTH PARTNER

Equity Afia was formed to respond to the growing need of affordable and accessible quality healthcare

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ou may assume, and you are not alone, that a doctor is the guy or lady who sits mostly donning a white over-coat, hoping that you get sick and pay him a visit. So it is not a surprise that Dr. Antony Kinyanjui, with his insistence on preventative care, may somewhat surprise you. In fact, your protests that you walk every day and therefore you “exercise” a lot will not let you off the hook with Dr. Kinyanjui.

He describes exercise as: “30 minutes of intense activity that must culminate into a discernible degree of sweating.” Talk of no pain, no gain taken to a whole new level.

In fact, when I met him at his Equity Afia Clinic in Kayole, Nairobi he was talking very enthusiastically about upcoming meetings with key organizations on healthy living. He had just finished a similar programme with many other company

MAIN STORY

State of the art medical equipment at Equity Afia,Kayole. employees and was looking forward to going back to discuss with them results of various medical check-ups.

The clinic itself turned out to be a very spacious affair encompassing sixteen different medical units to cater for all needs except in-patient facilities. For good measure, there is a fully equipped emergency room and facilities to cater for the disabled. At any given time, the clinic has a capacity for three or more doctors and a host of support staff with wellfurnished offices from where to attend to patients.

Then again with prior arrangements, you will be attended to by a consultant be it a pediatrician, gynecologist, surgeon, nutritionist, psychologist, psychiatrist or a physiotherapist. Whole-hearted service comes naturally for Dr. Kinyanjui seeing as he himself was once a beneficiary of Wings to Fly and Equity Leaders Programmes.

After graduating from University, he worked as a medical intern at Nyahururu District Hospital. He then moved to Engineer District Hospital as medical supretendant before proceeding to Sweden

for a Masters degree in Health Economics, Policy and Health Care Management. He thereafter had short stints at Agha Khan Hospital in Meru and a private Hospital in Nyahururu. It is this wealth of experience that he has brought in as the owner of Equity Afya Clinics in Kayole and Buruburu in Nairobi.

He says it is his turn to give back to society which has been generous to him throughout his time as a student in high school and through university. His vision is: “To give high quality healthcare at an affordable rate.� He observes that people may live a stone throw away from high quality health care without being able to afford it.

If a mother walks into his clinic and has her child immunized and a second one dewormed before going back home, that is what a good day means to Dr. Kinyanjui.

That way, he shall have lived up to the general Equity mantra of transforming livelihoods, one life or family at a time.

Some of the facilities at an Afia Clinic include : staff locker room ( complete with changing rooms and toilets), a store,

administration offices, kitchen/dining room, server room for data storage with power facilities, waste room, aeration duct for sucking out air to ensure an ever fresh environment and a dental clinic flooded with natural light complete with a waiting area. Moreover, an Afia Clinic has: an ultrasound machine, immunization room with a fridge for keeping vaccines safe, triage- where your temperature, weight and blood pressure is taken, pharmacy that is well stocked with medicine, an emergency room complete with a stretcher and an oxygen concentrator and a reception area comfortable enough and well ventilated for the comfort of waiting persons. Just like Dr. Kinyanjui believes and lives his dream of providing the best medical services, Equity Afia Clinic also provides the best.

Equity Afia was formed to respond to the growing need of affordable and accessible quality healthcare. Currently, the alumni of Equity Leaders Programme and Wings to Fly Scholarship Programme who are qualified health professionals are using their health expertise to run the clinics and as such, transform lives and livelihoods of Kenyans. biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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MAIN STORY

Dr. Antony Kinyanjui and his members of staff (Equity Afia,Kayole).

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losing the health gap in Africa within a generation is achievable if opportunities afforded by a rapidly growing workforce are seized. Equity Group is doing just that through their Equity Afia initiative.

Equity Afia is an initiative by a group of medical providers who have come together with the aim of providing high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to all Kenyans.

Equity Afia was formed to respond to the growing need of affordable and accessible quality healthcare. Currently, the alumni of Equity Leaders Programme and Wings to Fly Scholarship Programme who are qualified health professionals are using their health expertise to transform lives and livelihoods of Kenyans.

What services do they offer that set them apart?

Equity Afia facilities offer high quality and affordable health care. Their clinical and support teams are very friendly and listen to their clients’ journey towards health

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restoration and preventative healthcare solutions. They believe health promotion is a partnership between the clinician and the patient that works best when there is good communication between the two parties.

Their facilities are open to all Kenyans regardless of socio-economic status and background care is provided for the whole family.

Preventative or Curative Health Equity Afia manages both curative and preventative health care services and are now increasingly emphasizing on preventive care services. Preventative healthcare services include integrated immunization services, screening for chronic diseases including cancer as well as structured free health talks on various lifestyle diseases in the work place, churches and other organized gatherings and communities.

Screening for chronic diseases such as Pap smear for cervical cancer, diabetes and other subsidized cost to ensure maximal impact in the community.

MAIN STORY

Equity Afia ensures that the locations of their clinics within the buildings are easily accessible by their clients who may not be in their best of health Welcoming a patient at Equity Afia,Kayole.

They offer comprehensive outpatient care for the whole family. Their services include consultation by their doctors, a wide range of outpatient procedures and a modern laboratory tests and well-stocked in-house pharmacies.

Further, in-house specialists such as pediatricians, gynecologists, obstetricians, ENT services, physicians, nutritionists, physiotherapists, antenatal and well-baby clinics are accessible in these clinics.

Equity Afia is in the process of introducing medical imaging services such as ultra sounds and x-rays as well as dental services and have integrated their services to offer comprehensive care and antiretroviral medication to their HIV positive patients in a confidential manner.

Preventative healthcare services offered include integrated immunization services, screening for chronic diseases including cancer as well as structured free health talks on various lifestyle diseases.

Equity Afia as the name suggests, believes that everyone should access quality healthcare regardless of their

socioeconomic status. For patients to achieve access, they have adopted a very affordable pricing structure for their quality services and drugs with outpatient consultation with a medical doctor starting from Kshs. 500, screening for chronic diseases such as Pap smear for cervical cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases are done at very affordable rates as well.

Target Market (Age Wise and other demographics) Equity Afia believes in the well being of the whole family and as such provides preventative and curative services to men, women and children. They are also targeting all clients in need of health care services in both urban and pre-urban areas who are in formal and informal employment who access healthcare services either out of pocket, under the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), under in-house schemes by companies or through medical insurance companies.

Their team includes qualified medical officers, nurses, pharmaceutical and laboratory technologists and sonographers who offer superior patient management services. They are supported by a team

of front office and back office personnel who work tirelessly to ensure the comfort of their clients as they go through the various service points. Further, they have pediatricians, gynecologists, obstetricians, ENT specialists, physicians, nutritionists, physiotherapists and general surgeons who offer specialist services.

Hurdles along the way The challenge that they encounter is the wellness seeking behaviour of the general population. Most clients visit their health facilities when they are unwell for conditions that they would have been able to prevent had they visited the facilities earlier. They have hence adopted a preventive approach to health care access.

Location All the locations of their clinics are chosen with the client in mind. They have set up their clinics in locations where clients can easily access ( either by public means or private means) and which are visible.

Equity Afia ensures that the locations of their clinics within the buildings are easily accessible by their clients who may not be in their best of health. As such, they are located on lower floors in buildings with both ramp and lift access options.

They are currently located in the following locations: ONGATA RONGAI Siron House Magadi Road Tel: 0765 00001

BURUBURU The Point Mall, Rabai Road Tel: 0765 000002

KAYOLE Pinnacle Business Centre, Kayole Spine Road 0765 000003 KAWANGWARE Alingo Plaza, Naivasha Road 0765 000004

THIKA 80 West Building, Kenyatta Highway 0765 000005 biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018

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FEATURE WOMEN IN CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP (PART THREE)

Caroline Karanja, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Microfinance Institutions – Kenya.

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FEATURE WOMEN IN CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP (PART THREE)

CAROLINE KARANJA: “MICROFINANCE IS MY PASSION”

By George Gichuki

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he Kenyan microfinance sector is one of the most vibrant in Sub-Saharan Africa. It includes a diversity of institutional forms and a fairly large branch network to serve economically active, albeit low income earners. The business takes different forms ranging from microfinance banks ( regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya), institutions that are registered as non-governmental organizations, church based microfinance institutions, merry- go- round groups ( popularly known in Kiswahili as ‘chamas’), rotating savings and credit associations , accumulative savings and credit associations as well as investments groups.

Delivery of the microfinance products and services takes different forms from group lending, individual, corporate and non-formal lending. Wide coverage of the telecommunication services has enhanced lending to the marginalized areas which are characterized by illiteracy, poor infrastructure and a vicious cycle of poverty.

The economic pillar of Kenya’s Vision 2030 objective of enhancing deposit mobilization, increasing savings levels and improving the general quality of life for all citizens has seen the government introduce regulations through the Microfinance Act 2006 and subsequent amendments to ensure that the sector is able to meet its objective of serving the economically disadvantaged population.

The sector’s umbrella body is the Association of Microfinance Institutions –

Kenya (AMFI-K). As the voice of the sector, AMFI-K has achieved key milestones since its inception. One of them is successfully lobbying for the enactment of the Microfinance Act and regulations which saw the establishment of microfinance banks. AMFI-K has a board drawn from the different categories of its membership including: microfinance banks, wholesale microfinance lenders and credit only microfinance institutions. In the same regard, it has a secretariat of five staff members, headed by a chief executive officer (CEO) who is currently Caroline Karanja.

Career growth A career banker, Caroline is a Bachelor of Science (international business administration –finance option) graduate from the United States International University – Africa (USIU-A. “My banking career was shaped while still at USIU-A when I got an opportunity to work at Citibank as an intern,” says Caroline.

“Among other duties, I assisted in the processing of the Kenya Airways share issue which was floated to the public in March 1996 - this involved the creation and update of applicants’ database, “she adds.

After her one year internship, Caroline joined Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) as a graduate trainee. The university had a partnership with the bank which opened doors for its graduates to join as trainees.

She worked with CBA from 1998 to 2005.

In 2006, she joined AMFI-K as a coordinator. “That was an exciting time for me because the association was lobbying for the enactment of the Microfinance Act,” she recalls. “I was involved in this

critical process where I learnt a lot about the sector given that I was coming from a background of corporate banking,” she adds.

Lessons The process of lobbying for the enactment of the Microfinance Act and regulations was industry led and championed by the secretariat. Caroline and the other members of the secretariat worked very closely with the key stakeholders and the leaders in the industry in order to actualize it. “These leaders mentored me a great deal and I learnt a lot from them about the importance of preparing and embracing any changes that may occur in an organization,” she avers.

In the same breath, she learnt various fundraising skills because by and large, AMFI-K’s operations are supported by membership subscription and revenue that is generated by activities that the association initiates. “As the coordinator, it was my responsibility to develop the membership of the association and inclusion by recruiting new players in the market who met our requirements, besides maintaining linkages with other microfinance networks regionally, “ she says. “ I would also Identify and develop relevant capacity building programmes for the members by continuously engaging them on a needs assessment as well as coordinating thematic workshops to ensure that they remained relevant in the market,” she adds.

Owing to her immense contribution in strengthening AMFI-K, Caroline was promoted to a programmes manager in

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FEATURE WOMEN IN CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP (PART THREE)

One of the association’s key roles is to build its members’ capacity and consequently, the team has to engage them continuously, in order to develop activities and programmes that serve their interests.

“As the team leader, I therefore pay close attention to the ideas generated by the rest of the team as well as the feedback they share with me in my endeavour to drive the agenda of the association forward,” she avers.

THE AMFI TEAM: Shadrack Mithika,finance manager,Caroline Karanja,CEO,Nancy Chotero,programmes manager and Pauline Otieno,administrative officer.

2008. The board confirmed her as the CEO in 2018 after acting in that position for one year.

Besides being mentored by various leaders in the microfinance sector, Caroline attributes her meteoric career growth to the networks and partners she has worked with over the years. One of them is the Citi Foundation, the sponsor of the Citi Micro-Entrepreneurship Awards (CMA), a global event that promotes and illustrates how microfinance strengthens the entrepreneurial spirit in impoverished communities around the world. Some of the other key partners are: Semaine Africaine de la Microfinance (SAM), the organizers of the African Microfinance Week, African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA), a lead advocate and coordinator of rural and agricultural finance in Africa. She has also attended various leadership courses locally and internationally. Moreover, she has moderated sessions in several international microfinance forums. This exposure has helped her to hone her leadership skills.

Over the years, Caroline has also become very passionate about the microfinance sector, especially because of its impact on transforming people’s lives. “Our members develop products that go a long way in assisting the bottom of the pyramid clientele (often shunned by the mainstream financial institutions because they are perceived as high risk borrowers) to alleviate their plight,” she underscores.

“This experience really excites me and it has drawn me closer to the sector,” she adds.

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Hurdles One of the biggest hurdles that the sector faces according to the new AMFI-K’s CEO is partial regulation. “We have countless money lenders (shylocks) and pyramid schemes who are coming into the market disguised as genuine microfinance institutions and this has distorted the market,” she laments.

To overcome this hurdle, AMFI-K has continuously engaged the Central Bank of Kenya (which regulates all the thirteen microfinance banks in the country) and the National Treasury, in order to develop regulations for the credit only microfinance institutions. In addition, through its communication initiatives, the association sensitizes the public about its activities and membership.

Leadership skills As the leader of the AMFI-K team, one of Caroline’s major responsibilities is to ensure that all her staff members clearly understand the association’s vision and mission. “By so doing, they are able to know the association’s goals as they engage in their day to day work,” she emphasizes.

In addition, she ensures that the team clearly understands the pillars that drive AMFI-K.

If we notice that we are under performing in a certain area, then we come up with solutions that will enable us to fill the gap

The team holds a strategic meeting once per week in which they evaluate their performance and plan for various activities including workshops and training sessions for the members. “If we notice that we are under performing in a certain area, then we come up with solutions that will enable us to fill the gap,” Caroline emphasizes.

The road ahead In the next five years, Caroline is determined to strengthen the association by coming up with initiatives that will make it more sustainable and inclusive.

She is also optimistic that within that time frame, AMFI-K will have successfully lobbied for the development and implementation of regulations for the credit only microfinance institutions so as to eliminate regulatory gaps and raise the level of protection to consumers.

Currently, the sector is operating in an environment that is rapidly evolving because of innovations in technology especially in mobile and internet banking.

This has led to the emergence of risks like cyber crime which AMFI-K is addressing through sensitization workshops. The association is also sensitizing its members about the Movable Property Security Act and Regulations 2017 as well as the International Finance Reporting Standard (IFRS-9) which was adopted by all the lenders in the country effective the first of January 2018. The standard requires a lender to recognize a financial asset or liability in its statement of financial position when it becomes party to the provisions of the instrument.

The affable CEO is a very committed Christian. “I am a very prayerful person and I put God first in all my undertakings,” she says. Indeed, one of the items that clearly stand out on her neatly arranged work station is the Holy Bible. She is also an avid reader of inspirational books – mainly on business as well as personal and spiritual growth themes.

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biasharaleo.co.ke I May 2018