The Round-Up Edition

DIGEST PR ISSUE NO. 8

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A PUBLICATION OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF KENYA

THE ROUND-UP EDITION

Pauline Sheghu: PR, Media & Rally Life WHEN THAT CRISIS HITS - 40 LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND - 11

VOLUNTEERING SPURS CAREER GROWTH - 52 IS MY LIFE WORTH A COW?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 11

Gender Based Violence: A Nightmare Without Borders During pandemic it really increased and many women and girls suffered.

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Endorsement as part of Brand Management The competition to get a part of the shares in services and goods presented in the market is at an all-time high.

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Pauline Sheghu : My PR, Media Rally Life

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Being a volunteer can introduce you to new career paths that you could explore or help to expand your personal and professional networks by allowing you to cross paths

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Volunteering Spurs Career Growth

Changing face of crime in Kenya

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Crisis communication in the digital age PR has become a 24/7 activity that requires absolute speed, agility and an solid response plan

Success of sports depends on well thought out Public Relations strategy

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Against All Odds: Benson Gicharu’s Story His is a testament of what one can achieve even in the midst of trauma and pain. His is a story of beauty for ashes.

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Moving to Study in Germany Amidst a Global Pandemic The first time I experienced a pandemic was in 2009 during the outbreak of the H1N1 virus popularly referred to as the Swine Flu Pandemic in Malaysia.

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Reflective PR Moments that shaped the year

Opinions expressed within the magazine are solely the authors’ and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs of Public Relations Society of Kenya or it’s Editorial Board.

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Editor’s Note

Yesterday is not today and today is not tomorrow A time like this last year, the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic was still alarmingly worrying as medics worked day and night to produce a vaccine, the only hope against the unforgiving and stealthy fangs of Corona.

This year is different because the restrictions have been lifted and the conversation has now shifted from statistical deaths and why Africans are not dying relative to the other races, to the importance of getting vaccination. My duty to you in this regard is to laud your brevity towards the challenges thrown at you: You deserve a pat on the back.

While we still have a long way to go, the Editorial team is heartened by and grateful to all of the writers, who take time to pen their thoughts and share with little prodding. To all the writers, you are truly our heroes and, to those who share their feedback on how we can improve this publication, press on in the pursuit of our collective progress, constantly asking difficult questions, however uncomfortable, we honour you for those necessary conversations.

The electioneering period is here with us and I cannot stress enough how big a role we have ahead of the General Election. Propaganda, fake news, misinformation and disinformation continue to be a big challenge and, sadly, these are the idiosyncrasies that we have to grapple with in a vibrant democracy and in a politically competitive environment such as ours. Nonetheless, the onus is on us to do better this time. Own the spaces and call out any ‘alternative truths.’

The Round-up edition continues to bring you stories- carefully selected by the hawk-eyed Editorial Board- that inspire even as we let you in our authors’ minds.

You will also read about a phenomenal PR guru who is defying all odds to be trail blazer in her field. In life, you meet people who change your life in unfathomable ways.

Pauline Sheghu shares on her journey from media to the corporate world, to life on wheels and now back to the media. She chats with us on her experiences and everything in between. She is the only female rally driver in the communications industry. I can’t wait for you to read more about her. This is a must-read! We have also included stories on different topics from our contributing authors that you cannot afford to ignore.

Thank you for your continued support to the publication, we are truly indebted to you. I encourage you to continue sharing feedback on our magazine via editor@prsk.co.ke.

Share the love and happy holidays!

Maureen Koech, MPRSK Editor

Editorial Board 1. Awino Gilbert

Chairperson

2. Elizabeth Mulae

Member

3. Joseph Ndegwa

Member

4. Juliana Juma

Member

5. Johnson Duro

Member

6. Kamuzu Banda

Member

7. Nicholas Mureithi

Member

8. Wangui Kabala

Member

9. Dr Wilfred Marube

Editorial Advisor

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Communications guru feted in the coveted Top 40 Under 40 Women 2021 index Ms Katra Sambili, a communications professional and member of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) has been feted in the coveted 2021 Business Daily Index of Top 40 Under 40 Women.

Katra, the founder of My Early Bird Africa has been recognized for her concerted efforts in advocating for family-centred care of premature babies.

“My baby came prematurely at 29 weeks and it was a harrowing experience. By the end of my maternity leave, my baby was nowhere near ready for me to leave her side as she spent two months in hospital.

This traumatized me and off my equllibrium and it made me wonder what support system structures exist for parents whose babies come too soon. That is what inspired me to set up My Early Bird Africa,” she said during an interview with Business Daily’s Collins Kariuki.

As she works to further advance Africa’s neonatal health agenda, Katra notes that her work is particularly important in instances where medics are overstretched.

St Paul’s bags trophy in Bootcamp revenue generating streams and students were challenges to use content creation to re-invent themselves. The students take part in a competitive pitch challenge at the end of an intense 3-hour mentorship session with a team of mentors from PRSK, where the winning University gets the opportunity to host the consecutive edition.

“Mentorship is a key component to career growth and at PRSK, this is an integral agenda for us and that is why we have invested in our career mentorship fora,” PRSK CEO Sylvia Mwichuli said addressing the students.

As is tradition, the students take part in a competitive pitch challenge at the end of an intense 3-hour mentorship session with mentors from PRSK. St. Paul’s University communication students emerged the champions in the 2021 Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) Students’ Boot Camp. The hybrid event that was held on 14th October 2021, was hosted by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology at and was 4

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attended by over 600 students from 13 universities.

Created specifically for students, the Boot Camp brings together seasoned PR practitioners to share timely and relevant information with students. This year’s conference was themed Innovations in Storytelling with programming centred around the change in storytelling and how students can leverage on technology to tell stories. Social channels have become

The students got insights from mentors drawn from public and private sectors, each bringing a vast wealth of experience to the table. Ms Millicent Muthoni who is the Communications Manager in charge of Writing at Equity Bank, Mr Frank David Ochieng, Communications Manager at KENGEN and Fakii Liwali, the CEO for Password Ventures were among the mentors who shared their experiences with the students. The sessions were moderated

by Mr Ken Kamau, a Communications and Public Affairs Consultant.

This year’s champions, St Paul’s University, were the first institution to host the inaugural bootcamp in 2016.

PRSK partners with KAFP in funds drive The Public Relations Society of Kenya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kenya Association of Fundraising Professionals (KAFP), a move that will see the Society help advance its and its members fundraising agenda.

While PR and fundraising are often thought to be intrinsically linked, the latter continues to be a challenge for PR professionals. This partnership presents an opportunity for PRSK members to leverage on the resources available to grow their resource mobilization base.

The advent of the coronavirus pandemic presented a challenge for organizations that depended on one revenue stream. It is down to PR professionals to make the most of this potentially daunting decade taking the lead in driving the fundraising agenda for our organizations. The need to diversify sources of funding has never been greater. “This partnership couldn’t come at a greater time. We are looking to invest in revenue-generating ventures and we are glad KAFP has come on board to walk this journey with us,” PRSK CEO Ms Sylvia Mwichuli noted.

However, research has shown that there is a new corporate paradigm that is emerging called purposedriven business. This focuses on partnerships that have similar interests and purpose.

“The environment out here is cut-throat and for businesses to stay afloat, they have to come up with strategies that will attract donors and partners who will boost their revenue base. We are excited for the journey ahead and look forward to a fruitful partnership,” KAFP Coordinator Ms Jeanette Ng’wachi noted.

The partnership is set to run for two years.

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Professors urged to invest and leverage strategic communications Scholars promoted to Full and Associate Professors get ushered into the coveted and elite Professors’ Club during the Professorial Luncheon.

More often than not, professors put little or no effort to personal branding. What this means therefore, is the knowledge they have acquired by investing in years of research is trapped in PDFs, spreadsheets, clunky websites and journals full of technical jargons that most target consumers and end users don’t comprehend. This poses a challenge to the modern student whose first stop to conducting research are readily available websites that have the content they are looking for as opposed to physical books.

Which begs the questions, do our college professors have personal websites? Do they have blogs or vlogs to talk about their research findings?

During this year’s Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Professorial Luncheon, the scholars were urged to consider leveraging on strategic communication as well as ensure they align their brand to that of the institution. “The 5th industrial revolution is here with us and the risk of being casualties of this digital evolution is high,” Ms Noella Mutanda, PRSK Secretary reiterated during her speech to the collegiate. The professorial luncheon is an annual event in honour of JKUAT professors in appreciation of their outstanding academic and research achievements and services to the community. It also serves as a platform of welcoming new professors to the elite club of academic success.

Ms Noella Mutanda, PRSK Secretary “As a university that prides itself in technological innovations, have you maximised on your internal communications department to tell stories on the inventions you work on in the institution?” She asked. The university has a fully funded research unit that produces state of the art product that, sadly, aren’t sold to the public. From sanitizers to soap to yoghurt, the University has, over the years, revolutionised practical teaching and is among the few universities in Kenya that have a production unit on site.

Ms Noella urged the University management to also consider the Corporate Communications Department a priority department in the institution

that should be included in high-level management decisions and not looped in during crisis. She also put up a case that the professors should be used to grow the JKUAT brand, sentiments that were echoed by the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi. “You must work closely with the Corporate Communications Office to amplify the brand of the University, to disseminate your research, innovations and milestones,” Noella opined.

As she welcomed the new professors to the fold, Prof Ngumi Prof. Ngumi also made a rallying call to the professors to accelerate their research efforts by applying for more grants and writing proposals to not only boost the University’s research environment but also the revenue base.

“To the new professors, you have joined a very prestigious club. This comes with a lot of responsibility to maintain the JKUAT name and live up to its reputation,” Prof Ngumi noted.

The University currently has a total of 136 professors 53 of whom are full professors and 83 Associate Professors.

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PR bodies to revive EAPRA The Public Relations Society of Kenya has entered into strategic collaboration with Public Relations Society of Tanzania (PRST) in an effort to strengthen ties with institutions that help achieve its strategic objectives as envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

In discussions initiated by the PRSK CEO, MS Sylvia Mwichuli and the newly elected PRST President, Assa Mwambene during the latter’s just concluded annual general conference held at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; the two garnered a deal to revive the defunt East African Public Relations Associations (EAPRA) and rename the body to Public Relations Society of East Africa (PRSEAC).

The two bodies have looped in their Ugandan counterpart, Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU) and have developed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with areas of collaboration that will uphold the stature of PR in the region, a move that has been long overdue. Regional unity is key to the growth of the profession and this timely collaboration comes at a time that the profession is gaining traction in both private and public sectors.

“Reviving this regional body will including coming up with training and joint advocacy campaigns as well as lobby to work with the East African Community on communications-related programmes,” PRSK CEO Sylvia Mwichuli noted. This will also include coming up with relevant regional programs that target PR practitioners in the three regions and jointly seeking funds that will operationalize and finance proposed projects.

As the East African community continues to seek ways of working together by establishing policies that will foster economic and political growth in the region, this MOU will see communication professionals exploring the opportunities available in the three countries. This could offer a solution to the current unemployment crisis occasioned by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the majority of youth decrying the lack of job opportunities.

“We welcome and are ready to support the proposed programs that will be run by the three regional bodies.

This is a step in the right direction,” PRAU President Stephen Mwanga observed.

Subscribing to this regional body would see professionals in the respective member bodies reap benefits galore. Notable among them would be personal professional growth that will encourage idea-sharing and benchmarking activities that will help professionals learn and gain insights from their peers in the region.

“The communication profession is yet to come of age in our three countries because of the challenges that we face. As we watch closely what the two bodies are doing to grow the profession in their respective countries, we are hopeful that Tanzania could largely learn from these experiences. We are really excited to this renewed partnership,” PRST President Assa Mwambene noted.

Currently the region has over 7000 practising practitioners operating at different levels of the organization.

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Can organizations bridge the digital divide? used within organizations as enablers for PWDs to level the playing field for access to sustainable education, skills development and employment.

What is the status quo?

The World Development Report (2016) notes that ICT such as mobile devices and desktop computers are embedded with functionalities that facilitate communication and information access for PWDs. For example, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS operating systems come with in-built accessibility settings that users can activate specific features such as text-tospeech, voice recognition, preferences for mouse and keyboard navigation, contrast settings, and magnification. Remarkably, these are at no extra cost beyond the cost of the operating system.

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As the 21st century rolls on, one key trend that will be noted by historians and anthropologists will be the key role that digital technology has played in the acceleration of the third and fourth industrial revolutions. A wide variety of digital tools and services, using the internet and computer technology as their launchpad and backbone, have changed the way we access, create, consume and store content. Digital accessibility has become a key requirement for anybody who desires to harness the benefits of tech on the human condition.

What is digital accessibility?

Digital accessibility is the ability of a website, mobile application or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, 8

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including those users who have visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities.

The physical inaccessibility of “brick and mortar” and “pen and paper” based educational, employment, information, and social environments has been one of the primary factors for the marginalization of persons with disabilities (PWDs). With this in mind, fostering inclusion at every step of the value chain is paramount to ensure that organizational leaders bridge the gap of exclusion and marginalization of PWDs in order to accord them a more enabling work environment.

The convergence of public and private service provision through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the increasing scope of mainstream ICT can be

What is more, since 2014, individuals licensed for Microsoft Office 2010 and higher, or a subscription of Office 365 can download Window-Eyes, a leading screen reader, for free. Such functionalities wholly depend on the capacity of the organizational technical teams to leverage so as to create conducive work spaces for PWDs. Additionally, specified assistive and adaptive technologies such as screen reading software, magnification devices, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices aid persons with difficulties in verbal communications.

These functionalities provide digital inclusion and enable PWDs to receive information and content in the format they can perceive and prefer. Moreover, open-source assistive technology software

packages offer quality alternatives such as the NVDA open-source screen reader available in forty-three (43) languages in addition to English. The report further emphasizes that, without a doubt, accessible ICT features also benefit diverse population segments who may not identify as having a disability, including senior citizens, people with low literacy, and people who may not know the dominant language.

What does this imply for organizational leaders?

Digital transformation is not only a driver for organizational profitability and competitiveness but an enabler of inclusion which is a key component of bridging the digital divide. Organizational leaders, therefore ought to be at the forefront of championing the uptake to digital technologies as well as the perception of the said technologies as enablers for successful employment of PWDs due to their permeation and proliferation.

Undoubtedly, ICT has changed how people build their skills, how they search for work, how they do their work, how they interact with coworkers and clients. With work processes increasingly shifting online through the adoption of cloud-based content management and document sharing platforms, software applications, internet-based audio/ video communications, and remote collaboration platforms, the time is ripe for leaders to build their internal capacity on ICT infrastructural amenities to be

accommodative and inclusive.

support the creation and delivery of locally and culturally relevant ICT accessibility What measures should tools and content. PWDs in learning organizational leaders take to bridge institutions can also be encouraged the digital divide? to champion such courses to foster Firstly, organizational leaders ought to ownership. comprehend that digital technologies are facilitating drivers for successful Importantly, work teams have to employment for PWDs. With this intentionally eliminate barriers that understanding, deliberate efforts to exclude PWDs from the development increase awareness about ICT accessibility process to ensure that their voices can and build capacity of all relevant be heard. This can be achieved by being stakeholders are inevitable. deliberate in improving their ability, access to opportunities, and dignity to participate Secondly, leaders are advised to develop actively in organizational operations. policies to ensure accessibility across types As a key decisive action, leaders should of ICT within the organization, as well as endeavor to eradicate stigma and prejudice technical standards that meet accessibility against PWDs institutionally because such requirements and promote interoperability prejudices pose serious obstacles to equity with assistive technologies. It is critical for and inclusion. leaders to understand that the adoption and use of accessible ICT for inclusion is In conclusion, it is important for leaders dependent on many actors in the ecosystem to understand that technology does including government service providers, not exist in a vacuum, but is influenced educators, employers, development by the societal, legislative, personal, practitioners, and the ICT industry. and infrastructural factors.

It takes organizational commitment to inbuilt Organizational teams should focus on ecosystems that analyzes how ICT raising their awareness and building their and complementary actors, systems, capacity to successfully implement barrier- and processes support each other and free digital environments and service how these can be shaped to facilitate provision, failure to which the internet accessibility and inclusion for persons with and ICT will become another source of disabilities with the goal of bridging the marginalization and exclusion for persons digital divide institutionally. The principle with disabilities. of mainstreaming is fundamental to ensuring that persons with disabilities are Additionally, organizations can also foster not left behind in and because of the digital innovation and local manufacturing revolution. through public-private partnerships to

Fostering inclusion is paramount to bridge the gap of exclusion and marginalization of PWDs

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Communication for communicators

By Linet Mutheu Sunday, 10 October 2021 marked World Mental Health Day. The theme this year was supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. As I sat to reflect on my mental state, particularly as a Communications person working in the healthcare sector, I couldn’t help but notice the fog of unattended issues that hovered over me. I wondered if others felt the same. So I took it upon myself to call up a few of my friends within the industry.

Each one of them sharing their different, yet similar stories. It’s very worrying, though not shocking, that my friends in PR & Communications reported that their mental health worsened during the pandemic. Specialists within our industry have had to balance home and work life simultaneously, with home-schooling, homemaking and not to mention the pressures of virtual working all having a ton of impact on them.

The communication industry, under ‘ordinary’ circumstances, presents people that have perfectly mastered the art of juggling priorities and still delivering under stressful situations. This year, however, is different. We are forced to be in constant fight-or-flight mode. The human body simply isn’t designed to maintain this state constantly. It takes a toll on a person’s physical health. The constant changes within the pandemic period have created an additional level of anxiety.

The problem is down to culture and a 10

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lack of open channels of communication.

People do not feel safe seeking out help, some do not even know who and where to go to for help. If your organisation isn’t making that happen, then you have to urgently shift your policies into actionable support. Frustratingly, there remains a stigma around mental health in some parts of our industry. Society as well plays a big role in acting as a barrier to those seeking psychological support. This cannot go on! Employers and leaders must create a culture of open communication. We need to normalize, appreciate and actively support conversations around mental health. Staff need to know that speaking about these issues does not jeopardize their work or their position within the organisation.

How can we do this? First, by setting an example. Leaders in top management need to openly talk about how they seek support for their own mental and emotional health. Across your organization, create an environment in which your staff can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment or any other form of emotional harm, if they ever chose to speak up. Make yours a culture where mental and emotional health is seen as vital, and reaching out for support is accepted and encouraged. Empower staff to discuss their issues safely, freely and in confidence, at the same time allowing those with the desire to speak openly to do so. There has never been a better time to have as many mental health advocates as

possible as now. A time to encourage those struggling in silence to reach out.

It is a big warning sign that many of my friends said workload was their biggest mental health issue. A few said they had been offered the chance to reduce their workload, while the rest noted that they had to find a way to cope. If we do not address this, we are facing an even bigger mental health crisis. This is the key point to take home. Managers have to listen to their teams and make concrete moves here.

Otherwise, burnout, anxiety, stress, and pressure will build-up, with that comes dire consequences.

Introduce initiatives that positively impact your staff’s mental wellbeing. Ensure they understand how to access these initiatives and promote their usage. Providing reassurance to them will encourage utilisation and ultimately boost their mental health.

You cannot solve “John’s” problems without thinking or seeing issues through John’s eyes. In short, listen to your team.

Allow them to share options that are comfortable for them to use throughout this journey.

Hearing this feedback directly from them will enable you to build a long-lasting, healthy workplace.

Linet Mutheu- Brand Manager at M.P Shah Hospital

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More conscious effort is needed by society to cushion those considered to be “academic rejects” in our society

By Nduta Githiga The advent and promise of 8-4-4 In 1985, when the then President of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi, introduced the 8-4-4 educational system program, its proponents had a vision. The vocational component of the system for instance was aimed at preparing students who would not continue on with secondary education, those who would be self-employed, and those who would be seeking employment in the non-formal sector. However, the implementation of the system did not meet its very vision.

8-4-4, which was designed to provide eight years of primary education, four years of secondary, and four years of university education, was ostensibly started with the sole intention of making education in Kenya more amenable to vocational training. Then, opponents of the system argued that the government of the day did not prepare and train the teachers (the core implementers) in the system adequately.

With the introduction of the 8-4-4 system CPE became KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) while KCE became the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). During the entire period of the system, emphasis was placed on Mathematics, English, and vocational subjects. The change made a huge impact on many aspects of people’s lives, especially females. Primary school became free and mandatory however secondary and higher education became subsidized.

personified in the teachers who take up instruction of the said student during this time.

Then after years of toiling hard and pushing to struggle through the first eight years in primary school, then the next four years in high school, the force abandons them without a warning. This is where a sizeable portion of would be learners are “left behind”.

This is when high school results do the job of “separating the chaff from the grain” in agricultural parlance. Students who attain the minimum grade for university admission proceed on to the last 4 of the 8-4-4, leaving behind an entire crop of students deemed “unsuitable”. This is when it turns in to a race to survive.

The status quo As a beneficiary of the system, I am overcome with a sense of guilt whenever I sit on my veranda, looking at our dear bothers and even sisters slowly fading away, their lives being submerged into substance use as a means of numbing themselves. Trying to figure out why are not as brilliant as they were in the early days of their education.

This had the double-sided impact of allowing more students to jump on to the education ladder in pursuit of academic development, while also increasing the likelihood of there being more dropouts at every fresh stage of the system.

In his last piece titled “Gentleman”, Bikozulu, a popular Kenyan writer and social media content creator, penned a short statement which aptly summarizes the attitude with which we should approach those who were “left behind” by the education system. ”…….Gentlemen we have to cross this river together. We all have to row. If we don’t row, we don’t cross. If I row and you sit watching me, we won’t cross faster. We row together and we cross together….” This statement encourages us to hold hands and work together in a bid to stop our students from drowning into failure while they haven’t even tried and pushed themselves to the limit.

The stages of the system For the entirety of their first twelve years in school, a student is conditioned to operate in the presence of a “force” that is constantly pushing them via all means including but not limited to encouragement, criticism and harsh rebuke. This force is often

Rome was not built in one day, and neither will this be achieved in a day. So, I knock and ring and call upon you to never tire to hold these hands; because even when you think they always had a choice, some of these choices were never served in equal measure.

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From the newsroom to safari rally and back - Pauline “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn “Risking the unusual” is the mantra that has guided feisty Pauline Sheghu’s career and life choices, effortlessly executing challenging tasks in the public and private sectors. Her commitment to duty has remained the foundation of her accomplishments in her fields of endeavour, including motor rallying.

A corporate and media personality with years of experience under her belt, Pauline is a household name in Kenya.

Pauline is a Chief Officer of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Geothermal Development Corporation (GDC), Kenya’s leading geothermal power producer. She is in charge of multi-media, publications and stakeholder relations at GDC. At Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), she presents Dira Ya Magwiji, a Kiswahili news programme, a Saturday show recently introduced as part of the revamp of the national broadcaster.

However, despite all these corporate roles, she describes herself simply as God’s daughter, mother, sister and Twitter mentor.

Pauline is the first ever Kenyan female rally driver to complete in a Safari Rally in the country driving Subaru Impreza No. 83 to the podium at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (now Kenyatta International Convention Centre) on June 19, 2011.

“It was a memorable event,” she says.

“I was an inexperienced rally driver but had the determination to complete the

race after my mentor and female rally forerunner, Ambassador Mary Slessor Orie Rogo Manduli pleaded with me at the start to complete the race and make Kenyan and indeed, African women proud.”

Manduli, who died recently, was a gutsy pioneer Kenyan female rally driver, journalist and politician, who debuted in the 1974 East African Safari Rally but dropped out of the race.

Group N category that had 22 entries. In the rally were renowned drivers Alastair Cavenagh, Carl Tundo, Azar Anwar, Alex Horsey, Balder Chager, Phineas Kimathi and Franco Donadel. Others were Julius Ngaji, Gavin Laurence, Peter Horsey, George Mwangi, Charles Hinga, Norris Ongalo, Stefano Roca, Issa Amwari, Gurmit Thethy and the Warembo Bila Make Up crew of Stella Macharia and Hellen Shiri.

Pauline says “finishing the race was important since rallying in Kenya was male-dominated at the time”.

Highlighting the challenges, Pauline says her car flipped at a sharp bend but thanks to her navigator they put it back on track and finished the race.

At the finish podium in KICC on that warm cloudy Sunday afternoon, Pauline, who was navigated by Kimaru Kipchilat, her then colleague at KBC and now with the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU), stepped out of her Subaru Imprezza to a warm embrace by Abdul Sidi, proprietor of the Rally Academy where navigators are trained in reading pace notes. Also present to congratulate Pauline was the exuberant Manduli.

“The dusty and rough Isinya and Ilbisil circuit was tough to conquer as it claimed the scalps of many rally cars,” she says.

Earlier, Pauline had raced and won the inter-media rally competition that had 67 participants. “Keeping on track, maintaining speed, and focus” are important in rallying, she says, adding that a clear understanding and communication between a rally driver and the navigator is critical to the success of any race.

Dressed in black trousers and a green KCB Safari Rally branded blouse with a note tied to the waist, Manduli planted a congratulatory kiss on Pauline’s left cheek before bursting into song and dance, terming it “a remarkable achievement by one of our own.”

She credits her colleague and head of Mayienga FM, Omole Asiko, with pushing her to join the sport while Ben Muchemi (aka Baba Shiro) trained and mentored her in rallying. KBC sponsored her and she is looking forward to participating in future rallies to encourage more women to take up the sport.

“We are proud of her, this just shows that women are capable of flooring men on the roads and I know this is just but the beginning. We are coming to rule the wheels,” she said with her signature swagger while handing over the winner’s trophy.

Pauline finished eighth in the special

She had a chat with Joseph Ndegwa and Julie Juma on her journey in communications and media. Here are the excerpts of the interview: Question: On your Twitter account, you refer to yourself as God’s daughter, mother, sister and OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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mentor. Is that all about you?

Answer: Yes. I am a staunch Christian and a mother of a son, Sammy Mwanzia.

I am also a second born in a family of nine and all my siblings look up to me for mentorship and guidance. I also volunteer my time and resources to mentor young people at home and in the work place.

Apart from Kiswahili, I also speak Taita, Chagga, DhoLuo and Kikuyu.

You are renowned for your command of Kiswahili. How would you describe Pauline in five Swahili words?

I would describe myself as Mcheshi, Mpenda Watu, Mtiifu, Mchapa Kazi na Mcha Mungu (laughing).

Tell us about your family. How was it like growing up?

I come from a large, beautiful and closeknit family. I was raised in Nairobi and was blessed to have parents who supported my education and remained a bedrock of support throughout my career, and even supported my rallying pursuits.

I was brought up in a strict Christian 14

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home and my parent’s solid foundation and the values that they instilled in me have greatly contributed to the person I am today. As an educator and author of Kiswahili poems, my mother, Skolastica Mkasafari Sheghu, inspired me to work harder to achieve my dreams. My late father was a strong pillar in the family.

What made you pursue journalism as a career?

When I finished my O-Levels I had three professions I wanted to pursue; A veterinary officer, a journalist or an air hostess. I had applied to study at institutions that offer these courses and had even decided that whichever calling letter came first would be the career I would follow. As fate would have it, the letter from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communications (KIMC) came first and the rest as they say, is history I would be inspired watching veteran anchors such as the late Anne Ofula and Catherine Kasavuli (with who I now ironically host the Legends Edition).

From an early age Pauline had made a

vow to herself to ensure that the Sheghu family name would become a household name countrywide I beam when I see the likes of experienced professionals such as Kanze Dena, Mashirima Kapombe, Monica Kiragu, Harith Salim, Jane Ngoiri, Juma Balo, just to mention a few, who passed through my hands excelling in their respective careers.

You were recently unveiled as part of the Legends Edition of the new-look Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). What made you take the offer?

A journalist is always a journalist. The pull to serve at KBC was irresistible, partly because it is the place where I launched my career in journalism and also because of the rare opportunity I would get to work with seasoned anchors such as Catherine Kasavuli, Fayyaz Qureishi and Badi Muhsin. As a public officer, I cannot earn two salaries from two State institutions and so my engagement with KBC is purely on volunteership basis. I am giving back to the national broadcaster and my fans for

the support I have enjoyed over the years.

Interestingly, I left KBC after 10 years of service and have re-joined the institution after doing 10 years at Geothermal Development Corporation (GDC), where I am the Chief Officer, Communications and Marketing.

The sudden death of your co-host, Badi Muhsin, shocked Kenyans.

How are you dealing with the loss at the workplace?

Badi…Badi…Badi (weeping). The death of Badi hit me hard. I am still grieving. Badi was more than a colleague. He was a free spirit, friend and father figure. It is Badi who received and mentored me into the job when I first joined KBC. Together, we hosted a popular Kiswahili show called “Dunia Wiki Hii.” We left KBC at the same time and came back at the same time for the Legends Edition. It is him who came up with the name “Dira ya Magwiji.” He had a deeper understanding of Swahili and taught me “misemo” (sayings).

I spoke to Badi the day he passed on. He called in the morning to inform me that he was in Mombasa on an assignment to interview Mama Alice Taabu, a celebrated home chef and Aunty of journalist Nimrod Taabu. Mama Alice used to host a popular cooking show on KBC in the 90s called “Mke Nyumbani”. During the call, he informed me that English Football Club Arsenal was going to play that afternoon, perhaps wanting me to inform fans or make a joke about it on set. For some strange reason on that particular day, I was unconsciously playing the Swahili Hymn, “Bwana U Sehemu Yangu” that is often sang in funerals, on my laptop.

When I got home, after passing by my mother’s place later that afternoon, I found several missed calls. When I look back I believe it was because most of our colleagues in the media fraternity knew the special connection that Badi and I shared. The chemistry was more than the chemistry! I decided to call our news producer, Zipporah Muthui first, who asked whether I had heard about Badi, and proceeded to ask me to follow up. I frantically started calling Badi’s son who didn’t pick his calls. I even called Badi’s phone which, by this time was off. I had no luck with Badi’s cameraman’s phone as it was off as well. By this time I was slowly going numb. I died for a moment. I felt like my whole world had literally gone dark. It was even more difficult reading the news

of his death on live television. I miss him. Every Saturday I have to remind myself to be strong whenever I remember I am going to read the bulletin without him. Sometimes mid-bulletin my countenance changes, but then I remember his cheerful demeanour and his smile, and I power on.

May his beautiful soul rest in eternal peace.

How different is the KBC of today from the one you left 10 years ago?

A lot of good things are happening at KBC. Apart from the visionary leadership of the Managing Director, Dr Naim Bilal, the national broadcaster has a strong team of support staff in the newsrooms and modern technology for broadcasting. The team hired to lead the revamp of the institution is dynamic and pleasant to work with. I, however, miss the mentorship of media greats such as Leonard Mambo Mbotela, Hamisi Themor, Ngulamu Mwaviro, Edward Kadilo, Anaclet Araba, Ndinda Kasalu, Anunda Sakwa, Anne Ofula and Elyna Shiveka. They were true legends who mentored me in the trade.

I still consult some of them and all of us are members of the Association of Professional Broadcasters (APB), a fraternal organisation of media personalities chaired by Tabitha Mutemi, the Communications Head at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

How was the shift from the newsroom to Public Relations?

The transition from media to corporate world was challenging. I found it to be totally different. In the newsroom, we simply compile and present the news, but not so in public relations. PR goes deeper because it aims to inform and persuade the public, employees, customers, partners, investors and other stakeholders to maintain a favourable view of an organisation, its leadership, products and services. There is also so much to learn in the corporate world and networks to build. I encourage journalists to think beyond the newsroom and consider taking up corporate jobs.

What does it entail being a PR practitioner? Your best and worst moments in PR? PR is about reputation management. It took me time to adjust during the transition but I appreciate my colleagues at GDC for making it easy for me to settle. Among others, bureaucracy and the slow pace of procurement in public institutions is a challenge. My best moment was on 16 October, 2019 when I was picked to show H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta around during an inspection tour and launch of the NairobiSuswa SGR Passenger Train Service. I rode with the President in the same cabin from Nairobi Terminus in Syokimau to Suswa. Later, in 2020, I received the Head of State Commendation (HSC), an award for exceptional service in the community. Earlier, I had served in a special Geothermal Project Implementation Team where I gained valuable technical knowledge and experience in geothermal production.

What do you tell those dreaming of a life in PR? PR is a good profession that allows you to work with people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets. It offers unlimited opportunities and prepares you for challenging roles and environments. A PR practitioner can work anywhere. However, it is not for the faint-hearted. You have to be knowledgeable, mentally strong and amenable to change.

Kindly describe how the journalism experience has influenced your PR work?

My experience in media equipped me with valuable skills in multi-media production and preparation of press and news releases. I also had useful contacts in the media that is vital in PR practice.

How do you manage to remain calm and collected in an environment where publicity and celebrity status are the order of the day?

I consider the quality of a person’s life to be directly proportional to one’s commitment to excellence. I would feel personally responsible if I was ever to mislead anyone on my account. Therefore, I made a deliberate choice to focus on my career, allow my work to speak for itself and pursue corporate social responsibility engagements. I derive great joy from giving back, not showing off.

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Often, the climb up the corporate ladder is said to be steep for women.

How has your experience been?

It hasn’t been easy getting where I am.

(However) Hard work and commitment pay. I would urge women to discard the notion that some jobs are a reserve for men. Go for top jobs and always take the front seat in a room. Work hard and make your voice count. In all, maintain positive values and empower each other as women.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the toxic side of communications and media industry. Any comment?

The pandemic affected in-person engagements but at the same time afforded us a better opportunity to demonstrate our competence and usefulness in organisations. In fact, remote working would have not been possible without PR

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and communications tools. The stressful situation became bearable because of the role of communications in organisations.

I would urge PR and Communications practitioners to value each other and work together as teams. It is also important for team leaders to mentor, support and encourage those working under them.

Gender-based violence remains a challenge in our society. How are you using your platform and voice to amplify this issue?

Gender-based violence causes physical and mental harm. It also affects victims’ sexual reproductive health. I have been at the forefront campaigning against GBV in church and social gatherings, and at work. I purpose to use my platform to advance efforts aimed at preventing GBV in communities. I also encourage victims of this vice to report to nearest

police stations, move out of the abusive relationship or seek mediation where possible.

How does Pauline Sheghu unwind?

I love listening to Christian music and spending time with my son. On the weekends I like to meet up with my close friends with whom I like to have a good laugh.

Any aspirations in life?

I would like to serve my country in higher positions of responsibility, where I can influence policy to meet national goals and transform people’s lives.

You, Who feels like a champion inside, Hungry with your eyes on the grand and limitless stage, Armed with revised potential and self-belief, Looking with jealousy and admiration on those with their forks and knives, Wondering what it takes for they are both old and young, mediocre and geniuses, You, how will you get onto that stage?

Is that Michelangelo, the Divine One? The one who painted the famous ceiling of Sistine Chapel in Rome, And renaissance sculptures of David and Pieta, Way back in the 16th Century, Yet sitting at the table without use for his fork and knife, The world nearly always forget Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, Whose golden chest funded Michelangelo’s arts, Who will spot you?

Can you see Louis Vuitton, LV label, The owner of the $42 billion rich Louis Vuitton Brand, Who ran away from quarrelsome step mother as a boy, Now loving his stay at the high table, Started from the streets to building a renowned fashion brand, Yet, Monsieur Marechal owned the Paris workshop in which LV mastered box- making, To become the best in the 19th Century, Who will spot you

Who will spot you?

Get on stage

By Collins Ojwang

Don’t miss the synonym for revolution, Che, Who was Argentinian but lived in other nations revolutions, Daring to change the setting of the stage and its membership, A friend and a colleague to Fidel Castro, With whom they successfully overthrew Batista’s government in 1959, From where he sharpened his commanding abilities leading him to Congo and Bolivia, You, who will be your Fidel Looking even further, on top of the Egyptian Pyramids, Humbly sits Joseph, the son of Jacob, the Dreamer, Whose brothers sold as a slave to Egypt, From where he rose from confinement to influence,

By Pharaoh’s word he commanded everyone else, Made Prime Minister in a foreign land, Who will pick you dreamer It’s a goal for Christiano Ronaldo! And the roars continue, CR7, You see him reaching out and slicing the cake real big, The Portuguese footballer has won the Ballon D’Or 5 times, Spotted and tasked with the burden of Jersey 7 at 18 years, Sir Alex Ferguson set forth this soul on fire, And the roaring continues, even louder Who will it be for you, that burdens you with greatness You don’t know who will pick you, You are scared because you may never get picked, Worry not champion, Your path is unique, You are special, And you will get on that stage if you really want to, Because you will surely get spotted

Collins is a Communications Intern at State Department for Social Protection

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Image Courtesy

Changing face of crime in Kenya

By Dickson Wambuti The internet first became available in Kenya in 1993, with full access being established in 1995. By 2000, about 200,000 Kenyans had access to the internet with an estimated growth of 300 new subscribers monthly. Research that was done in 2017 by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) revealed that use of broadband internet had risen by 14.3 percent compared to previous years.

In Kenya, internet penetration is at 90 percent, that is to say that 9 out of every 10 Kenyans has direct or indirect access to the internet. Most mobile companies provide limited 2G, 3G, 4G network, and rumour has it that 5G network is about to be launched. By 2019, the numbers had risen to about 46 million online users.

There are about 72 licenced internet service providers (ISPs) in Kenya, of which only 36 are operational.

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A massive surge in the number of online users has seen a corresponding increase in cybercriminals.

Cybercriminals exploit internet users’ biodata for their own gain. The evolution of technology and the increasing accessibility of smart technology means that there are multiple access points within users’ homes for hackers to exploit. Such information is used for logins and access to a user’s private world. According to a report by Serianu, a Pan African cybersecurity and business consulting firm, Kenya lost more than 29.5 billion shillings from cyber – attacks in 2018. CAK went ahead to report that cyber threats had risen to 10 percent in the first quarter of 2019. In the period of 2018 – 2019 for instance, the National Cybersecurity Centre detected 51.9 million threats as compared to 22.1 million cases in 2017 -2018. CAK attributed the increase in such cases to the

global increase in malware that includes ransomware attacks during this period.

Furthermore, institutions of higher learning in Kenya produce hundreds of graduates skilled in computer science and information technology. These bright minds, faced with unemployment, turn to hacking and other black hat activities to earn their daily bread.

According to a report published in 2019, Kenya reported 6 million cybercrimes in the same year. Moreover, over half of all adolescents and teens have either been perpetrators or victims of cyber bullying.

That is to say, 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyber threats. Research also reveals that over 25 percent of adolescents have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones and or the internet. However, over half of the same number choose to keep to stay silent about such threats.

Among teens, cyber bullying causes

anxiety, depression and even suicide. The irony is that those who engage in cyber bullying tend to suffer from depression, and this activity makes them feel better.

The internet remains both a blessing and a curse.

Cybercrime have evolved to the extent of bank robberies. In 2019, 2.2 million was stolen from ATMs in Thika. Even though the convicts were apprehended by officers from the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI), cybercrimes have become a national threat. In July 2019, Omondi, a businessman from Kisumu was conned of over Kes, 200,000 by criminals pretending to be bank officials, to whom he unwittingly gave his bank details.

In early 2020, students from Kenyatta University attempted to hack Kenya Commercial Bank but were arrested after managing to siphon 22 million shillings.

According to the DCI, the network involved in cybercrimes, particularly bank robbery, runs deep and has likely siphoned millions from Mpesa agents and mobile users after faking calls to clients claiming to offer account assistance and maintenances.

Most Kenyans, especially the younger generation, have been affected by cyber bullying due to increased digital penetration. Smartphones and cyber cafés are available to the general public at minimal cost, and many households have internet access. Some of the most abused platforms in Kenya are social media sites such as Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram and video applications such as YouTube and Vidmate with issues to do with piracy, copyright and pornography.

Facebook groups like Kilimani Mums and Dads and Buyers Beware heavily feature cases of fraud, from paying money to be ‘connected’ to sugar mummies and daddies to fake job connections to Arab nations. Users also create platforms claiming to sell items at cheaper-thanusual prices. Users are often unaware that administrators running these groups are also preying on them.

The Kenyan community on twitter popularly known as Kenyans On Twitter alias K.O.T takes the lead when it comes to cyber bullying. In April 2020, the United Nations Office for Drugs and

Crime (UNODC) crowned Kenyans on Twitter as the “worst internet bullies”. They were described as having the capacity to unite and attack their common ‘enemy.’ They are known and feared not only in Africa but also worldwide in trolling. In 2019, president Uhuru Kenyatta deactivated his twitter handles as a result of cyberbullying. Private pictures and messages have been leaked and accounts hacked into. Many fake or parody accounts, often creating confusion with the real ones, have been created, claiming to be the Police, the President and many other prominent personalities.

6 to 10 percent are of both men and women in developing countries are aged between 18 to 24 years, and current research reveals that the same demographic, especially young women are most vulnerable to cyber bullying. The culture of bullying has evolved.

Previouly confined to schools, they have now relocated to the internet, with anonymity being an added advantage.

With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown that led to people being trapped in their homes, cyberbullying has spiralled. Psychologists and therapists have related the cyber-attacks with increased mental health issues relating to anger, anxiety and stress.

A study commissioned by the African Development Bank shows that cyber violence against children, women and girls is considered a pandemic, with 1 in 3 women said to have experienced some form of cyberbullying and online harassment. It further reveals that up to 70 percent of women have endured cyber bullying and are 27 times more prone to online harassment than men. Men are most likely attacked for their opinions but women are attacked for their gender, sexuality and appearance (body shaming).

Dickson Wambuti is an undergraduate from the University of Kabianga, specialized in Communication and Public Relations. He is also a freelance article writer.

70% WOMen

women have endured cyber bullying

attacked for their gender, sexuality and appearance

Men most likely attacked for their opinions

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Gender based violence:

A nightmare without borders

By Akoth Daizy Opiyo Gender based violence is an occurrence that is deeply rooted in gender inequality and is one of the most prominent Human Rights abuses in our societies to date.

Both men and women experience this violence but a large majority of victims that are profiled are women and girls, which leads many to understand albeit mistakenly, that gender based violence is only meted on women and girls by men.

controlling and dominant while women are docile and depend on men as providers. The norms have promoted cultural abuses such as early and forced marriages and female genital mutilation.

Gender-based violence is also a key driver of extreme poverty.

GBV has become a nightmare and the only way to deal with it is to protect women by improving laws and policies, creating awareness of women’s rights and raising the cost to men who engage in GBV by instituting harsher penalties and sanctions. Protecting and empowering women and girls is key to making lasting change.

Image Courtesy

Gender based violence includes physical, mental, sexual and economic harm that is perpetrated in private as well as public settings. It takes numerous forms such as; Intimate partner violence, Sexual violence, Child marriage, Female genital mutilation, trafficking for sexual exploitation, female infanticide and many others.

Hunger - Women and girls face early and forced marriages as families seek dowry payment as a way of reducing their living expenses. In some instances, women are forced to sell sex to survive.

Money shortages also increase tensions within families which in many cases leads to violence against women.

The most common form of Gender Based Violence witnessed around the world and in Kenya is Intimate Partner Violence.

This is domestic violence inflicted by a current or former spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against a partner or incidences of intimate partner violence saw an increase during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic

War and Conflict - Conflict zones have also created more child brides. According to Girls Not Brides a British NGO seeking to end child marriage, child marriage has seen a sharp increase since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, as parents hope that through marriage their daughters will be cared for and the financial burden will be felt less within the home

The world over countries are putting in place strategies to mitigate the rising cases of GBV that were heightened during the pandemic. Closer home, in Kenya, the Government has developed measures to end GBV as well as sexual violence by the year 2026. These measures came in the form of 12 bold and targeted commitments that would push, in summary, for complete implementation of GBV policies and laws, investment in GBV prevention and response, development of a GBV management information system, integration of GBV services into the Universal Health Coverage as well as scaling up of police interventions in such cases. The introduction of a GBV toll-free line will also go a long way in ensuring that cases of this kind of violence plummet.

Gender based violence has many causes but some of the factors that we will be handling here focus on the following;

Beyond the emotional trauma, GBV can result into physical injuries, contraction of sexual transmitted infections such as HIV, dysfunctional sexual health and reproductive abilities, unwanted pregnancies and even death. Olivia Govetti, an American writer states that

As a society it is up to us to put the Government to task in ensuring that it lives up to its pledge of protecting its citizens from such violence and enforcing a firm framework that will encourage more people to speak out and hopefully work towards bringing this vice to an end.

Harmful Gender Norms - Gender stereotypes are mostly used to justify violence against women. Culture norms indicate that men are aggressive, Image Courtesy

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Data analytics and insights: the ‘in-thing’ in the PR industry

Image Courtesy

By Ali Hassan Idow Public Relations (PR) focuses on building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics. A PR professional’s skillsets include achieving effective two-way communication, identifying the target audience, creating engaging content that resonates with the target audience, choosing the right media to reach them, and positioning the organization as an authority on a topic or industry (CommPro, 2019). Historically, the contemporary practice of PR has developed since the mid-20th century to a sophisticated array of communications (Stacks & Michealson, 2014). However, PR has experienced challenges in measuring the value of its work and how it contributes to set business objectives. In order to gain influence in the top-management, PR needs to align its objectives with the overall organization’s business objectives.

An indication that PR needs to focus on creating and implementing strategies that yield results that are correlated with financial data to show its impact (Grunig, 1992).

have become an integral part of the practice of PR, and new PR skills are creeping up which include: - research, data analytics and insights skills. The TEKsystems (2018) reported that analytics was the most sought after skill by organizational leaders. “Data analytics and insights will be more valuable on your resume than people skills or great writing” (PR News, 2017). The business world is enamored with analytics, set on using their predictive value to construct a strategy, increase profitability and bolster bottom-line growth (Forbes, 2018). Analytics help us make informed decisions to improve the way we work and build better relationships with the target audience. Data analytic insights provide information such as how many people visited your social sites, their demographic characteristics, actions they took, content that resonated with your target audience etc. In digital marketing these are called web analytics and they include metrics, conversions, and dimensions. Analytics also provide a competitive edge by turning data into value. It also provides insights that leads to opportunities such as planning future strategies and making informed decisions.

It is important for PR professionals to understand which data sets already exist within their organizations. According to Signal (2020), start by understanding the metrics that speak to your overall business objectives, and only focus on what numbers look good to you. In conclusion, the USC Annenberg Report (2016) points out that, “The PR industry is growing in size and scope. The work is becoming more complex and challenging.

The future holds lots of opportunities for those who adapt to changes in technology, media and analytics”.

In as much we are developing innovative strategies to deal with business disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, I daresay, what a great time to be a PR professional! If we view the current situation from a glass half-full perspective the possibilities that we have been presented with are endless, and the faster we adapt, the more resilient our industry will become! Over to you!

Source: CommPro Ali Hassan Idow is a freelance PR professional, and lecturer at the Multimedia University of Kenya

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Book Review

The Truth We Hold – Kamala Harris daughter of immigrants, born in Oakland, California, and raised in West Berkeley.

Harris notes that her family were renters for most of her childhood and her mother took incredible pride in their home. She describes her upbringing in a “cohesive neighborhood” of hard working families who were focused on doing a good job, paying the bills, and being there for one another.

By Ruth Dero (MPRSK) In the middle of a global pandemic that almost brought the world to a standstill, the United States of America elections of November, 2020 came with so many lessons, some pronounced and others passive. However, the gist of the much hyped super power election would be lost on us if we miss the passive lesson in one of the most pronounced messages passed across by the historic plebiscite.

The fact that Kamala Harris, a woman of colour, is the first female vice president in the land of the free already shatters a critical glass ceiling that has been limiting women’s chances to showcase their abilities and in no small part aided in propelling Joe Biden to victory. In her election victory speech, Kamala gave a special mention to minority women and her desire to stand out for truth and unity.

Digging deeper into Kamala, who is of Indian and Jamaican ancestry, and her desire to stand up and participate in the making of the American history led me to her book The Truths We HoldAn American Journey. The book sets out to reveal Kamala Harris’ life as the 22

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I found the book quite valuable and engaging with tenets that are instrumental to our practical living. However, if you scratch beyond the surface, you will find that Kamala Harris is just the face of a formidable army of grassroots women, who in part impelled her choice of legal career in order to stand for justice for the minority.

The book also irradiates her viewpoint and desires, and the abilities and qualities she brings to a national presidential campaign. In these pages, Harris emerges as something between a feel-your-pain Democrat and a policy wonk, though not fully either. She takes pride in her record as a district attorney and attorney general, yet she acknowledges the pitfalls of the criminal justice system in which she labored and thrived. Harris constantly dismisses as “false choices” the dilemmas that politicians encounter in policy debates. She wants to be a “joyful warrior in the battle to come,” and whether joy or war prevails may be the story of her campaign.

This is a book full of hope, resilience, determination, humility and sword-sharp focus. The book touches on her time as California Attorney General, her face-off against fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 U.S. Senate election, and ends with her touting her fights against the Trump administration. “If it’s worth fighting for, it’s a fight worth having’’.

The book illustrates the need for social justice for sexually assaulted women and the fact that their cases should not be ignored. Further, she posits that there are many reasons why survivors of sexual assault don’t report, and one is the fear or assumption that they will not be believed.

However, she notes that history has shown that one person’s willingness to stand up for what is right can be the spark that ignites far fetching change.

In chapter ten of the book, Harris highlights key lessons that she has absorbed along the way-life experiences, foundational wisdom from her mother, encouragement and guidance from family members, friends and trusted mentors.

“I have witnessed powerful examples both good and bad that have shaped my understanding of what it takes to lead effectively, what it takes to achieve one’s objectives and what we owe to one another in the process,” she writes.

In the memoir Harris notes that “words matter” and that words have the ability to empower and deceive, the power to soothe and hurt. She further writes that words can spread important ideas and negative ones. They spur people to action, for good or ill. Words are incredibly powerful, and people in power whose words carry furthest and fastest have an obligation and a duty to speak them with precision and wisdom. Scripture tells us, “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even tempered.”

Finally, Harris speaks on identifying and embracing mentorship. She acknowledges lessons from her mother, including, “you may be first. Don’t be last.” She says her mother had gotten to where she was because of the help of mentors and that she too had gotten to where she was because of the same. She concludes by saying she intends to be a mentor to as many people as possible during the course of her career.

Ruth Dero – Ag. Head of Corporate Communications, National Industrial Training Authority [NITA]

business succeeds, she will get to live life on the fast lane.

17 million down the drain So Lucy hinges her trust on referrals who make grand promises to her. “You will earn 37 percent when you invest with us,” she is told by a woman who is into quantum funds. Having burnt her fingers in the gold mining business, she goes for her Sacco savings, insurance and at one point, takes a bank loan to increase her capital investment.With her leadership and influencing abilities, she is able to charm the hearts of many and even introduce them to the money-making ventures she had gotten herself into. She ends up losing more than Sh5 million and Sh11 million, a collective amount from the investors. I love that she narrates the story so authentically that it didn’t matter what we readers would think of her. I remember reading some parts and I would sigh in disbelief. “How can you be this trusting?”

Whenever she was introduced to someone new, I found myself whispering, “Please don’t get into a business with them!” She does, and I want to pinch her. The book is told with a vulnerability and authenticity that is almost palpable. She gives us an avenue to all our silly mistakes through her tribulations, the fights to save her reputation and her total surrender to God’s will and guidance.

The Unbeatable Spirit Author: Lucy Githaiga

By Lilys Njeru So many of us have gone through financial scams. There was the quail business, DECI, real estate scams, Amazon Web Worker Africa, forex deals, Golden scape, just to name just a few. In these fraud dealings, Kenyans have lost billions.

So when recently I came across a book called The Unbeatable Spirit by Kenyan author, Lucy Githaiga, which candidly speaks on how she lost millions in financial scams, I wanted to read on. Lucy, a country director for in an NGO, held the dream that we all hold. Coming from the countryside, and from a humble background, she wanted the posh car, to live in the leafy suburbs and enjoy the soft life. After an early pregnancy, at University, Lucy went on survival mode, and after many years of toiling she rose up the carseer ladder and, eventually fell into the easy-money trap.

At one point in her career, she decided to start a side hustle business which, as she narrates, badly flopped. The book starts with her early life – her background and the economic situation of her family. Against this backdrop, she chronicles the financial mistakes she has made. The journey to the abyss of bad business moves starts with her interest to invest in gold mining so she and her partner, who is her nephew, can start a jewelry business. She is ambitious and full of hope that if this

Childhood nostalgia Far from the money mistakes, this book is an invitation to her soul and who she is. Since her childhood days, she was full of grit, resolute, and was not easily swayed. If she wanted something or believed that she was capable to perform a particular job, she would show up and do it. Plus, she deals right there on the oxymoron that is the impostor syndrome that many, especially women face as they rise higher in their careers. She faces a series of put downs at one of her jobs, which makes her doubt her abilities, which is a good question that employers should ask, ‘are women doubting themselves because they are incapable of believing in themselves or because of a lack of an enabling environment for them to shine?’ Lucy’s writing style is simple and has a great sense of humour! She went through that experience, wrote about it to shield another person from taking the same route.

I would recommend The Unbeatable Spirit to everyone who is on a journey of self-awareness.

Lilys Njeru is a lifestyle writer, for the Daily Nation and book enthusiast.

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Why Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad is the best read for financial literacy

By Nancy Kibicho In April 2017, a 20th Anniversary edition of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad was published and in a preface to this 20th Anniversary edition, Robert T. Kiyosaki states that an estimated 40 million copies of the book had been sold. Robert Kiyosaki in his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad enlightens his audiences on how to go about gaining true financial independence. It is a book aimed at enhancing his readers’ financial knowledge.

different views the author was exposed to from the two fathers he shadowed during the writing of his book. “Poor Dad”, who happens to be Robert’s real Dad, is a middle-class man who took up a profession in education studying at Stanford, Chicago, and Northwestern Universities, entirely on full scholarship, eventually earning a Ph.D. He was employed as the head of the education sector of the Hawaii State. This enabled him to buy the home where the Kiyosaki family resided.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad delves into the

The ‘Rich Dad’, who is Robert’s father’s

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best friend and is also their neighbor and Mike’s Dad. Mike was Robert’s playmate when they were growing up. On one occasion Robert happened to ask his Dad about how to make money and his father’s response was that he did not know how to since he had not made a lot of money.

He suggested that Robert ask his friend Mike’s Dad since he was a prosperous business person in the locality. However, unlike Robert’s Dad, Mike’s Dad was an 8th-grade dropout who was a tycoon with a lot of small enterprises such as buildings, eateries, and convenience warehouses. To effectively learn from Mike’s Dad, Robert

hurt the lower and middle-classes in the society who voted for the bill. Levies were then introduced to the middle classes and rippled down to the lower class. The rich set up various business ventures as a means of effectively reducing their risk.

5. The rich create money.

Having confidence and audacity in oneself is critical to your success. The book encourages its readers to keep personal fears under control, rather than ignoring and allowing the fears to influence us.

The book encourages its’ readers to develop personal financial aptitude, which is constituted of four main nominal abilities; the ability to understand figures, knowledge of money creating money, the edict of demand and supply and accounting, business, national and general rules and code of practice.

6. We work to learn rather than working for money.

Occupations should be foundations of knowledge and not sources of revenue by absorbing from a job rather than working to get money. Rich Dad, Poor Dad highlights the importance of seeking an opportunity where we can get the necessary skills required to manage the money we obtain from working.

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establishes a father-son relation with their neighbor. This is how Mike’s Dad becomes Robert’s “Rich Dad” as portrayed in the book.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad offers some key lessons to people who may be struggling with managing their finances. It gives insights on having a life that is not solely dependent on wages.

The lessons learned from Robert’s book include; 1. The rich do not work for money but instead they let the money work for them.

Many people who are in the lower and middle classes have the anxiety of being broke and instead of thinking how to curb the fears, they respond psychologically.

2. The relevance of teaching financial literacy.

One needs to understand the variance between a liability and an asset.

3. Minding one’s own business from the perspective of the rich, the poor and the middle class The poor and the middle-class work for their employers and are taxed while a majority are also paying for bank loans.

The rich center on their asset stakes, while other classes concentrate on their income accounts. The rich spend their money on luxuries after they have accomplished all other things while the poor and the middle classes spend their wealth on luxuries before they accomplish important things having a financial burden.

4. Rich Dad’s perspective: The history of levies and the influence of businesses as explained by Rich Dad. The Rich Dad shaped himself as a specialist on the history of levies. He explained to Robert and Mike that initially, taxation in America and England never existed.

While it was introduced for the rich, it

Applying Kiyosaki’s Lessons Rich Dad, Poor Dad explores a broad range of financial matters—land property asset, ordinary market asset, note asset, and entrepreneurship. Robert covers so many things in one volume and thus he is an exceptional author. The book also has a lot of information that would be beneficial to people struggling with financial reliance.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad arouses a sense of contemplation on finances. By reading it, one reflects on wealth management in order to achieve solid financial stability.

Further, one gets to understand that it is not all about learning how to make money but how well you use that money and the goal towards making that money work for you.

This article has not been published in another magazine or newspaper.

Nancy Kibicho is a creative writer and loves literature. Nancy holds a bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Public Relations from Maasai Mara University.

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Is Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich a guide to being wealthy and successful?

By Nancy Kibicho Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich provides a particular action plan and doctrines for getting rich. The ideas explored in Think and Grow Rich were collected from discussions with five hundred rich individuals, like Andrew Carnegie, Charles M. Schwab, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison. Hill started with a dialogue with Carnegie, who he claims dared him to devote 20 years interrogating prosperous men and to note in writing a philosophy of achievement that anyone, irrespective of their position in life, can positively follow.

While the book centers on financial accomplishment, its ideologies are also relevant to other objectives. Being successful is primarily accepting that we have the authority to control our points of view — then taking accountability for doing so. Generally, Hill exploits how powerful thoughts can show resilient desires and a well-defined purpose into

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realism. To Hill, the Mind is the Master. Although Think and Grow Rich was initially published in 1937 by Napoleon Hill, the lessons from this book are still relevant today. However, revised editions have been published like the 21st-century edition by Bill Hartley.

Hill was a close friend to extremely-prosperous individuals such as Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison and he discusses the thirteen stages to riches.

There are numerous observations of these prosperous individuals in each of thirteen points and at least one case in point from his popular associates. For instance, the first step “Desire”, Hill describes how Edwin C. Barnes went to see Thomas Edison and they became business partners, indicating that Barnes succeeded because of the desire he had, choosing a well-defined goal and dedicating himself while perservering. Barnes did not become Edison’s associate immediately, but it took him five years. Barnes did not say “I will work for a few months, and if I get no encouragement, I will quit and get a job

somewhere else.” Instead, he said, “I will start anywhere. I will do anything Edison tells me to do, but before I am through, I will be his associate.”

Barnes had no thoughts associated with failure and did not say “I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization.” Instead, he said that, “There is but ONE thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want.”

When reading the book, somehow, I felt that Hill could have edited it to incorporate examples of successful individuals living in the contemporary day society such as Barrack Obama, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or even Warren Buffet. I admire individuals like Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison who had incredible impact on humanity, but I get robust context to individuals who have an influence to the contemporary world.

it to achieve more. Chapter 4 also echoes what Chapter 2 (Desire) talked about concerning the six steps. . Following the instructions offered in chapter 4 gave me a comprehensive understanding of the principles of success.

Another chapter that stood out was Chapter Three (Faith), which is the second step to richness. Hill is not actually referring to belief in a higher power when he talks about faith; rather he claims that the future has better things for a person – a truly self-assured viewpoint.

It is about being optimistic about what is to come. Hill incorporates Charles M. Schwab’s idea of how riches come from our thoughts. I learnt how Schwab’s

speech revolutionized the thought of becoming rich.

Think and Grow Rich gives one the confidence to achieve goals in life. Hill repetitively asserts that it is a matter of self-assurance and focusing on the reward, but not just fantasizing about it. The big idea that self-assurance and focusing on the goal are essential for success. The book is a must read for anyone who feels they have a challenge in focusing and achieving life goals.

The initial four chapters were inspiring and they gave me the desire to continue reading. Chapters 7 (Organized Planning) and 15 (How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear) inspired me a lot on the road to success. Also, chapter 4: Auto-Suggestion, the third step towards the riches, was outstanding as it outlines how we can influence our subliminal mind and train

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Out of the box: Africa can be trusted

By Anne David I’m educated, what difference does it make?

In today’s world, going to school has become second nature. Rarely will someone finish a sentence before the issue of education comes up directly or indirectly. Education has been given so much weight in society today that it is comes as no surprise that most if not all people would not pass up a chance to get a good education. Those that may have missed the opportunity when growing up now have a great opportunity to go back to school and pursue a diploma or a degree in what is referred to as parallel programs alongside courses offered in various tertiary institutions.

The word education is derived from the

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Latin words “educare” meaning to ‘bring up’ or to ‘nourish’ while ‘educere’ to ‘bring forth’ or to ‘draw out’. From the definitions above it is clear that education is not meant to stifle one’s ability to think, however systems of education over time and especially in Africa have done exactly that. Educational systems either by design or ignorantly, have negatively impacted the development of learners and a lot of undoing has to be done.

Why then, is education so key in our lives?

Has it been overrated to the detriment of other facets of society? Do people go to school with the only hope they have lying in the certificate they hold? After all is said and done, what if the job is not forthcoming? Are there other avenues, creative or otherwise, that one can get involved in and still live a life worth living without feeling that their time spent in school was a waste of time?

Indian spiritual thinkers as far back as the Vedic period propagated education as a means of achieving spiritual goals.

Viveknand in an article, Concepts and Meanings of Education defined education as the manifestation of divine perfection already existing in man to help him realize himself and lead him to achieve salvation.

These questions can be answered when we first seek to understand what education is and its importance. A seasoned education expert from India by the name Victoria Atur, defined education by arguing that there is no unified agreement among teachers, psychologists, politicians, and philosophers as to the purpose of education, nor is there any agreement as to what constitutes education. Atur

argues further that, if the purpose of education is to train good citizens then the world is faced with the fact that concepts of what good citizenry is, differs from one country to another. The above definition is one of training rather than of education.

Whatever definition of education we accept will definitely be coloured by our own philosophy of life.

Atur states, ‘The young man with a University education, or who has been too long at a Public School, enters an environment that is too often distasteful after the atmosphere he has breathed.

He is mentally antagonistic to his surroundings, because his brain has been organized in other directions; he has formed a habit of mind that is frequently difficult to change. He has to learn to be quick-witted and self-reliant, and accustom himself to irksome routine.

He is sometimes slow to learn that business discussions and decisions have no resemblance to argumentative school

methods’.

Does the above statement speak to the current situation in Kenya? Instead of creativity being built, encouraged and given space, it is stifled in the mind by the concepts of, ‘I studied this in school and hence I cannot do this’. The issue of dirtying our hands or pushing boundaries after four years of university education is almost an abomination. But is that what education was originally meant to do? If anything, education was meant to be a vehicle of liberation aimed at giving one the motivation to become a better sweeper, cook, manager, teacher or whatever one chooses to pursue as a passion in life. Education should not be seen as an enabler to make anyone look down upon one career over the others.

What then is education and how can it make us better citizens?

witnessing the rise world-wide systems of education aimed at embracing learners with different personalities as well as aspects of practicality being incorporated into learning curricula as opposed to a theoretical focus. In Kenya this is evident with the newly- introduced Competence Based curriculum (CBC), where emphasis is placed on the skills and practical aspects of learning. Africa as a whole is coming into an enlightenment age where we are awakening our in-born innovativeness that has been stifled for centuries.

We can therefore say that education aims at providing a learner with a nourishing environment to bring out and develop the latent possibilities within each and every one of us. Let us seek to build on the positive aspects of education as we seek to harness Africa’s potential to lead the world into an age of out-of-the-box enlightenment.

There is hope, however as we are currently

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Every patriotic citizen has a role to play in combating tax crimes

By Dennis Karuri

Governments worldwide are losing $427 billion each year to tax avoidance and evasion as companies and wealthy individuals shift their money to tax havens. This is according to the State of Tax Justice report, published on 20th November, 2021 by Tax Justice Network, Public Services International and the Global Alliance for Tax Justice. Poorer countries have been hit harder compared to the more developed countries as they are similarly losing a larger share of their total tax revenue to these abusive practices.

With the coronavirus pandemic shining a harsh light on the grave cost of under-funded health and public services worldwide, these figures represent a tragedy. Tax abuse deprives countries of billions and billions in urgently needed tax and holds them back from building better, healthier and fairer societies.

As tax administration gets more and more sophisticated in a bid to curb tax evasion, so have tax evasion schemes. Unfortunately the two are taking place at almost the same pace. Perhaps to paraphrase one of Chinua Achebe’s quotes, as unscrupulous individuals and organized crime perpetrators have learned to do business without paying due taxes, tax authorities have no choice but to learn how to catch these criminals without missing.

Closer home, and as part of measures aimed at tightening the noose on tax evasion across all spheres, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has recently launched an onslaught on those culpable of the vice through social media. The Taxman is focussed on reigning in all those living flashy lifestyles on our social media platforms and holding them accountable for it.

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In 2020 KRA had also launched an informant reward platform dubbed the iWhistle. The online platform catapults the governments’ efforts to seal revenue leakages and encourages Kenyans to report various tax crimes anonymously. The platform empowers members of the public to report on malpractices such as bribery, concealment, conflict of interest, tax evasion, tax fraud, abuse of office, diversion of goods, manufacturing of counterfeit goods, and other tax-related crimes.

The icing on the cake is the reward that the taxman gifts whistleblowers in exchange for valuable information that leads to collection of taxes, penalties, interest, or other amounts from tax cheats. The reward includes whichever is less between five per cent of the taxes or duties recovered or Kshs. 2 million.

Given the significant role revenue collected through tax payment plays in our country’s development and sustenance, every patriotic Kenyan has a front row role in combating tax evasion.

The iWhistle platform provided by the Government gives all citizens an equal chance to fight tax evasion and related tax crimes without fear of repercussion.

As loyal tax-paying citizens the onus is on us to ensure that we are all playing our part in not turning a blind eye to what could potentially erase gains made in the fight against tax crimes. No matter what position you hold in society, taking an active part in reporting cases of tax corruption regardless of the magnitude can go long way in ensuring the economic success of this generation and of those to come.

Endorsement as part of brand management

By Wausi Walya The sum of the efforts that organisations put in to ensure that their brands are visible and preferred are within the process of brand building translating to the fact that a strong brand will have a competitive advantage. The desire by many businesses to build strong brands has more recently been on the rise and with that, more competition. Acceleration of information access because of the expanded growth in the digital space has introduced an era of communicating brands using an integrated approach, laying more emphasis on digital eyeballs. Separately, brands, whether representative of goods or services, have been forced to enhance their authenticity, the era of ‘fake news’ and with-it false information has left little room for gaps that can lead to brand misrepresentation.

What is it that we must do to keep our brands in the lead? How do we build the much-needed trust between the brand and the target market? How do we sustain the interest in a brand amidst so much ‘noise’ that can be interpreted as information over – load. Are we able to pick the challenges and the opportunities that these dynamics present to brand management? Do we need to spend more on media buying for example? Communicating the brand identity effectively ensures that the brand stands out but beyond what the customers see, the brand must live to its promise. It is important that an assortment of assets are engaged to clearly communicate the brand vision and ensure that the brand is well understood. If we appreciate the brand strengths and weaknesses, we will be able to curate stories that are able to anchor the brand strengths. Buyers are faced with many more options and will take less time to make a choice if they are faced with a compelling branded narrative. Travelling for example presents holiday makers with choices of diverse experiences that they can hardly make up their minds on, what them will drive them to convert their wish list to an actual visit.

There are many factors that will drive travellers to a destination for example, the price, accessibility, a bucket list item or

the overall influence of what other people say about the place you travel to.

The endorsement of a brand by a third party has emerged as one of the most popular ways that brands create an association with a ready audience.

The use of celebrity endorsement (CE) already gives the brand access to a ready audience of fans and the public. There is a new crop of social media influencers who will endorse goods or services that they have passion for. They will give narratives that are authentic and enhance the trust of the brand. Endorsement is an advertising strategy that gives services a head- starts but it is key that the celebrity or influencer matches the brand that they endorse both in the brand character and relevance. A sports icon for example is likely to be the most suitable to endorse sportswear. Endorsement is a trusted way of influencing consumers and leading them to an actual purchase or giving them confidence to talk favourably about the brand endorsed. The key advantage of leveraging on a ready audience comes with its risk too. An individual endorser could divert from the brand value through his personal actions that hurt the brand association. A top sports icon once had an issue in his personal life that deteriorated so much that key brands, he was representing withdrew their contracts.

This was out of the fear that their brands would loose out on the audience that did not agree with the celebrity’s behaviour.

Brand association is a risk that many services and product owners undertake when they engage third party endorsement. It is important to note the key risk areas which can range from the endorsers personal values, their background, the other brands associated with the endorser, history with other brands as well as what daily activities may put the brand they endorse in ‘danger’.

While the element of trust exists between an endorser and brand owners of a product or service, the formality through which they engage must not be ignored.

There should always be a clause through which either can exit. Whatever the risks, this should be embraced more, brand endorsement has gained so much traction, and with it a whole new world to brands.

We must however remain vigilant and take responsibility for the overall brand promise.

The competition to get a part of the shares in services and goods presented in the market is at an all-time high. With the clientele targeted having so much choice, brand management must not just be consistent but creative.

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Lawyering for the corrupt hindering war on graft

By Michael Ochula, MPRSK Corruption is one of the greatest challenges facing our country today.

Despite continued efforts to combat corruption, including conviction and imprisonment of of high-ranking government officials, politicians and private individuals, the quest to tame white-collar crime in Kenya remains an elusive goal to attain.

Notably, many people found guilty of corruption have shown no remorse or shame. Under such circumstances, even if all the graft suspects were arrested and brought to justice, there is no guarantee corruption would stop.

It is irresistible to opine that highprofile perpetrators of mega corruption undertake a cost benefit analysis of engaging in graft, taking into account any attendant legal consequences. They apparently begin by planning how to get away with it in the event law enforcement agencies catch up, or how to navigate the judicial system for light or favourable sentences.

An analysis of emerging trends and patterns reveal that most mega scandals are usually well planned and executed by well-organised cartels with roots spread across different institutions and sectors.

In some incidences, corruption cartels are so powerful and meticulous they, more often than not, operate as a parallel system of government. In such networks, one thing clearly stands out; no single mega corruption scandal is planned or executed 32

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without the input of a professional at one stage or another. As part of perfecting their operations, corruption cartels run by professionals target their weaponry towards capturing justice systems and processes.

Effective anti-corruption strategies must therefore, of necessity, focus on dismantling or disrupting the corruption networks as well as bolstering professional ethics and responsibility. Clearly, professionals in Kenya bear a significant portion of blame for the challenges that bedevil the country.

Some of them have contributed to impunity as opposed to advancing the rule of law as per their calling. Under the Advocates Act, legal professionals have a cardinal role in advancing the rule of law and public interest. However, majority of lawyers in Kenya have specialised as merchants of corruption and money laundering in the administration of justice, thus leading to denial of justice, human rights violations and general defilement of the law.

In this regard, the creation of a clean legal system is a compelling need, if the fight against corruption is to bear fruit. The fight will not be successful if the current integrity deficits among legal professionals remain unaddressed. This also applies to other law enforcers including judges, magistrates, prosecutors and legislators amongst others. In short, Kenya’s anticorruption war will not be won unless and until the obstacles to the rule of law are removed.

Under the rule of law principle, the law (including the anti-corruption law)

In Summary • High-profile perpetrators of mega corruption undertake a cost benefit analysis of engaging in graft, taking into account any attendant legal consequences.

• They begin by planning how to get away with it in the event law enforcement agencies catch up, or how to navigate the judicial system for light or favourable sentences.

is enforced equally against everyone.

Without the rule of law, there will be the “rule of force” and justice will be determined by how much power or influence a man holds or how much money he is willing to pay. The denial of the rule of law in preference for the rule of force will have its consequences. Without the rule of law, the rule of the jungle takes hold and the weak fall victim to the strong and nobody is safe.

Law is the very foundation of a peaceful and prosperous society, which we all can benefit from. It creates a disincentive for the corruptors or crooked people not to do what they want. The most fundamental requirement for us to uphold the rule of law is to have credible lawyers and lawmakers and law enforcers taking the lead in upholding and defending the law.

There would be no rule of law without credible lawyers who embrace honest living and are committed to promoting justice in all its facets. The absence of credible lawyers to carry out such mission presents a disincentive to corruption eradication. In the fight against corruption, lawyers are important instruments because they are the key actors in our legal system, which is unfortunately not functioning properly.

They have a key role in the liberation of our country from the shackles of corruption and impunity. All the government efforts in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct will fail if majority of lawyers take an opposing stance or act as onlookers.

It is regrettable to see more and more lawyers standing up, not to fight corruption, but “for” corrupt suspects instead. They appear to have no respect for their calling and conscience. The comforting news is that there are still thousands of lawyers out there who have the desire to combat corruption and create a clean legal environment. These lawyers should stand up and share the responsibility for combating corruption.

It is not an easy task to execute, but it is also not impossible if they choose to work and fight together.

The creation of a clean legal system is a compelling need, if the fight against corruption is to bear fruit.

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Internal Communication: A driver for sustainable business

By Wageni Kimani- Wambaa Imagine walking right into a library looking for your favourite read only to be greeted by a pound of books strewn all over the huge room. All aisles and light paths are covered by books facing all directions! Where do you start? You are constrained by time and so after a few disappointing glances, you walk out of the library; disappointed albeit thirsty for the information you went to seek. In order to get the book you are seeking; you require to create order out of the chaos.

Organizations communicate all the time; but who is listening? The role of management is to steer the employees towards achieving the corporate goals on a daily basis. The converse is also true: the role of employees is to help build the dream of the organization whilst growing themselves. But let’s be honest, sometimes our organizations feel like that chaotic library. Too much information flowing in, from and to all directions leaving one feeling overwhelmed.

Sometimes, there is too little information flowing in the organization leaving employees starved of important information that would guide their everyday inputs at work.

communicating the voice from the top and at the same time, amplifying the shop floor voice without losing the trust of either of its audiences. Management of these conversations is critical to the success of every organization. In other words, without communication; an organization can (I dare say) fail to exist. Many a time organizations fail to pivot communication as a pillar of success and relegate it to use on a ‘need basis’.

However, this is a recipe for disaster as communication is not a crutch to solve issues but a functional limb for organizational sustenance.

For organizations to succeed, their internal communication structures and systems must be functional and well oiled. Lyn Smith (2008) in her profound book “Effective Internal Communication” argued that the reason internal communication existed was because an informed and engaged workforce would produce better results. She further posited that unless employees understood what their company was striving to achieve and plug in to the ‘dream chasing’ then achieving corporate goals would be a pipe dream.

Stop and Weight

This is where internal communication comes in: to create a concrete out of the abstract caused by information chaos. As internal communicators our role is not to manipulate the audiences who in this case are the employees and the leadership. Rather, we find ourselves playing the boundary-spanning role of managing communication between the management and the employee to achieve business objectives.

Internal communicators must be at the helm of

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Every organization must pause, exhale and ask: what are our dreams/goals? Do our employees understand them? Are the employees plugged into the fulfilment of the corporate goals? What do our employees think of us? Further, what do they tell others about us? Internal communicators must pick this feedback; establish the gaps and ensure succinct communication top down and down up. Open up the communication highways

in the organization and align personal and corporate goals. Every organization must seek to convert their employees to brand evangelists: but how can this be achieved if internal communication is not given preeminence?

A 2017 study commissioned by Mitel, a leading technology firm, on workplace productivity and communications found that almost 15% of total work time is lost or wasted due to inefficient or ineffective communication. Further, the report found that almost an hour and a half per day, or if you like 90 minutes is spent on email whereas almost 3 hours is spent on personperson communication. Communication is indeed the life of every organization but what separates the internal communicator is the ability to make that communication effective, efficient and measurable. Internal communicators must employ strategies that directly (or indirectly) impact staff productivity. For instance, if there is information clutter and employees take hours on end to find working documents such as templates, policies, procedures why not deploy technology that synchronises all these to one platform? This way you positively impact on the bottom line as you have saved the employee precious time resource as well as increased staff productivity which is the goal of every organization.

Four things to remember for internal communicators: Employees want to fulfil the organizational goals; otherwise, they would not work for you. Therefore, open up the organization by creating safe spaces for your staff to communicate and engage top down; down up and sideways. Ensure relevant information is always available to employees as this increases trust and efficacy. Open up the ‘mysterious’ leadership by allowing employees to hear the mind of their leaders.

Understand the organizational culture - use communication to enhance the enablers of the organizational culture and assure the staff that the organization cares for them.

Internal communicators need to learn what matters most to their leaders and to fellow employees and craft ways of amplifying this to staff. Staff will only care if they know management care.

Consistency is the name of the game. The more consistent your messaging is; the higher the credence you give to the internal communication function. Everyday staff are looking for that one source of truth within the organization.

While it is true that a lie goes round the world before the truth has time to wear its pants; internal communicators must ensure that they entrench themselves in the organization as the truth-tellers of organizational news and information.

Adaptability and versatility will keep internal communicators relevant. We live in a dynamic attentiongrabbing economy. Everything is grabbing and baying for the attention of your employees. It is the role of internal communicators to adopt and invest in the trends of communication to ensure they remain rele Wageni Kimani- Wambaa, is a Manager, Internal Communication, Kenya Revenue Authority

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Is my life worth a cow?

where there exists no hope for the future, and every man is filled with sadness whenever it is announced that a girl has been born. All that my Father saw in me was an offspring that was only good enough to grow up and get married. I am longing for a bright future, but my hopes and dreams are shattered for a cow.

By Faith Katita Supeet

For decades, the Maasai culture has seen many of our female folk get married off at tender ages, some even as young as 12 years. More often than not, these girls are betrothed to suitors who are much older than them. Their sole purpose apart from bearing him children is to care for his cattle and run his home, alongside his other wives, with no respect or appreciation.

A cow, you ask? Sometimes more than one cow, but a cow nonetheless.

A cry is heard from the great savannas of Maasai land. A yelling heart of a little I ambitious girl. A cry of a little girl crying for justice, crying for gender equality, crying for her lost values. The girl is yearning for education but her Father has killed off her dreams for a cow. The girl is crying for her unseen dreams and her unknown future.

“Is my life worth a cow?” she sobs.

I am that little girl and this is my story.

My name is Faith and I have grown up

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Every morning I would wake up at six o’clock to care for the large herd of cattle that my Father owns as I prepared my brothers to go to school. As I would do this I could not help but ask myself whether the sun will ever rise on a day that I will look forward in the hope of a brighter future. I would look at my brothers happily

going to school and I admire them in their resplendent uniforms and carrying their school bags and I continue to question the reason that I am the only one staying at home.

Whenever I would verbally question this, I always got the same response. “Little girl, you own nothing in your parent’s home. You are being prepared to be a little mother who will get married off to a man who is at least 20 years older than you”.

My Mother’s role was to teach me how to perform house chores while guide me on how to be a good wife to the old man who would soon become my husband.

I would continuously ask myself if my Mother really knew the pain and anguish she caused me but I would also remind myself that she didn’t really have much of a choice. My Father’s word was the law.

Growing up in a community where women have no voice, could not make decisions, and were not listened to, my chances of getting out of this arrangement were slim to none. My work was to milk our cows,

care for my Father’s livestock and help my Mother build our ‘manyatta’. Whenever I would coming back home in the evening I would wonder if this was the only path my life was meant to take. Knowing that all that my Father saw in me was how he would gain wealth was a hard pill to swallow.

Time is moving and the years are passing and the little girl is growing very fast. At the age of 12 my Father called Mother to his ‘manyatta’.

I ran and hid behind the manyatta to listen to what he was going tell my Mother. “My girl has grown up now and I can see she is now able to run a home. Let us arrange to have her circumcised after which I will summon the man who will marry her”. As I heard him say those words my heart immediately became heavy and hot tears filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I could not control myself I ran back to the ‘manyatta’ where I cried the whole night with questions running all through my mind.

“Why is my own Father doing this to me?”

“Why is my Mother supporting him?”

“Where will my help come from?”

With no one to give me the answers l sought for, I woke up as usual to perform my morning duties.

Later that same morning, I saw a group of women coming towards our home and I knew instantly what they were coming to do. Instinctively, I went to hide in one of the ‘manyattas’. In a community where it is only the men who can make decisions, I had no options available to me. When I was called however, I decided to take matters into my own hands and face my Father. I boldly asked why he was allowing me to go through with this arrangement. I implored him to give me a chance to go to school to prove to him that women can also be great people. “Father, when you educate me you will enjoy the sweetest fruits of education, you will be the rich man in the village. My life cannot be compared with the cows you will get as a dowry”, I stated.

I count myself extremely lucky that I came across the Strong Maasai Ladies Association (SMALA), an organization started in 2015

by Mary Supeet, a Kenya Institute of Mass Communication Journalism graduate. SMALA is a community based organization that seeks to fight teenage pregnancies by instilling confidence in school going girls in Kajiado County. I was offered a scholarship through the

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Every morning I would wake up at six o’clock to care for the large herd of cattle that my Father owns as I prepared my brothers to go to school. As I would do this I could not help but ask myself whether the sun will ever rise on a day that I will look forward in the hope of a brighter future.

Association and I am about to complete my studies at St. Paul’s University.

I am currently an ambassador of hope for other girls whose stories begin like mine.

The rallying calls for a better life for girls with similar stories is getting louder. I believe that education is one of most effective ways of achieving that better life for girls like me. I am confident that stories of courage such as mine will bring the much-needed cultural mind-shift that will enable many other girls have stories with a happy ending.

Where there is a will, there will always be a way!

Faith Katita Supeet is a beneficiary of the Strong Maasai Ladies Association {SMALA}.

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Maintenance Phase This phase, which is also known as the response phase, is all about managing the crisis. It entails proper management of all responses from stakeholders. Stakeholders tend to have different reactions to the crisis.

Resolution Phase In this phase, communication should be aimed at returning things to normalcy.

Information about steps to be taken to getting things back to normal are expected.

Give adequate consideration to the affected persons. Your communication materials should address the various phases of the crisis such as how you have managed the situation and the process of returning things to its usual manner. Ensure active social listening by active monitoring. Use the organisation’s social media platforms to provide and get solid information to keep the situational updates.

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When that crisis hits

By Yetunde D. Olufemi Crisis is an eventuality that can happen to any brand. Irrespective of the brand size, a crisis is bound to happen like the most recent DNS outage for Facebook, Instagram, and whatsapp, or Pepsi’s Reputation crisis in 1993. However, regardless of the intensity or magnitude of the crisis, the most important and determining factor is how the brand or organisation communicates during and manages the crisis.

When a crisis occurs, the aftermath effect can be of varying magnitude ranging from suspension of daily operational activities, financial losses, property loss, loss of life, organisational reputation damage, personal or bodily injury, security breaches, and a lot more. Crises are very complex and can span for unknown duration. In real time when a crisis occurs, the circumstances of forecasted events can change sporadically, as well as the requirements, roles, responsibilities of all parties involved.

Communication needs, in terms of medium of communication, information to be passed across to the audience, and 38

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timing of communication, may change.

The phase of the crisis influences to some extent the communication needs for the organisation.

In a crisis, a brand can either be reactive or responsive to the crisis. Nevertheless, communication during a crisis is twoway. It is essential every PR professional understands that crises happen in phases and an in-depth understanding of the patterns of each crisis phase will help in effective crisis forecasting and adequate mitigation planning.

Phases in which crises happen Pre-crisis Phase This happens before the crisis occurs. This is the perfect time for you to plan and draft out the crisis communication strategy.

This strategy should contain in detail, the messages to pass across to the audience and forecasting the communication needs of the audience. This helps you manage a crisis effectively when it occurs.

Initial Phase This is the phase when the crisis just happens. It is best that you assess the situation circumspectly to respond properly.

Evaluation Phase This phase helps you to properly assess what tactic worked and how you can better prepare for future crises. This is specifically essential for long time crisis management success as it helps the organisation identify and communicate the needed changes.

Consider detailing the lessons taken from the crisis and action plans to be taken to prevent a recurrence of the crisis. This would also be a perfect opportunity to improve your crisis management plan.

Messaging During a crisis, ensure that uniform messages are being communicated through all the communication channels.

Note that it is better for the organisation to respond to the crisis than to react to the crisis. Using social platforms further help your crisis management process than abandoning them.

Abandoning your social media platforms during a crisis shifts the power balance away from the organisation as communication and crisis management efforts can easily be hijacked. This can lead to the escalation of the crisis further increasing the negative impacts of the crisis.

Yetunde D. Olufemi is a Public relations and communications professional passionate about helping brands retain their positive public’s perception.

Journalistic canons are a mirage

By Mutuku Boniface

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Media ethics can be traced from the renowned philosopher Pluto, who was behind the connotation “virtuous journalist” opining the tenets of wisdom, courage, temperance, truth, objectivity, fairness and accuracy. In Kenya, the daunting task of ensuring compliance of a myriad of tenets stipulated is vested on the Media Council of Kenya premised on Article 34 (5) which provides that Parliament shall enact legislation that provides for setting of a body to ensure media standards, regulation and ensuring compliance with those standards.

The tenets of accuracy dictate that the appendage of truth ought to be embedded. But then again media professionals understand the connotations of publishable truth vis-a-vis unpublishable truth. In media, time and space is money.

We are however, far from achieving media independence. In a close examination of big media conglomerates, a nexus is found between politicians and capitalistic bourgeoisie class. That because he who pays the piper plays the tune, any person operating a media House has envisaged ends and so independence is only in the air. Mighty hegemonic powers are behind most media houses and therefore, dictating their content.

Religion, education background and political affiliation aggravate the situation. It is no surprise that in a country where people appreciate tokens and crave for posh living, we are far from achieving the much sought after media.

The writer is 4th Year Student Communication And Public Relations is a At The University Of Kabianga, Kericho

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The nexus between Public Relations and Law

By George Mucee Law and PR are very broad subjects and it would be akin to a fishing expedition attempting to explore the nexus between them broadly. However, one common place to focus on to show the nexus or lack of it between Law and PR is in a crises management room. This state of affairs in the relationship between PR and Law is attributable to the disconnect in objectives of each side in the organization. PR seeks to, among others, establish trust between the company and its audiences while, on the other hand, the objective of the organization’s lawyer is to protect them from liability and harm be it financial or otherwise that could arise from different sources. Such risks of harm could arise from within the organization involving actions by employees, shareholders, directors or from outside the organization involving the regulators, competitors or even customers mostly in the form of lawsuits seeking orders against the company.

Who do you go to when in crisis The kicker above is testaments of the push and pull that underpins the relationship between lawyers and PR practitioners in a crisis. In fact, albeit in jest, PR practitioners have opined that when faced with a crisis to handle, you would do well to locate the lawyer, lock them up in a safe, address the crisis then release them from the safe once done. Practitioners and scholars in both fields have argued for a more collaborative approach and that organizations need to reconcile this oftencontradictory conflicting approach taken

by PR and Legal counsel not only during crises but also in normal times.

Different orientation Fitzpatrick and Rubin noted that these two groups of professionals have standard strategies for dealing with crisis communication that are very different, where traditional legal strategy is to say nothing or as little as possible and often as quietly as possible, citing the legal sensitivity, privacy or company policy of 40

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the event in question. The legal strategy also argues for of the organization to do so. That said, the times we live denial of guilt and shifting or, at worst, sharing blame in are very challenging to any organization because any with the plaintiff. small issue could easily catch the online fire and escalate into a full blow crisis that becomes a colossus impossible On the other hand, the traditional public relations to tame in a flash. strategy is to be candid and state any appropriate company policy on the issue, announce that the Harmonised objectives allegations are being investigated, admit a problem In order to forestall such crises, it is imperative upon if one truly exists and then quickly plan, announce all leaders in modern organizations to harmonise the and implement a remedy. As organizations seek to objectives of each department be it legal or PR to align restructure their operations for business efficiency with the overall company objective. It goes without saying and to reduce the cost of doing business, we have seen that you cannot have legal and PR fighting especially in a in recent times the trend of lumping PR duties with crisis situation and expect to come out unscathed if you corporate and legal with the legal counsel being the are lucky to even get out. All hands should be on deck head of that unit. Consequently, in most organizations, to deal with issues before they escalate. The need for a the legal strategy ends up dominating organizational collaborative approach, therefore, to issues between PR decisions with PR playing some supportive roles even and law is captured in this often-used phrase that, “You in instances where it would be better for PR strategy to can win in court and lose in the court of public opinion take the lead much to the detriment of the organization. or ‘you can lose in court and win in the court of public Why then is this so? opinion,” and to which I add: But what will it benefit a company to win in the court of public opinion then cave Subjectivity and intangibility in under the weight of huge awards against the company Some public relations practitioners have argued that in court. the relationship between PR and Law is inherently unbalanced because often PR professionals do not Suffice to say, there has to be a collaborative approach to have tangible cases or evidence to show at the table issues between Law and PR otherwise we may end up with while Lawyers can base their arguments on objective a cart before the horse situation. May the law be with you empirical cases and legal precedents. Thus, PR is more PR! subjective and intangible while law is objective and tangible. Without an objective way of showing tangible George Mati Mucee is the CEO & Founder George Mati value, then the PR professional is unable to argue their Mucee Consulting (GMM). He is a trained lawyer and a case for taking the lead successfully even on situations graduate member of PR fraternity where it would be their turn and in the best interest

You can win in court and lose in the court of public opinion or ‘you can lose in court and win in the court of public opinion’ but what will it benefit a company to win in the court of public opinion then cave in under the weight of huge awards against the company in court?

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Nelson Opany making a presentation during the 2021 Kanisa Sacco Annual Members Education Day

Habits of highly successful people

By Nelson Opany, MPRSK

A good way to define your goals is by exploring unique talents, skills, and abilities that you need to develop to bring out your uniqueness.

Achieving your dreams shouldn’t be at any cost.

Unlike in the 20th century where oil In 1985, when the then We all have dreams but many atimes we’re unsure about how exactly to achieve them.. Kelvin Ward says once remarked that dream without action is like an eagle without wings It, therefore, takes deliberate effort to achieve the the desired outcome. Whether it’s at work, school or in society, achieving greatness is a sacrifice.

What is your vision?

To be a great person, you need to decide where you want to be. A good way to help

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you define your goals is by exploring unique talents, skills, and abilities that you need to develop to bring out your uniqueness. You must be careful about the allure of copying and trying to be like others. Carve out your path that aligns with your values, personality, and ambitions.

Successful people make decisions based on where they want to be and not their current situation. So, your vision should be big enough that it inspires and pushes you to become better each day. However, you must be alive to the fact that you’ll not get there in a day, week, month or even a year. Think about the small steps when making progress.

Careful planning The next step is to plan the route towards achieving your dream. The path will you follow is important in planning for success as it enables you to critically visualize the possible paths to your goals, how you’ll move step by step from your current position, potential obstacles you may find along the way and what you could do to overcome them.

Success is a habit so be consistent in making small steps every day. It is worth noting that the journey towards your dreams shouldn’t be a solo trek. You need to find the right people that can help you to fulfil your dreams. Occasionally we need people to consult when in doubt, to soundboard our ideas or to just encourage us to move on for without action, a dream remains just that – a dream. You need to take positive actions that lead you to your ambitions however difficult.This is often the difficult part, but it must be done anyway. It requires you to stay focused and be disciplined Be brave, take calculated

risks and believe in yourself, that when you look back at the end of it all, you’ll feel proud of yourself.

Road map Another important step in the journey towards your dreams is the ability to assess progress at every stage of the route and adjust where necessary. Your road-map provides milestones that can help you know how far or near you are to your goal. Be keen and honest with yourself on the progress made. Consult your team to get their opinion and guidance on what you need to change. If you didn’t do something you should have done, acknowledge it and commit to doing it. Where you’ve done well, you need to celebrate your achievements.

Take a pat on the back and motivate yourself to keep improving. Learn from the challenges and find new ways to accelerate your progress. In a highly competitive world, some people forget their humanity in pursuit of success.

Achieving your dreams shouldn’t be at any cost. Make deliberate efforts to help others along your way to the top. It shows humility, strength, and maturity.

Don’t be selfish, pull others along. This is an investment that will pay great dividends in the long term. How great will it be when someone testifies that it’s because of you that they succeeded?

To succeed, you must do what others don’t want to do. The key is to start before you are ready for there will never be a perfect time.

Mr Opany is the Manager, Communications and Partnerships at the World Scout Bureau Africa Support Centre and a member of the PRSK Committee on Resource Mobilization and Partnerships.

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Claim your share of the internet An organization does not have to physically assemble reporters from media houses to cover their event because all they have to do these days is to compose an enthralling presser, select one or more effective social media channels and broadcast

By Dickson Wambuti Social media has swerved a bitter-sweet poison that every youthful as well as any acquainted individual eagerly yearns for. By December 2020 Covid-19 was at peak, internet penetration in Kenya was estimated at 85.2 percent. The statistics reveal that out of 100 heads, 85 of them have either direct or indirect access to the internet. Like drugs, internet is as addictive as drugs.

Research shows that more smartphones are bought on a daily basis than the number of children sired and or laid to rest in a cycle of 24 hours. Media consumers do not rely on television, radio sets and print media like newspapers any more, rather, the 21st Century has witnessed surge in YouTube channels as well online television and radio stations. Kenya has been ranked 14th in the internet speed.

Positive outcome Is there a place in the high table for Public Relations in the digital space? Are the positive outcomes yielded outweighing the negative scale? A walk into the Public Relations Society of Kenya will definitely provide answers the most common queries.

The coming to birth of the new media world means that all corporate entities ought to remould to fit-in in the current society. Public Relations is one click of a

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button away. Talk about press releases, an organization does not have to attract reporters from media houses to cover the event or for the audience to tune into a specific channel to watch a presser rather by the aid of the social media platforms, public relations practitioners have it all sorted. All that a company’s practitioners ought to do is to compose an enthralling presser, select one or more effective social media channels and they are ready to go.

How the message will be decoded or the form of feedback ultimately depends on the technical know-how of the people in charge of PR. Internet never forgets For instance, the PRO must fill all information vacuums because the internet never forgets and is capable of bringing of the entire organization to a halt by the snap of a finger. The internet can always be used to the organization’s advantage through such activities like communicating business, advertising, raising brand awareness, research, for market analysis and handling crises as soon as they emerge.

This can only be achieved if the PRO is abreast about the different audience segments, their tastes and preferences, their age and or even the most appropriate modes of delivery.Crisis is an inevitable part of an organization. The ‘how’ to handle must be given amble emphasis.

Social media handles have proven effective

when it comes to handling crisis within the shortest time. Valid information must be processed and facilitated in due time. The communicators should never let the media audiences chip-in to ‘communicate’ on their behalf. This behaviour will bury the organization alive.

Take a position Moreover, the organization should shun from staying over the fences. The organization is an active participant in the dialogue that exists between them and the various stakeholders and should keep their various audiences close, the allies and the competitors closer. Provide feedback within the shortest period to build credibility and buffer ties. Make regular puns, jokes and regularly share information inform of comics and humour to keep your guests entertained. Language aesthetics like tongue twisters reflects experience. All these must be restricted to a certain healthy level.

Public relations officers must find and secure a share of the internet. Everything is changing at an alarming speed.

Dickson Wambuti is a Communication and Public Relations graduate from University of Kabianga and a freelance article writer.

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Every dollar stolen is a loss to a pregnant mother

By N Mbau Corruption remains one of the major impediments to Kenya’s development agenda. It has a wide range of corrosive effects on the wider society. Corruption occurs at all levels of the society right from the family level up to the highest governance level of a country and the globe at large.

It has always been noted that corruption is an insidious and secret multidisciplinary crime that can manifests and flourishes in any country even those that are regarded as highly developed and democratic. Corruption is however more prevalent in developing countries more so, in Africa. The Corruption Perception Index (CPI 2020), painted a familiar and discouraging picture that more than two-thirds (2/3) of the African countries surveyed scored below 50%, while the average score was just 43%. The survey published by Transparency International, measured the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories across the globe in the wake of Covid19 pandemic.

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Promising feature The survey further revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa countries are worst hit by the corruption menace with the region scoring an average of 32% between the year 2017 and 2020. Nonetheless, four countries among them Kenya were cited as having a promising future in the fight against corruption. This was attributed to the countries’ continued efforts and commitment to winning the fight. In Kenya for instance the adoption of e-procurement has brought great achievements in public procurement. Kenya has adopted the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in almost all public institutions resulting to significant transparency in public procurement. The system’s ability to provide audit trails makes it a great asset.

It is worth noting however that systems are as good as the people who use them. Without transparent and accountable systems that enable governments and citizens to engage in a mutually responsive way, the vast resources channeled through public procurement systems run the danger of increased corruption and misuse.

Stealing from pregnant women This aggression towards corruption from Kenyans and more so the youth follows their realization that every shilling lost has a direct impact on their life and, as World Bank Group former President Jim Yong Kim once said “Every dollar that a corrupt official or a corrupt business person puts in their pocket is a dollar stolen from a pregnant woman who needs health care or from a girl or a boy who deserves an education, from communities that need water, roads, and schools. Every dollar is critical if we are to reach our goals to end extreme poverty by 2030 and to boost shared prosperity.”

With concerted effort, we can redeem our motherland from graft because success in the war against corruption is a difficult phenomenon to measure due to its complexity

Corruption risk assessment The implementation of responsive programs in the public sector such as Corruption Risk Assessment, System Reviews and Intensified Public Education which has helped raise public awareness on how corruption manifests itself and also how to prevent it, have been major vehicles through which enforcement agencies in Kenya have responded to the growing demand for technical assistance in the war against corruption. These interventions coupled with a determined citizenry are key drivers that are likely to propel Kenya into a corruption free society.Another hallmark in the war against corruption in the country is the entrenchment of anti-corruption education in the formal education system in Kenya. Programs under formal education system include the establishment of Integrity Clubs/Movements which help in instilling ethics and integrity in learners. Learning institutions, both elementary and tertiary, have taken up the mantle of initiating the formation of the integrity clubs.

Benefits of integrity The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), now on its fifth year of implementation has also taken cognizance of the importance of ethics and integrity among the learners thereby putting emphasis on inculcating values such as honesty, discipline and fairness among learners. This is meant to help learners place the long-term benefits of integrity before the immediate and short lived gratification of corruption and unethical conduct which will lead to longer and more gradual process of fighting corruption even as other direct measures such as criminal prosecutions or specific administrative reforms are implemented.

While success in the war against corruption is a difficult phenomenon to measure due to its complexity, there is more evidence emerging on the annoyance of the general public in regards to acts of corruption.

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Successful sporting is founded on effective PR strategy

By Samuel Migele Public Relations is now practiced everywhere. Public relations agencies and practitioners have been around for quite some time now. However, the notion that public relations is only practised in certain industries or disciplines is a fallacy. With the evergrowing sports industry, public relations is now considered crucial in ensuring good publicity for sports teams, athletes and other organizations involved in sports. Through public relations and effective media relations, the WRC Safari Rally this year got historic world viewing and attention. The whole was glued to Kenyan rift valley scenery.

Sports without PR With the huge following, just sit down and imagine a top athlete or even a sports team without PR support. Just imagine professional sports without strong relationship with the media. It can be a recipe for disaster as far as good publicity is concerned. Athletes and sports teams today work under a microscope held by the media, their fans and the general public.Look, Public relations is the strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics, it is the process of pushing a story that portrays an athlete’s or sports team reputation in a positive light. Sports industry which

has millions of fans around the world also needs a fair share of PR management, the athletes need to give one hundred percent on the pitch and not worried on the publicity that comes from both mainstream media and social media because there is always someone on the look.

Support from fans Professional athletes and sports teams receive enormous support from sports fans and other organizations. They therefore put all their eggs in PR management teams to sustain their relationship with the fans and all sports stakeholders. With strong media relationships, athletes and sports teams through PR management can help convey understanding, acceptance and communication with the public, the fans and other organizations. Good public relations can help athletes curate a good story outside the pitch. For instance, Marcus Rashford, one of the most talked about athlete during the Covid-19 pandemic era, launched the #WriteNow campaign which called on the England citizens to write to MPs in support of expanding free school meals, holiday support and Healthy Start vouchers to more children in lower income households. On top of this, Manchester United and Manchester City under the Hashtag #ACITYUNITED came together to donated a combined £100,000 to help food banks in Greater Manchester meet increased demand from vulnerable

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people, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Synergy through storytelling The synergy between the players and the PR team, through storytelling, created a very good public image for both the players and Manchester United football club beyond the business in the pitch. Sports PR is also very vital in management of crisis connected to athletes and sports teams. PR practitioners keenly study the media and identify multiple points of exposure, they utilize current conversations to take back control over a team or player’s narrative and craft appropriate and placating responses, keeping in mind any potential legal ramifications and attempting to alleviate them as effectively as possible.

You do realize that an athlete or team on his own cannot manage it on their own and concentrate on the turf at the same time.

Broken careers Recently, one of the biggest travesties in the European football, the European Super Cup, provoked an uproar among the football avid especially on social media.

Newspapers around the world, the Super Cup disaster was on top of the headlines ditto traditional media. The conversations were too negative, sometimes abusive. Careers were ended and reputations deconstructed. Former Barcelona president Joseph Maria Bartomeu Floreta and Manchester United chief Ed Woodward were some of the causalities. Communications, Public Relations and social media teams in the various club were on top of the game crafting exit strategies from the super cup disaster. From fan forum engagements, reorganizations from top to bottom, change of way of running of the clubs, these strategies helped in calming down the disaster that received condemnation from all and sundry. Public relations played a very crucial role in the crisis management. The sports PR industry is going to grow even more with the return of full sports activities around the world. There will be a huge appetite from athletes and sports teams to have their publicity managed and reputation protected. PR practitioners and agencies in the country will have to consider Sports PR as the next big gig as they craft their next year’s strategies.

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With strong media partnership, athletes and sports teams can help in creating understanding, between the fans and sports fraternity

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Kenya Scouts Association volunteers repackaging hand sanitisers for distribution to vulnerable communities as part of their COVID-19 response in partnership with the County Government of Nyeri.

Volunteering spurs career growth

By Nelson Opany

consider the kind of people you want to work with, get to know, or learn from. You may also have roles, careers, or organization Volunteerism in a greater sense is about the connection with our types that you’ve wanted to explore. human roots, a genuine desire to give back to the community and make a difference to others. It is willingly undertaking a service How and Where you can Volunteer without being asked or forced and usually with no expectation of To determine your ideal volunteering opportunity, consider the payment. type of role you’d play, the amount of time commitment expected from you, the structure of the role and the cause you will be It is renowned for skill development and is often intended to contributing to through the opportunity. promote goodness or to improve the human quality of life. It is also about wanting to gain experience and skills to enhance one’s Activities and roles can be hands-on, skilled, direct service, career prospects or start on a new career path, but in the process advisory or online. For hands-on activities, almost anyone can also impacting the people or communities you serve. show up and, with minimal training, get started. Skilled tasks depend on a volunteer’s particular skill set or experience, while When looking to find an ideal volunteer opportunity, one may direct service involves volunteering in the frontlines of an wish to think about what their personal and professional talents organization and likely having direct contact with the population are and the skills they would like to keep sharp by applying in served e.g. in delivering relief supplies. Advisory roles are more new ways. You may also consider the skills or knowledge you behind-the-scenes to help build an organization’s capacity to would like to gain or learn from your volunteer experience. reach its mission by for instance providing feedback on strategic Are you interested in contributing skills related to your career, or fundraising plans. Online activities are about completing or would you prefer to do something entirely different? Also, projects that are doable from anywhere in the world provided 50

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you have email or internet access like issue. translations or blogging.

Conclusion Benefits of Volunteering The United Nations General Assembly Time commitments required for different Volunteering can be far more than simply through Resolution 40/212 of 17th opportunities could be impromptu, one- doing a good deed. It comes with personal December 1985 established the time, episodes ongoing or travel based. and professional benefits. Whether you’re International Volunteer Day, celebrated Impromptu opportunities are projects currently unemployed, completing your annually on 5th December, to not only created and implemented on the spot, degree, or considering future career celebrate volunteerism in all its facets whereas one time projects take place possibilities, volunteering can be an but also pay special tribute to volunteers only on a specific date and aren’t ongoing ideal way to develop new skills and working to implement development opportunities to get involved. Episodic competencies. It is also an opportunity to activities all over the world. opportunities require serving as an apply your existing skills in new ways and occasional volunteer on ongoing projects environments or to keep them sharp.

Through volunteerism, people can impact that are open to whoever can sign up on development by engaging governments any given date/time. Ongoing volunteering Being a volunteer can introduce you to new and communities by giving their time, demands commitment for a predetermined career paths that you could explore or help energy, and skills to change the world or agreed upon period like mentoring a to expand your personal and professional for the better and gain experience. young person or serving on a nonprofit networks by allowing you to cross paths, Volunteering is a great asset for future. So, organization’s board of directors. Travel get on the radar of hiring professionals and take the challenge today, spare some time volunteering involves committing days in many cases, quickly bond with people and skills to volunteer. It may just be what or weeks of your vacation to a volunteer from across your community, including makes the difference in your personal and project in your neighbourhood or travelling many with whom you may otherwise not professional life. to another country to give back. have had contact. Volunteering contributes to your personal growth by offering lifelong Volunteering project structures could learning opportunities about various issues Nelson Opany is the Manager, vary from traditional to independent/ through hands-on experiences. It also Communications and Partnerships at entrepreneurial or service-learning. In helps you to socialize and make friends the World Scout Bureau Africa Support traditional projects, one takes up roles in a fun, meaningful way. Volunteering is Centre and a member of the PRSK Council under the guidance of and in support of one of the best ways to make an impact Committee on Resource Mobilization and the mission of a nonprofit or government and make a difference in your community, Partnerships. organization while in an independent/ regardless of your passion or profession. entrepreneurial structure you create for It helps you give back while assessing or yourself a volunteer opportunity that fits actively pursuing your next role. your interests and availability or addresses a particular cause. Service-learning on the other hand is volunteering as part of or in connection with education or learning like ‘For jobseekers or professionals at any completing volunteer hours for graduation.

Issues or causes are matters of public concern that you are passionate about like human rights, environmental conservation, education, health and wellbeing, affordable housing, ending hunger, women’s empowerment or even arts and culture.

stage of their careers, volunteering can be a gateway to a dream job or a completely exciting new career path’

There are several places you can volunteer, depending on the four factors mentioned above. These may include volunteer organizations and movements, volunteer recruitment agencies, community organizations and projects or public and private health facilities, learning institutions, homes for children and elderly people or religious institutions. You can also join public campaigns like COVID-19 vaccination drives or voter education campaigns. Alternatively, you could start your organization to work on a specific OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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when she became pregnant.” She said .

Mary says that the day she realized she was pregnant will remain the darkest day of her life . “I was traumatized. The thing I feared most had happened to me . I hated myself .I was depressed, faced rejection from my closest friends.”Mary said with tears glittering in her eyes.

Having been brought up in a religious background, abortion was not an option.

She knew it was a heinous crime and her conscience wouldn’t let her do it . The only option was to keep the pregnancy and face her fears.

The unwanted pregnancy miseries

By Jackson Ngari For many women, conceiving and carrying a baby to term is not only a blessing but also cause for celebration. Indeed, some women have been known to go to great lengths to become mothers. But for some, a baby is the worst thing that could happen to them. A recent survey during the Covid 19 lockdown period indicated that 152,000 Kenyan teenage girls become pregnant – a 40% increase in the country’s monthly average

between15-19 years have delivered a child. In Kenya, unplanned pregnancies, especially among diploma and degree students remain a trendy Issue. As colleges strive to improve student success and completion, helping students delay pregnancy and parenting means one less factor that can interfere with their study period. However, pregnancy planning and prevention is not something most universities address.

These are girls in the prime of their youth, whose hunger for education far outweighs any dreams of motherhood.

That notwithstanding, many girls in universities and colleges across Kenya are finding themselves in the family way.

Unplanned pregnancies and the responsibilities of being a newbie parent in town, can increase emotional and financial stress on the young women involved. This impedes their academic performance.

Unplanned pregnancies can also add to the overall costs and demands for colleges themselves, through increased need for child care and related support services.

Although, faculties and staff might initially be hesitant to address unplanned pregnancy, sex, and any relationships, The concern about pregnancy looms large in the lives of many students and are interested in the topic whereas no one wants to talk about it.

Every young girl got dreams and visions.

Dreams to accomplish their careers, make it big and have a family. To accomplish all this dreams, girls require a lot of discipline. Discipline in making choices in regards to their lifestyles.

The greatest fear in almost every teenage girl is getting pregnant. They do everything in their powers to avoid early/unwanted pregnancies. Some use contraceptives while some choose to abstain. The unfortunate bit is that the contraceptives are not 100% effective which results to many unwanted pregnancies.

Mary Juma, not her real name; a student in Multimedia University shared her story with us. Joining campus was a dream come true to her . “I was focused and my goal was to accomplish all my dreams and make my parents proud . I joined campus a virgin Research by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics and I had no plans of exploring the sex life.

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“After spending days in my rental room crying and cursing fate, I decided to travel home. I was 6 months pregnant. The baby bump was clearly visible. The stares from the villagers made me curse the day I was born. I never felt that guilty, valueless and a total failure.” She said.

Luckily for her, her parents though disappointed supported her to overcome the pregnancy trauma. She delivered safely and after one year she went back to school to pursue her dreams. Early / unwanted pregnancy is neither a crime nor a disability. It’s a fear that all girls should be equipped well to overcome. Abortion is a crime .Young girls should be enlightened that abortion is never a solution. In fact, it only makes the situation worse since once conducted, the victim lives with the guilt of killing someone forever. Its effects haunt one for the rest of their lives.

While many girls are lucky to return to university, many others die having abortions while still others drop out of school and endure humiliation and stigma throughout their lives.

Finally, parents should give their daughters the support they need. Colleges should also consider building partnerships with campus clinics and educating students about what is available to them in the community. Clinic staff can visit campus periodically to provide information to students, set up a table in the student services centre ie, Hostels, and serve as a resource on contraception.

The writer is a student at Rongo University Pursuing Bsc Communication and journalism.

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The silent gender based pandemic

By Teresa Jeremiah Women play a fundamental role in human and nation development yet they have been subjected to various forms of abuse and have their rights violated on a daily basis. GenderBased Violence (GBV) is one of the most notable yet socially condoned forms of human rights violation. It transcends social, ethnicity, class, economic, and national boundaries. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a leading agency working to prevent gender-based violence, estimates that 1 in 3 women globally experience some form of violence in their lifetime. Even though GBV is a serious global health and development issue, it is one of the least visible human rights violations, possibly because we tend to look at it as a private matter. In fact, most acts of violence against women are usually committed by intimate partners and occur behind closed doors. This could be the reason why GBV still remains a silent affliction despite it being deeply rooted in the society.

Gender-based violence is prevalent where rigid concepts of gender still exist. The societal practices and dominant cultures in different parts of the world continue to fuel various forms of violence against women. Gender-based violence is mainly committed towards individuals on the basis of their gender.

Although both men and women are at risk of gender violence majority of victims are women and girls.

‘In Kenya, GBV has resulted in negative impacts on families, society, and the entire nation’ It has now reached to a point where violence against women has become a daily occurrence. Violence cases are highlighted every day in mainstream and social media yet all we do is to express our disappointment, sympathize with the affected families and move on with life until GBV hits again. I believe we can do better.

It is time for the general public to actively join the fight for

women’s rights and expose any form of violence towards women, show solidarity with survivors and possibly draw government attention to the issue. Further, community dialogue can challenge notions and attitudes that condone gender-based violence.

‘We should all endeavor to promote and uphold values that support peaceful, respectable, and gender-equitable relationships for children, adults, and the vulnerable’ However, to effectively combat violence against women, concerted effort from various stakeholders is critical. Although Kenya has made significant steps towards turning the tide against GBV within its legislative framework, a lot still needs to be done. For instance, there is a need to strengthen community systems in order to deal with gender-based violence cases at the community level.

Lastly, violence should be the sole responsibility of the perpetrator who must be held accountable and prosecuted as per the law. The shame and stigma faced by victims should be eliminated as well.

The tendency of blaming victims for the violence that happens to them only reinforces gender stereotypes and gives more power to the perpetrator.

To echo the words of Jackson Katz, it is imperative that we normalize talking about how many men raped women, but not how many women were raped. This will bring the perpetrators to the limelight and possibly prompt the government to strengthen legislation to criminalize such acts of violence and take legal action against the perpetrators.

Teresa Jeremiah is a Communications practitioner at Panacea Corporate Communications OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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Kiwasco file photo: River Wigwa - before clean up

It’s about time we restored our rivers’ glory

By Eldah Odongo When I was growing up in the 1980s, I would visit my grandmother in the village of Kanyamwa in Homa Bay County. I still Marvel at how simple life was. The river where we would be sent to collect water, bathe, wash and even collect firewood was called river “Okella”. On its bank was this massive stone that one would sleep on naked without a care in the world after taking a cool bath. We never carried towels. When one felt thirsty, they would simply scoop water in their hands and enjoy the taste of sweet, fresh river water.

One side of the river known as “wath” was for women who would sing melodiously, laugh loudly as they share the deepest secrets and happenings in the village, and men were also on their side of the river where they could also bathe and bring their animals.

When I was not visiting my grandmother, I was staying with my parents in Migori town. Here I was also lucky to be close to a river called River Onyinjo which feeds into 54

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River Migori. I remember a ‘madwoman’ by the name of Marcella who was living and farming by this river. She never lacked food despite her alleged mental incapacitation, she even adopted a fellow madwoman whom she looked after as her daughter.

She would bathe then apply black oil all over her body. When she died, the whole town went into mourning and celebrated her but over time, her bananas, vegetables and all that she farmed disappeared and a building was erected on her land. No more fruits and vegetables that it was known for.

My friends and I, who today are respected members of the society, would swim in this river, meet near it to play while sliding downhill on the mud, with our red inner wears leaving our backside well-toned without having to go for a gym workout.

To date, I still don’t understand why the inner wears had to be red. We would also look for a fruit called ‘Akuno’, I don’t know the English name, but it was a fruit with a red cover and a white succulent interior with black seeds. We also learned our weaving skills using the palms (Othith) along this river. You see, the river was very

useful to us both at home and in our social development.

If you are to visit these two rivers today, they are nothing compared to the two rivers I have described above. The changing story of these two rivers is replicated across the world giving birth to World rivers Day celebrated on the second Sunday of September each year. A day set aside to try and turn back the rivers to what they used to be. On this day we clean the rivers, open river banks, plant indigenous trees, make speeches but at the end of the day, we go back home and forget about them until the next year.

Government agencies like KIWASCO have been on the forefront of cleaning rivers that feed into Lake Victoria. At the end of one such cleaning exercise, I sat down looking at the before and after pictures of the river and asked myself what changed between the 1980s and now; the time when we could drink directly from the rivers, to today when it’s taking a campaign to lure people to drink treated water from the taps.

The answers started coming in slowly as I analyzed the garbage in front of me, we never had any mineral water, all soft and hard drinks were all in recyclable

glass bottles, and it would cost you to go with the bottle. There was no take-away food on disposable tins. I realized that; three-quarters of the garbage was plastic bottles for either mineral water or soft drinks, the other quarter was just vegetation that had thrived because of the conducive environment created. But out of all the waste that we were seeing one category was missing: plastic bags.

The ban on plastic bags by the government in 2017 was welcomed by all but to date, there is still no law in place that regulates the use of pet bottles. Environmentalists are mum despite the glaring problem. We talk about it in board rooms but that’s just about it. Noone has pursued the re-use or the total ban of plastic bottles

Kiwasco file photo: Cleaning in progress

aggressively. Several people try to collect and sell them to recyclers but because the garbage collection is not done right from the household, and also because the supply of the waste is higher than the demand, they still find their way back to our rivers.

Have we stopped for a second to ask ourselves where all the wastes go? Sadly, the answer is in our rivers, Lakes and ocean; our main sources of water, or in some garbage site somewhere where it will stay for eons.

Water companies are spending so much on water treatment but because they are not profitgenerating companies, the cost is passed to the consumers, yes, you and me, resulting in an

Kiwasco file photo: Cleaned River Wigwa in Kisumu

overall rise in water bills across the country.

As I sit here meditating on what to do, I want to implore environmentalists to come up in arms and do something. I would like to implore legislators to pass laws to regulate or ban the use of PET bottles once and for all; the city management to rally residents to separate wastes right from the household.

Let’s rise and leave the world a better place than we found it. Leave no one behind, let us teach our children the value of environmental conservation.

Eldah Odongo is the head of Corporate Affairs and Communications - Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company Ltd Kiwasco file photo: Waste from the river clean up

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Mental health: why PR profession urgently needs to prioritize it

By Julie Juma Dr. Lydia Wahura Kanyoro was a bright student pursuing her medical studies at the University of Nairobi. Like any other normal day in June 2021, she attended her classes after which she then proceeded to commit suicide in the back of her vehicle parked at the Kenyatta National Hospital grounds. From the suicide note and her communication to her family and friends, it was apparent that Dr. Kanyoro had planned her demise right down to its execution and possible aftermath. She represented a demographic of medical practitioners struggling with issues of mental health. Sadly, she is not alone.

According to the Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015-2030), the most frequently diagnosed illnesses resulting from mental health issues were substance abuse, depression, stress, and anxiety. The survey noted that these issues arose out of disasters, accidents and conflicts such as post election violence 2007.

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however, the mental health crisis, not only in Kenya, but the world over has been exacerbated to dizzying levels. Never before has the state of global mental health needed such urgent redress.

With the prolonged state of the pandemic, mental health issues have been magnified to levels that manifested in heightened cases of suicide, gender-based violence and all manner of aggression across various groups and age sets as has been witnessed across our media channels.

Dr. Kanyoro’s story is not isolated, and we recall her case because she received quite a bit of attention across most if not all media platforms. However, there still remain many undocumented cases of individuals who have undergone the harsh and sometimes deadly effects of mental illhealth.

Businesses and organizations were not spared either by the pandemic which disrupted operational norms leaving corporate mental well-being hanging in an uncertain balance. The unprecedented times brought on by the pandemic meant

unexpected isolation coupled with anxiety levels rose to an all-time high.

Pre-COVID-19, the PR and Communications Industry had fast become one of the most stressful professions/ careers to work in according to a survey carried out in 2019 by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in conjunction with the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and Opinium. Though the survey aptly titled, Opening the Conversation: Mental Wellbeing in Public Relations, focused primarily on PR professionals in the UK, there had been rallying calls to address the mental state of PR professionals globally.

In the wake of the virus however, PR practitioners were not left behind in the intensity with which mental health issues were aggravated. Budget cuts, adapting to the pandemic as well as working from home all added to the already-mounting pressure occasioned by the situation. The pandemic just served to make the rallying call more urgent.

By its very nature, Public Relations means

that your creative mind is constantly in over-drive. PR pre-disposes you to ensure that you are continuously coming up with new ideas, and not just any ideas, but ideas that are innovative and persuasive enough to get your message across effectively.

Plainly put, PR is a pressure-filled profession.

Many PR practitioners will attest to the fact that PR is an under-valued and under-appreciated function by those in the C-Suite. It doesn’t help further, that PR professionals need to elbow their way to have a seat at the corporate decisionmaking table. For those working in PR agencies or consulting firms, the pressure is much more palpable to deliver on client briefs and overall agency expectations. Add a pandemic to all this and you have a recipe for a profession on the verge of burn-out.

Prioritizing Mental Health in PR Industry As PR practitioners it is high time for us to initiate intentional conversations aimed at boosting morale and motivating members of the profession to safeguard their mental

health. We can even go as far as creating social, virtual or physical groups with the sole purpose of discussing mental health without necessarily bringing in workrelated matters.

Within our organizations/agencies/ consultancies we can subtly push for mental health professionals to conduct visits/seminars on regular intervals for those who may need specialized support.

It wouldn’t hurt either to have one or two internal staff trained on the basics of mental health support just to provide a cushion where necessary.

for the benefit of all involved. The 2021 World Mental Health Day observed on October 10th marked an important step as it came on the heels of governments the world over recognizing the need to scale up interventions in mental health, which should raise optimism levels significantly.

The PR industry is on the cusp of reinvention even in the face of the pandemic.

As practitioners, we need to deliberately shift toward harnessing a corporate culture that prioritizes mental health.

This can be achieved alongside a more reflective manner in how we treat and view each other while crafting and developing products and services that will be palatable in a post-pandemic world.

Although mental health has been viewed as a taboo in the past, current times have revealed that if not properly addressed, The time to change attitudes is now. There various industries including PR will have a has never been a better moment to embrace larger pandemic to deal with. the dialogue on mental health. It is time to begin those uncomfortable conversations While effectively managing mental well- for the future success of our industry. being at the workplace may seem like an uphill task, taking that all-important Juliana Juma is a Corporate first step in beginning the journey will Communications Professional working surely make an impact in causing a wider, at the National Industrial Training organizational culture change ripple effect Authority (NITA)

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Conservation areas as ‘natural’ solutions to climate change

Stranded Rothschild giraffes were moved from a ‘disappearing’ Longicharo Island in Lake Baringo in the Rift Valley to safer grounds in Ruko Conservancy, thanks to partnership among Kenya Wildlife Service, Northern Rangelands Trust and a US nonprofit, Save Giraffes Now. Rising water levels in Rift Valley lakes has been attributed to impacts of climate change.

Picture courtesy Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT)

By Paul Udoto “A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing,” ― Chinua Achebe in the novel Things fall Apart The variation in weather patterns, declining levels of water in lakes and rivers, frequent and prolonged droughts and floods, and other strange and environmental disasters are not occurring for nothing; they are happening due to climate change. In fact, Kenya’s globally renowned network of wildlife conservation areas are extremely vulnerable to the climate change. Yet we hold a great potential to addressing the problem.

Kentice Tikolo, a University of Nairobi climate change PhD candidate, notes that invaluable biological assets are often largely unrecognized in national development strategies and accounting systems. “Our national parks contribute to mitigation by storing and sequestering carbon in vegetation and soils, and to adaptation by maintaining essential 58

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ecosystem services, which help people to respond to, and cope with, climate change and other environmental challenges.

Green infrastructure is the first natural line of defence and part of the strategic response to climate change,” she says.

Bogoria, species migrating to new habitats and changes in ecosystems. These have been compounded by environmental degradation, illegal encroachment into conservation areas, logging and overgrazing by livestock.

Climate change has emerged as the world’s most critical environmental issue, as well as one of the most pressing social, economic and health challenges of our time. Indeed, it was the agenda at the recent 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the UK.

One may wonder: is this climate change a new phenomenon? Not quite. The fact is climate change has always been variable and people have always adapted to these variations. But today there is growing concern, perhaps because of the unprecedented magnitude of the change, but more importantly because there is growing evidence that humanity might be directly responsible. Human activity – especially fossil fuels and transportation - increases the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which traps heat and contributes to Earth’s warming temperatures.

While it is a global issue, its impacts are felt most acutely at the local level. In Kenya, for instance, the impacts of climate change on various socio-economic sectors have been reported. They have been blamed for increased human wildlife interactions, frequent wildfires in Mt Kenya, Aberdare and Tsavo, spread of zoonotic diseases, prolonged droughts, desertification, floods in lakes Baringo, Nakuru and

SarahJean Harrison, the Deputy Director USAID Kenya and East Africa Environment Office estimates that 10 to 15 percent of species within Africa may

become critically endangered or extinct by 2050 due to warmer temperatures and changing precipitation patterns.

This means that East Africa’s wildlife, agriculture, livelihoods, and tourism are all threatened.

wetlands, mountain forests and savannah bush systems in six national parks, namely Amboseli, Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Mt Kenya, Aberdare and Lake Nakuru. Other key activities have included modernising tree nurseries, planting seedlings, removing invasive species, reforestation, Conservation areas are emerging as cost- natural regeneration, and protecting effective and ‘natural’ solutions to climate riparian zones. change; they reduce harmful carbon pollution that is driving the climate change; These projects have broadened public they protect people and infrastructure from understanding of the role and contribution increasingly severe storms, sea-level rise, of conservation areas to addressing global heat waves and droughts; and they also challenges, and in so doing, improved directly reduce some of the primary public livelihoods and inspired people with hope health challenges that are exacerbated by for the future. climate change.

By sharing experiences and knowledge, The areas also help maintain essential conservation agencies in the four countries ecosystem services, which can increase have increased national and international resistance, resilience and reduce the capacity to contribute to climate vulnerability of livelihoods. For instance, adaptation strategies through research, Mount Kenya and Aberdare forests protect monitoring, planning, active management the headwaters of rivers that supply water and ecological restoration projects. for about half of Kenya’s population.

Besides, green spaces in urban areas, for instance, Lake Nakuru National Park, Nairobi National Park and Kisumu Impala Sanctuary, improve community health by reducing stress, provide recreational places, mitigate urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

By also identifying community outreach opportunities and offer meaningful visitor and learning experiences as part of on-the-ground activities, the projects are inspiring citizens and promoting an understanding of how conservation areas help address global challenges like climate change. Through direct experience in ‘natural classrooms’ i.e., national parks or via a wide range of interpretative and educational media, the public now understands better how climate change is affecting the planet’s resources and how they may adapt their behaviour to mitigate the cause of climate change and promote resource stewardship. The heightened awareness of the Earth’s vulnerability to human driven changes also provides an opportunity to re-emphasize the multiple values of natural ecosystems and the services that they provide.

The writer is the Kenya Wildlife Service Corporate Communications Manager

On a global scale, since 2012, Kenya, Mexico, Chile and Colombia, with funding from Parks Canada, have implemented pilot projects that demonstrate conservation areas’ unique contribution to climate adaptation and mitigation. These pilot projects invoked two fundamental tactics that address climate change: mitigation (activities that either reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance their removal from the atmosphere) and adaptation (activities that help people and natural systems better cope with cli¬mate change effects by moderating harm or exploiting beneficial opportunities).

Local conservation agencies, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), in partnership with the Water Resource Management Authority (WARMA), Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) and the Meteorological Department, have jointly served an important role in demonstrating effec¬tive adaptation strategies and practices. They have implemented climate change science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication actions by restoring

Communities have been mobilised to manually remove such invasive plant species in Tsavo, Aberdare, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru. Such activities foster opportunities to connect people with nature and engage visitors and communities in national park activities. These build support for stewardship of conservation areas and their role in climate change adaptation.

Picture courtesy Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)

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Time to go back to basicsInsurance 101

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By Noella Mutanda Insurance is one of the financial management tools that we need in our everyday lives and yet it remains largely misunderstood. The role played by insurance is distinct and cannot, for instance be replaced by the role played by banks. When asked to purchase insurance, a number of people look at the fact that insurance is more futuristic and the benefits are long term in nature and shy away. But perhaps the most unfortunate phenomenon is that the most vulnerable and needy members of the society are the majority without insurance covers. Before delving into the nitty gritty of insurance, allow me to explain some of the frequently asked insurance questions for ease of understanding.

When you get into an insurance contract or rather, when you purchase insurance, you are issued with an insurance policy document, which clearly explains what is expected of you and the insurance company

for the insurance contract to remain valid.

This is evidence or proof of the existence of an insurance contract between you and the insurance company. Insurance policies contain terms and conditions of the contract. It also indicates what is covered (inclusions) and that which is not covered (exclusions). From my interactions with consumers, I have come to the conclusion that it is lack of reading and understanding the insurance policy that brings about a lot of customer complaints.

There are two forms of insurance namely Life (long term) and General (short term).

Life insurance are contracts for more than one year while general insurance contracts are for one year or less. For instance, the insurance cover you purchase for your house or car is short term and has to be renewed annually based on their value (valuation has to be done periodically to determine the value upon which the insurance value will be calculated). It is important to have the right valuation to ensure that you are not over-insuring or under-insuring your properties. Policies like for education are considered long term since they have a fixed duration and have what is considered a maturity period upon which you can start earning some bonuses.

After purchasing insurance, you can cancel your policy if you are not satisfied with its terms and conditions. Under life insurance policy, this action must be taken within the first 30 days after receiving the policy document. In case you cancel the policy within the 30 days, you will be refunded the whole premium paid less withholding tax. Regarding general insurance business, cancellation of the policy will lead to a prorata refund of the premiums so far paid.

You can change the terms and conditions of your policy by negotiating with your insurance company to address some of your concerns in the policy. This might come at an extra cost and it is advisable to consider this option, if available, than lose out totally should a peril occur.

As mentioned above, insurance is a contract that has terms and conditions that have to be complied with for the contract to remain valid. You are only on cover when you pay the insurance premiums.

Failure to pay insurance premiums as stipulated in the policy amounts to breach of policy terms and conditions and leads to the termination of the contract. If you are having difficulties making your premium payments, consider discussing with your insurance company on how best to go about it and have this documented to ensure that you remain on cover. It is strange how the insured losses occur just at that point when some element of the contract has not been honored! Try driving car this morning, whose insurance expired last evening to see what I mean!

Questions have been asked whether you can insure your life and property more than once. In the case of property, this is not allowed. This is because insurance contracts are guided by principle of indemnity which requires that the policyholder is taken back to the financial position they were in immediately before the loss occurred. Insuring the same property for instance, a house, with more than one insurer so as to be paid twice should the insured loss occur amounts to gaining unduly from the contract. In the case of life insurance, it is allowable to insure your life with more than one insurer.

This is because life cannot be valued.

I would also like to address one of the most commonly asked question about motor insurance and this is whether the motor vehicle comprehensive policy covers the driver and or the owner of the vehicle.

As the name suggests, Motor Vehicle Comprehensive policy only protects damage or loss to the motor vehicle and any claim made by the third parties. As such the policy does not pay any claim for loss or damage made by the policyholder (owner) or driver. Policyholders and drivers are therefore advised to buy separate insurance to protect them against losses arising from the use of the vehicle. And while at it, please remember that motor insurance policies are not transferable and as such you cannot sell your car with its insurance cover.

Noella is a Corporate Communications Specialist and she heads the communications department at Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA)

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Against all odds: Benson Gicharu’s story

By Saningo Jeremiah Boxing is one of the few sports other than Athletics that has been able to garner our beloved Kenya a number of medals during Olympic tournaments. We meet with a great Kenyan Boxer who is yet to lose any match to a local boxer in the Flyweight Category, a Commonwealth Games two times medalist, and an Olympian. He takes us through his life and highlights how the sport has given him ‘Punches of Grace’, as he fondly calls it.

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A young boy at 11 years, 1996, in the slums of Mukuru Fuata Nyayo, being beaten by life to the core, Benson Gicharu loses hope and attempts suicide. Thankfully, he had not locked the door, and his Aunt walked in and he was saved from one of the most terrifying moments of his life. After this attempt on his life Benson was quickly whisked upcountry, but as fate would have it, he was too stubborn to grow up there.

he would not be left behind in the second lot of boxers travelling to the Middle East. Upon his return, armed with the allowances he had made from the trip, he paid his own school fees and completed his studies and even catered for the all the education expenses of his younger sister. It was at this point that he decided to join the Kenya Police, where he has been working until now.

It didn’t help that he was also suffering from very low self-esteem, and nothing ever seemed to go well at that point of his life. He was always caught up in some form or another of mischief and the thorough beatings he received from his mother made him a young angry boy.

The year 2016 will always be a memorable year in Benson’s career,‘The Miracle in Venezuela’, as he fondly refers to it.

The Ministry of Sports at the time had declined to facilitate his participation in the Olympic qualifiers tournament. But as fate would have it, he got a ticket two days prior to the start of the tournament, without a VISA, Coach and without enough money in his pocket. Even more surprising that even through this hardships he still went ahead to qualify for the Olympics returning home with a Gold medal. At this point, Benson was unstoppable, and he went on to win a Gold Medal in the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Professional World Series of Boxing 2017 Olympics qualifiers, a second Gold Medal at EAPPCO games as well as a Silver medal in Delhi 2010 Commonwealth games. He also won a Bronze medal in Glasgow 2016 Commonwealth games, a Silver medal

He joined a school funded by donors, where he was able to access food during lunch time and uniforms every year, which his parents would struggle to get.

Two years later, on August 14th 1998, not knowing that whatever he was attempting would come back to haunt him, his own father took his own life making Benson even more bitter with life as he left his mother jobless with the burden of raising three children. Life became very tough, and Benson’s mother was pushed to verge of giving up.

Two weeks after the loss of his father, Benson discovered boxing, punching a bag full of sand with his bare hands. He found it strangely therapeutic, and the more he punched the more the bitterness within him dissipated. Unbeknownst to him, he was honing his boxing skills from this practice that started out as an escape from his personal trauma.

in London 2014 Olympics qualifiers in Morocco and was the sixth internationally accredited boxer during the Benazir Buhtto Championship in Pakistan 2011 where he won a silver medal.

After such a fulfilling run the decorated boxer felt it was time put down his international boxing gloves and concentrate on developing the talent of the next generation of international boxers.

He gives back to the community where he grew up by coaching the youth and guiding them through good morals and motivating them to believe in what they can achieve.

When he is unwinding, Benson is also a painter and has received some recognition for his art works.

Benson’s story is one of victory against all odds. His is a testament of what one can achieve even in the midst of trauma and pain. His is a story of beauty for ashes.

• Saningo Jeremiah is an Information Science Student at Kenyatta University, Sports Writer, Social Media Manager at Sports Legal and a Cricket Coach.

• This article has been featured in SportsMonthly Magazine. Issue 164.

• Field of any Story that may inspire our readers.

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After he took home the first trophy that he won from his first match, it dawned on Benson that he was the one that the whole family had come to look up to. “I started buying my own clothes and shoes at 13 years of age.” the boxer recalls. With each victory, he became more motivated to be the best. He never lost a match. Within this period unfortunately this mother was involved in an accident and young Benson, almost undertaking his A-Levels national exams, had to drop out to work and become the family’s breadwinner.

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Chiwawas and mongrels When the owner dies, which breed of dog is likely to survive?

The unintended side effect of overprotection is that it hinders one from learning to take responsibility and developing self-efficacy.

Martin Seligman conducted an experiment on learned helplessness, where dogs raised in a laboratory cage and those impounded from the streets were subjected to electric shocks. He found that lab dogs were more likely to succumb to stress than impounded dogs. In other words, mongrels learn to roll with the punches.

In Antifragile, Nassim Nicholas Taleb argues for the need to allow stressors, variability, mistakes and failures in life.

This leads to growth and robustness in dealing with challenging and unpredictable situations.

Overprotection on the other hand leads to the fragile, easilybreakable handle-with-care situations.

Over-intervention makes one fragile and inevitably leads to disintegration and collapse in the face of unpredictable situations.

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Chiwawas or Chihuahuas are cute little dogs whose origin is traced to Mexico.

They make good pets and like special treatment. When it comes to food, they prefer a special diet, like the guys who used to be called malingerers in boarding school. Chiwawas like attention, being spoilt and pampered. They are shampooed, pedicured and have potties. Cute to have around and be seen with, they are good for Instagram and photo shoots and even know how to strike a pose. They are not just pets, but accessories and one looks cool flaunting them. When being walked by the owner, they are always on a leash lest they wander too far and get lost or hurt. They are also expensive to maintain.

They are more prone to barking than other dogs but rarely bite.

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Mongrels on the other hand are not very cute and their origin story is unknown.

These are the dogs your grandmother owns in the village. With names like Ngui, Guok, Esese, Jimmy and Bosco. They don’t require special diet and eat whatever is available. If the owner eats Sukumawiki and Ugali, that’s what they will eat. If the owner did not leave some leftovers, they try their luck at the hostile neighbor. They have never heard of shampoos, pedicures and potties. The closest they get to a pedicure is a broken toe after being pelted by a rock by the village sociopaths. They are not Instagram or photo shoot ready, and neither do they know how to pose for photos. They are not pets but security officers. When taking a walk with the owner, they go ahead, playing and hunting.

They are cheap to maintain.

Vaccination requires that a little bit of the virus is introduced into your body so that you develop immunity against future attacks from the virus. By allowing some form of adventure, discomfort and unpredictability we are inoculated against adverse events. Creating an artificial safety net where we are insulated from every form of discomfort is akin to living in a laboratory cage. We are safe and have everything in a controlled environment but will struggle to survive when released to the world.

The King in the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale could not protect his daughter from the curse of getting pricked even after trying to eliminate all the spindles in the kingdom.

At some point in life, we will have to deal with pain, rejection, failure, death and so forth.

The world needs more mongrels. Those who keep showing up even when the chips are down. Those who have learnt to survive in spite of the owner.

Life is life Fabio

strategically positioning yourself to get noticed and then using that popularity to your advantage,” she says. Here are a few trips on how to boost your social capital.

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Influencer Traits for Success

The power of social media

By Adeline Ojung’a The “God woman” Vicentia Tadagbe Tchranvoukinni, set the social sphere ablaze with her claims of being god. Her story has been trending since 2009, around the period that her church, the Very Holy Church of Jesus Christ of Bename, was formed. She still roams the streets of Benin today, and at her prime a few years back, she was considered “supreme”. It is alleged that she dropped from heaven and is purported to have performed miracles.

At some point, five of her fanatics died and several others were left fighting for their lives after carbon monoxide poisoning.

Apparently, she had ordered them to lock themselves inside sealed rooms with burning incense. “These patients were all poisoned with carbon monoxide in the Porto Novo and Adjarra areas,” a health official had reported. “There are currently five deaths and nine people in intensive care, after inhaling the incense while they prayed. Some may have fallen on the embers placed in the rooms where they locked themselves for prayer.”

Tchranvoukinni the ‘God’ The god woman’s story is not very far from our own Jehovah Wanyonyi’s, who was a self-proclaimed god from Chemororoch village in Uasin Gishu County, western Kenya. He claimed to be the Almighty God and deemed Jesus Christ to be his son.

He referred to his ministry as the Lost Israelites of Kenya, and passed on in 2015.

Journalism evolves with the ever changing trends. It provides a huge opportunity for marketing due to its dynamic nature. It is

Up Your Digital Presence Many people are awkward in social situations because the immediacy of being face to face with someone makes the fear of rejection more pressing. Email, chat and other platforms such as Facebook let you engage with others without having to worry so much about elements like body language or turn taking. You can take more time to think about what to say without coming across as distracted or rude. The idea isn’t to avoid one-on-one, but rather to use the Internet to build a sense of initial rapport that then can help you transition into more direct interactions. However,be careful to present yourself honestly online rather than setting up the persona you imagine others want and don’t share private information such as your address or credit card numbers.

through the media that personalities as outrageous as “god woman” and Jehovah Wanyonyi get an audience. Through social platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, Instagramand Twitter, dissemination of information is simplified and there is a large audience to consume this information.

Find a Social Buddy A social buddy is a good friend or While encouraging people to take up acquaintance who can serve as a bridge for campaigns calling themselves gods would you at parties or other events. Their “job” be preposterous, sometimes the end is to introduce you to others and give you justifies the means. cues, such as asking a question to draw you into a conversation. They can give you a A look at the census data released in heads up on areas such as dress or jargon, February 2020 shows that 38.9 percent too. of the 13.78 million young Kenyans are jobless. This backs the World Bank data Volunteer on Kenya from 2015 which indicated that Part of being a socialite is being seen. the country had the highest rate of youth Volunteering can get you a seat at many joblessness in East Africa, with 17 percent different types of community events, of all young people eligible for work being where you’re not necessarily forced into without jobs. Neighbouring Tanzania roles that require social skills to be front and Uganda had comparable rates of 5.5 and center right away. For instance, if percent and 6.8 percent respectively. The your group is holding a fundraiser, maybe Corona virus pandemic has proven that start out by being the person serving at young Kenyans can find ways of becoming the buffet table rather than the person social media influencers, commonly tapped to talk to the press. As you grow referred to as ‘socialites’, and using the more comfortable in your volunteer role, digital platforms to earn a living. shadow someone whose job requires more In the past, socialites were usually from wealthy and aristocratic backgrounds.

They played prominent roles in and were very frequently involved in high society.

That is not the case today. Naomi, 27, is a socialite who rose from rags to riches. She narrates how her influencer status helped her earn a living. “It is not ‘prostitution’ as some people think. It involves you

social finesse. When you’re ready, go solo.

Rinse and repeat!

Sources: (Hallelujah Kenya- By Editorial Team -March 3, 2017) (5 Ways to Be a Socialite When You Have Zero Social Skills By Wanda Thibodeaux, Copywriter, takingdictation.com@ wandathibodeaux) OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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Moving to study in Germany amidst a global pandemic

By Carol Songa One may ask, “How did you end up in East Germany, and more so, travel during a global pandemic?” Before the Covid-19 virus altered life as we knew it, I was at a point in my life where I felt stuck and needed a new challenge after a decade of living a predictable and mundane life. I prescribed myself a trip to Germany for the Christmas holidays and some rest and recuperation (R&R). As I travelled to different cities, I gradually fell in love with different facets of the country – Germans punctuality and discipline, the serene living environment, the country’s seamless public transport system, and the easy access to other European countries.

I played around with the idea of studying in Germany, conducted desk research on the opportunities available, and jokingly travelled to Technische Universität Ilmenau for my appointment with the institutions International Office.

The first time I experienced a pandemic was in 2009 during the outbreak of the H1N1 virus popularly referred to as the Swine Flu Pandemic in Malaysia. Prior to this, it was not unusual to catch a glimpse of locals wearing masks in public, I just never imagined myself having to wear one on a daily basis. At the time, I travelled to the public relations agency where I was an intern by bus and monorail, thus making it mandatory for me to wear a mask in public. Thankfully three months later, an official end to the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). Fast forward to March 2020, barely weeks after my arrival back to Kenya. The first Covid-19 case was announced, a lockdown was imposed in the country, and life as we knew it went into a complete standstill. While some grappled with fear and uncertainty, others preoccupied themselves with conspiracy theories about the situation. My greatest concern at the time was whether I should still consider travelling back to Germany, as bizarre it may have seemed. Nevertheless, I hesitantly put together and sent my university application as I hang onto hope that the pandemic would be short-lived and foreign embassies and the airport would resume normal operations.

Eventually, I received my admission, was issued a visa, and travelled to Germany earlier this year in the most stressful and dramatic circumstances thanks to issues with the validity of my Covid-19 test.

In spite of my dramatic exit from Kenya, I arrived in Ilmenau just as winter was ending, and self-isolated in quarantine for ten days. Other than my housemate, I rarely saw people when I left the house – everyone was indoors. In good time, I made friends who helped me settle in, and began attending lectures virtually. I must admit that in as much as I was grateful for the opportunity, virtual lectures were initially a difficult experience. However at the moment, many of the

restrictions have been lifted, and we have the opportunity to attend hybrid lectures (both face-to-face and virtual), are able to socialize in public unlike before, and shops and markets are now open to the public.

Why Germany? Other than the reasons previously mentioned, a good number of universities offer English language programs and the opportunity to be part of a global classroom experience thanks to diverse international students. Additionally, the country offers an excellent system of higher education with globally recognized certifications, qualified teaching staff, various scholarship opportunities, and tuition-free education at public universities.

Located in Ilmenau, a small town in the Free State of Thuringia, Technische Universität Ilmenau is one of the seventeen Technical Universities (TU) in Germany which offer research based academic programs. As a Media and Communication Science (M.A.) student at the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Media, what I appreciate most about the research-oriented program is the diversity of modules offered and opportunity to hone my skills in research and data analysis in different disciplines. I’m also delighted to study and live with fellow students from countries I have not had the opportunity to travel to yet.

Life in a new country isn’t without its challenges. Adjusting to the German language at the beginning was frustrating.

Considering my elementary proficiency in the language, I am now capable of navigating my way independently. Another challenge is getting accustomed to the seasons and weather.

I experienced winter two years ago, summer this year (sun rises at 4:00am and sets at 10:00pm), and bracing myself for a brutal winter (sun rises at 8:00am and sets at 6:00pm).

This is owing to the fact that in 2021/2021, East Germany experienced one the coldest winters since 1960. Furthermore, life in Germany can get very pretty lonely, with recent studies revealing that the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns escalated the levels of loneliness. However, I was able to make new friends in no time, and fortunate enough to have family in Germany - given that my youngest sister and cousin also live here, albeit in different cities.

In hindsight, I’m glad that I took Steve Harvey’s advice and jumped. Making the decision to leave home and expose myself to unfamiliar challenges re-introduced me to myself, proved that I can do hard things, and reminded me of a quote

by Neal Donald Walsch which says that “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”.

Carol Songa is a Media & Communication Science graduate student at Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany.

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Innovative business communication

By Kerry Sheehan Chart

organisations and brands, private and public, accelerate transformation in their operations with carbon reduction and Net Zero front of mind, so too should communicators be upskilling, adapting and innovating their offer. Management and innovation consultancy is really suited to the skills of an effective communicator.

An analysis of what communicators can learn from working on new business operations models: I’ve long said public relations practitioners are no longer in their own swim lanes. This means communicators no longer wait to be informed of an issue, area or new way of doing things to communicate to aid I made the shift from being a senior compliance, buy-in, adoption, sales and advisor on how to effectively communicate through behaviour change. government policy, domestically and internationally, to straddling government Instead, it refers to public relations business operations, operational delivery practitioners supporting organisations, and communication. I now advise on businesses and brands to drive their what new concepts and models could operations forwards, coming up with work for business transformation and ideas and pushing modernisation, innovation, enhancing the offer to transformation as well as innovation, citizens and customers and providing the and being best placed to build and latest mechanisms for how they want to deploy effective communication as the do business with governments and for vital lynch pin for their success. This communication. It was also so I could involves communicators having a lead support to build enhanced and innovative role in all new business and organisation business operation models, including the transformation, innovation and new latest and emerging technologies - which operating model builds, from new services, will fail without effective communication. new technologies to whole scale change or smaller businesses and start-ups looking Business operations has been an to scale. emerging role but perhaps has not been as prominent as other operations roles, As countries implement mass upskilling including sales operations, marketing of their citizens in data, technologies operations and product operations. such as artificial intelligence as well However, communicators have a good as sustainability, and as business, understanding of the internal mechanics 68

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of business operations, new and emerging ways of doing business, providing services and new and emerging technologies, alongside data.

The take home is every innovation, big and small, won’t always work or be perfect the first time but I have long believed innovation should definitely be the mindset of communicators, never standing still, and we have a place firmly in the ongoing development of operations and business and to share that internally and with external stakeholders.

My most recent move has led up to devising a new operational delivery model, a hybrid customer excellence model set to be an exemplar and which link into environmental plans. The model incudes moving to a position of being anticipatory through a data and insight ‘machine’ at the centre, alongside the vital communication machine with indicators on which communication lever to pull and when, streamlined and consistent processes, automation, digital products and artificial intelligence, all for customer excellence.

I reflected on why good communicators are a perfect fit for working on devising new business models and operational delivery models, with the added value of the imperative communication

issues and improve communication and collaboration; identification and insights of metrics to improve business performance and drive business actions; track strategic goals, milestones and accomplishments.

Growth – Developing strategic partnerships, from internal and external stakeholders to technology partners; Exploring new business and operational delivery models through industry trends, historical trends, forward looking forecasts, building and evaluating recommendations for strategic growth and ongoing successful delivery.

Culture and engagement – Creating and maintaining buy-in, ensuring shared responsibility of the business objectives with focus on people development. This can include devising new skills and learning and development programmes, providing them with upskilling, reskilling and growth opportunities.

Communication and change – Programme structure, reviews to increase visibility to drive alignment and, importantly, resolve and engagement skills, and as many • Pragmatic and structured thinker blockers; developing strategic change organisations are now looking at moving • Effective at transformational through inspiration, driving business from surviving to thriving against the communication transformation and innovation efforts. accelerated customer and stakeholder expectations on doing business, along Furthermore, communicators have key Business operations evolve as business with the many new technologies now attributes to deliver on strategy and grows and communicators should help supporting. operational business innovation plans plan to accommodate changes and from the planning process against the arising challenges by having a thorough Understanding operations and operational strategic ambition and vision, ensuring understanding of data, predictive analytics, delivery in fine detail helps you to become all developments can run effectively and new and emerging technologies, including an even better manager and leader, working efficiently to meet goals and objectives. automation, artificial intelligence, digital with chief executives and boardroom self-serve and other new and emerging leaders. It also helps you to do a better job Here’s some further reflections on where trends in what is working and what isn’t as a communicator - the critical success communication skills are transferable performing as well as expected, forecasting factor in any business, in any business for providing consultancy and tactical solutions, business culture change and development, in any business change and execution on new, transforming and whole scale employee upskilling, reskilling in any business innovation. innovative business operations: and neo-skilling, as well as the necessary ongoing culture work.

Key attributes communicators have for Working with data and data teams advising and building new and innovative collections and insights, developing goPR requires innovators. We can no longer business operations: forward plans to help drive and translate afford to stand still in our offerings. The recommendations into results. innovation management space is part of • Leadership the evolution of PR, I believe. We bring the • Knowledge of scalability and innovation Strategic planning - Analysis behind added value of the vital transformational • Ability to solve complex problems business-wide strategic decisions related communication and engagement required • Analytical advisor to all functions, ensuring organisational for success.

• Strategic mindset and visionary planning and business processes are in • Business acumen alignment with all other functions and key The journey continues!

• Ability to challenge the status quo, results required to meet the strategy goals. embracing change An insight framework can support.

Kerry Sheehan Chart.PR, FCIPR; Head of • Collaborative and relationship building Service Development and Innovation, UK • Comfortable with ambiguity Reporting, metrics and KPIs – authoring, Civil Service • Ability to pivot quickly based on shifting managing and delivering executive priorities level reporting to manage risks and OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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I wish someone encouraged me not give up on my farming dream for 11 years later and in employment, I am still grappling with meager salary

Youth: Agribusiness key to financial emancipation

By Wilson Kyalo Kilonzo

The youth need to be empowered not just through skills but also through mentorship and the provision of necessary capital to actualize their dreams. The innovation and creativity of the youth are some of the critical factors that will propel Kenya’s economy to global recognition.

My mentors told me that I I ever needed a descent life, then, I needed to get employed and forget about farming for it would not help me in any way. “Those chickens and that goats will not take you anywhere,” added another who had had been employed civil service for long.

Achieving goals I would have been more persistent and I wish someone encouraged me not give confident to go ahead and achieve my up my farming dream. Eleven years later goal. I wish that the youth were involved and in employment, I still grapple with in the formulation of strategies for their meager salaries to keep my needs in development. I wish our government check. The question will always be, “how would have targeted youth-based do we exit this cycle?” As a nation, we programs to break this cycle of poverty, need to break the vicious cycle of poverty unemployment, and hopelessness. The and unemployment. Our government has impact of unemployment on an individual invested vast sums of money in supporting is not always apparent. It starts to take the youth through various programs like its toll when you lose your hopes, desires, Kazi Kwa Vijana, and Youth Enterprise goals. Maybe you were once the important Development Fund. However, these one in the household until one day you programs do not seem practical or sufficient thought about your future and realized it’s because they are not owned by youth and already written; you read what everyone are not transparent in their operations. else does.

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Losing hope You slowly begin to accept that you would never go to school because the only thing they could do was take care of animals.

It is unacceptable, and it is time we do something about it. We cannot let this number go up. More than 50% of our youth struggle to get the public services they deserve, including proper health care, education, housing, sanitation, security, and other basic life necessities.

This number excludes all the young entrepreneurs who want to start their businesses but don’t have the resources to get them started.

The young people could start by taking care of livestock, growing vegetables to empower themselves financially.

Wilson is a development empowerment practitioner

and

Mining social media database for impactful PR campaigns

By Egline Samoei Social media is no longer just a platform where people connect but also where brands engage with customers. It is a place where people go to share information and consume news. According to Kenya Social Media Landscape Report 2020 by USIU, 22% of Kenyans use social media to acquire information, while 24% use it for social interactions.

With the social interactions and information-seeking happening on social media, there are a lot of social data generated that is still untapped in the field of public relations (PR). This is where social media intelligence comes in

measure the volume of brand mentions and reach. Also, with the modern social listening tools such as Brand Moran, Linkfluence, or Talkwalker, you will get to know the sentiments of those mentions. If the sentiments are negative, you can adjust messages to positive or neutral. Eventually, you will improve your brand reputation.

• Acquire Valuable Business Insights Social data offers valuable insights that guarantee success and innovation within an organization. You may have heard of 3Vs of big data: Volume, Velocity, and Variety, which apply to social media data.

The sheer volume of data collected from social media platforms, forums, blogs, different varieties like texts, images, and links can give deeper insights into the latest trends and customer behaviors.

From these insights, it’s easier for the digital team to give recommendations and innovations that guarantee the company’s success.

Through techniques like social listening, PR professionals and PR agencies can get a lot of useful social data that will help them prevent crises, monitor and improve brand reputation, and measure PR campaigns’ success Crisis Management According To PWC 2019, Global Crisis Here are some highlights on how social Survey, it is evident that some companies data can help brands improve their PR emerge stronger and even experience campaigns. revenue growth after a crisis, while others stumble along. Therefore, it is important to Understand Your Target Audience be prepared by staying ahead of the game.

Gone are the days when you could just Besides allocating a crisis budget and blast your media outreach and digital PR having a response team, you also need to campaigns to everyone. You need to send monitor social media problem or threat it to a targeted audience. Today, you can use social media intelligence tools to gather social data so that you can know your target audience. It will help know the people or media outlets interested in your message, where they are and when. Also, you can understand their industries and media coverage opportunities.

Monitor To Improve Brand Reputation It is usually a daunting task to keep tabs on all your media outreach or digital PR campaigns. However, you can easily track a relevant brand keyword and get real-time alerts with social listening tools. From the collected social data, you will be able to

before it becomes a crisis.

You can use social listening to get social data or information on what people are saying about your brand and act on it before it spreads like wildfire. You can also learn from their conversations, exchanges and sentiments to make informed responses.

Discover and Assess Influencers When planning a social media campaign, it is always important to ensure that you work with the right influencers. Influencers who are brand advocates that are within the targeted industry. The ones who can influence people and improve your brand reputation. You can easily identify the right brand influencers according to their social media stats like reach, impressions, posts, and engagement rates with social data.

Invest in Digital Technology Social media is a great haven to get social data that helps you make informed PR campaigns, understand your audience, monitor brand reputation, measure PR efforts and identify influencers to work with in your campaigns. It’s time to invest in technologies to help you collect and turn these social data into meaningful insights.

The Writer is CIM Digital Marketer and Co-founder of Brand Moran

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By Keith Njiru The year 2021 was the second year running that the world experienced the effects of the pandemic. As the year draws to a close, more and more countries are returning to normalcy with economies opening up courtesy of increased vaccinations among the public. As the years draws to a close, here are some of the defining moments witnessed in the PR field worth reflecting on;-

were locked from the rest of the countrylabelled as “Disease-infested zone.”

What was unclear from the President’s announcement was whether it meant that residents of the counties could not move from one county to the other, or whether it was a complete lockdown of residents. The timeline as to when these new measures were to take place became a point of confusion, with various termini witnessing scenes of confusion as commuters sought to make it to their homes. The following day the Government Spokesperson clarified that the new measures would take effect as from the proceeding Monday.

Government Communication Government communication is an area that cannot be overlooked, and it has become highly critical various governments The greatest indicator of announce new measures to contain the effective communication is spread of COVID-19 in their territories.

In Kenya, the most crucial moment was when there is no need for any in late March when restrictions were information passed across to tightened to control the spread of the virus, have to be clarified later. at a time when rates of infections where spiraling. The five counties of Nairobi, The Cytonn Investments Social Kiambu, Kajiado, Nakuru and Machakos Media Crisis 72

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Crises can strike an organization in the most unexpected of times, and companies need to be prepared on various scenarios and anticipate how to respond. Cytonn Investments was under the spotlight in mid-June when a lady spoke out claiming that Cytonn were withholding money due to her after she had invested in it. After the video that she posted on Instagram went viral, this opened a can of worms as many investors came out claiming that they were not paid their due returns. The regulatory agency in charge of financial markets, Capital Markets Authority (CMA) declared that the Cytonn product in question Cytonn High Yield Solutions (CHYS) was unregulated. The company moved swiftly to attempt to repair the damage caused.

Cytonn Investments CEO Edwin Dande was featured in a story by Citizen TV that ran in the wake of the revelations, stating that, ‘’It is a serious issue from a PR…publicity point of view and then you see people wrapping illiquidity with derogatory terms such as Ponzi scheme…

A few days later the CEO in the company’s YouTube page explained in a video the various products offered by Cytonn.

Subsequently the CEO also took part in a KTN News interview and explained that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the investment firm’s projects, especially real estate ones and he hoped that the projects would be completed in time to pay off investors.

From a communication’s perspective, the company handled the crisis well- however it remains to be seen whether they will actualize on the promises made to their investors.

The Euro 2020 Coca-Cola Brand Perceptions Brand perceptions are significant to how consumers view a company, and this perception trickles down to sales.

This came to the fore during the Euro 2020, a quadrennial football tournament for countries with Coca-Cola, a leading sponsor of the tournament. Portuguese player and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in a pre-game news conference pushed aside two Coca-Cola bottles placed in front of him. “Água,” the Portuguese forward remarked in Portuguese, referring to water. This simple gesture sparked a global conversation on the impact of soft drinks on people’s health and brought to focus the weight that influencers carry on brands. Seeing

a potential problem with the sponsorship deals already put in place, the European football governing body UEFA asked Euro 2020 players to stop removing sponsor bottles in match conferences. Jumping in the bandwagon, the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted a link to one of their articles on the importance of reducing sugary drinks with the caption, ‘’Stay fit & healthy like @Cristiano by reducing sugar consumption and limiting intake of sweets & sugary drinks.”

The Wapi Pay Co- Founders Crises There were other instances that brands faced crises and attempted to use PR to navigate through them- such as the Ndichu brothers who are the co-founders of WapiPay, and safety concerns raised by Bolt clients just to name a few. From the instances highlighted, it’s clear that Public Relations and its various components cannot be ignored and are critical in organizations performing their duties and shaping consumers’ attitudes towards them. With increased internet penetration, social media is king and brands will be forced to adopt quick yet effective methods to efficiently communicate to their stakeholders.

The writer is a contributor at The Consulate Magazine, a Kenyan publication that brings fresh, unparalleled analysis of bilateral relations between Kenya and her various partners.

Sources:- Goal.com, Washington Post, Al-Jazeera English and KTN News].

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Mental health in the communications industry

By Nancy Kibicho

and getting the appropriate help. The Day aims at raising awareness of mental health matters in the world and to gather efforts for mental health and also offers stakeholders in the mental health an opportunity to speak about issues in their work, and what more requires to be done to ensure that mental health care is a realism for individuals globally.

As professionals in this industry, we recognize that mental health is a problem in the communications sector. To evaluate the mental health of those in the industry, there is need to establish, probably through a survey how the professionals are surviving amidst the pandemic. This approach may shade some light on some of the immediate interventions that can be The World Federation for Mental Health taken to care of our colleagues, friends and notes that the theme highlighted that families mental wellness. accessing mental health services is still unequal with 75% to 95% of people who The World Health Organization (WHO) have mental disorders in low and middleacknowledges the celebration of World income nations not able to access mental Mental Health Day on 10th October health services completely, and in highevery year. The theme for 2021 world income nations, accessing mental health Mental Health Day was “Mental health services in no better. in an unequal world.” The Day is also an opportunity to discuss mental health The lack of capitalizing in mental health generally, the need to take care of it, and unequal to the general health financial plan also speaking out about one’s struggles influences the mental health treatment 74

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disparity. Most of the individuals who have mental disorders do not get the required treatment and continue experiencing discrimination and stigma together with those who take care of them. The gap widens and caring for needs of those with mental health issues continues.

The COVID 19 epidemic has further emphasized the impacts of inequality on health outcomes and no country, regardless of how rich, has been entirely equipped for this. The epidemic has and will remain to affect people, in various ways: through illness, at times causing death and grief to remaining family members; through the economic effect, with job losses and continuing job uncertainty; and with the physical social distancing that may result in social isolation. In Kenya, mental health amidst COVID-19 is worrying with World Health Organization ranking Kenya at 4th in Africa and 9th in the world in

the countries with highest number of depressed people. 1.9 million Individuals in the nation are depressed. Additionally, in 2021, Kenya recorded 411 suicide cases in three months, starting from March and June which was an alarming rate compared to 196 suicide cases in the whole of 2019.

Mental health has never been spoken about in all platforms like it has been in 2020 and 2021. The feeling of isolation that was brought by COVID-19 lockdown worsened mental health issues for many, and anxiety and uncertainty surrounding the unexpected situation we found ourselves in were high. Working from home was also a challenge for many people’s mental well-being as the nation strived to find the balance between their work and home life. For those working in the PR industry, this was mainly outstanding as COVID-19 fastened the speed of work and many found themselves working even longer hours than before.

back their company culture and as staff start to go back to the office. Also, the culture surrounding mental health has begun to change, with those who speak out gaining from greater help, and while Covid-19 has had a great influence on the industry, attitudes towards mental health have improved generally.

Nonetheless, there are many who are still struggling but have not taken leave – work is still required to create a shift in workplace culture. Additionally, there has been a substantial increase in the number of employers providing mental wellbeing programs to employees. The problem now is making sure that employees understand how to access these programs and are comfortable using them. There are also a number of programs that show palpable impacts on mental health like remote working and accommodating working hours.

significant impact on their mental health.

Projections of the post-coronavirus have showed that 28% of PR leaders cite staff mental health and motivation as their main concern, with most of them expressing worries that ensuring that colleagues are motivated and supporting their mental well-being and happiness is the major threat to business in 2021.

Leaders in the industry have a duty to deal with the mental health issue that is noticeable in the line of work and, more significantly, comprehend the role that employers have in the mental well-being of their staff. It is essential to take action in lessening and also preventing mental health issues among employees.

The Writer believes that communication is an integral part in all aspects of life. She loves writing and has a special interest in communication both oral and written. She is a creative writer and loves literature.

It is therefore essential for Public Relations Nancy holds a bachelor’s Degree in Owing to this, enhancing mental health and communication leaders to realize that Communication and Public Relations in the industry is now a vital ethical ethics begin in the workplace and that nancykibicho@gmail.com. consideration for companies as they shape how organizations treat people can have a OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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‘The 10% Entrepreneur: Live your dream without quitting your day job

By Njambi Maina “There’s nothing new under the sun” …

A phrase derived from Hebrew literature and conceived to have been authored by one who was said to be the wisest man that ever lived. Throughout civilisations and most recently globalisation, there have been buzz words floating around and Kenya has not been left behind in the same.

Recent concepts that ring a bell and have been for a number of years now (and no, I am not about to get into the calamitous Covid 19 and its worldwide effects) have been but not limited to: tech, start-ups, venture capital and last but not least entrepreneurship; the focus of this review.

The latter is now part and parcel of Nairobi talk or ‘Kenyanese’, if you may. It is not uncommon to be around people who go on to suggest that entrepreneurship is ‘the only way to go’, ‘you can never get wealthy while employed’, ‘there’s no greater freedom than starting your own business’ and many more phrases leaning heavily

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towards the unchartered waters of starting would handle their stock portfolio. I your own business. found the book having refreshing content, particularly because of personal interest as It also does not help that many millennials concerns the life season that I am in. A few and Gen Z’s have chosen to go this route years ago, I probably would have dismissed perhaps because of the options that are the book just by its title but I am glad that currently available such as social media I was able to go through it and even pore influencing which generations before them over the exercises provided. did not have access to.

I however had a bone of contention to pick The aforementioned, among other reasons with the read. Firstly, the author writes in is what piqued my interest in indulging the context of the Western world and in in Patrick J. McGinnis book – ‘The 10% particular USA, which is highly skewed to Entrepreneur: Live your dream without these specific audiences. There is also quite quitting your day job.’ The front and back a generalization of issues; some which covers had reviews from diverse entities are quite obvious and cut across board: and the first one that caught my eye was whether in established corporations or in

by Management Today: ‘Torn between the start-ups. A prime example is Chapter 8 freedom of the start-up life and the security which is on: Building Your Team. Some of the payroll? You can have both.’ I knew of the statements are made to seem right away that I had landed on some good magnique but are actually quite nonstuff. descript. In any given context, there is no one who would want to work in a company To begin with, the book is succinct. All of that has no vision or purpose. Similarly, 226 pages inclusive of the indices. Great employers tend to look for people who for people on-the-go or those who get a are in alignment with the objectives of mental block where a lengthy paper back the company or projects. The author also is involved. Divided into two parts and uses too many of his own examples and ten chapters, it is clear and concise. The while I am appreciative of someone being topics of reference commence with: ‘One vulnerable, a number of the exclusive Job is Not Enough’ and end with ‘Winning stories he uses can come off as pompous the Long Game’. It is ideal for the times and not necessary. The beauty about life, that we live in: engaging, busy, distracted education, philosophy, books or ‘anything lifestyles. under the sun’ though is that one does not have to agree with all and sundry. You have In addition, the author also includes the option to choose what works for you practical exercises and checklists in and sieve what you may not identify with between the chapters such as: ‘Managing in a schema such as the one outlined in the Time’, ‘Opportunity Cost Zero’ and book.

‘Managing Financial Capital’. I found these to be quite pragmatic as opposed to him In conclusion, I would principally just dishing out theories and expecting the recommend this book to everyone across readers to nod in agreement. the board. Whether employed or stepping out of the shores and ‘being your own Moreover, he gives concrete examples boss’. Certainly food for thought regardless on the five types of 10% Entrepreneurs of whichever stage one is presently at, in which are The Angel, The Advisor, The their professional life. Would rate it a 6.7 Founder, The Aficionado and The 110% out of 10, which is not too shabby!

Entrepreneur. Patrick’s postulation is that one can achieve financial independence by diversification, akin to the way one

Government should mount a massive public awareness campaign on CBC to gain public confidence manner. This is very important if we have to build a sustainable national character and ethos in our children.

One of the common enemies of man especially in Africa has been youth unemployment. Research has shown that nations that have successfully conquered unemployment and poverty are those that utilize the ingenuity and resilience of their populace to find homegrown solutions to their problems. With proper implementation of CBC, it might finally give us the much-awaited answer to the question as to when Kenya, and Africa, will start to use its resourcefulness and move on the path to socio-economic success as envisioned in Vision 2030.

By Jason Nyantino The implementation of the new competency-based curriculum spearheaded by the Ministry of Education seems to be running into trouble. The crisis of confidence with matters CBC runs across a wide spectrum of stakeholders namely parents, teachers, legislators, educational experts, the clergy, and the general public.

The fact that over the last several weeks, the ongoing curriculum reforms have dominated public debate with Kenyans taking different positions is testimony that there exist huge information gaps as far as this national exercise is concerned.

For starters, most Kenyans don’t seem to understand what the CBC curriculum is all about. This is a fundamental question that needs urgent attention even before we start telling them why we need it in the first place. Once this is addressed, it will constitute a huge milestone as the government prepares the nation for a new age in our academic institutions. There are numerous definitions of CBC but pundits concur that the new curriculum is where learning is based on the needs and potential of individual learners under a flexible framework and parameters that move and shift according to the learners’ demands. Therefore, CBC has the potential

to prepare our children for the challenges of the future empowering them with knowledge and skills in various fields of study in a flexible educational program tailored to each student. The best analogy to explain CBC is when you go for a driving test. You must practically drive the vehicle for you to get a license. Some people will acquire the competency to drive the vehicle earlier than others. But ultimately, many will pass the test albeit at different times.

As the CBC implementation gathers pace, many Kenyans have been asking themselves: how is it different from 8-4-4? Before I attempt to answer this question, it is important to observe that 8-4-4 system has roundly been criticized as having robbed our young people of so much unrealized potential. In my view, the new curriculum is tailored to address what the 8-4-4 system did not. The differences between these two approaches is that there is a change of emphasis from the traditional chalk-and-talk teaching to focusing on the learner. In CBC, most learning happens in groups and not just memorizing facts which the 8-4-4 system is famous for. CBC focuses on developing competencies among our children and making them understand the core values and important issues that shape their thinking and orientation in a pragmatic

So how do we move from here? Now that the CBC train has left the station, the Ministry of Education and other relevant government agencies should develop and implement an integrated PR strategy to educate Kenyans on what CBC really is.

This strategy should inform a structured commencement of a massive nationwide multimedia public awareness campaign to address the concerns Kenyans have raised. The concerns are very valid and with proper information and facts, we will begin to knock down the mental resistance barriers that Kenyans are developing.

Let us nip this in the bud by mounting a well-resourced comprehensive national awareness drive encompassing apt messaging, grassroots outreach, media relations and government affairs involving all the stakeholders including learners and teachers themselves. The concerns we are witnessing among Kenyans are better understood as a national conversation on the future of our children. Great ideas are born when Kenyans come together. Let us secure our children’s hopes and dreams by education the nation on CBC. The writer is a full PRSK member, trained teacher and communications consultant.

NB: This article was published in Daily Nation and The Standard in September 2021 OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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What you need to know about opioid addiction

By Nancy Kibicho Opium Crisis as a pandemic Opioid addiction has turned out to be a continued epidemic, affecting the public health as well as economic productivity and national safety. The Opium Epidemic happens to be one of the drug crises that has hit slum dwellers the most. Hundreds of people lose their lives on weekly basis due to opioid-associated overdoses. Notably, with the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose deaths have gone up. In the meantime, lots of people experience addiction from opioid.

Opioid epidemic has been in the news for around two centuries. The opioid epidemic, also referred to “opioid crisis,” is something that not so many people know about. During the 1860s, Opioids were utilized for treating soldiers in civil war and consequently most of them were addicted to Opium. The Harrison Narcotics Act controlled opioids to restrict their leisure purpose in 1914. As a result, medics avoided proposing opioids and opted for surgical procedures to prevent nerves from getting pain signals as there was increased stigma of addiction through the 1970s. Nevertheless, in the 1980s and 1990s, opioids started being used once more as pain relievers from chronic diseases. Particularly, the opioid epidemic represents the increasing number of hospitalizations and deaths from opioids, including treatments, and illegal drugs.

Additionally, the crisis has gone to such an extent that it is turning out to be a strain on the economy and a danger to national safety. Experts assert the problem started when legal pain medications were overprescribed, but it has risen in the past years with an arrival of low-priced artificial The opioid crisis initially became popular opioids and heroin, such as fentanyl, in 2010, but its causes had started some provided by drug lobbies. years before as it is traced back to the late 90s. As pharmaceutical corporations A Brief History of Opioid Use were exploring for new pain relievers, they 78

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started advocating for artificial and semiartificial opioids to doctors. The firms alleged that the new found drugs were not as addictive compared to morphine and had no risky side effects. Logically, physicians started recommending these drugs because they saw no consequences to the user. This rise in the prescription opioid business in every aspect increased the supply levels of opioids to where they are currently, causing the crisis.

Opioid Addiction In most cases, Opioid addictions start once an individual starts getting medication with Opioid. The pain killers are highly addictive which makes it easy for the human brain to want more. Many patients only become aware that they are addicted to Opioid when they cannot function well after the medication is over and they have to depend on continual use of Opioid.

Consequently, the users are pushed to get clean and bear the pain brought by withdrawal symptoms of opioids or alternatively look for ways they can get high. Hence, many users resort to illegal

drugs. The opioid drugs are costly and thus most users use heroin instead as it is a bit cheap and available.

Criteria for Opioid use disorders (OUD) diagnosis The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) www.DSM5.org, OUD is diagnosed depending on the number of clinical standards met. More numbers of standards seen are used to classify the diagnosis as severe, moderate or mild. These criteria center largely on increasing self-contact, forbearance, physical dependency, isolation, being unable to control one’s ingestion, and disposure to deterioration if not controlled by chronic medication and related medication. Several μ-receptors in brain, solely or merged with other receptor structures, can facilitate these diverse effects clinically and in translationally relevant types.

Generally, the etiology of OUDs is multifaceted, and various forms of systems can result in exposure.

Interventions African nations are straining to get a cure to both the cause

and prevalence of Opioid use. Few countries have effectively staffed and set up public rehabilitation facilities or an organised public health response, nor do they have strategies in place to create jobs for youth in Africa. The opioid crisis does not affect one individual and requires combined effort to deal with it. Understanding the risks associated to opioid addiction, signs, and indicators of opioid abuse may help in saving users. Also, supporting addicts of opioids is important to mitigate the stigma that comes with addiction. Creating awareness on the long-term effects of opioid is also essential as people will be more informed. People who have relatives that are addicted to opioid should seek provider prescription.

Nancy Kibicho believes that communication is an integral part in all aspects of life. Nancy loves writing and has a special interest in communication both oral and written. She is a creative writer and loves literature. Nancy holds a bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Public Relations from Maasai Mara University.

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To be it, young people must see it

By Ann Njuguna In 2019, Plan International released a report titled #ReWriteHerStory, which highlighted how stories told through media and images play a critical role in shaping girls’ and young women’s aspirations.

The report revealed that (the on-screen experience) of girls and women as citizens and certainly as leaders, is not the same as that of boys and men. Female leaders are more likely to be sexually objectified than male leaders, at 15% to 4% ratio. Overall 42% of male, compared to 27% of female characters, are shown on screen as leaders.

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Boyhood Initiative, a project of Kering Foundation in America. It revealed that boys are shown to need their parents less than girls do and that male characters tend to portray more violence/aggressive behaviours.

The survey examined aggression and control by documenting instances of violence, identifying the perpetrators and targets of violence, and assessing motivations for using violence.

It was noted that male characters are more likely than female characters to perpetrate violence against people and property and that male characters committed 62.5% of violent acts against another person, compared with 37.5% of acts perpetrated by female characters.

The two surveys not only show the power and influence that media has in shaping thoughts and attitudes, they reflect the society as we see today. They mirror the reality at homes and communities.

As we continue to strongly call for accelerated action in achieving girls’ rights, one of the most commonly asked question is ‘what about the boy child?’.

There is good reason for that question to be taken seriously because we cannot achieve sustainable progress in gender equality if boys and men are not part of the conversation. However, to be it, young people must see it! To be it, both girls and

and women.

Many men are doing an amazing job to mentor their sons and daughters at home through positive masculinity. What about the boys and young men who have no fathers or role models to look up to?

Majority fall into the cycle of not knowing how to treat an empowered young woman.

They tend to shy away and lack the confidence to be around them. However, these are opportunities that men can use to answer the question of ‘what about the boy child?’ Only men can relate to manhood and becoming a man.

Positive masculinity entails spending time with boys. It entails them seeing you challenge stereotypes at home and in communities. We should not allow boys or young men to feel threatened or alienated. It is important for men to engage in age responsive sexuality education which encourages critical reflection and adoption of positive attitudes and behaviours towards sex. It also has a wider focus on power, gender equality, safe and consensual sex. In so doing, it helps improve the self-esteem and challenges harmful gender and social norms. Evidence shows that age responsive sexuality education positively impacts sexual reproductive health rights outcomes as it contributes towards reducing the risk of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancies among young people.

boys must see it!

I have led campaigns against Gender Based Violence and noted that for years, women who have chosen to challenge socio-cultural practices use survivorbased testimonies as a strategy. This has seen many women share their struggles, having experienced a form – in some cases multiple forms - of gender discrimination and/or violence. These survivor-based testimonies on Female Genital Mutilation, child marriage, teenage pregnancies and other forms of gender-based violence, have seen women use their voice to call out the injustice girls and women have experienced. This has never been an easy quest.

The choice to challenge has seen women get into spaces that were previously male dominated and do an excellent job while mentoring girls on how to speak up, reject negative social and gender norms, and navigate life We continue to hear men and boys complain about the increased empowerment of girls and young women. The current generation of young men and boys is unsure of how to treat young women who have chosen a different trajectory in life unlike earlier generations. The world has to a great extent taught young men and boys that masculinity is exploiting girls and young women for their own benefits. Masculinity is macho and aggressive which means excusing harmful behaviours towards girls

The young men need to see you and learn from you. Choose to challenge. Choose to mentor. Choose equality for all; and what a better way than to tilt the scale a bit and listen to more male voices joining the world of gender equality through campaigns and advocacy. The answer to ‘what about the boy child? lies in positive masculinity.

The writer is the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager at Plan International Kenya.

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‘Slash the Fees’: Time is ripe for free tertiary education in Kenya

By Collins Wenje A report by United Nations (UN) in 2013 highlighted the fact that across the globe, education has been widely viewed as not only a development goal in its own right, but also as a key way of reaching other development goals. According to research: a country that provides free access to quality education for all its citizens is far more likely to reduce poverty, promote economic growth, lower child and maternal mortality and achieve social inclusion.

In fulfilling its bold, ambitious and major election promise less than a month after taking over power in January 2003, president Kibaki and his administration embarked on a journey to make primary schooling accessible to all Kenyans wherever they lived and whatever their family circumstance. With the introduction of free primary education in Kenya by Kibaki’s NARC government in January 2003, the gross enrolment rate increased by 29% from 5.9 million to 7.6 million, an upward surge of 2 million pupils getting an opportunity to pursue their dreams.

The introduction of free secondary education policy in Kenya has significantly impacted access to secondary school education. According to 2015 economic survey, the total enrolment in both public and private secondary schools rose by 9.5% from 2.1 million in 2013 to 2.3 million in 2014. As envisioned by the task force on affordable secondary school education, and subsequent recommendations that 82

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were adopted, the cost of secondary (Article 43.1. f) and stipulates that “every school education was the major factor that child has the right to free and compulsory negatively influenced access in Kenya. education”. The Higher Education Loans Board [HELB], which has a mandate to The 2019 census conducted in Kenya source for funds to disburse to Kenyans revealed that 3.5% of the country’s pursuing higher education, disburse loans population had a university degree as and bursaries to needy Kenyan students the highest educational level completed pursuing higher education and recover in 2019 while 7% finished a middle level loans, has not succeeded effectively in or technical training after the secondary addressing the transition rate. The HELB level. The other estimated 89.5% are not Chief Executive Officer [CEO], CPA getting an opportunity to acquire further Charles Ringera, while speaking during education or training due to lack of school the handing over ceremony of the Afya fees as the main contributing factor. In Elimu Fund by the United States Agency comparison, some 14% of the population for International Development [USAID] to aged 15-29 years in East Africa had an HELB on 19th May 2021, warned that about upper-secondary or tertiary education in 95,000 students will miss out on HELB 2020 according to a 2021 research report. loans this year, due to budgetary cuts and Poverty levels which were at 36.1% before non-performing loans. He indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic are estimated to most of the non-performing loans are from have almost doubled, with this percentage unemployed Kenyans or those who lost of population living below one dollar per their jobs, after the COVID-19 pandemic day according to latest data from Kenya struck the country.

National Bureau of Statistics. The rate of inflation continues to surge upwards due How then can the poor Kenyans navigate to the rise in price of fuel and foodstuff. the turbulent economic environment to According to last year’s Gross Domestic realize their dreams? The answer to this Produce [GDP] report, the rate of inflation question and the solution therein, is a has been increasing gradually since the long-term strategic approach. The cycle first case of COVID-19 disease was declared of the inception of free primary education in Kenya. The high price of goods caused is complete, with the first cohort of 2003

by COVID-19 pandemic leads to economic pupils now joining tertiary institutions in disruption and layoffs in corporate and the year 2021. The transition rate from government institutions thereby affecting primary to secondary school has been citizen’s income and setting of priorities. impressive. The 11% transition rate from secondary school to tertiary institution is The universities’ vice chancellors have extremely low and needs to be deliberately recommended a huge increase in the improved on. This can be effectively student fees and adoption of a funding addressed not by increasing the HELB loan model that could take care of the cost of grace period, but by slashing the tertiary teaching every programme. While these tertiary college administrators have cited valid reasons for the call to increase tuition fees, the targeted customer base are too overwhelmed by the economic challenges.

The majority who live below one dollar a day, can hardly afford to put food on their table daily, leave alone catering for the school fees as is, before further increment.

It is almost impossible to go to school, focus on studies and assimilate content on an empty stomach. Other study materials like exercise books, biros, drawing boards, textbooks, laptops/computers, calculators, cost substantial amount of money to be purchased. Majority of Kenyan students and parents can hardly afford the college fees leave alone these items!

education fees, bearing in mind the poor economic situation of majority of Kenyans.

The slashing of fees will not only address the transition rate, but also the quality and performance issue in the tertiary institutions. With the consistent and reliable flow of funds to these institutions, the lack of infrastructure will be catered for, and the learning materials will be availed effectively. The retention rate will improve, and the students will be more likely to enjoy their studies thereby improving on academic performance. The nation will be able to address the inequality and diversity mainstreaming issues especially with regards to access to education.

Further, the nation will be able to spur economic development as it churns out more technicians and graduates into the market, pushing and supporting them to venture into self-employments. To realize this, the government will need to rearrange its priorities, genuinely fight corruption, create employment opportunities, build an enabling business/economic environment for an inclusive growth to attract both external and internal investors, and seek for external support where necessary.

It is more likely that failure to address the high cost of tertiary education will adversely affect Kenya’s economy leading to a lot of negative ramifications like high poverty levels, rampant unemployment rate, high crime rate, poor representation, promotion of exploitation, high child and maternal mortality and failure to achieve social inclusion among other lethal issues!

The 2010 Constitution, recognizes that “every person has the right to education” OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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Up-skilling: An empowerment and career progression option for the youth during the pandemic

By Lucy Awuor Covid-19 pandemic has caused a disruption of economic activities leading to shut down of many industries and or downsizing of employees in organisations.

As a developing economy, Kenya has a youthful population of 35.7 million below 35 years out of a total 47.6 million people according to the 2019 census. A recent economic report released by the World bank indicates that over the next decade an average of 1 million youth will be joining the labour force population annually. As the economy is steadily reviving up-skilling is emerging as the crucial factor in youth empowerment and career progression.

relevant competencies needed today and in the near future for job placements.

Up-skilling enables the youth to remain competitive in the labour market and provides positive impact on their career progression. The most common up-skilling strategies in organizations entails training in change management skills, digital skills and analytical skills. These trainings use avenues like mentorship and coaching programs, e-courses, webinars and training workshops by experts.

Digital up-skilling A significant number of jobs and daily tasks like online shopping, e-learning in this fourth industrial revolution require digital competency in varying degrees and In brief, up-skilling is the processing of the pandemic proved this as very essential. improving employee skills and advancing Digital skills require the ability to use 84

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technological devices, communication applications and networks to access and manage information according to UNESCO. Company operations have been automated even though some processes are in their nascent stages consequently job redundancies have increased as others emerge that require a skilled youthful workforce. Some of the basic digital skills such as computer skills especially knowledge of Microsoft Office suites, social media, online collaboration tools besides others that are job specific are a significant part of traditional office work.

These basic digital skills are augmented with information and data literacy, communication and digital content creation knowledge. The advent of e-commerce has forced businesses to adjust to online selling options for their

Self-awareness to understand your current reality both at a personal level and corporate level of where the company is and where it should be; Motivational skills, Ensure high engagement from the top executive leadership ,project members and those you interact with during the change process by allowing for feedback top down and vice-versa; Resilience, requires the youth to develop the capacity to adapt to the changes.

Analytics up-skilling Organizations and day to day tasks need problem solving abilities ,analytical upskilling improves on this skill which has elements such as Attention to detail; The ability to accomplish tasks while considering every aspect of the project, Critical thinking; To achieve highest possible results, you need to collect and evaluate information from different sources, Decision making; Involves having the aptitude to provide potential solutions from varied alternatives and Research skills; The ability of searching for a solution pertaining to a problem after evaluating and interpreting information. These skills enhance problem solving capabilities among the youth which empowers them for careers advancements.

goods and services so that geographical distance or time does not impede access to products and services, business processes efficiency, better communication which extends to the exceptional customer relationships and therefore a key competency for youth seeking employment or in career advancements. MultiStakeholder engagements should drive a sustainable enabling learning environment in all education institutions by creating initiatives for equitable digital education through free access to training materials in primary and secondary schools to ensure inclusion of all especially in impoverished regions of Kenya.

The youth career progression and empowerment is contingent upon relevant skill sets for flexibility into to new and existing job roles that require digital agility, change agents and problem solvers.

Opportunities for training are available to harness employability skills from technical colleges, e-learning portals, webinars and seminars. Up-skilling allows youth to reinvent themselves professionally and socially for career progress as they adapt to the fast paced changing and competitive labour market requirements and have the aptitude to discover new opportunities.

for the youth due to the fact that at any given time organisations experience leadership changes, business processes changes, policy reviews, structural changes to keep abreast with socio economic or other internal forces. How the youth anticipate and manage these changes is pegged on their readiness and flexibility. Change management is a very fundamental aspect of an organization and requires many levels of cooperation, and therefore the youth need these skills to enable them embrace change and facilitate transformation by effectively working with change agents or as change agents to The writer is a Data Coordinator, Eclofeliminate resistance. Change management Kenya Ltd skills has a communication component Organisation Change management that encompasses active listening, seeking up-skilling to understand the genesis of the changes Change management skills is very essential and the people involved in the change; OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021

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You got to be bold, to make that first step towards your career objective - Consultant

It took me a while to gather the courage but I eventually invited a mentor for coffee and made this enormous request and to my surprise, I received an immediate acquiesce.

By Lillian Wanja I read somewhere that opportunity passes many because it is covered in overalls and looks like work. When I reflect on my past, I agree and disagree with this statement.

While certainly true, that is not always the case. Sometimes, it can seem like you work and work, but very little ever comes of it.

Youth often lament the scarcity of opportunities. The biased nature of the job and business market in this country where it seemed like everything was rigged to work against us. Ever since I was first employed, my duties have progressively been enriched as I proved my mettle and showed the ability to outgrow the smaller roles. The trend continued when I dipped my toe in consultancy and worked for established firms to help them make a difference in their client’s companies. But job enrichment did not translate into more cash in the bank and consulting did not much improve my cash flow. It took years before it dawned on me that while I was helping companies grow, I was not doing it for myself. I was not building my personal brand.

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A different year As the slow-paced 2020 gave way to the promise of 2021, I vowed that this year, it was going to be different. This year, I was determined to make it different. To change the narrative, if you will. In the first quarter of the year, I got ready (doing it as if preparing for a meeting with a key stakeholder), made some tea, played some background music and once settled, I pulled out the year planner that a friend shared with me a year earlier. It took me two and half hours. I was drained. Tired, but also excited. I had a plan. For the first time in a long time, I had hope. The first step was taking my own advice.

Corporate employee In the decade I have practised Corporate Communication and Marketing for an institution of higher learning, I periodically give career talks. While doing it, I always advocate the value of mentorship, yet I have never sought a mentor. It’s foolish, really, but many of us often know what to do, advise others to do it, but fail to do it ourselves. I was a card-carrying member of this club. But this, I was done with.

Soon after, I identified an individual I admire who is my senior, is familiar and friendly, and who espouses my values. It took me a while to gather the courage but I eventually invited her for coffee and made this enormous request. To my surprise, I

received an immediate acquiesce. There was no, ‘Can I think about it?’ or ‘I will get back to you’, just a humble “Yes”. The best sentence in the Queen’s language! By the end of the date, we had scheduled the first meeting. I was impressed from the get-go.

She sent the calendar invite herself and titled it “Personal Strategy Kick-Off”. It only served to cement my decision. Like a big tick next to an assignment that shows that you passed the exam. In that, and subsequent meetings, I have found that our sessions give me clarity that is often in sharp contrast to the jumbled jungle that is my mind. She challenges me; pushed me to do more, unapologetically calls me out when I need it, advises when I am torn and provides a different perspective. This relationship has allowed me to benefit from her wisdom. But it is not just the mentorship that has brought change; I have had to get uncomfortable.

Registered business I registered my business and leveraged my skill-set, passion and experience to grow it. While in its early stages, I apply for opportunities that seem like a long shot but later translate into business prospects and/ or networking opportunities. My earlier clients and friends have been a mine of referrals and business references. It has meant more work (voluntary and paid), the financial sacrifice that accompanies the establishment of a business enterprise, and less sleep. But it has also meant more fulfillment, a break from the financial yoke, a lot of learning, and making an impact. It has been liberating. Praying and trusting in God’s abiding grace, it has come to pass.

This year has been different. Next year will continue to be different and this can be the case for all who are bold enough to take the first steps. After all, what is the worst that can happen?

The writer is the Director and Founder of LEW Consulting. A communication and marketing firm addressing the needs of SMEs, start-ups, and up and coming NGOs and civil society organizations.

Penzi sawa na mbegu, huota!

Njiwa meruka kwa mbawa, kule kwenu umegura Kwenu kule kwa watawa, meingia kwetu bara Kiota kwetu mepewa, kwetu kwa wanakapera Penzi nalo huzaliwa hukuwa kama mtoto Ewe Njiwa ndege wangu, sasa mbona watoroka Juzi ulitua kwangu, ukashutumu ulikotoka Wapita Kama Mawingu, machoni wanitoweka Penzi nalo kama mbegu, hupandwa na kuchipuka Njiwa hufugwi nyumbani, umeifwata taaluma Utakacho ni mapeni, pesa zitatosha lini?

Ndipo usiniache nyuma, pesa takufwata pote Kupate miliki njiwa Njiwa jiji umefika, unadai hunikumbuki Tena umebadilika, jumbe zako hazifiki Mjini umesikika, ukisema hunitaki Penzi pia huugua, likapona au kufa

Geofrey Muyera ni malenga chipukizi na mpenda sanaa.

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