The Strathmore Executive

February 2021

MAGAZINE

Breaking Barriers Building a Future Developing Great African Leaders

The Strathmore Executive

From the Dean COVID-19 has changed the learning landscape forever, bringing many barriers and challenges that were never anticipated. It has created a new normal for learning institutions, causing a drastic change in education with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.

teaching, learning, and research systems for the future of learning. Our curriculum is being revised to fit into this new norm and make Strathmore a leader in breaking the new barriers in launching the curriculum in technology-enhanced teaching, learning, and research systems for Africa.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE? The COVID-19 pandemic has been a test of character and resilience for leaders globally and has forced many leaders to grapple with questions about the future for which they have no answers. However, there are expectations for leaders to rise to the challenges at hand and demonstrate empathy, optimism, and wisdom. To help leaders break through the barriers imposed by the pandemic and the shift in business paradigms, SBS launched the ‘Navigating the Pandemic Webinar Series.’ This series brings together business leaders across all facets of society to discuss solutions to the new challenges that have arisen We have also developed technology-enhanced and look for the seeds of opportunity that will help HOW HAS STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL RESPONDED TO THIS? Despite the disruption that COVID-19 brought into the learning systems, under the slogan of Keep on Learning, we are humbled by the determination of our students to continue their learning online. SBS in response to significant demand adapted to the new reality through Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL). As a result, our academic courses have delivered successful online learning which has been very well received by our students.

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society overcome and flourish once again. We dream of an amazing future based on the scientific and technological revolution engineered by innovative, diverse, and ethical students and participants.

STRATEGIES ON MAKING THE FUTURE A REALITY In a bid to meet the demands for upskilling and reskilling to build agility in these challenging times and the era of remote working, we have launched our Executive Leadership Programmes online in a blended learning format.

These Programmes are already generating a lot of interest among the corporate, private, and public sectors, CSOs, entrepreneurs, SMEs, and start-ups as they are geared towards helping individuals and organizations successfully navigate these uncertain times and adapt to the new normal.

By embracing digital technology, we have attracted diverse leadership globally. The response has been wonderful and has helped us to engage thought leaders across various sectors to lead discussions on the shifting paradigms in the business environment. One achievement of note is the launch of our CEO Dialogue Roundtable. The CEO Dialogue roundtable is an initiative of Strathmore University Business School and the Shared Value Africa Initiative that seeks to connect leaders across Africa by providing a plat-

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form for African leaders to deliberate on the issues affecting their economies. The Roundtable is focused on supporting business leaders to develop turnaround strategies during and post COVID-19. The first session of the CEO Dialogue Roundtable took place on 6th August 2020 and brought together over 500 CEOs from Africa and across the globe.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ADAPTING TO THE NEW NORMAL Operating from a clear understanding that it’s not business as usual; we get our inspiration from our mission of transforming leadership in Africa in the 21st Century. We aim to take the responsibility of positively influencing and guiding the leadership of public and private sectors and other sectors across the continent.

This inspirational journey started more than 60 years ago when Strathmore was inspired by the challenge of transforming Africa. During that time East Africa was the starting point to realize our dream. In the absence of an equitable all-inclusive higher education system reaching out to the Asian, African and European communities, Strathmore set out to transform the Kenyan community. A group of professionals started an A-Level College in 1961, and in 1966 the School of Accountancy opened to train accountants for Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and

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in 1991 the University introduced Information Technology courses. The founding inspiration of Strathmore was St Josemaría, the founder of Opus Dei. He stirred the hearts of our predecessors in Strathmore to dream of the great impact Strathmore would have on work, family, and society in Africa. Strathmore University Business School was a child of that inspiration.

lumbia, New York University, SciencePo, SDA Bocconi, and the Macro Economics of Competitiveness in the Harvard, Kennedy School of Government. In Africa, our partners include Lagos Business School. These partnerships aim to enrich our students’ experience and expose them to other world views. Globally, SBS is a member of the Global Network of Advanced Management founded and led by Yale University, School of Management among others. The More than 15 years ago we visualized a changing economic research and business industry partnerships with the very landscape; great leaders breaking barriers. We have gradu- top international education partners have helped the instiated great leaders for our African institutions. We aspire to tution to realize its vision. grow those who will break the barriers of poverty. Those leaders who will establish resilient and sustainable indus- WHAT ARE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR tries. Women leaders who will break the barricades to enter CREATING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE NEW NORMAL? the fourth industrial revolution.

We believe that a society is built on great institutions that At a time when Executive Education was unheard of in East are led by leaders who espouse ethics and respect for our Africa, SBS set out on a mission to grow business commu- common social endowment. They need scientific agility nities across East Africa. We also aspire to grow our Small to respond effectively to complex situations, deal with unand Medium Enterprises; so that they leap over the barri- certainty, and adapt to new environments. We want these ers of supply chain captivity and technological hurdles to leaders to evolve and thrive. Our quest is to transform Afriserve society. Strathmore University Business School has ca and in doing so transform the world and make it a better an effective research reservoir to engender a revolution in place. We invite you to break barriers with us. industry innovation. We enable management decisions based on data and noble human relationships; through By Dr. George Njenga, Executive Dean, the science of management and helping to build success- Strathmore University Business School ful, sustainable institutions both in the business world, the public sector, and core features of our healthcare systems.

Furthermore, we have created partnerships with top universities all over the world such as Yale, IESE Business School in Spain, New York University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of British Co-

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From the Editorial Team Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Strath- Despite facing adversity, the Strathmore commore Executive! munity’s dedication to serve society has never wavered. Whether it was giving of time, talent or As the year 2020 draws to a close and we reflect treasure, the community rallied to support needy upon the challenges faced globally by society, students and also extended support to our frontthe twin themes of resilience and renewal come line healthcare workers. Every article in this issue to mind. Strathmore University Business School speaks to our faith in the future, overcoming chal(SBS) was inspired to reignite its mission to ‘Break lenges and the transformative power of hope.

Barriers and Build a Future.’ SBS Faculty, Alumni and Partners answered this inspiring call to pro- We end with a note of sincere appreciation to all vide thought leadership to help strengthen our our contributors. communities and equip business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to help them navi- Editorial Team The Strathmore Executive gate the new normal and find the opportunities to thrive in uncertainty. This edition showcases some of this year’s knowledge sessions, Industry Roundtables and Conferences held virtually to empower and develop our Great African Leaders.

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Contents 10

SBS Alumnus Runs 100KM Ultramarathon to Educate Needy Students

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Tourism Innovation: Taking the Lead in Kenya Through Technology

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Unorthodox hires and how they may impact recruitment strategy

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The Impact of Kenya’s 4G Balloon Network Project

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Kenya’s Potential to Build the First Zero Plastic Waste Capital City in Africa

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Flying Away to Make a Difference

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Leadership in Crisis: Leaders and The Grief Cycle

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First Public Lecture on Building a Competitive Livestock Industry

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Sustainability: The New Business MindSet for The Financial Sector

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Resilience: What it Means for Business Leaders

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CMOs should look for the silver lining in these uncertain times

My PHD Journey

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The Role of Organisational Support in Helping Employees cope with the Effects of COVID -19

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The Strathmore Hult Prize Chapter

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Are you Coaching your People?

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Reflections on My Leadership Journey

Strathmore University Scoops the Title of Second Best Campus Director Globally for the Hult Foundation

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From the SBS Partnerships Desk

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From the SBS Alumni Desk

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From the SBS News Desk

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SBS Alumnus Runs 100KMUltramarathon to Educate Needy Students The Strathmore University Foundation marked a key milestone in its fundraising activities on the 4th of October 2020 by holding a 100KMs Ultramarathon. Eliud Chemweno, an alumnus of Strathmore University Business School would run 100KMs in a bid to raise funds for the Strathmore University COVID-19 Relief Fund.

ing into consideration the time needed to plan for the event paused a few questions on whether it could be pulled off. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken several months to prepare for such a big event.

The strong-willed and energetic Eliud Chemweno made it very clear that he was determined to Having an ultramarathon during a pandemic live the Strathmore University spirit and run 100 seemed somewhat unachievable, especially tak- KMs in support of the Strathmore COVID-19 10

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Relief Fund. Having run 92 KMS before, Eliud knew he could rise to the challenge.

With support from our Vice-Chancellor Designate Dr. Vincent Ogutu, several enthusiastic members of staff, and other self-proclaimed runners who had volunteered to run along with Eliud, the ultramarathon kicked off at 04:30 AM on 4th October 2020.

A team followed the runners to ensure that they had all the support they needed during the run. Keeping a pace of 6 Km/hr, the team made it to

Eliud took up the challenge to run 100KMnot for an award, trophy, or a trip to a fancy place, but for his love of education.

energy pumped into the last 10 KMs by the Phenom Estate Community was what the doctor ordered for Eliud. They gave him the boost of energy and the encouraging friendship support that he needed to complete the run.

There was a large crowd at the finish line waiting for Eliud and the other runners. Suddenly, the clouds disappeared making way for the stars to fill the sky as the cheering squad was keeping hope alive to see the end of the victorious ultramarathon. The cheering from the crowd, coupled

their first stop at the 1.7 Lounge along the eastern bypass marking the first 30 KMS. After about 10 minutes of rest, and a few refreshments, the team kicked off the next 70 more KMs. The roads were still very clear with little traffic creating a favorable environment for the runners.

with the hooting of vehicles increased as Eliud ran his last lap with a focus on the finish line tape with a smile.

Eliud and four others had run the entire 100 KMs! Up to the finish line! James Ndiang’ui, Samuel Ndungu, Linda Omondi, and Jabez Magomere acted as buffers for Eliud all through the 100KMs run. This team was dubbed Club At around 11.30 a.m., Eliud and the other runners had hit 100. Amazingly four out of five of the Club 100, are Straththe 50 KM mark and made a second stop at the Moran more University Alumni.

Lounge along the Nothern by-pass.

Reflecting on the distance covered from morning till this Eliud took up the challenge to run 100KM not for an point and the realization of 50KMs more to go, would award, trophy, or a trip to a fancy place, but for his love of make anyone cringe, but Eliud wore a wide smile on his education. He did it for thousands of students at Strathface that encouraged everyone. Being a relay with Eliud more University to continue their education despite the acting as the baton, a few runners joined in, others took a COVID-19 pandemic. He did it to contribute towards the break and decided to join later on during the day.

Strathmore University COVID Relief Fund.

The sun was already out and the temperatures were rising as By Margaret Gitau and Furaha Achieng the hours passed. The team made it to the Ndenderu market for the third stop, at least for a few minutes. The roadside stop was very dusty since there was road construction work underway. However, this was not a hindrance, the team kept moving, gearing closer to the 100KM mark. The fourth stop was at the Wangige market, here Eliud took a few minutes to stretch his muscles before getting back on the run. All through the run, our medical team kept a close eye on Eliud and all the runners.

The next stop was at Kikuyu town where a few more runners joined in as others took a short break. In no time, the team hit the road for the final lap. Understandably the runners were experiencing a toll after the climb from Thika road overpass to Kikuyu. A gruesome 756 M elevation climb!

At around 8.00 PM the team was on Langata road, just a few KMs from the finish line at Strathmore University. The

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The Strathmore Executive BUSINESS SCHOOL

BUSINESS SCHOOL

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BUSINESS SCHOOL

BUSINESS SCHOOL

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Unorthodox hires and how they may impact recruitment strategy How is recruitment shaped by the emerging social trends and how does it marry into trends reshaping the HR practice? Recruitment is the first point of contact for organizations and people. Your recruitment strategy shapes how, when, and why of getting the right people doing the right jobs.

This article is not a rehashing or resourcing strategy, it will look at the major trends that

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have driven organizational practices and introduce an element of how to different recruitment patterns will have an impact on the changing nature of how people get into the workplace.

First, what is the unorthodox hire? When we draw up manpower plans, we conventionally look at the skill and talent pool in our different industries and match that up to our organizational strategy. For instance, as

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a manufacturing firm, you will evaluate your full-time equivalency to technical, non-technical skills set and do projections of the kind of skills versus the technology coming on stream to support your business strategy for the coming year or three years future forecast.

Conventional hiring dictates you follow the principle of reviewing whether your talent pool will follow a buy or build strategy. Go into the market pay top shilling for experienced hires in your industry or task yourself with growing new talent into a talent pipeline, which then forms your talent management strategy. There has been a drastic shift in recruitment strategies to include contractual labor, outsourc-

How can you cast your net wider to look at recruitment beyond convention to find unique skill sets that also take advantage of social changes brought on by changing socioeconomic trends?

entrepreneurial ventures), you will benefit from hiring from a talent pool which knows the impact and has the skills needed to innovate products, can redesign your products and services, bring product/ service to market with an entrepreneurial flair. This unique talent pool has the expertise of challenges of project planning, how to cost and self-manage, and how to run end to end with a business mindset and you benefit from their foray into a business of their own.

Another factor that may drive an unorthodox hire is the straitjacket. We often find ourselves while drawing up skills and talent fit is the need to hire a 100 percent perfect fit. This is driven by the expansion of marketable skills

ing for services or skills, Flexi and telecommuting policies, diversity, multi-skilled and multicultural teams.

in the workplace. For instance, the emerging need for data scientists is driven by a need for data-driven solutions. In this scenario, would you rather wait to get a perfect data How can you cast your net wider to look at recruitment scientist or hire and develop a math and statistics major beyond convention to find unique skill sets that also take who can do business modeling and upskill for data sciadvantage of social changes brought on by changing so- ence? cio-economic trends?

We find that often that we have underemployed talent that One trend that may influence unorthodox hiring is the has a diverse skill set – looking at other aspects of individchanging nature of the business which means businesses uals who sit across us from interview desks may lead to may in times of downturn retrench or have voluntary re- diverse talent skills e.g. a French-speaking literature gradutirement. This has driven up the number of new ventures ate may be what you need for your marketing department that emerge within and across industries. How does this to lead your entry into Francophone markets, rather than influence your recruitment strategy you ask? One problem trying to hire a marketing major who speaks basic French. that emerges is how to identify opportunities and meeting You can take a long term view and bridge for marketing points of hiring back to the workplace what I would de- with in-house and formal training for the basics of work fine as long-term unemployed. You have experienced hires with a strong marketing team. who may not be getting the right opportunities due to the bias we have for you have to be somewhere to get back into How are we taking advantage of the demographic dividend the workplace. What does a long term unemployed person in unorthodox hiring? In the book Youth and Unemploybring to the table? A lot of insight into what may have led to ment in Kenya, an underlying theme that comes out is the failure and new thinking, a personal desire to find purpose consistent undercurrent that training institutions are not again in the formal workplace. matching industry standards. However you find that anecdotally a lot of companies may not be investing in bridging For each successful venture, there are tales of unsuccess- the gap between what students learn which is the theory ful ventures and a talent pool and skill set that we some- of practice yet we discarded apprentice and training protimes ignore when drawing up recruitment plans. How do grams as too expensive, we want a ready person who can you deal with Entrepreneurs who may want to get back plug and play. As HR practitioners are we ready to play the into formal settings or want to reengage with your orga- long game of developing and coaching new talent as a renization? What is the advantage of considering this talent cruitment strategy? When is the last time you were able to pool? With the pressure for intrapreneurship ( where a follow through from conception to tracking graduate manbusiness consistently works on services and products as agement training and robust internship program?

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The last unorthodox hire we look at is the rising trend of the freelancer and attendant gig economy. Do you have a way of tapping into part-time gig workers who may join your organization on a full-time basis especially for some skills sets that you may want to retain and also some who may want a more intrinsic motivation of belonging?

In conclusion, are we, as HR practitioners ready to think

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differently about unorthodox hiring and how they impact our recruitment strategies given the rapid changes happening within our economy?

By: A.W. Kibanya Email: awkibanya@gmail.com

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Kenya’s Potential to Build the First Zero Plastic Waste Capital City in Africa Birds circling above the waste dumping ground in Dandora and street children mark the site of the waste landfill site, 8 kilometers outside of Nairobi city. Each day thousands of waste pickers, scavenge through the 2000 metric tonnes arriving daily.

e-waste and metals. Companies such as Mr. Green Africa, see these waste pickers as today’s invisible heroes, and by trading in recyclable plastics, they have not only created recognised employment for many but also recycled more than 3000 tonnes of plastic.

Top finds include high-density plastics, bottles, However, there are too few operations like these

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because the market for recycled plastics is small and can be easily overwhelmed. As a consequence, the plan for Dandora is to turn waste into energy via a new incineration plant capable of producing 40 MW of electricity.

Liveable cities, such as Nairobi, will increasingly rely on excellent waste management operations, designed around people’s needs and the delivery of a safe and healthy environment.

Good waste management is part of making cities more attractive for inward investment and attracting people to relocate.

But anyone living with the smells and hazards coming from landfill sites, open-pit burning and waterways

Liveable cities, such as Nairobi, will increasingly rely on excellent waste management operations, designed around people’s needs and the delivery of a safe and healthy environment.

clogged with litter and plastic waste knows, poor waste disposal can cancel out all the positive impacts of sparkling new buildings and roads.

Nairobi is no different. However, the combination of improvements in county waste management and the 2017 ban on single-use plastic bags, has significantly reduced the presence of plastics in the urban environment. But there are further steps that still need to be taken care of if Nairobi is to be known as a liveable city and center of innovation in sustainability.

Plastics are big business worldwide; by 2022 the market for manufactured plastic products is projected to exceed USD 2 trillion, mainly due to the high demand for textiles.

Over the past four decades, global plastics production has more than quadrupled, and of the 9.2 billion tonnes produced, 6.3 billion tonnes have become waste. Of this, 12 percent has been incinerated, less than 10 percent recycled and nearly 80 percent either discarded or landfilled, meaning that 90.5 percent of plastics go unrecycled. This low recycling rate is because of the complexity of resin mixtures and the lack of information about the disposal of different plastics.

On the other hand, the negative impacts of plastics on the environment and society are also significant. The toxic chemicals which leach out of plastics are harmful to thousands of informal waste pickers. They also cause significant losses to maritime industries, damage infrastructure, and flood defenses, and contaminate water and the air we breathe.

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Based on current trends, plastic production will contribute up to 17 percent of the global carbon budget and already contribute to losses of USD 500 to 2500 billion from the world’s marine ecosystems. And the growing quantities of discarded plastic waste are the outcome of multiple market failures, that reflect plummeting oil prices, leading to a dramatic decrease in the value of plastics and the price of virgin feedstocks, a throw-away culture, and people’s negative attitudes towards using recycled materials.

Companies are being forced to make tough decisions about whether recycling is still an economically viable option or not. Many consumer brands, including beverage companies, some

of the largest sources of plastic pollution, could have difficulties meeting previous commitments to adopt more sustainable practices by replacing portions of their products with recycled plastic.

On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a stress test for the 4Rs – refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle – the principles for strategies to prevent plastics pollution, raising fears that reused or recycled plastic products may not be hygienic. Unfortunately, plastics have become indispensable during the pandemic, and in many places efforts to reduce the use of plastics are being rolled back as frontline workers have demanded greater supplies of personal protective equipment.

Conversely, there are African entrepreneurs and scientists who have been able to respond in more innovative ways more reflective of a circular economy. Peter Okwolo, for example, a co-founder of Takataka Plastics in Gulu, Uganda, took just one week to design, test, manufacture affordable COVID face shields using recycled plastic waste, and which are now being used in medical centers across the country. There are also emerging machine learning technologies coming on stream to help sort waste from different feedstocks for recycling and deliver high-quality inputs from mixed plastic waste.

Consumers often choose plastic products with harmful colorants and plasticizers, which are more expensive to recycle and more hazardous as waste. Removing these additives or replacing them with simpler and more homogenous molecules can make recycling easier. But potentially, 17

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the best solution is to replace fossil-fuel-based plastics, with bio-based plastics. Not only can biobased plastics emulate many of the features of plastic, such as their light weight, transparency, and flexibility, without harmful chemical additives, they can also deliver hygiene, biodegradability, and a new sustainable fashion and design culture.

Professor Irene Samy at the Nile University in Egypt has developed a unique alternative to plastic by turning dried shrimp cells into thin films of biodegradable plastic for eco-friendly grocery bags and packaging. By utilising chitosan – a material found in the shells of many crustaceans – her team has been able to produce a clear, thin plastic that is completely degradable in the environment.

Considering the large quantities of shrimp shell waste produced each year in Kenya, Strathmore Business School is now looking at chitosan-based plastic to drastically reduce plastic waste and create new markets for biobased plastics.

Replacing synthetic polymers with a natural form of polylactic acid would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 800 million tonnes every year. Using biobased plastics in textiles would also dramatically reduce the concentration of microplastics in drinking water supplies, and coastal fisheries.

Thinking ahead to a post-COVID time, Nairobi could potentially focus on becoming a capital city with zero-plastic waste. Not only would urban life be enriched by a cleaner environment, but the use of biobased plastic materials produced locally would open up opportunities across the Kenyan economy for bio-waste to be processed into specific feedstocks for different plastic uses, especially in packaging.

be taken. For example, building awareness about the benefits of a city with zero-plastic waste, and how to achieve it using realistic, alternative sources of materials. Creating the demand for biobased and recycled products by addressing pervasive psychological and behavioural barriers, such as the need for highly coloured packaging or the perception that reused or recycled products are unhygienic.

Investing in localised production facilities to deliver biobased feedstocks and materials for manufacturing. Developing new business models for the collection and sorting of plastic waste, using local professionals to build trust in the safety of sorted waste and prepare clean, homogenous plastic streams for recyclers. Establishing new policy incentives that encourage circularity. For example, bans and fees have been able to shift some behaviours, but Kenyans could scale up sustainable plastic solutions through clear bioplastic and recycling labels and standards, and the use of taxes or fees on plastic products that use virgin fossil-fuel feedstocks, are expensive to recycle, or which cause environmental and health hazards.

Every piece of plastic discarded in our cities, whether it is a food packaging, cigarette ends, milk cartons, synthetic fabrics, baby wipes, and diapers, or personal care products, will eventually end up clogging our waterways and breaking up into microplastics, potentially harming our health and wellbeing. A zero-plastic waste future is one that will turn our cities into liveable spaces for everyone.

Article by Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Faculty – Strathmore Institute for Public Policy and Governance (SIPPG). She is also the lead author for the UN Environment Global Assessment on Marine Litter and Plastics to be released early To achieve such an outcome would require several steps to 2021.

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Leadership in Crisis: Leaders and The Grief Cycle Grief is a word that encompasses many emotions: sadness, unhappiness, resistance to change, anger, fear, and regret.

managing their personal lives. Many have lost jobs or their sources of income. Businesses have folded or are on the brink of doing so. Others are unwell, with pre-existing medical conditions. And yet In today’s world, there are many things that others have been infected with the coronavirus can cause grief. With the COVID 19 pandemic and are struggling, fighting for their lives. sweeping across the world, people all around the world are struggling to find ways of coping and This is one time the world is united in scenes of

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grief. Stories from countries like Italy, the UK, and the US on the loss of lives mean people are going through a lot of grief.

In 1969, Elisabeth Ross wrote a book called On Death and Dying. In it, she outlined the 5 stages of grief and loss, more popularly known as the KublerRoss Model. These stages are denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. One of the first things she highlighted was that these stages do not necessarily occur in order. She also pointed out that not everyone goes through all the stages.

But it is a useful model to use to understand how to help those who are going through grief and loss and can be applied to any situation.

People handle stress and grief very differently and based on their personalities and life experiences.

There is rarely a model or template that one can use to manage these situations.

Take for example an individual who owns and runs an events company. The events industry has been hard hit by the COVID 19 pandemic. Restrictions on gatherings mean that it isn’t possible to hold events, conferences, or engage with customers via roadshows. This is likely to be the case for the foreseeable future, as the coronavirus continues to ravage populations across continents. This entrepreneur is anxiously waiting for the lifting of restrictions with the hope that ‘corona will end’ and life can go ‘back to normal.’

A good example of someone in denial and who has refused to see the reality for what it is. Denial is a defense mechanism as it helps us deal with the pain from the problem.

The next stage is anger. The country is going through severe hardships. People are struggling to make ends meet. Many are going hungry as the counties continue to be locked down and travel remains tightly controlled. Never in the history of Kenya has there been a dusk to dawn curfew that has lasted this long, and yet the event organizer is angry.

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Angry at the Chinese because he believes they eat bats that harbored the virus. Angry at the restrictions forcing him to stay home unable to engage clients and get new business. Angry at the authorities for forcing him to wear a mask as soon as he steps foot outside his house. Angry at not knowing what is coming next. Anger is an emotion that if left unresolved can consume you and eat away at your soul.

The third stage is bargaining. This stage has a lot of reflection most of which use the ‘if only’ approach. If only he had closed the deal on more conferences. If only he had taken down payments, he wouldn’t have suffered losses from the events he had to cancel. If only he went to church more

often, then God wouldn’t have let this happen to him. This stage is also compounded by guilt and a lot of questions. It can result in self-doubts where one wonders what else he could have done to foresee the situation.

The fourth stage is depression. In the case of our event’s organizer, he is now looking at his life which he may perceive to be in shambles. He doesn’t see any way out. He is deeply sad, perhaps even unable to think of a way out. The emotions are weighing heavily on him and he may not be able to do much.

The last stage is the acceptance stage. Here there is a level of calmness that arises from accepting the situation. It is not a happy stage by any standards, but it isn’t depression either. This is a stage of exploring options and of finding a way forward. Our events organizer finally accepts that everything happening is beyond his control and sits down to review what he does have control over and what he can

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plan to do about his business.

WHAT OF TEAMS?

a coach to help come up with a plan of action designed to drive the desired outcome.

As a Head of Sales and Marketing, you are most likely to have a team that is looking up to you to provide direction under this crisis situation. Targets are still in place, sales must come in, yet these front-line customer-facing employees are unable to do their work in the traditional way that is known to them. It calls for you as the team lead to use all your leadership skills to keep the team together and motivated so that you find ways to go about your tasks no matter how challenging the circumstances. As a leader, you need to have those 1 on 1 conversations with individuals to encourage and coach members to get to the acceptance stage so that the way forward can be found. As a group, the members may need to help one another by providing support and help.

People handle stress and grief very differently and based on their personalities and life experiences. There is rarely a model or template that one can use to manage these situations. One thing is clear, the COVID 19 pandemic is going to be with us for some time. What are you doing as a leader to help yourself and your colleagues through this?

How can you tell if you or your colleagues are going through grief? There could be several symptoms that may point to that. These include feelings of worry or anxiety, depression, loss of sleep, headaches, frustration, guilt, and general stress. In severe cases, a qualified counsellor or doctor would be best placed to help diagnose mental health challenges. In not so severe cases, or where people get to the acceptance stage quickly, it could be possible to work with

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As C S Lewis said, “Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley, where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape.”

Article by Thrity Engineer- Mbuthia. She is the current Acting Chair – Chartered Institute of Marketing Kenya.

She is also a leadership coach with an interest in Personal Development at Strathmore University Business School.

This article was first published in the Marketing Africa Magazine

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Sustainability: The New Business Mind-Set for The Financial Sector In today’s business community, sustainability is becoming the new frame that every organization is using to assess its own outcomes. It is also being used as an expression of the issues that production and consumption patterns will have to address to build a sustainable city where individuals and the environment are respected.

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This means that business communities and suppliers cannot continue to operate through ‘business-as-usual’.

This came out clearly during a supplier’s conference hosted by Absa Bank-Kenya to introduce their suppliers to a new Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) system. Attended by over

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400 suppliers, this provided a unique opportunity to achieve Sustainable Development goals ‘Making Everyone Count.’

They were able to discuss how their work within the organization’s supply chain is always linked to sustainability in line with environmental, risk, and waste costs. And how they can integrate environmentally sound choices into supply-chain management.

Unlike before when banks had been synonymous with the number of clients, they were making profits, this is not the case anymore. Banks like Absa have now incorporated social and environmental stewardship and ethics into organizational practices.

Sustainability, therefore, is not just another social responsibility program. It has become a fundamental way of doing business and where cities can efficiently tackle climate change.

at building the capacity of suppliers to integrate the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement into their business strategy and turn sustainability initiatives in their organization’s drivers of measurable Value.

Using the approach of sustainable and inclusivity this initiative provides a chance of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, while at the same time creating employment and fostering clean energy innovation.

It is also responding to the Principles for Responsible Banking, a global framework that guides the integration of sustainability across all business areas of a bank starting from strategy to portfolio and to transaction level and

This, therefore, calls for organisations and even suppliers to have a clear understanding of sustainability and to adopt sustainability initiatives for their day to day work such as energy savings, management of waste products, reduction of pollution, understanding their role in climate change, and encouraging innovation.

aligning the banks’ business with the society’s goals. From the bank’s strategy to all transactional levels and across all business areas it is helping the banks contribute to creating value for both society and shareholders, and help them build trust with investors, customers, employees, and society.

Operating under this new paradigm shift of organizational sustainability requires new ways of doing business; responsible production and consumption; and new leadership thinking to understand and seize the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development.

Sustainability, therefore, is not just another social responsibility program. It has become a fundamental way of doing business and where cities can efficiently tackle climate change through networks by sharing knowledge and building capacity.

In response to this context, BBK-ABSA and Strathmore Article by Rosemary Okello-Orlale, Director University Business School (SBS) have jointly developed a of Africa Media Hub- Strathmore University ‘Suppliers Sustainability Leadership Blended Training Pro- Business School gram’ meant for the Absa suppliers. The programme aims

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The Role of Organisational Support in Helping Employees cope with the Effects of COVID-19 INTRODUCTION This article focuses on how organisations can support their employees during and after the pandemic. We focus on perceived organisational support, employee perceptions on how well the support is being delivered, understanding the emerging complex needs of employees and some of how organisations can support their employ-

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ees.

PERCEPTION MATTERS Perceived Organisational Support refers to employees’ beliefs concerning the extent to which their organization cares about their well-being and values their contributions. POS has been found to have important consequences for employee per-

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formance and well-being (Eisenberger et al., 1986).

Employee perceptions of a lack of support from their organisation can result in increased absenteeism, disengagement, conflict, turnover, fatigue, stress, burnout and anxiety among other issues. Lack of psychological support can result in loss of productivity, increased costs and greater risk of accidents, incidents, and injuries (A Workplace Guide to Psychological Health and Safety, n.d).

and are a matter of personal choice), and job performance (A Workplace Guide to Psychological Health and Safety, n.d). Organizational support is a critical factor in ensuring organisational Resilience.

Vogus and Sutcliffe (2007) define resilience as ‘the maintenance of positive adjustment under challenging conditions such that the organisation emerges from those conditions strengthened and more resourceful.’ Extreme or ongoing stress often impairs people’s ability to concentrate ORGANISATIONS WITH A MIND AND HEART and to make good decisions. You may find that your staff THAT UNDERSTANDS members and yourself are unable to function at your usuIn 2019, less than 10% of business leaders from G20 and al level, right at a time when extraordinary performance OECD countries considered a pandemic as a looming is needed. Addressing personnel’s psychosocial needs to global risk, nor did they anticipate that a pandemic might the extent possible is not merely kindness, but an essential test their public reputation as a responsible employer. step that will help them recover their professional capacity.

While presently there is a major focus on the public health (Psychological Support, n.d. & leadership In Emergencies and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Toolkit, n.d.). workforce and societal implications are no less profound (WEF 2020).

ORGANISATIONS – CREATING SUPPORTING HANDS EMPLOYEES CAN RELY ON During a complex emergency like the COVID–19 pan- The following are some of the ways in which organisations demic, leaders find themselves in a position where they can support their employees: are expected to ensure that business operations continue, while at the same time ensure that support staff delivers. It 1. PSYCHOEDUCATION is therefore commonplace to find that most of the support Employees are likely to experience a variety of negative reprovided to staff is geared toward ensuring they are able actions during and post the pandemic. Psychoeducation to continue working comfortably. Whilst this is necessary, helps to create awareness about typical reactions so that leaders must not lose sight of the psychosocial needs of people understand they are not overreacting, being weak, their staff. Understanding these needs will help in reducing or going crazy. Organisations can organise awareness sesthe negative effects of the pandemic and sustain their func- sions for the employees by a staff counselor or available tioning so that they can participate in the recovery pro- resources within their location. In some organisations, cess post the pandemic. Research has shown that where ice-breaker sessions have been organised every 2 weeks employees feel they are supported by the organization, where employees, from top to lower management, talk the greater their job attachment, job commitment, job about social issues other than normal work challenges. satisfaction, job involvement, desire to remain with the or- This creates a stronger bonding capital for the organisation ganization, organizational citizenship behaviours (discre- and social capital necessary for the firm to survive posttionary behaviours that are beneficial to the organization COVID-19.

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2. TRAINING Provide education and training to all staff to heighten professional and mental health awareness (i.e., mental health literacy). The critical question is how this training can be done and where it can be accessed? Some institutions are currently offering free sample online courses and it is the duty of the line manager to ensure employees engage in relevant staff development courses (i.e. according to professional and mental health needs). In addition, the organisation can provide information on mental health issues to all staff whose role involves leading, supporting or managing. Some organisations have provided links to social media sites and media channels that offer

Employee perceptions of a lack of support from their organisation can result in increased absenteeism, disengagement, conflict, turnover, fatigue, stress, burnout and anxiety.

5. FORMAL POLICIES & PROGRAMS At the organisational policy level, leaders need to consider providing comprehensive benefits that support employee mental health (i.e., coverage for the following: psychologists or other regulated mental health professionals; Employee and Family Assistance Programs; prescription drugs).

Develop programs and procedures to address occupation-specific risks to psychological health and safety.

It would be useful for organizations to identify a contact person who is knowledgeable about mental health issues and is responsible for facilitating healthy and successful work-returns. Organisations should formulate detailed return-to-work plans that

aerobics and physical exercises within limited (home) include a range of options for coping with mental health spaces. concerns (e.g., graduated return-to-work). It is important to ensure coordination among key participants in the re3. SOCIAL SUPPORT (FORMAL AND turn to work process.

INFORMAL) During a particularly prolonged or intense crisis response, 6. CLEAR LEADERSHIP & EXPECTATIONS leaders can consider creating a ’buddy system ‘within de- A work environment where there is effective leadership partments to help with monitoring each other for warning and support that helps employees know what they need signs of mental health issues. It is important to provide a to do, how their work contributes to the organization, and sense of safety and a supportive recovery environment for whether there are impending changes, increases employyour staff as quickly as possible, recognising that they may ee resiliency and well-being. It also important the leaders need time to take care of their family needs. If possible, protect their staff from organizational and political stressorganize online ceremonies where personnel can come ors while recognizing organizational limitations. Effective together, first to acknowledge and mourn shared loss- leaders are transparent, empathetic and create trust, and es, and then mark positive developments as the recovery their behaviors help calm, support and even energize emcontinues. Even if progress is slow after a large-scale event, ployees so that they feel vested in a common mission and celebrating small milestones can help keep staff members purpose, and embrace new ways of working (WEF 2020). focused on recovery rather than dwelling on what was lost.

4. COMMUNICATION 7. SELF-CARE Organisations need to support their employees through Educate staff members about the need to practice selfclear communication during all phases of an organization’s care. In as much as it is possible leaders should model good response to COVID-19. Respectful workplace communi- coping mechanisms for staff during normal work periods cation should be encouraged especially such that psycho- and throughout crisis response. logical health concerns can be discussed safely and openly.

Efforts should be made to ensure awareness is created of There are also a few things organizations should avoid: company benefits and programs that employees can access • Do not force or pressure people to share their stories to address their psychological health concerns. Where emwith you. ployees who are off work due to mental health concerns, • Do not allow people to self-disclose at their own pace team leaders should make an effort to maintain regular and and in their own way. supportive communication with them. Regularly check-in • Do not tell them how you think they should feel or and keep all staff informed about the emergency situation what they should have done differently. and work arrangements • Do not explain to why you think they experienced this December 2020 Magazine

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disaster based on your opinions or beliefs.

• Do not make promises that you cannot keep. For example, do not confidently reassure survivors that assistance or resources will soon arrive or that you will be available to help them over a long period of time if you do not know for sure.

(Psychological Support, n.d., leadership In Emergencies Toolkit, n.d., & WEF 2020).

CONCLUSION It is important that leaders are aware of these stressors as they are also likely to face them as they support their teams and they too need to maintain their own personal and professional resilience. Leaders need to pay attention to how the pandemic may have impacted them at a personal level so that they also maintain their own resilience.

Eisenberger et al., 1986, Perceived organizational support Journal of Applied Psychology, 71 (1986), pp. 500-507 LEADERSHIP in EMERGENCIES TOOLKIT (n.d.).

Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.un.org/epst/ sites/www.un.org.epst/files/leadership_in_the_emergencies_toolkit.pdf Mees B, McMurray A & Chhetri P 2016, Organisational resilience and emergency management, Australian Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 38–43. At: https://ajem.infoservices. com.au/items/AJEM-31-0208

Psychological Support- Workplace Strategies (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.workplacesExperiencing a complex emergency like the COVID-19 trategiesformentalhealth.com/content/images/agenda/ pandemic does not always result in negative outcomes. pdf/1_Psychological_Support_EN.pdf Research has shown in some cases there could be positive outcomes such as feelings of empowerment during times Vogus TJ & Sutcliffe KM 2007, Organizational resilience: of crisis and chaos, emotional connection with survivors, Towards a theory and research agenda. IEEE International colleagues, and the community; a sense of competence Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 2007, New and mastery in overcoming unique challenges; a sense York, IEEE, pp. 3418-22. of privilege and honour to serve during times of need; increased self-knowledge and self-awareness; personal World Economic Forum (2019): Workforce Principles growth and being part of a meaningful effort larger than for the COVID-19 Pandemic Stakeholder Capitalism oneself. Organisations can use this time to grow employ- in a Time of Crisis: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/ ees at an individual level and by implication the whole firm WEF_NES_COVID_19_Pandemic_Workforce_Princi(Psychological Support, n.d., leadership In Emergencies ples_2020.pdf Toolkit, n.d., & WEF 2020).

REFERENCES A Workplace Guide to Psychological Health and Safety (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/about/about-psychosocial-factors

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Article by Dr. Angela Ndunge, Deputy Executive Dean, Strathmore University Business School.

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The Strathmore Hult Prize Chapter As the world advances, there are certain issues that still remain prevalent, even as more keep popping up. The youth are the future of the world, however, in terms of leadership, it is still spoken of as a theoretical truth. This need for growing problems and an aging ‘golden population’ that was once the youth of today is what prompts the need for the existence of the Hult Prize.

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The Hult Prize commenced in 2010 with its main agenda forwarded by Ahmad Ashkar founder and CEO of Hult Prize, which was to leverage the crowd and aid young people in generating startup ideas that can sustainably solve the world’s most critical problems. Ten years down the line, it has seen an investment of more than 50 million dollars worth of capital and ideas that have caused

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social disruption and change in all sectors.

The Hult Prize competition is a global student-centered movement that revolves around business ideas that are aimed at solving various social problems across the world. It brings together some of the brightest and most innovative students from all over the globe in a means to create an environment that can foster innovation of business ideas that are geared towards solving social problems.

The on-campus competitions are the grassroots competitions that act as a source point for entrepreneurs and ideas. However, the purpose of the on-campus competition goes beyond

The Hult Prize competition is a global studentcentered movement that revolves around business ideas that are aimed at solving various social problems across the world.

sourcing ideas that can advance to the regional levels. It provides grounds in which the best and brightest get to engage on an intellectual level on matters of social enterprise.

Participants compete for an opportunity to advance to the Regional level which takes place in 25 cities around the world including Strathmore University from which winners then get to advance to the accelerator program hosted in the United Kingdom. The accelerator program gives participants the opportunity to better their ideas through providing an environment where they can make improvements on their prototypes as well as getting advice from industry experts in preparation for the world finals that are held in September every year at the United Nations headquarters in New York and the winner is awarded 1 Million dollars.

ensured that whichever business idea was presented, there was someone to adequately evaluate it. This proves that there is a hunger for social and economic change in the African continent. Ideas from fashion to education, energy to marketing among others were brought forth and panelists from the relevant fields were present not only to critique but also to provide tips and further insights. A lot was put in to ensure no stone was left unturned to produce the best teams to represent Strathmore in the Regionals. Furthermore, the broad panel acted as a spotting ground to promote and mentor ideas that seemed promising but wouldn’t make it to the next level. At the close of the on-campus competition, Strathmore University

was named as the 2nd best university in the on-campus programmes for the period 2019-2020 worldwide. This achievement brought about it being named as one of the regional centers for Hult Prize 2021.

This year, the Hult Prize is back and currently ongoing. This year’s challenge is FOOD FOR GOOD whereby students are tasked to come up with business ideas that will use food as a vehicle of change to reimagine food supply chains and create over 10 million jobs by 2030. The On-campus event will be held on the 27th and 28th of November 2020 and we are looking forward to seeing the new ideas that students have around food and as Muhammad Yunus said “young people should think in a different way, they should be job givers and not job seekers”

Last year’s Strathmore On-Campus edition was held on By Anthony Ndirangu Campus Director the 8th and 9th December 2019 and saw over thirty teams Strathmore Hult Prize pitch their ideas. The panel that made the final decision Email: anthony.kifue@strathmore.edu comprised of individuals from different industries and this

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The Strathmore Executive BUSINESS SCHOOL

BUSINESS SCHOOL

BUSINESS SCHOOL

BUSINESS SCHOOL

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Are you Coaching your People?

In many organizations today, managers are asked to coach their direct reports. Would you say, as a leader, that you can heed to this demand successfully? In my years studying and working with companies on this topic, I have observed that many executives are ill-equipped to even answer this question. Why? For one, managers tend to think they are coaching when they’re just telling

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their employees what to do.

According to Sir John Whitmore, a leading figure in executive coaching, the definition of coaching is “unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” When done right, coaching is phenomenal in supporting productivity and

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engagement; most people find it more motivating to bring their expertise to a situation than to be told what to do.

Many global studies have been done that show that most managers do not understand what coaching is. They often think it is the same thing as mentoring, others even confuse it with training, therapy, and consulting.

thought-provoking process.

Coaching is associated with champions or high performers. It helps you polish your already talented people to be more effective.

When initially asked coach, many managers instead demonstrate a form of consulting, meaning, they simply provide the other person with advice or a solution. You will regularly hear managers say, “First you do this” (this is training) or “Why don’t you do this?” (this is advising or mentoring).

What then is coaching and how does it work? How can coaching become the tool that differentiates you as a leader and catapults the results your people deliver? Coaching is the skill of supporting a person to set a specific goal, analyze the various routes to get there, create a road map towards the goal, and take the actions needed to achieve the results.

As a leader who coaches, you will use various techniques to get this done and provide an accountability mechanism to help the person keep up with their action plan. The key technique used in coaching is evoking awareness. This is done by asking questions that bring forward deeper awareness and new insights. These questions are not a formula that you have pre-designed to lead the person. Good questions come from what you hear the other person say; a good coach is a good listener. The results of this process are amazing. The people you lead feel trusted, you make use of their knowledge and strengths to get things done and you build a team of people who take responsibility for their work.

Coaching is also powerful in enhancing innovation. It gets your people to think beyond the obvious. It digs for a deeper motivation for doing things because it is a very

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Of course, the other interventions also have their place. For instance, those who are taking on a new task need training, those being groomed to take on a new position can be mentored by someone who has been there, this is where consulting comes in. The point is knowing when each of these is the most appropriate and applying it accordingly.

Coaching is associated with champions or high performers. It helps you polish your already talented people to be more effective. For this reason, coaching should not be used as a remedy for poor performance. Those being coached are trusted to make decisions and to follow through to get better and innovative solutions. These cannot be poor performers, who in my opinion, need more training and mentoring. A company should give the best coaches to their best talent; just like in sports. The high potential athletes or teams are the ones who get more professional coaches.

Are you ready to differentiate yourself as a leader by coaching your people? If so, begin by learning some basic coaching skills; then identify the people you want to invest your time in and begin to coach. The results will amaze you!

Find a coach for yourself too. You are already good at what you do and that is why you are in a leadership position. To play at an even higher league requires a professional coach who will help you cast your vision further, remain focused and achieve the results you deserve.

By Irene Kinuthia PCC, Professional Certified Coach Email: ikinuthia@strathmore.edu

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Reflections on My Leadership Journey While research has shown that to a large extent leaders are made rather than born, I believe I was born a leader. Born in Maar, Twic East County, Jonglei state of South Sudan, growing up was close to impossible. I grew up during a time when there was a lot of insecurity, violence, and chronic poverty. Rural Maar village had a population of fewer than 3,050 people and less than 85 pupils school-

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ing under trees. The only people I knew who had been to school were my teachers. Many of the girls got pregnant and dropped out of school while the boys resorted to pastoralism and the others were recruited by rebels. I had no role models in terms of academic or career aspirations.

These horrible living conditions are what pushed

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my parents to flee to Kenya via lorry.

On getting to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, I studied under the (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) UNHCR schools. This experience greatly shaped my perspective on life and from then I committed to bring about change in my community.

Being raised in a traditional African extended family, I was always assigned responsibility such as looking after domestic animals as well taking care of my youngest siblings while the parents were away which I accepted and executed well. Despite being among the younger children, I was the eighth child in a family of more than ten children and nephews, my parents found

Constantly seeking new knowledge and finding solutions to society’s challenges is at the heart of great leadership. Leaders with great research skills can easily confront emerging challenges

that I had the leadership qualities and was able to lead the rest of the family. These responsibilities, coupled with my education career have progressively shaped and molded me as a strong leader. My leadership aspirations have also been inspired by great African leaders especially Nelson Mandela.

Throughout my career, there have been peak events that have greatly shaped my perspectives on leadership. Over the past six years, I have worked in different reputable organizations including a financial institution as well as consultancy firms. Serving in different leadership portfolios in the above organizations as well as social bodies only changed my perception of leadership. I have always thought of leaders as great people in political organizations, top company officers like General Managers, or Chief Executive Officers. However, I have come to realize that lots of ordinary people championing change around us and we fail to praise them the way we should, while we keep thinking about the great men. I have nothing against the great men, however, I think we should pay tribute to the people that surround us and that strive to make the world a better place each day for all of us and future generations. Such people include student association leaders, young people who have come up to address societal challenges, mid-level managers in business organizations, village chairpersons, teachers as well as religious leaders in local churches. These people have touched and changed many people’s lives but they always go unnoticed.

RESEARCH Constantly seeking new knowledge and finding solutions December 2020 Magazine

to society’s challenges is at the heart of great leadership. Leaders with great research skills can easily confront emerging challenges as well as learn new leadership best practices. Like they say ‘knowledge is power’, research unlocks potential in leaders, it makes them think out of the box since they become creative.

By going through the Master of Science in Development Finance Programme at Strathmore University Business School, I have gained research experience from the various lecturers and professors. I have also gained inclusive experience that led me to write and emerged as the first World Bank ‘Blog 4Dev 2019’ winner for South Sudan that was then pub-

lished on the World Bank website. Further, I have written many articles including the Developmental Challenges and Opportunities in Africa which was featured in Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS Africa).

I am passionate about knowing what is going on in the world. I therefore read and follow both local and international news. I write articles on pressing societal issues such as corruption, bad governance, girl child marriage, child solider, and nepotism in local newspapers ( Juba Monitor) and PaanLuelAwei (Online media) in South Sudan.

Leaders of creative work identify and coordinate requisite expertise for projects, create shared mindsets about mission direction, define strategies for carrying out the work, and orchestrate an environment characterized by intellectual stimulation, communication, and productive conflict.

This, therefore, makes research a key skill for contemporary leadership.

CLASS INITIATIVES My quest to influence and inspire others saw me take on leadership roles at quite an early stage of my education journey. I have been in the Strathmore University Community Outreach Programme which aims to help the needy families and students from the informal settlements. I have developed several leadership qualities through volunteering including getting space to try out new things, developing the spirit of giving, learning, building, and widening my networks, gaining confidence, and passion to influence others. My leadership character is premised on serving people while expecting nothing in return, always focused on change, always admitting and learning from mistakes, active listening, promoting diversity, and working together 37

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to achieve more. I also believe that true leaders have a quest for knowledge, they keep learning to better their skills in communication, technology, project management, social work, business administration, and several other fields which affirms the saying that leaders are made. Learning history further heightened my passion to influence others after getting to know of great leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Jomo Kenyatta, Che Guevara, and Fidel Castro.

libraries can therefore offer them only general services.

The contribution of libraries to a welcoming culture consists of facilitating access to information, knowledge, and encounters. Only once interest is awakened can libraries target the specific needs of the individual.

CONCLUSION I have touched on several aspects of the leadership process, which I have collected through my childhood upbringing, work, and school experience. In summary, I have come to see leadership as a dynamic process that occurs in human organizations as actors perceive emerging possibilities and choose to take action. The willingness to do so is strongly connected to the actor’s internal states and engagement of the fundamental state of leadership. Finally, the effectiveness of the actor may be impacted by the actor’s sphere of influence and by his/her formal or informal status and authority to act, and organizational readiness to embrace the change. I look forward to further developing these understandings as I continue on my leadership journey.

SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECT I believe leadership is about bringing change in people’s lives by finding solutions to society’s challenges. To improve myself, first, I need to be able to give people more freedom of choice, let them make more decisions, and support them. Even if those decisions are not what I stand for; however, they are better for the majority or for the group itself. Therefore, I have tried to bring about change in the lives of refugees by establishing a social development club called Helping Others like You (HOLY Africa) that focuses on books drives and the establishment of libraries in Kakuma Refugee camp. I believe that only knowledge can unlock the minds of refugees, many of whom have almost lost hope.

By Manyuon, Daniel Athior Atem, MSc. Refugees and asylum seekers often constitute very hetero- Development Finance Student, SBS geneous groups, hailing from various countries with vari- Email: daniel.athior@strathmore.edu ous languages and cultural backgrounds. In the beginning,

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Tourism Innovation: Taking the Lead in Kenya Through Technology Tourism is a crucial part of the Kenyan economy, being among the top foreign exchange earners for the country alongside diaspora remittances and agriculture.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife statistics, Kenya is the third-largest travel and tourism economy in Africa after South Africa and Nigeria. The contribution of travel and tourism to

December 2020 Magazine

Kenya’s GDP in 2019 stood at 8.8%, an increase of 3.9% from the previous year with 2,048,334 international visitors arriving in Kenya.

Online travel market places have been the trend with Airbnb, GetYourGuide, and Expedia having proven success in the global tourism space. The Kenyan youth have not been left behind to in-

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novate and create technological solutions for this sector. While it is true that most startups focus on financial inclusion and agriculture, with a quick search on the internet you will find quite a number of tech-startups in the travel and tourism space.

This article tries to showcase some local tech solutions in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.

JIRANIS FOOD Jiranis Food is a web-based platform that connects users with chefs, who host them for meals at their own homes or deliver to the user. The startup is in the sharing economy model.

Chefs can register as a host in the platform and list their offering.

The contribution of travel and tourism to Kenya’s GDP in 2019 stood at 8.8%, an increase of 3.9% from the previous year with 2,048,334 international visitors arriving in Kenya.

and pay for their airport transportation ahead of travel. The company has been able to set up camp in major airports in Kenya and beyond and is now attempting to serve even smaller airports and train stations.

LAST MINUTE MARA Last Minute Mara is an online booking platform offering last-minute deals to Kenya’s leading nature reserve - the Maasai Mara. The company takes pride in being the country’s first booking portal to make the Mara’s most exclusive camps and lodges available at affordable prices when booked within 30 days of travel. The booking process is seamless and very fast. It has been integrated with air transport such that local travelers can book a camp in the

The startup will also save food tourism that is largely un- Maasai Mara without calling an agent. derdeveloped in Kenya.

PITCH KAMBI CLOUD 9 XP Pitchkambi is a new travel website for campers and nature Cloud9 XP is an online marketplace for leisure experienc- lovers, where they can find and book campsites and simes. Tourists are able to book experiences from one portal, ple nature-based experiences across Kenya. The website whether it is a scuba diving experience, kayaking, or even handpicks authentic campsites and experiences paired camping. The website aims to list as many experiences with real pictures, to help our users experience quality naaround Kenya and beyond. The startup’s mantra is “High ture-based experiences. Through the website, campers will On Life”, as it looks to assist positive, adventure-seeking easily search and book their favorite camping experiences free spirits in looking for merchandise and experiences. seamlessly.

KARIBU TAXI When travelers have booked their flight tickets, hotels, safaris, and events tickets, the next thing is to figure out how to leave the airport and get safely to a hotel, resort, restaurant, or attraction. Karibu Taxi is an Online Travel Agency that will be able to list all airport transfer providers in one online portal. Travelers are able to search, compare, book,

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This article is not conclusive, you can let the writer note of any travel tech startups in Kenya that the writer has not highlighted.

By Peter Kibe, Executive Training Manager, Strathmore School of Tourism and Hospitality.

Email: pkibe@strathmore.edu

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BRIDGINGTHE DIGITAL DIVIDE:

The Impact of Kenya’s 4GBalloon Network Project This article takes a close look at the July 2020 launch in Kenya of the 4G balloon based network technology, a product of Google’s laboratory project. It argues that though it looks futuristic, it currently faces implementation challenges and the impact may not be felt anytime soon by both the implementing partners and the country.

In July 2020 Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Information and Communications (ICT) Joe Mucheru made a surprise visit to Radat, a small village in rural Kenya to launch a 4G internet connectivity service run on balloons stationed above the skies. The initiative follows an agreement between Tel-

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have been connected to the Telkom Kenya network, where its users can access 4G internet services through their devices. They are powered by solar panels and controlled by software on the ground and can last for well over 100 days in the sky. In Kenya the service will initially cover a region The launching of the service in a rural setup was strategic spanning nearly 50,000 square kilometers targeting Counand intentional. Radat village, tugged between hills and ties in central, north and western parts of the country. The valleys at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, lies about 250 launch is a culmination of years of negotiation between KM north of Nairobi. The climate is semi-arid, the terrain Loon, Telkom Kenya and the Kenya Government. harsh and the human population low, with the main source of the people’s livelihoods being rearing of indigenous live- PROJECT PART OF KENYA’S STRATEGY TO stock as well as honey farming. In short, Radat represents a BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BEYOND ITS classic venue of a remote rural community where internet BORDERS From the early 1990s, the Kenya government has taken connectivity would not reach easily. systematic and deliberate policy interventions to invest in THE BALLOON PROJECT: BACKGROUND AND information and telecommunications technology (ICT).

This policy direction was informed by the realization of HOW THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS According to the information from the Telkom Kenya web- the immense socio-economic benefits that can be derived site Project Loon is a network of stratospheric balloons de- from the use of ICT. This strategy has paid off, given that signed to provide internet connectivity to rural and remote Kenya is now highly regarded as one of Africa’s leading areas worldwide. It is a spinoff from Alphabet Inc laborato- countries in innovation powered by ICT, proven by initiary Project X, which after several trials, was released to be tives such as Mpesa whose social transformative effect has run by Loon LLC as an independent commercial venture. captured the world’s attention.

Loon inked an agreement with Telkom Kenya Ltd in July 2018. In March 2020, the Kenya Government announced Kenya’s strategy has shifted in recent years to expand opthat it had granted the necessary approvals for the Telkom portunities beyond its borders. This is shown by the unveilKenya-Loon LLC Project, leading to the formal launch by ing of the Kenya’s Digital Economy Blueprint , launched at the Cabinet Secretary in July. According to Loon , nearly the Smart Africa Summit held in Rwanda in 2019. In this half the world’s population lacks access to basic connectiv- document, presented as Digital Economy Blueprint for ity and this project is aimed at bridging this digital divide. Africa, ICT infrastructure is recognized as one of the five pillars needed to guide the development of the ICT in the The service works by beaming internet connectivity from continent. It is aimed at bridging the digital divide in Afribase stations on the ground to balloons 20 KM overhead. ca, given that it is the region in the world with the lowest The balloons, placed at the earth’s stratosphere, act as float- penetration of the internet. Africa has a population of over ing base stations and are linked to the ground stations that 1.3 billion people and Kenya hopes to reap from expanded kom Kenya Limited, the local internet service provider, and Loon LLC, an Alphabet Inc owned subsidiary, as the provider of the innovative technology. Alphabet is also the parent company of Google.

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digital market economy but realizes that this can only happen if the continent is digitally networked.

WHY THE PROJECT IMPACT MAY NOT BE FELT SOON Though well-intentioned, the Telkom Kenya/Loon project is faced with challenges, key among them are the following: THE MARKET SIZE OF THE IMPLEMENTING PARTNER IN KENYA. Industry statistics from the Communications Authority of Kenya shows that as of June 30th 2020, Telkom

Kenya’s strategy has shifted in recent years to expand opportunities beyond its borders.

This is shown by the unveiling of the Kenya’s Digital Economy Blueprint

Kenya’s market share of mobile phone subscription was only 6%, behind Safaricom’s 64.2% and Airtel Kenya’s 26.8%. The remaining 3% market share is held by Equitel.

In addition, the market share in mobile internet subscriptions per operator follows a similar pattern with Safaricom at 68.7%, Airtel at 26.0%, Telkom Kenya at 5.0% and Equitel at 0.4%. This means that even at its full implementation, the impact of the project will only be felt by a small number of Kenyans, unless Telkom’s market share were to increase drastically. But given the myriad of historical and administrative challenges Telkom Kenya has gone through since deregulation of the sector in Kenya in early 90s, this partnership may not make much difference in terms of market share.

THE CHOICE OF THE LAUNCH COUNTRY. By its very nature, the Loon project targets remote and rugged regions of the world where other forms of ICT infrastructure would be too expensive or too risky to mount.

Kenya, for the most part, does not fit this description. In its annual report of 2019 Safaricom indicates that with its 6,700 kms of fiber optic cables deployed across the country, 93% of the Kenyan population has reportedly been covered by their 3G network and 57% by 4G network. On its part the Kenya Government, according to the Information and Communications Authority website has laid over 6,000 km of fiber optic cables across all the 47 Counties.

The effect of this is corroborated by statistics from the CA which shows that as of 30th June 2020, mobile phone subscriptions in Kenya stood at 57.0 million subscribers, representing 119.9% mobile SIM penetration in the country.

Though the internet penetration in Kenya is still considered low, it is not due to lack of ICT infrastructure. In other words, Project Loon will not be bringing anything transformative to Kenya’s ICT infrastructure space.

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THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF BEING THE GUINEA PIG. Available information indicates that this is the first time Project Loon is being tested as a commercial trial in Africa and possibly elsewhere. Media reports indicate the project has previously only been used in emergency situations such as was the case in Puerto Rico in 2017 after a hurricane destroyed all telephone towers. Novelty comes with its share of challenges. Telkom Kenya acknowledges this as much and it cites on its website impediments such as wind patterns and restricted airspace. It also says that since the balloons are solar-powered,

customers will experience availability of services only between certain times of the day. Though it can be described as near monopolistic, competition in the telecom sector in Kenya is extremely fierce and would hardly allow time for trials. Besides, the customers are not particularly receptive. It is instrumental to note, for example that soon after the launch, Kenyans who experienced connectivity challenges, started posting aerial maps on social media showing that the balloons had been swept away by the wind and were now residing in neighboring countries. In short, in addition to the fact that the project’s overall reliability and resilience is yet to be tested, the market is not very receptive for such a project. It is possible, as reported by one media house, that the solution being provided by Loon is inordinate for the problems in Kenya.

Or perhaps the Telkom Kenya-Loon Balloon project is way ahead of all of us.

By John Sergon, Executive Fellow, Institute of Public Policy and Governance, Strathmore University Email: sergonjohn@gmail.com

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Flying Away to Make a Difference: My Service-Based Learning Experience It has always been a nostalgic feeling every time I look back and remember the good old times; my first time giving back to society. Strathmore University has created a very good platform for students to get empowered and practice their various skills and expertise in any field through Service-Based Learning. This is by far the best forum to engage the youth in making this world a better

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place.

I decided to do my community-based attachment in a different country, as I felt the need to interact with a different community and to get a wider point of view on the main issues being faced by various communities, and on the 20th of January 2020, I was on a plane to Cairo, Egypt

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eager to take on my role as a middle school teacher at an orphanage. I went as a global volunteer under AIESEC, a youth-run organization that offers students a global experience as a volunteer or intern. The first days in Egypt was about settling down and adjusting to the new environment.

Who knew Egypt had winter? Working days from Sunday to Thursday?

This and so many astonishing things about Egypt made my experience all the more worthwhile.

The first day of work was quite blissful. I was taken aback by how friendly and innocent the children were. Their

Challenges such as language barriers and inadequate resources were inevitable, however, no difficulty can dishearten a man who has acquired the art of being alive.

amiable gestures and kind interactions were enough for me to feel comfortable among them. I could see their vibrant faces when the facilitator of the program told them that I was assigned to teach them a foreign language: English.

They were quite eager to learn and I was also very eager to teach them. As the days went by, I felt exceedingly compelled to do more than just teach English. With the help of the facilitators, we were able to create room for me and my other colleagues to not only have basic computer classes with them but also have a forum to equip the children with basic life skills such as decision making and problem-solving. This forum was fundamental as it further focused on the talent growth of the students and promoted good mental health. The aim was to create a space for the young ones to explore their capabilities and to learn the responsibilities that come with situations in life.

sources were inevitable, however, no difficulty can dishearten a man who has acquired the art of being alive.

The trip to Egypt was nonetheless mind-blowing. Aside from visiting the famous Egyptian pyramids and touring breathtaking tourist destinations, the experience has certainly pre-exposed me to life outside the classroom, equipping me with professionalism and enhanced me with fundamental skills such as leadership, being a team player, and problem-solving skills. To add to that, the happiness of giving back to society is always unmatched.

Youth impacting and giving back to society should not be a choice but a

responsibility. With all our potential, we as the youth can bring heaven on earth. It is the little steps that we take that bring greater change.

Currently, colleagues and I are in communication with some of the global volunteers we met in Egypt. God willing after this COVID pandemic, we are planning to carry on with more projects based in Kenya that are driven towards improving the quality of education and providing more resources to schools. We will furthermore be recruiting interested students from Strathmore University who would like to volunteer with us.

Before I finish, I would like to leave you with my favorite saying by Mahatma Gandhi that goes; the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

By Yvonne Mwangi, Bachelor of Commerce

With Egypt being the third most populated country in Student Africa with a population of approximately 103 million, Email: yvonne.mwangi@strathmore.edu a lot of societal issues are bound to arise. An article from Al Tamimi & Company (2018) suggests that the average number of students in a public classroom is 45 yet every year an additional 500,000-700,000 students join school, which in turn has caused an infrastructure difficulty. The article also states that quality education in Egyptian public schools is daunting. The need for me and my colleagues to contribute to the orphanage and a few nearby schools was quite necessary so we teamed up with some AIESEC members and from our contributions, we were able to bring in some school resources like books and stationery.

My colleagues and I were able to encourage the few small schools we visited to incorporate a program designed to enrich students with skills and encourages talent development, to improve the quality of education.

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First Public Lecture on Building a Competitive Livestock Industry and reshaping the sector in Kenya through value chains Considering that the livestock sector employs close to 50% of Kenya’s agricultural labour force and is also a primary source of livelihoods for over 6 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralist communities in the country’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), its importance to the Kenyan economy was brought to the fore during a Public Lecture held this week on Building a Competitive Live-

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stock Industry and reshaping the sector in Kenya through value chains by Strathmore University Business School (SBS) in partnership with the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU).

As the first Public Lecture in the series entitled “Post-COVID 19: What the Big 4 Agenda can do for Kenya and Africa,” the session facilitat-

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ed a dialogue for better coordination between the government and private sector in developing and implementing transformative strategies geared towards increasing the productivity, profitability, employment and safety of the meat industry based on the new norm.

It also focused on areas of potential investment by the Private Sector since the Big 4 Agenda is hinged on Public Private Partnerships (PPP). By bringing together all stakeholders across

Globally countries are investing heavily in genetics and breeding programs and the Kenyan government is following suit.

Matiang’i explained that currently the government is developing Disease Free Zoning facilities in Kenya. Considering that the country’s disease situation has created a barrier for trade leading to loss of potential revenue and foreign exchange, the Bachuma Livestock Export Zone (LEZ) will be able to offer livestock screening services, to ensure animal health control in livestock product exports.

Furthermore, in order to meet the demand for livestock products in and out of Kenya, the Livestock Breeding

the Livestock Value Chain, the Public Lecture brought out the potential of the sector in Kenya’s economic growth, opportunities and challenges and how policies and innovations can transform the sector towards livestock production efficiency in the 21st Century.

Programme’s mandate will provide a steady supply of wellbred livestock of early maturing animals. This has been achieved through community breeding schemes such as breeding farms and artificial insemination efforts. Thus far the government has introduced breeding and multiplication farms in Kimose (Baringo County), Nomotio (KajiAs the keynote speaker during the Public Lecture, Dr. Fred ado County), Nasukuta (WestPokot County), and Narok Matiang’i the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and County. coordination of Government said that for Kenya to realise the competitive potential of the Livestock Sector locally Despite the fact that Kenya is 3rd in Africa in livestock and regionally, “we need to develop a culture where there population and there is tremendous untapped potential in is close relationship between policy and politics.” the leather sector, Dr. Matiang’i also stressed the importance of value chain in relation to hides and skins across the Giving an example of the government’s intervention to country, “The value addition here still remains a key chaltransfer the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) to the lenge. However, the Government has made considerable Ministry of Defence, Dr Matiang’i said that the takeover strides with the Kenya Leather Development Council. A has enabled the entity to clear 256 Million shillings debts key example is the Ewaso Ngiro Leather and Tannery in owed to livestock farmers. Additionally, a further KSh.150 Narok County to support the pastoral community.”

Million was allocated to clear other general suppliers’ debt in this financial year. This intervention served the mutual Bringing the perspective of academia, Dr. George Njeninterests of the two organizations since the military is the ga, the Executive Dean of SBS reinforced the importance largest client of the KMC and therefore had a stake in the of partnership and the use of evidenced based policy apimproved efficiency of its management. “The delivery of proaches. “It is time that we respect the process of thinking livestock to KMC since the military takeover has grown by through scientifically and connecting to results, these two 28%”, said Dr. Matiang’i. things, scientific process and results is very core.’’ He addIn response to outbreaks of trade sensitive diseases, Dr. ed, “The infrastructure that is being put in place to set up a

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scientific center with an administrative board should have a triple helix approach: Academia, Government and the Private Sector players. This will help to inform government decisions in the future by providing informed ideas that are well grounded in data.”

created to deal with livestock research and breeding programs. A Livestock Masterplan is being developed to improve this process.

Discussing the cost of feedlots, the P.S Kimtai said that the bill will also improve regulation of the sector by introducing a Livestock Inputs and Products Regulatory Authority.

A Livestock Products and Marketing Board will also help to support livestock farmers to market their products. The National Livestock Regulatory Board will therefore help to regulate all other activities within the sector.

In conclusion, the public lecture brought out the increasing market demand in the livestock sector and how it affects 2 million Kenyans directly. Furthermore, the livestock sector requires a review that provides concise data and information about the nature of current and emerging vegetation, land and water degradation problems and their effects, including greenhouse gas issues and there is a pressing need to develop capacity of young people to take the sector to the next level.

In order to cushion the pastoral community from the ravaging effects of drought, the Feedlots Development ProMr. Harry Kimtai, Principal Secretary for the State Depart- gramme was established to ensure animals are well fed to ment for Livestock said that the most important interven- reach desired maturity levels and protect animals from tion that the Government has to make in the Livestock Sec- diseases and death. The Government, through the State tor is the development of a proper regulatory framework. Department of Livestock is embarking on the investment According to him the sector has long been operating un- of 50 feedlots, investment in eight beef breeding schemes, der an outdated regulatory framework which has not been development of 10,000 acres of high-quality pasture and updated in line with the current constitution. He asserted fodder plots. So far, 14 Feedlot sites have been identified in that this issue has now been addressed, “The new policies government land and 7 in private holdings: 5 in Laikipia, 1 which have been developed such as the National Livestock in Garissa and 1 in Kajiado. However, the lack of a framepolicy and the Veterinary policy published in 2020 are now work by the National Land Commission that enables the ready to guide the sector.” private use of government land by private investors poses an ongoing challenge.

He further elaborated that the Kenya Dairy industry also had an outdated regulatory framework. New regulations Dr. Maurice Cheregony, CEO, Rhoteach Limited one of have been developed to address the advancements in the the panelists during the session talked of the effect of cliindustry. The dairy industry contributes 4% to the Coun- mate change on the sector and the importance of capacity try’s GDP. Kenya’s total milk production is estimated at 5.2 building to meet market demand. Dr. Christie Peacock, Billion Litres with 75% being that of cow milk. Generally, Chairman of Sidai highlighted the importance of privatismilk production in Kenya is small-holder driven and there- ing the vaccine sector since there is high level of livestock fore aggregating these smallholder farmers into Coopera- mortality in Kenya. According to her, Kenya loses over tive Dairy Farms (CODAFs) leads to economies of scale, 30% of livestock every year, “We lose KShs 1 billion which higher productivity, better quality of milk and increased can be prevented through vaccination.” profitability and incomes to producers.

Representing the youth, Elisha Bwatuti, a Dairy Farmer, Mr Kimtai said that the government is ensuring that the Agricultural Technologist and a Director of Shamba-Intel sector is able to respond to the domestic livestock produc- Africa Limited, said that there is little training in the section for both local markets and international markets and tor and this does not encourage the youth to see it as an that the sector players are able to see available opportuni- opportunity for job creation. “The message being commuties. He explained that the Livestock bill will now improve nicated is that the sector is a retirement package,” he said. the existing fragmented laws and has been submitted to the The panelists which represented the private sector and acAttorney General and is awaiting publication. The bill will ademia, explored how the feedlots cost can be reduced to represent the government institutions that were not prop- help farmers and what incentives can be given to the Prierly anchored to the law before such as the Kenya Animal vate sector in this area. How extension services can be emGenetic Resource Agency and other training institutions powered to give quality services to farmers such as access that support the Livestock sub sector. to watersheds by small-scale farmers.

Globally countries are investing heavily in genetics and breeding programs and the Kenyan government is following suit. The Livestock Research Organization has been By Shailja Sharma, Executive Fellow 48

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Resilience: What it Means for Business Leaders One word that we have consistently heard mentioned during the COVID-19 pandemic is ‘resilience’. Whether you are running a business, are an employee, working in the public or non-profit sectors, we are all talking about being resilient. What then is resilience? Resilience has been defined as the ability to bounce back after being stretched, pressed, pulled, or bent. The ability to become strong, healthy, and successful again after someDecember 2020 Magazine

thing bad or difficult has happened. The year 2020 has indeed presented this image to us. The measures taken to contain the pandemic have resulted in stretching, pulling, and pressing us, forcing us to rethink our business models, markets, processes, products and service delivery, and customers as well as our leadership and people management styles.

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Although we have pointed fingers at the pandemic for the woes in 2020, the reality is that constraints and challenges are an inevitable part of our professional and personal lives. Irrespective of how strong and competent we are, challenges and constraints are there, often to remind us of our limitations.

But constraints, as it turns out, also provide us with a unique opportunity to discover and employ our strengths in a way that enriches our lives, relationships, and businesses. Constraints alter the path that we take, even in the instances in which we may feel like we have no options. They offer us a chance to be innovative and provide value in surprising ways.

Finding our way through a crisis means different things to different

Although we have pointed fingers at the pandemic for the woes in 2020, the reality is that constraints and challenges are an inevitable part of our professional and personal lives.

manager should ask themselves three fundamental questions: 1. What are you paying attention to?

2. What matters most to you and others?

3. What are you going to do about it?

Answering each question helps to clarify your perceptions about the world around you and consequently guides your actions.

What are you paying attention to?

We can use four lenses to answer this question: • Looking inward: What are your sensations, emotions, thoughts, and behaviours about what you are experiencing?

• Looking outward (across space):

people. But in all instances, it is likely to involve a combination of rethinking, exploring, reinventing innovating, and reimagining different ways of working, leading, and managing. The workplace is rapidly evolving through the actions, interactions, and decisions leaders are making every day. We need intellectual humility that allows us to be open-minded to be able to embrace the world as it is, listen more, learn more, be curious and expose ourselves to different ideas and people and the possibilities that they bring.

What is it like in your ecosystem, networks, colleagues, relationships, economy, society, business environment?

• Looking through others’ perspectives: What are others attending to? How are they making sense of the world and their experiences?

• Looking forward and backward (across time): What has happened in the past, and what can we expect to happen today, in a week, in a month, a year, and beyond?

The success we will achieve in our personal and professional lives will not just be about the quality of our ideas, skills, or effort. It will not merely be data that drives the outcomes of individuals and institutions but rather, their “soft” skills such as personality, social skills, and being perceived as trustworthy, compassion, commitment, empathy, and humility. Our success will also be defined by our pursuit of action with courage, commitment, and resolve.

That means that achieving our fullest potential involves recognizing the power in us and those around us and then directing that power to our greatest advantage. Harnessing the power within you to find your advantage – what gives you an edge – is essential for every person who seeks to face challenges with grace and find their path to success.

This first step is about understanding and interpreting your world with discernment, to be able to structure appropriate responses.

How can we prepare ourselves and those we lead for a better future?

As a leader, how are you making sense of the world around you and taking action? Having a strong sense of awareness enables us to be more level-headed and make wiser decisions. As we navigate through the crisis, each leader and 50

What matters most to you and others? Using the four lenses again, we can answer this question: • Looking inward: What is driving your business – the mission, purpose, goals, values, ideals, aspirations, dreams, identity, concerns, and fears about your business?

• Looking outward (across space): What matters to your ecosystem, networks, colleagues, relationships, economy, society?

• Looking through others’ perspectives: What matters to those you closely interact with – your clients? Suppliers? Employees? The Board? What are they saying about you? Are your behaviours aligned with what matters most and what they expect?

• Looking forward and backward (across time): Are your activities, efforts, and commitment of time aligned with creating the future you want for yourself December 2020 Magazine

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and others?

Being able to manage yourself as a leader in the face of fear and uncertainty, knowing what matters to you, and seeing Cultivate a habit of reflection and intentionality across the bigger picture across time and space will help you to time and space. This helps to consistently build the mental build the capacity to thrive in complexity, disruption, and muscles needed to navigate through difficult and uncertain exponential change. times.

Do not let constraints define your possibilities. Instead, What are you going to do about it? use them to your advantage. See beyond your constraints When you are clear on what matters to you and others, you to develop the potential that is within you. can design actions to focus on the important matters.

• Set clear goals: Prioritise and trade-off as needed across Prepare yourself and your clients for a better future, by not time and space. making comfort your goal. If you focus too much on com• Conscious choices: Be intentional and clear in making fort, you will fail to build the mental muscles needed for decisions through uncertainty and change. Remember adaptation. Make learning and growth your goal. As Heneven indecision is a decision. Do not be paralysed by ry Miller once said: In this age, which believes that there is indecision – make clear choices. a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned • Effective action: Build skills and capacity to thrive, for is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest. yourself and your team.

• Expand your repertoire: Practice seeing things from By Prof. Ruth Kiraka, Strategy & different perspectives and lenses. Read and explore the Entrepreneurship, history, possible future trends, and ideas outside your Strathmore University Business School field. Move out of your comfort zone.

• Build agility for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) and disruption: Build your relationship with discomfort by constantly pushing your boundaries to new spaces. Be comfortable with novelty and diversity.

CONCLUSION

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CMOs should look for the silver lining in these uncertain times In today’s demanding marketplace, companies have been forced to adapt their business models to survive and maintain their competitive edge. The pandemic has catalyzed the digitization of businesses and changed the economic and social environment. Leading brands have changed from reactive to more proactive engagement to address the swiftly changing needs and wants of customers.

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Buzzwords such as pivot, agile and iterate are resounding with a decisive ring of optimism in company meetings globally as C-suite Executives re-evaluate their strategic plans. CMOs must strive to ensure that serving the customer’s evolving needs remain at the heart of the organization’s decision-making during turbulent times.

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As the leader of the brand’s voice in the marketplace, a CMO must also ensure that the brand values are upheld and all communications reflect these deeper values that can serve as anchors during difficult times and help to forge bonds with customers who resonate with them. This article aims to elucidate the key strategies that Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) can adopt to help their companies adapt and thrive in uncertainty.

1) COLLABORATE TO BREAK DOWN SILOS

BY PLACING THE FOCUS ON IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE Companies that have built flexibility into their organizational structures and shared purpose will be able to rapidly diagnose problems and implement solutions that help the company respond efficiently and effectively to changing market conditions. The Marketing department can lead collaboration and coordination with the R&D, sales and customer service departments to ensure that improving customer service remains at the core of project goals.

Leveraging cross-functional teams can help break down silos, improve communication and unite people around a common purpose from all levels of the organization. A cross functional team may also include members from outside the organization. These teams allow problem solving to be approached from multiple perspectives and diverse areas of expertise which can lead to creative, “out of the

December 2020 Magazine

box’’ solutions that contribute to innovation. Decisions can be made by consensus or by a team leader. However, there can be some friction within the team if members defend the core interests of their department at the expense of the larger, shared purpose of the team. Therefore, outlining the shared goals of the team and introducing shared KPIs is critical to get all members to pull together. Drawing up a Project charter and an approved budget can help define priorities and provide a financial roadmap. Investing in project management software and a communication platform can facilitate monitoring and reporting on projects.

2) AGILE MARKETING The agile marketing approach is inspired by the principles of agile technologies.

This iterative approach improves the speed, adaptability and transparency of the marketing function. New emerging technologies such as AI and analytics are helping brands to monitor the direction in which the conversation is moving and respond in real time as well as predicting cultural trends. Marketing teams can then create content in an agile manner that inform and address customers problems and concerns in real time. CMOs should build flexibility into rigid annual and quarterly content calendars by including agile methods of working such as scrums and daily standups to create real-time content that is relevant as situations unfold.

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3) LEVERAGE THE POWER OF CONSUMER PARTICIPATION By viewing customers as partners and advisors and not just end users and inviting them to cocreate new products and services, CMOs can ensure that the voice of the customer is considered much earlier in the manufacturing process. Typically, organizations rely on surveys to get feedback on a product that has been created. By inviting customers to help brands create new offerings in real time and involving them in the process, they feel heard and more inclined to join brand

Your company may have slashed your advertising budget following the pandemic. CMOs should find the seeds of opportunity in the midst of the crisis.

communities. Allow your customers to co-create your customer journey map. This will help you to create the experience they really want. Organizations can also extend the invitation to cocreate their products and services to vendors, suppliers and employees. Designing reward systems and incentives can encourage participation in cocreation programs.

Customers can participate in cocreation from around the world. Companies can harness the power of digital communities, online focus groups and moderated forums to help their R&D teams design customer centric solutions and products. Additionally, setting up systems that allow customers to contribute ideas directly to your company is another way to harvest valuable insights.

4) RE-EVALUATE YOUR MARKETING TOOLKIT Your company may have slashed your advertising budget following the pandemic. CMOs should find the seeds of opportunity in the midst of the crisis. As people are forced to rethink how they work and live, marketers must adapt to changes in consumer preferences, sentiment and behaviour. Digital experiences have replaced the majority of in-person ones. E-commerce and digital media have transformed the way consumers shop and interact with advertising. CMOs must pivot their advertising strategies accordingly to ensure their ads reach the right audiences. A greater investment in digital marketing may be the brand’s best defense against the disruption. Prioritizing ad spends to reach customers through channels such as display ads, targeted social media ads and online videos may help to maintain top of mind brand awareness. However, digital marketers should also keep up with the shifting regulatory landscape as data privacy rights are under closer scrutiny.

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Consumers are spending more time on streaming platforms and social media. These habits are likely to become the new normal. The online customer experience is becoming personalized and must be optimized so that it is slick and efficient. Marketers should shift towards designing customer journeys that are grounded in superior customer intelligence. CMOs should invest in CRM technologies and direct to consumer strategies.

With increased understanding brands can exhibit empathy and connect with their customers in difficult times by

creating content in real-time that resonates with them.

5) PURPOSE DRIVEN MARKETING What is at the heart of your brand narrative? Leading brands are shifting towards driving social change that matters to consumers. By leveraging purpose driven marketing, consumers can be converted to passionate brand ambassadors when they resonate with your brand’s cause.

Technology has enabled the world to become more connected and the social impact your brand makes has the potential to reverberate all over the world. Consumers are driven to connect and make a difference and be a part of something bigger. By cultivating brand communities that are guided by the same values and commitment to social change, CMOs can help their brands to stand out and make an impact on society.

In times of crisis, marketers must re-establish trust through customer-centric actions. CMOs should work with their brand communities to try to have a positive influence on helping society cope with challenges. By staying true to the brand values and overarching mission, marketers can find ways to exert a positive influence in uncertain times. How can you help your customers right now? How can you partner with your customers to help society?

In conclusion, we live in the most connected world to date, your brand can have a global impact regardless of your geographical footprint. Look for the silver lining, and the opportunities hidden in adversity and leverage your creativity to maintain brand visibility, build resilience and lay the foundation for future growth.

By Shailja Sharma, Head of Marketing and Communications SBS, Executive Fellow

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My PHDJourney If you can’t rise early to sweat it off, perhaps that pursuit isn’t worth your time.

knowledge. Second, I had my eye on consultancy as a subject matter expert in environmental sustainability. I also wanted to become an executive From a global pandemic to supervisors who were coach to empower other professionals. As such, flung across the world, the demands of career and the stakes were very high, a Ph.D. degree was the family, along with finishing my doctoral studies requisite tool to do this. ahead of time, my Ph.D. journey has been a thrilling, fulfilling, and high-adrenaline experience. It was not lost on me that studying for a docArguably, the most exciting learning curve. torate is a brutal affair. It is time-intensive, reMy interest to pursue a Ph.D. was first piqued in search-heavy, and, obviously, very expensive. As a 2015. family man and CEO of the Kenya Climate InnoAbout what I wanted to do with my life, I was very vation Centre (KCIC), I could not travel abroad clear, first, I desired to be a teacher and to share for studies. Besides, before Covid-19, online stud-

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ies were considered somewhat inferior. I needed to weigh my options.

Armed with my big, hairy, and audacious goals though, I have consistently woken up at 3 am to study for the last three years. With the focus and the support of my supervisors, Strathmore University Business School faculty and management, friends and family, I was able to shave three months off my initial deadline to finish my degree course in a record two years and 10 months in August 2020. This is easier said than done.

I needed to visualise my three-year journey in terms of defending, passing, and even publishing my work. These three elements had a monumental influence on my psyche and how I approached the journey. Compartmentalising the process was, therefore, necessary. I cut the journey into small parts, where I’d take on each task separately as a component of the bigger goal. Equally, each milestone would be celebrated individually.

The preparation process involved undergoing a two-week familiarisation in the form of a pre-doctoral course, an exciting experience that anchored me firmly on the course ahead. By October 2017, I was raring to go. I had a solid plan and my universe was in support.

To embark on and complete this enormous endeavour, I needed to unlock my potential. Consequently, harnessing my mantra of the nine domain areas was critical.

Foremost, my spirituality was key. I am an active Roman Catholic, and every day, I talked to the Lord to steady me in the pursuit. My physical health comes second. Even with the rigour of research and reading, I did not miss my daily 10km run. To finish the project, my internal health was as important as my physical well-being. Being an intensive affair, I needed to have peace within and to surround myself with positive energy while blocking out any negative energy that might have derailed my ambition. Developing and maintaining a strict routine was important.

I was very deliberate about finding time for study within my busy schedule. For three hours every day, I have buried myself in study without failure. The place of family in this journey could never be overstated. As a family man, my wife and four children look up to me for material and emotional support. This never changed. The rigour of the study stretched me. Even so, they remained my biggest support mechanism, through consistent encouragement. When I could not spend enough time with them, they were patient with me. What could I have done without their support and love? If not anything else, my career kept me grounded. I constantly asked myself: how does the doctoral degree fit within my career? In what ways is it an ingredient in the larger scheme of my progression? To what extent?

By answering these questions, I got the bearing and the 56

thrust in my pursuit.

Needless to say, doctoral studies are an expensive undertaking. The tuition fee alone was three million Kenya Shillings. On top of which I incurred other costs such as travel, acquiring and processing data, and reproduction of documents besides the huge investment of time. To do this, I needed to have a sound financial plan.

Having a reliable network of like-minded friends is priceless. People in my inner circle, whom I call my circle of genius, came in handy in ways I had not thought possible.

They were my cheering squad during the entire stretch and were obliged to read and honestly review my drafts. Thanks to this mutual support, I was able to generate a solid document.

It is absurd to imagine that I would have struck this landmark without adventure. A Ph.D. is not all about books, however bizarre this may sound. Every quarter during the journey, my classmates and I would attend the Koroga Festival to unwind. Besides easing pressure on the gas pedal, I managed to recharge as well.

Ultimately, this journey had one end: to change the world.

By signing up for this highly mentally exerting journey, I had hoped to create an impact by sharing knowledge with the world. The faculty at Strathmore University and in particular my supervisors; Professor Tazeeb Rajwani, the lead, and Dr. Simon Wagura were very instrumental and passionate about my area of interest. They were incredibly supportive.

Prof Tazeeb is an extremely busy professional and while I had the option to engage him over the phone, I would travel to the United Kingdom to spend time, chat, and laugh with him if only to get well acquainted. A close connection with your supervisors has no price tag. Investing time and money to meet him in person allowed me to share my frustrations and to glean from his insights.

Many professionals pursue doctoral studies because it is

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fashionable to do so. Is ‘‘doctor’’ not a fascinating title? For sure it is. But it requires grit to remain on course and self-drive to finish. Many fall by the wayside and still, a percentage of those who cross the finish line often find themselves in unfamiliar territory, having studied something they are not passionate about. Before taking on this tortuous route, ask yourself: what is my motivation? If your supervisors and faculty members are forcing you to hand in assignments and to do copious amounts of reading, you just might be in the wrong place.

Our passion is reflected in the amount of time, energy, and resources that we

Having a reliable network of likeminded friends is priceless. People in my inner circle, whom I call my circle of genius, came in handy in ways I had not thought possible.

with global elites, even when we have the mettle to do so. When your works are published in top journals, you suddenly realise that you can play at the elite league of scholars.

This journey taught me that I can be on top of the world: my place there is well-earned.

There is a wide belief that earning a doctorate is as much a political affair as it is an academic journey. My experience debunked this notion. Conferment of this title is a recognition of scholarly excellence. Any deserving student can attain it.

In as much as the Covid-19 pandemic

invest in a cause. Most importantly, pursuing a course that connects with your purpose is invaluable. Pick a subject that inflames you. Your enthusiasm will keep you grounded to the sometimes bitter end.

has been disruptive, it has been a blessing in disguise. I did the bulk of paper and thesis writing during the lockdown between March and August, by capitalising on telecommuting.

Would I do this again? Why not! I enjoyed every step of this journey.

Yet to claim that mine was a pleasure cruise would be inaccurate. Naturally, there were blunders too. For instance, I left my papers to be published at the end of the process.

I was unsure of what would happen if I had many corrections to make, which made me anxious.

With hindsight now, I would have brought the publications closer to the midpoint to allow enough time for scrutiny.

Strathmore University has been very instrumental in my journey. That my supervisors were flung all over the world, in Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom, made the landscape of my study daunting. But the institution believed that this could be done. From restrictions on movement to Zoom sessions with the examiners, the University never stopped believing in my ability to invent and to adapt to the restrictive environment to finish my studies.

So, where am I now? Finally, I have a ticket to change the Perhaps my biggest downside is the obsession with a proj- world. The time has come for me to actualise my long-held ect. Sometimes I am nearly tempted to pursue a goal at the dream. I can not wait to teach and share knowledge with expense of other dimensions of my life. Maybe I should the world! not have denied myself that one hour of sleep. Maybe three years was an ambitious target. Four years would have been By Edward Mungai, CEO Kenya Climate and a more ideal period to finish my doctoral studies.

Innovation Center There were sacrifices too. My social life took a dip. For two years, I was unable to actively engage my circle of genius because I was spending too much time on the Ph.D. project.

If I could do this differently, I would like to have more avenues to disseminate my findings. At the end of the day, this project was meant to impact the world with knowledge. I would have shared my proposals and data collection processes with more people to benefit from their perspectives .

There were lessons too. Sometimes we shoot ourselves by imagining that we are not seasoned enough to compete December 2020 Magazine

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Strathmore University Scoops the Title of Second Best Campus Director Globally for the Hult Foundation Going back to two years ago when I walked into Dr. Hilda Mogire’s office to introduce the Hult Prize to Strathmore University Business School was a day that changed my life. At her office, I was met with great support, a listening ear, and a Business School ready to invest in its students.

The leadership at SBS right from Dr. Njenga to Dr. Mathuva, Stella Mwangi, Dorcas Otieno, and

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Sarah Muigai had faith in the Hult Prize and I was not set to disappoint. Indeed Strathmore had to be the Harvard of Africa and for me, this was the beginning of a change journey through the Hult Prize at the Business School.

The Hult Prize is a Million- Dollar Nobel Prize for students that aims at empowering the youth through sustainable businesses. It is an all-year-

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round competition that revolves around various themes that are inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Over the years, Hult Prize at Strathmore has seen over 300 students participate in this challenge and embark on various businesses. Last year was especially a great year for the Hult Prize at Strathmore University after scooping the title of the second-best Campus Director Globally by the Hult Prize Foundation.

During the On-Campus competition, we had a great panel of judges, amongst them Honorable Martha Karua, The Ministry of Environment, Mercy Kyallo, CEO Yallo Leather, Wycliffe, and Sonia (Winners of Hult Prize 2016), Serah Katusia Managing Director Mediacom East Africa and Fred Omondi among many others

December 2020 Magazine

SBS is set to host the Africa Regionals in years to come and students should embrace such opportunities.

All the above were amazing things that led to this win and the current Hult Prize Era ought to keep up with the Legacy.

who mentored the students.

My biggest appreciation goes to Strathmore University Business School which has provided a very strong support system through mentorship, funding, and travel opportunities. I was able to go to London with Dr. Hilda and we spent a few days at the Ashridge Castle meeting other bright minds from different parts of the world.

SBS is set to host the Africa Regionals in years to come and students should embrace such opportunities. All the above were amazing things that led to this win and the current Hult Prize Era ought to keep up with the Legacy and bring home the $ 1,000,000 in 2020.

Article by Grace Nyamai Email: grace.nyamai@ strathmore.edu

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From the Partnerships Desk

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From the SBS Partnerships Desk Over the past year, SBS has forged quite a number 2. PARTNERSHIP WITH LONDON of partnerships aimed at strengthening our brand SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY and our relationships.

Strathmore Business school has been appointed to be part of the Digital Rights, the Datafication 1. ERASMUS MOBILITY GRANT WITH SGH WARSAW UNIVERSITY IN and Digital Rights in East Africa Network. The POLLAND project being led by the London School of EcoStrathmore University has been granted an Eras- nomics and is supported by UK Research and mus+ program grant which will see staff and Innovation (UKRI) on Digital Innovation for Destudents engage in a mobility program with our velopment in Africa (DIDA). The project is based partner institution SGH Warsaw University in on a proposed network which was framed around Polland. The grant awarded caters for three staff this central question: How does the ‘datafication’ members; two faculty members and an adminis- of everyday experiences of the public sphere and trative staff member, along with student mobili- economic activity affect the nature and possibilty of up to 10 undergraduate students under the ities of digital rights for citizens, vis-à-vis states, Bachelor of Commerce Degree category., the market, and each other? Countries of focus are The cooperation shall also see the Warsaw uni- Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. The co-investigaversity faculty teaching in Strathmore University tors for this project include; King’s College Lonand SU faculty teaching in Warsaw under faculty don and University of Cambridge, Strathmore exchange programs even as the partnership grows University. The Funder has undertaken to provide to other frontiers. funding for the Project and the Lead shall act as a recipient of the funding for the Parties. The total sum of the Award amounts to £128,348

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From the Partnerships Desk

3. MOU BETWEEN SBS AND PRESIDENTIAL DELIVERY UNIT The purpose of the partnerships between SBS and PDU is to provide a framework for collaboration among the Parties on the design, planning, and implementation of a Public Lecture Series aimed at bringing together public, private, and civil society actors to openly discuss the experiences being faced in various socio-economic sectors, to share the challenges, and suggest ways of addressing them, and to produce actionable outputs.

of lifelong learning this keeping up to date with emerging issues and technologies in the healthcare space in an endeavor to transform lives

5. ABSA SBS MOU This is a Training Partnership Agreement designed by SBS for ABSA Kenya Sustainability Supplier Training Strathmore University Business school is responsible for program design and in collaboration with Absa Kenya in order to meet the objectives desired for the program. The program will be delivered via an online platform.

4. KENYAN HEALTH FEDERATION Participants will go through four e-learning modMOU ules comprising of 15-minute videos each, and This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a fifth module comprising of a 50-minute video. entered into by SU and KHF with a joint purpose The modules will also be accompanied by readto conduct joint research on health-related mat- ings and exercises. The program is self-paced and ters of mutual interest which may eventually lead includes webinar interventions after each modto joint development of case studies by both in- ule. Individuals who complete the program will stitutions. Developing new capacity building Pro- receive a certificate with the names and logos of grammes and organizing, planning, and executing Strathmore University Business School and Absa, joint events. as approved by the parties and signed by the The Kenya Health federation will also award CPD course director from SBS and the CEO of Absa. points to all members who attend any healthcare-related program at SBS. This is with a vision By Mukami Wanjohi to encourage KHF members to embrace a culture

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Carol will lead Schneider Electric’s growth vision in the region and drive alignment in strategy and process across its Building, Datacenter, Industry and Access to Energy business portfolio.

From the Alumni Desk

SBS Alumna Wins the Commercial Law Litigator of the Year 2020 Award Strathmore University Business School wishes to congratulate Stella Muraguri on her Award as the Commercial Law Litigator of the Year 2020 by the International Advisory Experts.

Stella is a managing partner at MMW Advocates LLP. She has been described as a young passionate advocate with a knack for complex commercial litigation matters and an eye for strategic value in offering solutions to her clients.

Prior to joining Schneider Electric, she was a senior sales manager at General Electric and has also worked at Unilever for five years.

Carol is an alumna of the SBS MBA for Executive Programme Congratulations Carol!

SBS Alumnus Appointed CEOof Warehouse Receipt System Council (WRSC) Strathmore University Business School congratulates Samwel Ogolla on his appointment as the CEO of the Warehouse Receipt System Council (WRSC).

Sam Ogola was previously a Director at the Agricultural & Food Authority - Tea Directorate from January 2016 to June 2018.

Congratulations Samwel!

Stella is an alumna of the Owner Manager Programme.

Congratulations Stella!

SBS Alumna Appointed Country President, Schneider Electric East Africa Strathmore University Business School congratulates Carol Koech on her appointment as Country President, Schneider Electric East Africa, and becomes the first Kenyan woman to head the company as Country President in the region.

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Carol has over 15 years of career experience leading operations in Sub-Saharan Africa spanning from finance to project development, engineering, and commercial positions.

SBS Alumna Appointed as General Manager, Glovo Kenya SBS Alumnus Strathmore University Business Appointed Acting Chief School Congratulate Priscilla Muhiu on her appointment as Executive Officer, General Manager, Glovo Kenya.

Stima Sacco Society Prior to her appointment, Priscilla was the Head of Africa Marketing for Glovo, where she headed the team that successfully launched Glovo in Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire.

Strathmore University Business School Congratulates Hassan Gamaliel on his appointment as Acting Chief Executive Officer, Stima Sacco Society.

Priscilla is an alumna of the SBS Executive MBA Programme.

Hassan will from July 2020 double up as the Chief Manager Strategy, and Business Development and Acting CEO.

Congratulations Priscilla!

Hassan is in the Senior Management Leadership Programme class of 2020.

Congratulations Hassan!

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From the Alumni Desk

SBS Alumnus appointed Executive Director at Post Bank Uganda Strathmore University Business School congratulates Andrew Kabeera on his Executive Director at Post Bank Uganda.

Andrew is a seasoned banker, Kabeera, and brings to the table a wealth of experience in Uganda’s financial services sector. He has previously worked at Standard Chartered Bank and more recently as the Chief Operating Officer at Uganda’s dfcu Bank.

He is an alumnus of the CEO Apprentice Programme (CAP) Uganda Congratulations Andrew!

Sanda has been an important part of the SBS community and was a key partner in designing the concept of the SBS Sustainability Center in partnership with the Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) and other corporate partners.

paigner for youth equality.

She was also key in designing and launching the flagship Africa Sustainability Entrepreneurship Programme and establishing the Creating Shared Value offering for the East African market.

Ezra Yego is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce (BCOM) student.

Strathmore University Business school congratulates Sanda Ojiambo on her appointment as the Executive Director of the Global Compact. Prior to her appointment, Sanda was the Head of Sustainable Business and Social Impact at Safaricom PLC.

December 2020 Magazine

Congratulations Ezra! Keep soaring high!

Sanda is an alumna of the Advanced Management Programme

SBS Bachelor of Commerce Student Appointed to the Generation Unlimited (GenU) Steering Committee Strathmore University Business School wishes to congratulate Ezra Yego on his appointment to the Generation Unlimited Steering Committee.

Sanda Ojiambo Appointed to Head the UNGlobal Compact

He was also recently nominated among the top 35 under 35 leaders in Kenya.

Ezra was appointed by the Office of the President as one of the two youth in the Generation Unlimited Kenya Initiative. Generation Unlimited is a multi-sectoral partnership that aims at ensuring all youth between 10-24 years are either in school, acquiring skills or in employment by 2030.

Ezra has steadily ascended to a national coordination role for the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth (SDSN). Ezra is an ardent cam-

SBS Alumnus Appointed CEOof Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) Strathmore University Business School congratulates George Rwabajungu on his appointment as CEO of Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) effective 1st July 2020.

George has previously been UETCL’s Manager, Finance, Accounts, and Sales and brings over 17 years of senior leadership.

He has also worked at the National Housing and Construction Company Limited as the Chief Finance Officer, before moving to Uganda Railways Corporation as the CFO and Administration Officer under an interim Contract by the Transaction Advisor. He has also worked at Map Switch Uganda Limited as its Finance Director.

George is an alumnus of the Senior Management Leadership Programme.

Congratulations George!

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The Strathmore Executive

SBS Alumna Appointed SBS Alumnus Elected CEOMP Shah Hospital Chair of Uganda Bankers Association Strathmore University Business

From the Alumni Desk

School wishes to congratulate Toseef Din on her appointment as CEO, MP Shah Hospital.

Toseef brings to the table, 20 years of experience in finance and healthcare management. She has also been credited with offering expertise in leading financial strategies to facilitate sustainability as well as growth plans and improving existing processes and systems to help the top healthcare facility deliver professional affordable care services.

Prior to her appointment, Toseef served as the Head of Finance and later as the Chief Operating Officer at the same organisation.

She holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from the United Graduate College and Seminary International and a Masters with distinction in financial management from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh (MSc Financial Management).

Toseef is an alumna of the Managing Healthcare Businesses Programme and the Executive Coaching for Managers Programme.

Congratulations Toseef!

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Strathmore University Business School congratulates Mathias Katamba on his election as the chair of the Uganda Bankers Association.

Mathias is the CEO of the dfcu Bank, Uganda, and is an alumnus of the SBS Advanced Management Programme (2018) and the SBS Executive Coaching Programme (2017).

He was previously the Managing Director of Housing Finance Bank for the 5 years leading up to November 2018. He has also served as the Chairman/ National President of the Association of Microfinance Institutions in Uganda (AMFIU), member of the investment committee of the Deutsche Bank Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium, member of the Steering Committee for Client Protection (SMART campaign) at the Center for Financial inclusion and director at the Private sector Foundation in Uganda.

Mathias is an internationally certified coach by ICF attained at Strathmore Business School and is an Adjunct Certified Executive Coach at the Uganda Leadership Academy. He is coaching participants of the CEO Apprenticeship Program at the SBS Uganda Leadership Academy.

SBS Uganda Advisory Board Member Appointed Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) Chairperson Strathmore University Business School is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Dr. Jane N. Mulemwa as the PAU Chairperson for a second term.

Dr. Jane Nambakire Mulemwa is a qualified and experienced scientist who holds a Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry, from The Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

She has over thirty (30) years’ experience in leadership, administration, policy development and analysis, strategy formulation and evaluation, science education, and academic research.

She serves on the Board of Directors of several organisations and was the Deputy Chairperson of the Education Service Commission, Uganda, between 1998 and 2015.

Dr. Mulemwa was the Chairperson of the inaugural Board of the PAU.

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From the Alumni Desk

SBS Alumna Appointed SBS Alumnus Board Member Exim Appointed First Bank Tanzania Tanzanian Managing Director, Songas Strathmore University Business School wishes to congratulate Tanzania Irene Mlola on her appointment to the Board of Exim Bank Tanzania.

Irene has more than 19 years of experience in leadership and management positions across the financial and telecommunication sectors. She has previously worked in strategic and leadership roles in multinationals such as Scotia Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Barclays Bank, Vodacom, and Airtel.

She is currently the Operations Director at the Financial Sector Deepening Trust, Tanzania.

Irene is an alumna of the CEO Apprentice Programme (CAP), 2019 at the SBS Tanzania Leadership Development Academy.

Congratulations Irene!

December 2020 Magazine

Strathmore University Business School congratulates Anael Samuel on his appointment as Managing Director, Songas Tanzania.

Following this appointment, Anael became the first Tanzanian to assume the top role at the independent power generating firm. He has been at the helm of Songas Tanzania since February 2020.

Prior to his appointment, Anael served as the Chief Finance Officer at Songas Tanzania before which he held senior roles at Tanga Cement, Unilever, and Intra Energy Tanzania Limited Anael is an alumnus of the CEO Apprentice Programme (CAP), 2019 at the SBS Tanzania Leadership Development Academy.

SBS Alumnus Appointed Acting CEOof Access Bank, Tanzania Strathmore University Business School Wishes to Congratulate Julius Ruwaichi on his appointment as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Tanzania.

Julius joined Access Bank Tanzania in 2016 as the Chief Financial Officer, prior to which he worked at NIC Bank Tanzania in a similar capacity. For more than 8 years, he has worked in different roles in the finance department including Financial Controller at Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania and NBC Bank.

Julius is a participant of the 2019 CEO Apprentice Programme Tanzania.

Congratulations Julius!

Congratulations Anael!

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From the Alumni Desk

The Strathmore Executive

SBS Alumni Make it to the Top 10 HR Managers in Uganda List Strathmore University Business School celebrates Florence Mawejje, Joseph Ajal, Patrick Ngolobe, Abdul Kibuuka, Harriet Nabakooza Musoke for their recognition as top HR leaders in Uganda.

Florence, Joseph, Patrick, Abdul, and Harriet were named among the top HR directors in Uganda by the CEO East Africa Magazine.

Florence Namatta Mawejje is currently the Human Resources Director at Centenary Bank and an alumna of the Women Directors Leadership Summit (2018) and the CEO Apprentice Programme (2016).

Joseph Ajal is the Head Talent Development and Engagement, Airtel Uganda, and also the Chief Executive Officer at Precision HR Proprietary Limited. Joseph is an Adjunct Faculty member at the SBS Uganda Leadership Development Academy.

Patrick Ngolobe is the Chief Executive Officer, Africa Executive Leadership Solutions (AELS), and was a participant of the CEO Apprentice Programme (2015).

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Abdul Kibuuka is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, True North Consult Limited, and an alumnus of the CEO Apprentice Programme 2014.

Harriet Nabakooza Musoke is the current Head of Human Capital at Dfcu Bank and was part of the Dfcu Bank Leading Change Programme (Custom Programme). She was also a participant of the Effective Director Programme,2019 Moses Mbubi Witta is a Manager at Stanbic Holdings Uganda and was a participant of the CEO Apprentice Programme (2015).

Milton Stephen Owor is the Head of Human Resources and Administration, NSSF Uganda and is a participant of the CEO Apprentice Programme (2017) Florence, Patrick, Moses, Milton, Abdul, and Harriet are all Alumni of SBS Uganda Programmes and very supportive talent partners.

By Juliet Hinga December 2020 Magazine

From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

The Strathmore University Management Board Senior Leaders Programme Kicks-Off The Strathmore Leadership Academy at Strathmore Business School (SBS) successfully facilitated the Senior Leaders Programme for Strathmore University Management Board.

Board members to focus internally and externally, thus facilitating processes and lectures that allow you to consider the current issues, opportunities, and challenges facing the University while understanding the external forces and factors that impact on the University.

The Senior Leaders Programme (SLP) is a Custom Programme designed specifically for the Strathmore University Management Board. The By Juliet Hinga Programme has incorporated aspects of Strategy and Execution, in recognition of the turbulence and changes in the higher education sector occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic globally.

The Training Programme was conducted through a hybrid model, which consisted of face to face and online training with facilitators from Kenya, Nigeria, Europe, and South Africa. The training comprised lectures, models, and theories and was highly interactive; facilitating discussion, debates, and introspection.

This session marked the first module of the Programme which aimed to enable the Management

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From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

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Shaping the Future of work and life-long learning through ‘Modern Degrees’ Strathmore University Business School on 10th January 2020 launched two ‘modern’ Undergraduate academic degrees: the Bachelor of Financial Services (BFS) and the Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain and Operations Management (BSCOM).

services sector by providing a firm foundation in the world of work in financial management, business analytics, and skills of people working in the financial sector, community development, asset, and pension management, insurance sector, microfinance sector, banking sector, financial cooperatives sector and emergent financial services Speaking during the launch, Dr. Andre Kreie, providers in general.

Director of Global Logistics Education, Kuhne Foundation, emphasized the need for universi- The BSCOM programme is designed to integrate ties and institutions of higher learning to reinvent supply chain, logistics, operations, and digitalizaand modernize their teaching methods. “What we tion. This programme will be offered in partnerteach today will be very much outdated in the next ship with the Kuhne Foundation. Special empha20 years,” he said. sis is placed on Production 4.0, Logistics 4.0, Big Data, BlockChain, automation, and artificial inThese programmes have been designed and telligence and how they will impact supply chain pitched as “modern degrees” that appeal to the de- and operations in the near and far future. mands of today’s workplace and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Both programmes are designed Owing to the workplace demands for futuristic to expose learners to practical, theoretical, appli- upskilling and reskilling, Industry 4.0, and the cation, research, and human skills that are neces- digital revolution, current and future markets sary to achieve the demands of the future of work. demand training that is practical, futuristic, relatThe BFS programme aims at unifying the financial able, and lifelong. This can be achieved by equipDecember 2020 Magazine

The Strathmore Executive

ing relevant in today’s work environments. It is therefore crucial that institutions of higher learning design their programmes to reflect the skills demanded by the future workplace.

By Juliet Hinga

From the News Desk

ping learners with skills relevant to the workplace and the ability to be integrated thinkers and decision-makers.

It is key for the training to improve the student as an all-rounded person through appreciation of the “human skills”, which are increasingly becom-

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From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

SBS and Shared Value Initiative Africa Partner to Host the CEODialogue Roundtable Strathmore University Business School partnered with Shared Value Initiative Africa to host the CEO Dialogue Roundtable. The CEO Dialogue Roundtable sought to connect leaders across Africa and provide a platform for African leaders to deliberate on the issues affecting their economy.

Future of work and was themed: ‘The Future of Work: Impact of the Digital Economy on Africa’s Growth’ The second session sought to look at the Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Financial Markets post pandemic. The third session looked at the role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as an instrument for economic recovery With the business uncertainty and complexity post pandemic. The fourth and final session for brought about by the pandemic, we found that it the year looked into the Africa Continental Free was critical to support business leaders navigate Trade Area Agreement and its role in pivoting Afthrough, thrive, and develop turnaround strate- rica to realise its business potential globally. gies during and post-Covid – 19.

The CEO Dialogue Roundtable was broken down into four virtual sessions, each covering a different area of discussion. The first session tackled the

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By Juliet Hinga

December 2020 Magazine

From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

SBS and NCBAHost the Annual SME Conference 2020 SBS and NCBA Bank partnered to host the Annual SME Conference 2020. This year’s event was unique in that it was the first-ever virtual SME conference and attracted more than 200 attendees. Our theme is ‘Unlocking SME Potential to Increase Resilience and Excellence in Uncertain Times’.

need special mention and a support framework because they account for over half of the MSME members,’’ he said.

John Gachora, NCBA Group Managing Director, spoke to the importance of the survival and growth of SMEs in Kenya. “SMEs are the engine driving the economy by creating employment During his opening remarks, Dr. George Njenga, for the youth and are key supply chains to houseSBS Executive Dean, urged MSMEs to strengthen holds,” he said. “With the current pandemic, many themselves to garner support by association and businesses have closed with others reducing their networking. “Individually, MSMEs are unable to headcount. Even the ones that have remained reparticipate in policy decisions at the National and silient say their cashflows are reducing fast. HowCounty government levels. Without associating ever, it is good to see factories repurposed to supand forming cohesive networks, they may not in- ply PPEs and hotels refitted to become isolation vite attractive and cost-effective funding. Yet, they centers,” he added. are the backbone of the African Economy. It is necessary that the MSME networks spread across Lawrence Karanja, CAS, Ministry on Industry, the entire country. This would ensure the inclu- Trade, and Cooperatives while delivering Hon. sion of a vast population currently excluded from Betty Maina, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Inpolicy Government and Private sector interven- dustry, Trade, and Cooperative’s keynote address, tions. A large number of SMEs are operating at the emphasized the government’s commitment to county level. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs supporting SMEs. “We cannot ignore the fact

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that SMEs account for 98% of all businesses in the country and employ about 15 million people,” he said.

From the News Desk

In response to the pandemic, the government has put in place stimulus measures to support SMEs, such as lowering value-added tax and corporate tax along with credit guarantee schemes. Lawrence noted that on top of the reduction of taxes, the credit guarantee scheme allowed the government to guarantee access to credit facilities for SMEs, something they may not have been able to access before.

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According to a Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Survey conducted between May and June 2020, 74% of businesses surveyed reported high or very high negative impact due to the pandemic. The highest impact was among small and micro enterprises where 83% and 76% respectively reported high or very high negative impact as compared to 50% of large enterprises. Speaking at the event, Carole Karuga, (KEPSA) Chief Executive Officer, highlighted several initiatives

by KEPSA aimed at mentoring and training businesses led by women and youth.

Kwame Owino, CEO Institute of Economic Affairs, emphasized the need for SMEs to build their business on technology, “building on a technology platform is going to be inevitable for businesses in the new normal,” he said.

Adding on the importance of technology, Juliana Rotich, Co-Founder, Ushahidi, BRCK, Boya App said, “the fourth industrial revolution is powered by technology and provides the perfect opportunities for entrepreneurs to rethink and reorganize their business models to provide services in different ways.”

SMEs jointly contribute to approximately 30% of GDP and 83% of employment in Kenya. They have been one of the primary drivers of economic growth in the country, despite financing constraints and a competitive business environment.

SMEs cannot wade through the murky waters of the pandemic alone, they need support in rethinking, rebooting, and reorganizing their business models to adapt to the new normal.

The SME Conference is a joint initiative by SBS and NCBA Bank that aims to create a forum where the financial sector, higher education, government stakeholders, and SMEs can have candid conversations on issues affecting Small and Medium Enterprises. The conference provides a platform for SMEs to engage the government, the financial sector, and higher education stakeholders on challenges and opportunities available for SMEs.

By Juliet Hinga

December 2020 Magazine

From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

Positioning Counties for Dynamic Growth and Transformation through Competitiveness Kenya’s ability to improve productivity and produce high-value products and services largely depends on the contribution, as well as the strengthening of the county economies to become hubs of economic growth and innovation.

a specific understanding of how counties can enhance productivity and spur innovation.

The webinar sought to provide a platform where leaders can share useful insights on how to bring together specialized talent, capital, technology, information, competing companies, academic institutions, and other organizations to improve the level of competitiveness in counties and develop

Ndiritu Muriithi, Laikipia County Governor highlighted manufacturing, domestic tourism, and agriculture as some of the key opportunities that Laikipia County has been focusing on to improve the county’s competitiveness.

Dr. George Njenga, Executive Dean Strathmore University Business School speaking during the webinar highlighted the need to do a global valGiven that a country’s economic growth is driven ue chain economic analysis to better understand by labor, investment (capital), and productivity, it our counties’ position in the global value chain? is imperative that counties find ways to effectively “Counties need to think broader together for inutilize their resources to spur growth and devel- creased economic growth nationally,” he said. “If opment. we do not identify the value chain and train the skills specifically in that crucial productive area, Strathmore University Business School hosted then we will never be productive,” he added.

H.E Hon. Prof. Peter Anyang Nyongo, Governor, Kisumu County, H.E Hon. Charity Ngilu, Gov- Speaking during the webinar, Professor Anyang ernor, Kitui County, H.E Hon Ndiritu Muriithi, Nyongo, Kisumu County Governor highlighted Governor, Laikipia County, Dr. Jane Kiringai, the strategic initiatives that Kisumu county had Chair, Commission for Revenue Allocation, and undertaken to improve along with the challenges Dr. David Ndii, Economist to a high-level public and the post-COVID opportunities that are availpolicy webinar on county competitiveness. able for the increased growth of Kisumu County.

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From the News Desk

For Charity Ngilu, Kitui County Governor highlighted unemployment as one of the nuisances in the county that she dealt with in a bid to position Kitui County for increased competitiveness. “We started by equipping the youth with technical skills in a bid to curb unemployment in my county. We started with textile making and garment production, through Kitui County Textile Center (KICOTEC),” she said. She further highlighted the competitive advantages of the county as agriculture, minerals, geographic position, land, and youthful human capital.

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Dr. David Ndii spoke to the importance of competitiveness analysis for counties. He further categorized competitiveness into three broad categories: cost or price, value, and productivity.“Being cost competitive is often achieved by acquiring cheap labor, which is undesirable. For value, it’s about considering things like experimentalism, like in tourism which allows you to charge a premium,” he explained. “Productivity is where Kenya and the counties specifically can make the difference. There is an urgent need for counties to move from low productivity investments and Dr. Jane Kiringai, County Revenue Allocation moving into high productivity investments,” he Chairperson urged the governors to look for al- asserted. ternative and innovative financing solutions in a situation where disbursement of funds allocated County governments are critical building blocks by the national government may delay. She noted of Kenya’s aspirations to achieve regional and five key factors that may affect county competi- global competitiveness through optimal utilizativeness: tion of the respective resource bases.

1. The wage bill effect in the context of county competitiveness takes a lot of fiscal headroom By Juliet Hinga 2. Development approach or paradigm 3. Inclusivity in development 4. Own source revenue mobilization efforts 5. Urban agenda.

December 2020 Magazine

From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

SBS Graduates Two Cohorts of the Behavioural Communication Strategies for Global Pandemics Programme Strathmore University Business School has since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic graduated two cohorts of the Behavioural Communication Strategies for Global Pandemics Programme which is offered in partnership with the New York University’s (NYU) School of Global Public Health (GPH).

of Health and some county governments, the Angola government, the Ethiopian government, UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO), NYU Master’s in Public Health (MPH) students, hospitals, and the private sector.

The rich participant mix gave the class interactions a culturally and geographically diverse feel.

The virtual sessions offered a level of engagement At its core, this course focused on the integration to the participants through class discussions, case of three public health disciplines for emergency studies review, syndicate/group exercises as well action: epidemiology, behavioral health/inter- as networking among peers. vention research, and public health communication to help participants design and implement Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Dr. strategies to respond to the global pandemics with George Njenga, Executive Dean Strathmore Uniemphasis on the COVID-19 pandemic. versity Business School congratulated the graduation and urged them to apply the learnings from The first cohort of the Programme ran from 18th the course. He also recognized the participation May 2020 to 14th June 2020 and the second co- of the Kenyan, Ethiopian and Angolan governhort from 2nd September 2020 to 7th October ments in the Programme, through their health 2020. The participants drawn from around the ministries. He further highlighted the need for inworld and different sectors: the Kenya Ministry creased co-creation in Africa. “Co-creation is elu-

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sive for most African governments. To improve on co-creation, governments need to listen to the public part taking the solutions they co-create and more importantly communicate these solutions well, he said.

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Dr. Mercy Mwagangi, the Cabinet Administrative Secretary, Kenya Ministry of Health said that the cabinet secretary was very pleased that several people from the Ministry of Health were able to participate in the Programme. “Going forward, the Ministry of Health would like to engage SBS to conduct a case study on how the Ministry of Health conducted their communication during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

Speaking on her experience in the Programme, Dr. Mercy Mwagangi said, “the facilitators were fantastic with a wide breadth of knowledge and experience. I learned a lot.”

aging my C4D programs in my future career life.

I found the sessions very educational, interactive, and participatory.”

Federica Argurio said,” I strongly believe that this will help me have a clearer understanding of how to lay out the part on risk communication of epidemic outbreaks in my Ph.D. research project. I have received an important contribution from this course that widened my horizons on the understanding of the field of communications but also in the field of research and project management.

It was the first time for me to learn about Kenya’s situation concerning epidemics and learn about the situation of COVID-19 in Africa since my main focus is the Middle-East.” “I was very happy with the teamwork: we had great brainstorming sessions and the work was carried out efficiently.

Strathmore University Business School is dedicatNora Ndopu speaking on the Programme expe- ed to providing timely and well-tailored Executive rience said, “the team mix and composition was Education Programmes for executives at all levels. good. It allowed for country sharing and learning With the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, we during group discussions in terms of approaches moved our Executive Education Programmes onto the pandemic. Overall, it was a great course line, to ensure we continue to provide our particwith many learnings.” ipants with a world-class learning environment, this time virtually. This gave participants an opHiwot Getachew from Ethiopia had this to say, portunity to share and reflect on their experiences “this course has refreshed my knowledge as well as they develop new ideas that will help successas I have gained a new area of expertise on social fully lead their companies through the current criand behavior change communication. Further- sis and post COVID-19 era. more, this course has helped me to be more strategic and professional while coordinating and man- By Juliet Hinga

December 2020 Magazine

From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

SBS Senior Faculty Member Awarded the Pathways for Innovation in Blood Transfusion Systems in Kenya (PITS Kenya) Grant On 30th June 2020, Dr. Pratap Kumar, a Senior Faculty member at the Strathmore University Business School was awarded a grant by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award is under the “BloodSafe” program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The grant title is Pathways for Innovation in Blood Transfusion Systems in Kenya (PITS Kenya).

This award is a collaboration between Strathmore University, the lead institution, the Center for Public Health and Development (CPHD) in Kenya, and the University of Pittsburgh in the United States of America (both medical and engineering faculties).

The research consortium aims to define and characterize the blood transfusion system in Kenya to provide evidence for the effective implementation of a diverse set of interventions aimed at enhancing and streamlining the availability and delivery

December 2020 Magazine

of safe blood in both urban and rural Kenya.

The team, composed of public health, medical and engineering experts, will be working on understanding and reforming the blood transfusion system in Kenya. The BloodSafe program, a collaborative exercise with two other groups in Africa (Ghana and Malawi), is an ambitious attempt to transform the availability of safe blood across the continent.

The first phase of the project over two years will involve a detailed assessment of the entire blood system, and selection of innovations that can be tested over the next four years in systematic trials.

There is a critical shortage of blood that affects many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Blood collection rates in these regions are ten-fold lower than rates in high-income countries. The World Health Organization Global Status Report on 77

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Blood Safety and Availability 2016 reported that only 4% (5.6 million units) of the global supply of blood came from Africa. According to the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS), the country’s healthcare system requires nearly 500,000 units of blood per year. In 2019, blood collections reached only 30% of this mark.

consequences are devastating; postpartum hemorrhage, malarial anemia, sickle cell disease, and all other forms of acute hemorrhage claim millions of lives each year due to lack of timely, safe blood. Thus, optimizing blood transfusion services in LMICs represents both a major health challenge and a social imperative.

The research team has designed a multidimensional approach that consists of three clinical pathways determining the urgency of blood transfusions, different phases in blood processing from collection to use, and distinct socioeconomic contexts within Kenya that best represent both urban and rural settings.

The Pathways for Innovation in Blood Transfusion Systems in Kenya initiative is likely to have a significant impact on health systems in Kenya by supporting both infrastructure and policies to enable the provision of safe and adequate blood to all citizens.

The blood transfusion processes span a continuum from blood donation to safe delivery that is complex, expensive, and prone to failure. The

By Juliet Hinga

December 2020 Magazine

From the News Desk

The Strathmore Executive

SBS to Co-Host the Business School Alliance for Health Management (BAHM) Annual Case Competition Strathmore University Business School, IESE Health Care Management Program, Spain, and the Wharton School, Department of Health Care Management, USA will co-host the Business School Alliance for Health Management (BAHM) Annual Case Competition 2021.

Other BAHM international collaborating institutions are the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and Mohali, India, and INCAE Business School, Costa Rica.

This will be the first time that the Case Competition is held virtually, giving BAHM students the opportunity to collaborate across countries and continents. This year’s topic is “Telehealth Business Models in Underserved Communities.” The challenge will be for student teams to identify sustainable business approaches for incorporating telehealth into health care systems targeting under-resourced or underserved communities

December 2020 Magazine

whether they be in the developed or developing world. The competition will open November 13, 2020, with a networking event and conclude on April 9, 2021, with the announcement of the winners.

Moreover, this year, given the global nature of the pandemic and the virtual structure of the Competition, BAHM is encouraging students from schools based in the US and Canada to collaborate with students from BAHM institutions in Africa (Strathmore), India (Indian School of Business), Latin America (INCAE) or Europe (IESE).

Specifically, BAHM is looking for new business models that encourage wider and permanent use of telehealth and that respond to the pressing needs of vulnerable populations whether in the developed or developing world. The challenges to such implementation are as much social and 79

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lance and support for chronic disease conditions.

Entries can also address telehealth needs and opportunities at a health systems level.

By Juliet Hinga

From the News Desk

economic as they are technological. By way of example of a focused entry, new business models might focus on the integration of programs offering remote primary care with access to providers as needed, especially when patients require vigi-

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With presence in 8 African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, Senegal and Ivory Coast, SBS focuses on providing locally relevant solutions in an ever changing global environment.

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