Kittony’s scorecard as KNCC race enters its final stretch

Kiprono Kittony, an entrepreneur has been the National Chairman of KNCCI since 2012. [File, Standard]

Within various business circles, the last six years have had huge transformations and realignments in trade advocacy and lobbying for opportunities.

The elite leaders endeared themselves to the presidency through an amorphous club of executives occupying the c-suites of companies turning over billions in revenues annually.

By then, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry was smarting from years of shadow-boxing involving men and women who would ideally be speaking for the Jua Kali artisan along Nairobi’s Landhies Road using a sledgehammer to mould scavenged steel bars into frying pans — among 200,000 other enterprises.

It is these fights that saw the often cultured bosses opt to walk away from, possibly after learning that their fluency in English and sharp suits were insufficient to win over support when national polls were called.

It would be down to battles of the egos which almost always had an ugly ending. Then came along Kiprono Kittony, an entrepreneur whom some think, got a head start in life thanks to his wealthy family background (his mother is Senator Zipporah Kittony — a long-term boss of former powerful gender lobbyist — the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake. She was the National Chairman following the 2012 elections.

For many more, Kittony’s surname has little to do with his successes in career, enterprise, and the struggle to make space for businesses to thrive through advocacy.

Mr Kittony, a lawyer by training besides several academic and professional qualifications is also the chief executive of Capital Realtime – one of the big dealerships for Safaricom Ltd.

Recently, the founder chairman of Radio Africa Group graced his last forum at the helm of the KNCCI with the parting shot being a request to the State to extend tax amnesties to small businesses and hasten the settlement pending bills by the national and county governments.  

Days before, Kittony had hosted the Turkish envoy to Nairobi Ahmet Miroglu where he made a passionate plea for the major European tea importers to review the tariff it levies on the Kenyan produce which is widely considered as the world’s best.

While Turkey did not immediately commit to slashing the 140 per cent tax on tea as the decision was to be made in Ankara but to the Turkish seat of power, the message was passed.

Mr Kittony said the tax raised the price of Kenyan tea thrice - disadvantaging the price-sensitive consumers. Despite the huge levy, Turkey is still among the biggest buyers of Kenyan tea, importing about Sh650 million-worth a year. Mr Kittony, in an interview, said he is staring at his exit pending the entry of officials in upcoming nationwide elections.

He looks back to the tenure with pride, citing huge achievement though more still needs to be done to take the KNCCI to its deserving place in advocacy for the enterprise.

Specifically, Kittony said the trade lobby has regained international repute as the single lobby that is making a case for Kenyan small businesses locally and abroad. “We have done very well in the short period, you can see the various chapters are vibrant once again. Look at Nairobi, for instance. I am proud,” he said.

 He said the upcoming chamber polls are expected to be calm compared to the 2007 polls that were fiercely fought up to the courts.

Kittony may have succeeded in his mission to revive the chamber, but perhaps not yet realised the dream of making KNCCI a household name.

Ufanasi House

In an interview with The Standard eight years ago, he said his mission was to restore the vibrancy of an organisation whose claim then was the dilapidated offices at Ufanasi House.

So violent were the wrangles that armed police were on guard at Ufanasi House — which houses the KNCCI head offices, as various groups claimed to be the bona fide members and officials.

“We want to return the chamber to where it was when people used to hang the chamber’s certificate on their walls,” he said after he was elected chairman of a caretaker board through the intervention of the government in stemming the leadership fights.

Former chairman David Mburu Githere assumed office in 2000 through a bloodless coup which ousted Kassim Owango and his team that saw the State cut revenue streams.

At one time, all of the office equipment was auctioned to settle supplier debts with the chamber technically dead and unable to champion the interests of the business community.

Kittony will be succeeded by either Richard Ngatia, the chairman of the Nairobi Chapter of the chamber or his current deputy James Mureu.

“I have confidence in them as being very resourceful businessmen, having worked closely with both during my time,” Kittony said. Nairobi Chapter has been the most visible, as the city is also the manufacturing hub.

Mr Ngatia said his vision would see the KNCCI become self-reliant by opening up several streams for generating own revenues than just looking up to the State for support.

Nairobi businessman Gor Semelang’o has also expressed interest to succeed Kittony.