Kenyans' innovative spirit should also permeate our governance

M-Pesa, Safaricom's leading service has changed lives and eased financial transactions. [File, Standard] Apple Inc, the maker of the iPhone and other high-end devices, made a profit of $93.74 billion in 2024. At an exchange rate of Sh130 to one dollar, that is Sh12.2 trillion, enough money to pay all our nation's debt and still have some change. Closer home, M-Pesa, Safaricom's leading service, contributed Sh140 billion to the telco's revenues, or 42 per cent of the service's revenue in 2024. We can quote other innovations that have changed our lives and our pockets. These two stand out. Every sector has its share of innovations. Think of weight loss drugs, planes, online classes, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture, or ChatGPT in Artificial Intelligence (AI). It seems innovations are everywhere except in governance. Why don't we have iPhone or M-Pesa equivalents in governance? Democracy has not had any competitors since Ancient Greece. Its once formidable competitor, communism, lasted for only 70 years. Some could argue it still works in China but vastly mutated to adjust to the post-Cold War political and economic reality. The harder I look, the fewer innovations I see in governance. Social innovation should be part of governance innovation. It is getting lots of traction, mostly in the NGO world. But it hasn't had any breakthrough or Nobel Prize equivalent at national, corporate, or even family levels. Why? First, culture and old habits that die hard. Despite the changes in the constitution, we find it very hard to shake off old governance habits; they can be kept on the shelves until their time. Those old enough can smell KANU in the air. In Russia, we can smell Czarism in the air. In Uganda, the echoes of the old kingdoms ring, and in Tanzania, echoes of ujamaa can still be heard. We often forget that despite politics changing every five or 10 years, the engine of the "system" is the civil service. It does not change significantly, and it's the DNA of public governance. This DNA has political inputs through boards. As Donald Trump has shown, political leaders desire to control the "system" to the lowest level possible. At the corporate level, there are long-cherished traditions of governance: hierarchy, succession, power, promotions, privileges, and perks. Being compliant is the path to upward mobility, sometimes at the expense of others. Undercutting is not just in business. At times, future leaders are groomed through schooling, induction, and other company-specific practices. At the family level, the tradition lives on. We often govern depending on how our fathers did. It gets more complicated if your father was polygamous. What of single mothers? Some argue persuasively that traditions and culture ensure continuity and stability but also ensure only a few enjoy privileges unless meritocracy finds its way. Is that why Europeans and the Japanese kept their monarchies? The key reason innovations are rare in governance is that the key actors are human beings with fears, pride, and prejudice. But we have tried. Is decentralisation, or its cousin devolution, an innovation? What do all the county officials do in Nairobi? What would the Hoi Polloi say about devolution? Is integration, the opposite of decentralisation or devolution, an innovation? Think of the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), the European Union (EU), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and other economic and regional groupings. They benefit from economies of scale and cross-pollination of ideas. Have the benefits trickled down to the grassroots? Kenya is unique: we are decentralising/devolving and integrating at the same time! Have you ever heard your Member of the County Assembly (MCA) talking about the East African Community? Corporations decentralise and merge too, exploiting opportunities and reacting to threats. One major innovation in the corporate world is the multinational or transnational corporations that cut across cultures, regions, and political borders, enjoying privileges and making money anywhere and everywhere. Initial Public Offering (IPO) was another innovation to widen ownership, reduce risks, and create growth. Where are the IPOs promised by the Kenya Kwanza government? Why has there been such a long drought in IPOs since Safaricom? Innovations are rare in our families beyond letting children be our equals and use gadgets, or giving women more say. Are single parenthood and mpango wa kando (secret lover) innovations? One curious innovation is the incorporation of religion into governance. Think of Iran and lots of Arabian countries. Some countries have state religions. Are we trying that in Kenya quietly? Another much-needed innovation is empowerment so that at all levels, we see limitless possibilities. We must start feeling we can change our lives, not be captive to invisible forces. What of greater use of technology? Online voting and consultation? Huduma Centres were a success. Can they be franchised to individuals? Can all post offices become Huduma centres? The European Union is more succinct on where innovation in governance should focus: "leveraging AAI and other digital technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public services and transform the relationships between governments, businesses, and civil society. Are we doing that? What of accepting that free people are more productive than "controlled ones"? We need more innovations in governance, not copying from the past. Only then shall we be more productive, happier, and more fulfilled. After all, governance, like air, affects all of us.

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