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At face value, Kenya Airways airliner bears the
corporate identity of “Pride Of Africa”. However, this self-congratulatory
esteem is no more.
At this rate, posting net losses in 2013 of US dollar
92 million, Ksh. 6.36 billion in 2014/2015 and Ksh 26.2 billion 2015/2016
consecutively makes the airliner a “shame of Africa”, hence a telling
observation.
Besides the wording “The Pride Of Africa”, what comes
to the mindset when you read the words or hear them mentioned, is success of
the airliner. However, the net losses paint the corporate entity in bad light,
coupled with staff threats of strike, perhaps due to mismanagement.
As a testament to the fact that matters were not good
at the airliner, the pilots humbled the operations of the KQ planes and threw
the travel arrangements of the passengers in disarray.
Thanks to the government’s quick intervensionary
measures and the exigencies of the moment that ensured the resumption of
flights, amid inconveniencies caused to passengers, same of whom, had to wait
for hours on end before their travelling was facilitated.
The appointment of Mr. Michael Joseph could not have
come at a better time. As the chief executive officer, he turned around
the fortunes of Safaricom making it one of the best corporate entity in terms
of business in Africa.
It’s hopeful that Kenya Airways airliner is going to
benefit from Mr. Joseph’s resourcefulness, innovation, skills and strategic
thinking to objectively lift up the flagging fortunes of once successful
airliner in Africa.
If Mr. Joseph did it with the Safaricom, while at the
helm, why not at KQ? Obviously there is no obstacle for him to accomplish the
same feat at KQ.
We must take cognizance of the importance of labour as
a resourceful element at any organization. Labour refers to a pool of human
skills. For the new chairman to succeed at KQ, he needs the co-operation,
commitment, discipline and good work ethics from the diverse human skills at
KQ.
It will be foolhardy to imagine that the new chair at
KQ could unilaterally achieve the much needed success without the input of
these human skills.
Kenya airways airliner faces stiff competition from
other airliners in Africa. In order to compete with them as a level playing
field, the new chairman faces a challenge. He needs to get some information on
their competitors, as it will behoove him to brainstorm on their strength,
weakness and services they offer.
In summation, it’s sincerely hopeful that Mr. Joseph
would use his capacity as the chairman, to help stem the tide of losses by
ensuring that finances are managed prudently, staff welfare is given priority,
and marketing and business is directed accordingly. Success here, depends on
how this man at the helm juggles variety of skills and injecting efficiency as
work.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
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