Remember the Kenyan you are excluding 'can do things you cannot'

KNCCI chairman Kiprono Kittony

The elections have come and gone but calls for peace and unity continue to echo throughout the country. And we must accept the fact that the only guarantor of lasting peace and prosperity is equal opportunity for all.

All Kenyans need to feel that they can achieve their full potential right here in Kenya and not elsewhere. This underlines the importance of making inclusivity a top national priority. The basis of inclusivity is the equality and dignity of all human beings.

This is an elemental truth that is enshrined in our Constitution and attested to by the voice of conscience.

Inclusion should not be restricted to regional balance in public sector appointments. While public jobs, especially for the minorities, may be a gesture of goodwill, they cannot guarantee social inclusion in the long run.

Equitable distribution of resources affects the orientation of society— either towards an inclusive and prosperous one, or towards a polarised and disintegrated one. Fortunately for Kenya, devolution has helped make resource distribution more equitable.

The national government has transferred in excess of Sh1 trillion to county governments since the roll-out of the devolved system of governance in Kenya, according to management consultancy Deloitte.

Notably, before devolution, some regions had never received as much money since independence.

Moreover, the massive rollout of infrastructure in the counties has also helped level the playing field and created opportunities for communities in the grassroots.

Efforts to drive inclusivity are therefore inseparable from efforts to strengthen devolution.

We also need to be mindful of the fact that one of the hallmarks of social inclusion is diversity.

We must embrace diversity, starting in the political realm, where there is still under-representation of historically excluded groups such as women.

Although it is commendable that three women clinched gubernatorial seats, many more glass ceilings still need to be shattered.

For instance, the implementation of the two thirds gender rule in Parliament is still pending, despite the Constitution being crystal clear about this.

Every day we trust women to take care of our homes and families; I see no reason why we still find it hard to trust that they can take good care of our country. We should take lessons from Rwanda, which has close to 60 per cent women representation in Parliament.

Remarkably, Rwanda has been able to make impressive progress in reducing poverty and inequality; it even boasts of higher health insurance penetration than the US.

The private sector, like the Government, also has a critical role to play in embracing diversity. Corporate boardrooms and the C-Suite are still largely dominated by men. Women representation in boards of listed companies stands at 21 per cent, according to 2017 KIM Leadership and Diversity Research report.

Businesses that embrace the youth and women tend to grow faster and are generally more innovative. Sadly, the youths are an asset that many Kenyan businesses are underutilising, despite Kenyans under the age of 35 years comprising 80 per cent of the population, according to the Kenya Youth Survey 2016.

Each year, Kenya churns out around 50,000 graduates, but creates a fraction of the jobs needed to absorb them. As business persons, we should not only strive to create jobs, but also encourage entrepreneurship by advocating for a conducive environment for SMEs.

Finally, for an inclusive Kenya, we must overcome the regrettable tribal divisions that keep us apart. This calls for reconciliation and patriotism, where in spite of our differences, we still view one another as valuable brothers and sisters rather than bitter rivals in a zero-sum game.

The words of Mother Teresa are of particular import to Kenya right now: "I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things."

Mr Kittony is the National Chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. [email protected]