Economy

Presidency brings Uhuru’s management style under scrutiny

budget

President Uhuru Kenyatta while serving as Finance minister with then Assistant Minister Dr Oburu Odinga (left) and Minister for Planning Wycliffe Oparanya (right). Photo/FILE

Citigroup has described newly elected President Uhuru Kenyatta as “arguably the most economically literate president in sub-Saharan Africa.”

This could be in reference to his being a graduate of economics and political science, but it could also be a testament to having ran important institutions as ministries of Finance and Local Government and his chairmanship of the Kenya Tourism Board.

Mr Kenyatta has also had a hands-on experience in starting a business from scratch — Wilhem Kenya, an horticultural exports concern — in the 1980s, which he later sold at a “handsome profit” according to an interview he had with a local TV station on Monday.

Despite being born into Kenya’s first family, with vast resources across the economic spectrum, Mr Kenyatta chose to work as a teller at the Kenya Commercial Bank Kipande Branch.

“It was important for me to wake up and work, earn a salary without having some shadows behind me,” he told the station in reference to his short stint in banking.

While his policy formulation was applauded for laying the foundations of tourism recovery after the 1992 and 1997 tribal clashes, questions linger over how he will tackle corruption.

READ: Stop corruption, business leaders tell next president

Marketing Kenya

“I can attest to the effective and professional role that he played in leading the drive to market Kenya as a tourism destination,” said Jake Grieves-Cook, who served on the board of KTB when Mr Kenyatta was chairman.

Mr Grieves-Cook said Mr Kenyatta had launched the first eco-certification scheme in Africa for tourist accommodation facilities besides promoting Kenya through an effective presence at international trade fairs.

Mr Grieves-Cook hoped Mr Kenyatta’s presidency would position tourism as an economic driver “to create thousands of new jobs and livelihoods.”
At the Treasury, Mr Kenyatta was at first reluctant to discuss details of policy. It took just about three months for him to respond in detail to issues that newsmen often had.

Director of the Centre for Economic Rose Wanjiru said Mr Kenyatta had a streak of “independence of mind” that enabled him to refuse to accept demands for higher perks from Members of Parliament.

Did bureaucrats have too much power while he was at the Treasury? Ms Wanjiru, who previously was in policy advocacy with international NGO ActionAid and occasionally lobbied the Treasury, said she thought so.

Forming Cabinet
“Mr Kenyatta, as Finance minister, probably let the bureaucrats at the Treasury have too much leeway in determining the details of policy,” said she.

In forming the government, she said Mr Kenyatta was likely to go for party members, campaign strategists and cronies whose track record merits more responsibilities.

“Close associates or referrals from them are usually the first port of call but one hopes that professionalism is maintained,” Ms Wanjiru said.
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