•Mucai Kunyiha was appointed the Chair of Kenya Manufacturers Association in 2020, the country was in the midst of grappling the covid-19 pandemic.
•Kunyiha says his success in leadership involved a lot of reading, learning, and unlearning as well as communicating clearly and often.
Leadership is not easy. Fulfilling yes. But not easy.
When Mucai Kunyiha was appointed to chair Kenya Manufacturers Association in 2020, the country was in the midst of grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even with more than two decades in leadership roles in diverse capacities and fields, the role came with its ups and downs.
Kunyiha says his success in leadership involved a lot of learning and unlearning as well as communicating clearly and often.
The Star's Sharon Maombo spoke with the KAM chairman to discuss his leadership experience at the key Kenyan sector.
What is your background?
I went to Alliance. I studied Law at the University of Wales (Cardiff) and qualified as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya but quickly realised I preferred business to the practice of law.
I joined the family business, starting with the distribution of industrial detergents and a cleaning services business before moving on to join Cooper Kenya (as it was then known) in 1999. I later acquired an MBA from Ashridge, UK, in 2001, which has been pivotal in my understanding and practice of management and leadership.
What do people not know about you?
I like to think I am an open book. Nothing to hide!
As the Board head of a very important sector in the country, what does your typical day look like?
I literally have two jobs as I continue to work as the Group MD of CKL Africa! I generally wake at 5 am to deal with emails and reports or documents that need longer concentration. The day is then, usually a series of meetings covering many issues between our business and KAM. I can be discussing HR policy in one meeting move to sustainable waste management at KAM, then a potential supplier to our business before ending on tax policy with KRA. It requires a lot of mental dexterity, but it never has a dull moment.
What is the one thing you've learnt as a leader from the pandemic?
The resilience and resourcefulness of people. It was amazing to see how much could be done in such a short time and in difficult circumstances. Given the right environment and resources, people can do wonders and solve all manner of problems.
The pandemic generated mixed feelings as some businesses navigated the storm well while we had to close some. The challenge of leadership in the period was taking care of our people and the industry while steering through the fog of uncertainty.
What would you say motivates you to go the extra mile?
Stewardship is a key value for me - the understanding that my role is part of a continuing chain of family, Kenyans, Africans, and humanity, in general, to make the world a better place than we found it.
I have been presented with tools, resources and assets from my ancestors and predecessors, and my role is to use them, grow them and improve them to hand over to the future generation in a better state than I received them. And that includes the development of the future generation, not just in skills and capability, but also in values. As my time on earth is limited, the key question is not how much I take but how much I give.
How do you assess your performance at KAM so far?
At one level, we did relatively well as an Association and country. We had comparatively lower health impacts, although sadly, we lost many good people to the pandemic, and our economies continued to run. Our motto was ‘Keep Kenya moving’, and we were able to supply the market with food, necessities, and goods even through the pandemic. Good collaboration between the government and the private sector throughout the pandemic enabled this – an example and precedent to what we can achieve when working together towards an agreed goal.
At another level, we are yet to see the full impact of the pandemic - the full story is still being written. The impact of rising costs, falling demand and employment is now being felt more keenly, and more work will need to be done.
What do you say about the future competitive manufacturing sector?
At KAM we believe Kenya has an enormous opportunity to develop into a major manufacturing hub for the region and the world. We are especially cognizant of the opportunity that the EAC, COMESA and AfCFTA present to transform our country and continent. To do this, we must create a competitive manufacturing sector; one that can sustainably produce goods at a price and quality that the market is willing to pay for, be it export or local markets. This opportunity can create stable and productive jobs for our people whilst attracting local and global investment into the sector.
Delivering this opportunity, however, requires us to improve the business environment through a favourable tax and regulatory regime that promotes growth and productivity through stable policy and implementation. We also need the engagement of all stakeholders in the huge task of making ourselves competitive at the global level.
Rate government's effort to uplift manufacturing sector?
The current government has supported the growth of the manufacturing sector by centering it in its economic plans through the Big 4 Agenda. We have realized some key wins in the last 10 years, including the fight against illicit trade, promoting Buy Kenya Build Kenya and seeking to open new markets for exports.
On the other hand, we did not achieve the ambitions of the Big 4 Agenda to grow manufacturing to 15% of GDP by 2022. In fact, the sector’s contribution decreased from 9.6% in 2016 to 7.6% in 2020. This was a result of external factors such as the pandemic but also, an increasingly retrogressive tax regime, arduous regulations and rising costs. In short, policy implementation fell short of or contradicted the rhetoric and stated aims of the Big 4 agenda.
Where is Kenya on war against plastic bags?
We started off by signing a three-year Framework of Cooperation (FOC) with the Ministry of Environment and National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) to manage PET bottles. Through this FOC, private sector players came together to form the first-ever Producer Responsibility Organization in the country - PETCO Kenya - that has so far managed to recycle over 16,000 Tonnes of PET bottles. We have also seen increased investments in recycling, from four formal PET recycles to over nine formal PET recyclers.
The Association continued to create awareness on the need for proper waste management in the country. This was achieved through the sensitization of over 20,000 primary and secondary school students on the need for responsible waste management of plastics among other wastes through Project Schule Initiative, in partnership with Wildlife Clubs of Kenya. We have also worked with counties to create public awareness on waste management and the setting up of plastic drop-off points in public spaces.
Additionally, KAM led the private sector players in developing the Kenya Plastic Action Plan that recommended policy and legislation on producer responsibility on waste management. The Draft Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations, which aim to address the issue of post-consumer waste from packaging, such as PET, are currently under review.
The Association also formed the Kenya Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) that brings together manufacturers and other stakeholders to develop a circular economy and manage post-consumer waste in line with the EPR regulations. Currently, its focus is on flexible plastics for the bakery sector where it has supported the collection and recycling of bread-bag waste from the environment.
What are your plans after KAM?
I am still engaged in the sector as a manufacturer and a director in other business member organisations, such as KEPSA and the COMESA Business Council, in developing policy towards a vibrant and prosperous private sector that creates jobs and livelihoods for Kenya and the continent.