Patricia Wanjama recently assessed a State Corporation where the Chair confided that he felt helpless in executing best practice governance

His concerns were real:
* How do you drive independence when your tenure isn’t secure?
* How do you hold management accountable when they know your stay may be short?
* How do you focus on long-term strategy when the future of your role is unpredictable?

This dilemma is not unique. Many Chairs of Kenyan State Corporations serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. But as global best practice shows, uncertain tenure should not translate to uncertain governance. South Africa’s King Code emphasizes that governance is about principles, not personalities. Rwanda demonstrates that efficiency, discipline, and clarity of roles can anchor institutions beyond individual appointments.

From his reflections, here are lessons other Chairs can take away:
✅ Performance matters, but structure matters more. Even where profits improved under his leadership, he rightly pointed out that systemic issues—like lack of consistency across parastatals, and limited coordination—hold back sustainable performance. This calls for a national framework to anchor standards.
✅ Agility is critical. Red tape delays progress. Boards must push for streamlined processes that still meet compliance requirements while allowing corporations to respond quickly to opportunities and risks.
✅ Governance is more than compliance. He had no role in recruitment, induction, training, or succession planning. Yet, as global best practice (South Africa’s King Code) reminds us, the Board must actively shape leadership pipelines, ethics, and capacity building. Where structures exclude Chairs, they must find ways to influence indirectly—through committees, informal engagement, or continuous advocacy.
✅ Leadership is about influence, not control. He couldn’t police ethics among peers, or dictate meeting calendars, but he used informal channels like WhatsApp groups to keep the Board engaged. Chairs can set the tone of professionalism and foster a culture where accountability becomes shared, not imposed.
✅ Meetings drive effectiveness. Long, unfocused meetings waste energy. The Chair’s request for a structured meeting guide is a practical reminder: strong governance relies on well-run, purposeful meetings. Rwanda’s governance discipline shows us that clarity, efficiency, and focus can transform Boards.

The big takeaway? Even where tenure is uncertain and structures are imperfect, Chairs can still build credibility and resilience by embedding professionalism, ethics, and disciplined processes. State Corporations contribute significantly to Kenya’s development agenda and good governance inspires trust among stakeholders.

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