Kenyatta University land saga on WHO logistics hub calls on leaders to be guided by the PESTEL concept when making decisions

In the 1970’s a well-executed strategy saw Kenya get the approval to host the headquarters of the United Nations Environment programme (UNEP) in Gigiri, which has led to tremendous transformation of our capital city. This decision made Nairobi to be the only city in the developing world to host the headquarters of any United Nations agencies as all others are in developed world. This has continued to give Kenya lots of bragging rights, which leads to immense opportunities in itself. We almost got another opportunity in 2018 to host the headquarters of the African Export Import Bank (Afri-Exim Bank) but because some people focused on extreme procedures, Uganda snapped the opportunity. The bid to host the World Health Organization African logistics hub should be seen in these lights. Though the matter has been taken to court, the debate has focused so much on procedures without looking at the greater opportunity to create jobs and employment to the surrounding people, the research opportunity that will come from the logistics hub, the linkages that the university can create from that and also the revenues that it can generate to shore up its dwindling finances, the increased demand and prices for the properties along the area that leads to forward and backward linkages in property and real estate development, in addition to increased travel and conference tourism that we need to develop as a country.

The opportunity presented to KU could have been quickly grabbed by some other university if it was offered to them. There is need for the managers of universities to be ambitious and focused on long term infrastructure and assets development through collaborations and partnerships with local and international partners to reduce their dependency on the exchequer. Leaders of all walks of life should be guided by one of the core principles of management, that dwells on balancing of the concept of PESTEL in all decisions. PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal aspects of any decision or development. At the back of the mind of such a leader, they should answer the question of whether the decision they are making is balanced to the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal realities of the times we are living in.