It’s all in the follow-through

As a seven year old playing tennis, I was constantly told by my geriatric teacher, Mr. Dodds, to “follow through.” As an undergraduate, putting half formed thoughts onto paper, I was told by my professors to follow my ideas through to their logical conclusion. As an employer in Kenya, I tell… I mean, encourage, my staff to complete their given tasks to finality. The problem of a lack of follow through has dogged me through my life.

But it’s not just me. I notice a lack of follow-through across different areas in the public domain. Let’s being with the often (and predictably) lambasted matatus. In 2003, the then Transportation Minister, John Michuki, decided that the sector needed to be better regulated. His list was long and by no means superficial (though not totally, as he also regulated how matutus were to be painted). That he prevailed was watched with amazement by many, myself for certain. And things changed. Matatus limited the passengers that they took aboard and installed life-saving seat belts for each. Touts even wore uniforms. Then, having achieved such success, Mr. Michuki was called on to higher posts, and with his departure much slipped back to the previous state of affairs.

That this has happened is a pity. Mr. Michuki did the hard work, maintaining what he accomplished is comparatively easier. However, this moment has passed. Whether the increased discipline and higher safety standards insisted on by Mr. Michuki can be replicated is doubtful - few have his determination, courage and clout. The work was done, but then not followed through on. So we are now back to where we were, wondering if it was worth it to begin with.

Another example is also a sector that is often lambasted: the informal or ‘jua kali’ sector. Recently, a collective of mechanics and miscellaneous informal entrepreneurs that were operating on land which was not theirs were asked to move. They very sensibly asked: but where to? Initially they seemed to take the orders to move on quite passively, but then, when enough people started asking “but where to?” things got messy. For a few days rocks were thrown, kiosks razed, shops burned and some blood spilled. It was ugly. But now… well, it’s not certain.

After a few weeks of relative calm, many of the same entrepreneurs are setting up shop again and the Nairobi City Council is vacillating about their right to stay. That’s good for these business people, but as an observer (and in my case not a necessarily distant observer - more than a few rocks bounced off my car) you are left wondering if all of the effort and mess was worth it. Again, we are back to where we were.

Neither of these examples are meant as a commentary about how the matatu and jua kali sectors should be regulated. The point is more on the need for follow through and consistency in policy and regulation. Once a public agency decides to embark upon a particular course of action, and in some cases quite a drastic one, its failure to see it through to its conclusion causes a lot disruption with little substantial outcome. It is fireworks governance that creates a lot of flash and noise, but which leaves nothing at the end of the show but a funny smell in the air. And, like my uncommitted attempts on the tennis court, it’s kind of kiddish.