Some weeks back, I attended a Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) meeting by invitation from its extended partnership networks.
The agenda sought to safeguard local industry, improve private sector engagement with policy makers and enhance fiscal predictability for commercial enterprise.
It was a show of significant convening power to host a tripartite legislative representation from the departmental committees of finance, budgets, and trade, all in one sitting just before active engagement on the Finance Bill 2025 was scheduled to begin.
However, what came to the fore from various conversations was a simmering stalemate in relations between Parliament and the captains of industry. On the one hand, business leaders do not understand why legislators are not listening to their requests or demands.
On the other, parliamentarians view the corporatocracy as narrow-minded profiteers with no understanding of the broader constituency they attend to.
This surprisingly played out, down to insinuations, where the private sector accused politicians of initiating an extortionist system for implementation of desired policy, while the politicians countered that it was the traders out for exclusive commercial rights who have initiated a system of bribery that has skewed policy decision making.
With increased participation afforded by Kenyan laws, private sector should therefore not pursue further isolation but should seek to converse in “constructive politico speak” that offers sensible suggestions to current events without facing the backlash of unwritten business rules that may result in unexpected regulatory action.
This is because they need to be more engaged in the societal context especially considering the shifting demographics of the “zillenial” tax revolts whose grievances are growing by the day. Present dynamics require that business enhances its reputation as a positive contributor to local communities and society at large, especially in the face of human rights violations.
Company shareholder concerns in times of uncertainty need to align with the larger interests of employees, customers and communities in broader stakeholder relations where corporate social responsibility works hand in hand with corporate community responsiveness.
By evolving the traditional practice of Kenyan business civics to not only look at philanthropy, sustainability, and community development, private sector will increase trust, enhance its status, plus inculcate better decision making needed for the uncertain political context the country finds itself in.
Moving its scope to assessing its civic responsibilities will allow for it to develop constructive and concrete partnerships with other local entities such as faith-based organisations plus civil society in being able to objectively come to broadly held positions that will benefit the country at large, especially, through research awareness.
The writer is the Regional Coordinator of the East African Tax and Governance Network (EATGN) and Chief Executive of the International Relations Society of Kenya (IRSK).
