By John Kariuki
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has urged regulatory agency heads to embrace visionary leadership, drive innovation, and align their strategies with Kenya’s broader development goals. Speaking during a high-level dinner for CEOs of regulatory bodies at the Eka Hotel in Eldoret, Miano emphasized that the role of regulators must evolve beyond enforcing rules to shaping national progress through strategic foresight and people-centered governance.
The event, which brought together senior government officials including Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Mr. Felix Koskei, principal secretaries, and leaders from a wide range of regulatory authorities, served as a platform to reflect on the evolving mandate of regulators in Kenya’s socio-economic transformation.
“Though seldom acknowledged, the effectiveness of regulators determines the pace of economic growth, the level of trust citizens place in public institutions, and ultimately, our global competitiveness,” Miano noted in her keynote address.
Drawing from her tenure as CEO of the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), Miano shared practical leadership insights. She emphasized the power of a well-communicated vision in shaping performance and culture. “At KenGen, our mission to ‘light up Kenya sustainably’ guided every decision—from geothermal investments to community engagement,” she said.
She challenged agencies to periodically revisit their strategic plans and ensure alignment with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Vision 2030. “A leader with a poorly communicated set of goals and objectives is like a bee bereft of the skill of collecting nectar,” she quipped, drawing laughter from the audience.
Miano also emphasized the value of inclusive stakeholder engagement. She encouraged regulators to build trust by staying connected to the people they serve. “At KenGen, we held annual public forums to listen to communities affected by our projects. It worked magic for us,” she recalled.
Highlighting the transformative potential of emerging technologies, Miano urged agencies to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and automation to enhance regulatory efficiency and transparency. “Imagine a system where the Kenya Revenue Authority uses AI to detect tax evasion in real time or the Capital Markets Authority flags insider trading automatically. The possibilities are endless—if we dare to dream,” she remarked.
However, she cautioned that technology must be matched by strong human capital. She called on regulators to invest in continuous capacity building through leadership programs, institutional partnerships, and talent development. “Encourage innovation through sandbox models that allow safe experimentation,” she said. “And always benchmark your practices against global standards.”
In her closing remarks, Rebecca Miano emphasized humility, professionalism, and integrity as non-negotiable values in leadership. “Surround yourself with diverse thinkers. Encourage dissent—it sharpens decisions. And never underestimate the power of listening,” she concluded.
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