who will continue to operate informally
or semi-formally such as lower taxes.
Strengthening of Social
Benefit Schemes and Social
Protection Measures
The Covid-19 situation has highlighted
the need for proper social benefit
schemes and social protection measures.
A number of these already exist such
as the National Hospital Insurance
Fund (NHIF), National Social Security
Fund (NSSF), The Older Persons Cash
Transfer (OPCT). Lately there has been
a focus on Universal Health Care (UHC)
and affordable housing for all.
Sadly, more often than not these noble
initiatives have been undermined by the
slow drip of corruption and inefficiency.
Hopefully, this crisis will result in
sweeping reforms that will improve these
programmes giving taxpayers the services
they pay for and rightly deserve.
The Growth of e-commerce
and e-government
Even before the outbreak of the
coronavirus in Kenya, e-commerce had
already firmly taken root, aided in no
small part by the phenomenal growth of
MPESA and the increased uptake of bank
cards (debit and credit bank transactions
hit close to Sh400 billion between January
and August last year, representing a 25
percent upward swing). Platforms like
Jumia, Jumia Food, Masoko and Glovo
have long become household names.
With the emerging reality of Covid-19,
more Kenyan households for instance are
now doing their grocery shopping online.
Notably, even before the emergence of
the coronavirus, many Kenyans were
conducting their banking transactions
using mobile and online platforms rather
than conducting them in banking halls.
This crisis will simply amplify this state
of affairs.
With respect to e-government, the
popularity of e-citizen (the official digital
payments platform that enables Kenyan
citizens, residents and visitors access
and pay for government services online)
continues to grow apace and this looks set
to continue as a result of Covid-19.
Making Public Transport
Across the globe, economics, politics, soci-
ety and culture are being reordered in ex-
tremely fundamental ways. Even activities
that we previously thought mundane, such
as making trips to the supermarket, using
public transport or just exercising, have be-
come somewhat complicated as we try to
stop the disease from spreading by observ-
ing new norms such as social distancing.
Public
At the start of this crisis in Kenya, it
was thought that Public Service Vehicles
(PSVs), basically buses, matatus and boda
bodas would be the weak link in curbing
the spread of the coronavirus. A number
of strict guidelines were issued to PSV
operators in attempt to protect members
of the public, a majority of whom
(approximately 90 percent) rely on these
vehicles to go about their daily activities.
Initially, many of these operators were
unwilling to implement these guidelines
but over the last few days, they have done
so albeit reluctantly.
It goes without saying, that had the
public transport sector been wholly
owned and regulated by the Government,
implementing these guidelines would
have been much easier. A direct
consequence of this crisis is that there are
likely to be root and branch reforms in
the public transport sector that will see
the National and County governments
assume more direct control.
Strengthening Devolution
The coronavirus crisis has reminded
us how critical County Governments
have become to our overall governance
infrastructure. Indeed, the Fourth
Schedule of the Constitution which spells
out the distribution of functions between
the National and County governments
reminds us that one of the most critical
devolved functions is Health. To say that
the transfer of this function from the
centre to the 47 devolved units has not
been without its challenges, would be an
understatement.
Now however, is the perfect opportunity
for the National Government to stop
paying mere lip service to the transfer of
this function (and really devolution in its
entirety if we are being honest) to finally
ensure that the County Governments are
able to effectively manage this function and
offer taxpayers proper medical services. A
less likely outcome but not impossible is
that security and intelligence services will
also be devolved.
Police Reforms
One interesting and perhaps unintended
result of this crisis might be the long-
awaited implementation of much needed
police reforms. We have all been shocked
to the core by the news reports and videos
circulating on Social Media showing the
brutal lengths our police officers have gone
to ensure the Government’s dusk to dawn
curfew meant to curb the spread of the
coronavirus is adhered to. There is a sense
in which even senior government officials
agree that this state of affairs is untenable
and our police service must be finally
brought in line with Peelian principles and
modern policing best practices.
Winston Churchill famously quoted
“Never let a good crisis go to waste". What
lessons will Kenya learn from this event?
Will it make our country a fairer, more
compassionate society where every citizen
is respected and valued?
We can only hope. Stay safe.
Walter Nyabundi is the Manager
for Loyalty Research & Special
Projects at Infotrak Research
& Consulting Limited. You
can commune with him via
email
at:
Walter.Nyabundi@
infotrakresearch.com.