Kenya successfully co-hosted the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a football contest for players based in their home leagues. We upgraded stadiums in time, and even beat Morocco, the eventual champions, before exiting in the quarter-finals.
The success was not by luck, but was the result of urgency, discipline and clear leadership. Everyone knew their task, deadlines were met and the country delivered.
Now look at how we run public services. The Social Health Authority, meant to replace NHIF, is still on shaky ground. Hospitals complain of delayed payments, patients remain confused about what is covered and many health workers are on strike. Instead of restoring trust, SHA has created fresh doubt.
The university funding model tells the same story. An audit found that some students who never enrolled received money, while deserving ones were left out. Families are now burdened with fees because the system lacks fairness and coordination.
Devolution, one of the most important reforms since the 2010 constitution, still struggles. Counties complain of late transfers, understaffed hospitals and stalled projects because resources from the national government arrive irregularly.
The contrast with CHAN could not be clearer. For football, failure was not an option. For health, education and devolution, failure seems acceptable. Yet these touch lives more deeply than sports.
The lesson is simple: Kenya can succeed when it commits. If we bring the urgency, accountability and seriousness of hosting CHAN into our public institutions, we will fix SHA, make university funding fair and strengthen devolution.
