Ndemo exemplifies service with integrity

By , May 16, 2025

Prof Bitange Ndemo, the former top civil servant in the former ICT ministry, has seldom received the accolades he deserves for his time in government. As a civil servant, he worked diligently in the background; however, some of the benefits we enjoy today in the information and telecommunications sector can be attributed to his efforts.

Soft-spoken, a workaholic, humble, and polite to a fault, Ndemo, as permanent secretary, operated an open-door policy that allowed easy access for consultation and counsel. He had a passion for the country, particularly in areas needing adaptation to new technologies.

Under his oversight as a PS, multiple undersea cables were laid, running up to and along the East African seabed, providing Kenya with access to this critical resource in modern communication. This enabled the country to leapfrog most of its neighbours and other African countries, significantly contributing to the country’s economic output.

It is under these conditions that the business process outsourcing sector in Kenya began to expand. During his tenure in office, the termination rates of calls in the mobile telephony sector decreased, facilitating easier access to the service.

There is untold happiness when people can talk to each other, bringing laughter to their faces and enabling grandmothers in villages to connect with their children and grandchildren in cities.

Between 2005 and 2013, while serving at the apex of the ICT ministry, Ndemo made the advancement of open data his mission and established start-ups such as iHub and mLab. In the realm of entrepreneurship, Ndemo is a one-man industry.

Kenya may be the poorer for terminating his services in the ministry before some of these projects were off the ground.

Ndemo leapt across the streets back to university lecture halls from which he had emerged to join the ministry. Too often, social commentators bandy about the accusation that Kenyan universities are full of theorists with little industry experience. Sometimes, it is simply because they do not know what they are talking about.

With such a reputation, even before he became Kenya’s ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Ndemo, who had long worked with a range of organisations, had built significant social capital, and it was little surprise that he would be reluctant to allow that to be jeopardised by being associated with the process of appointment to head probably Kenya’s premier seat of intellectual enterprise.

There is no doubt that, with his background in entrepreneurship, the University of Nairobi, once proudly prefixing the article “the” before its name, would have made a significant difference. Not just UoN; Kenya’s education sector needs to regain some of its shine.

Leaders make a difference, but only when those leaders are different. For too long in this country, we have had people clamouring for office without the gravitas necessary to fulfil the responsibilities of the position.

Principled leadership is rare. Four decades ago, an attorney general resigned on conscience. Earlier, a vice president left to pursue personal interests, following Kenya’s first VP who also resigned on principle. Today, such integrity in high office is scarce despite efforts to improve public service ethics. Ndemo exemplifies this way.

The writer is the Dean of Daystar University’s School of Communication

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