By Billy Mijungu
Standardisation must become one of the most important principles guiding how we build and run Kenya. Unfortunately, our national standards institution often appears to sleep while consumers navigate a marketplace where the same product can be sold at dramatically different prices depending on location, seller, or circumstance. That is not simply a market problem. It can be a sign of weak systems, poor enforcement and inadequate consumer protection.
But standardisation is not about controlling everything. It is about establishing clear and predictable minimum standards so that citizens receive reasonable value wherever they are.
Look at the fuel sector. It is one of the clearest examples of what standardisation and regulation can achieve. You can buy fuel at virtually any corner of the country and expect the price to fall within a relatively predictable range.
The product is standardised, the measurements are regulated, quality is monitored and pricing follows an established framework. A motorist does not need to investigate whether one litre at one station is actually equivalent to one litre somewhere else.
That is what I am talking about.
We can do much better by applying the same thinking to public services.
Imagine a Kenya where public schools are built and equipped according to clear national standards, regardless of whether they are located in Nairobi, Migori, Turkana or Garissa. Imagine hospitals where essential infrastructure, staffing, equipment and basic services meet defined standards across the country. Imagine public offices where procedures, timelines, documentation and service expectations are predictable.
Counties and institutions can still compete on efficiency, innovation and excellence, but the basic standard should be guaranteed.
Standardisation can also reduce opportunities for corruption. When specifications, prices, procedures and service requirements are clearly defined, it becomes harder to manipulate procurement, inflate costs or provide one community with inferior services simply because it has less political or economic influence.
It also makes life more predictable. Businesses can plan. Families can plan. Investors can plan. Government itself can measure performance against something concrete.
Most importantly, standardisation harnesses economies of scale. Government can procure more intelligently, negotiate better prices, reduce unnecessary duplication and ensure that public resources translate into comparable outcomes across the country.
A modern Kenya should therefore move from a culture of improvisation to a culture of standards.
The people we elect and appoint to public service should understand this principle. Leadership is not merely about making promises. It is about building systems that work consistently, fairly and sustainably.
Standardisation is ultimately about fairness. It is about ensuring that where a Kenyan lives does not determine the quality of service they receive.
That should be a national priority.
