From left: Josphat Mwaura, CEO, KPMG, Hon Amos Kimunya, Minister for Trade, Gerald Wamalwa, CEO, Mellech Engineering & Construction Ltd, and Linus Gitahi, CEO, Nation Media Group

The Top100 celebrates resilience, determination and confidence – for we have all had to face what many considered insurmountable challenges yet achieved success that is worthy of recognition and proclamation. We celebrate the confidence and knowledge that, whatever time horizon we focus on, whether it is this week, this month, this quarter, this year, this decade, this century – there is no doubt that we will face many storms, but that we will learn a great deal from these and ultimately make us better people, better organisations, better businesses. Whether at the time we see it that way or not; understand it or not, the lessons will be there! As mid-sized companies, there are many instances when we are faced with circumstances that are beyond comprehension, situations that would threaten to break even the most resilient among us. By coming together in Top100, we are able to share experiences and realise that, so long us we continue to draw our inspiration from the right and moral source, so long us we believe in our business and our determination to make them succeed, we will find it within us the power to overcome any temporary setbacks and emerge triumphant in celebration and thanksgiving.

The participants in the Top 100 event represent the diversity of Kenya in every shade, scope, and sound. Top 100 provides an opportunity to showcase to the rest of this country what it really means to come together as one country, one people, one purpose – united in our vision of Justice as our shield and defender, dwelling in unity, peace and liberty – and plenty within our borders.

Top 100 enables us to celebrate that plenty. The wealth being created by every member of Top 100, the jobs created - the foreign exchange earnings, the knowledge, skills and capacity for innovation present in every organisation that participated in the survey. The event also enables us to celebrate the generosity and spirit of giving that is practiced by many of the organisations and the difference each make in other people’s lives. These organisations are a transformative force that is gathering speed and which we have every belief will make a marked contribution to the realisation of our aspirations as a country.

According to Confucius: “In a country well governed, we should be ashamed of our poverty. In a country poorly governed, we should be ashamed of prosperity”. Let us not be ashamed of our wealth. Let us make this country well governed and openly celebrate our wealth as we do with Top100. As agreed at the dinner, a small contribution we can make towards achieving that good governance is to make an undertaking not to participate in any act of corruption. Not to pay a bribe, not to pay any facilitation fees, and to bring to the fore any acts of corruption that may come to our attention. We will be inviting each member of Top 100 to sign an integrity pact as their commitment to this fight against corruption to address a vice that has been identified a major challenge to not only mid-sized companies, but every business and public service organisation in Kenya.

To paraphrase Marcus Aurelius, “Let us put an end, once and for all, to this discussion of what a good Kenya should be – and be one”!

Visit the Kenya Top 100 website on www.kenyatop100.co.ke