In a compelling analysis published this week, education consultant and youth advocate Elijah Koome urged Kenya to stop spreading its resources thin across multiple sectors and instead identify and relentlessly pursue a unique, strategic focus. His commentary arrives as Kenyans grapple with the rising cost of living and question the long-term vision for national prosperity.

The core of the issue, Koome noted, is not a lack of ambition but a failure of concentration. "We speak at once of agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, fintech and the digital economy, without committing fully to any one at world-class scale," he wrote in the Daily Nation. "The result is mediocrity across many fronts." This, he argues, is a direct threat to putting food on the table for the average family, as it stalls the creation of high-value jobs.

Lessons from Asia's Giants

Drawing parallels with the economic miracles of Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, Koome emphasized that their transformations were not accidental. Singapore, he pointed out, made itself an indispensable global hub for logistics and finance. Similarly, Taiwan and South Korea invested heavily in technology and research long before the returns were obvious, eventually dominating sectors like advanced semiconductors and electronics.

"The danger lies in treating Singapore as a template to be blindly copied rather than a lesson to be interpreted," Koome warned. The fundamental lesson, he suggests, is about making a disciplined, strategic choice and executing it with ruthless efficiency until the world cannot ignore it. For Kenya, this means asking a tough question: "What can we do so well that the global economy reorganises around it?"

Who is Elijah Koome?

Koome is not just an armchair critic. As an education consultant and the Executive Director of Youth Advocacy Africa, his work is deeply embedded in shaping the country's future human capital. He has a track record of scaling educational programs and has co-founded NuruScholar, an AI-powered platform to help African students find opportunities. His perspective is shaped by both local engagement, such as mentoring students in Nairobi's informal settlements, and global experience, having graduated from Amherst College in the USA.

• **Youth Advocacy:** Leads Youth Advocacy Africa, an NGO that partners with government bodies like the IEBC to empower youth in governance.
• **EdTech Innovator:** Co-founded an AI platform to connect African students with educational opportunities.
• **Global Education:** Has facilitated over $1 million (approx. KES 130 million) in scholarships for disadvantaged students to study internationally.

The Path Forward

While Koome does not prescribe a single path, he suggests Kenya already shows immense potential in areas like mobile financial infrastructure and renewable energy. However, capitalizing on these strengths requires immense political discipline. He argues this means rejecting populist, short-term projects that dilute the nation's long-term focus.

"Countries become rich by being exceptionally good at something the world cannot replace," Koome concluded. His provocative call to action leaves a lingering question for policymakers and citizens alike: What is the one thing Kenya will choose to be the best at?