Daniel Ndungu | Beyond the map

One of the best pieces of career advice anyone can receive in the tourism industry is surprisingly simple: treat the business as if it were your own. It sounds like a cliché, but behind those few words is a mindset that separates average employees from exceptional ones. An ownership mindset isn't about having your name on the company registration documents. It's about taking responsibility for the success of the organization, even when no one is watching. It's the difference between asking, "Is this my job?" and asking, "What needs to be done?" Treating the business as if it were your own simply means making those decisions with care. It means avoiding waste even when no one is counting. It means protecting company property as though you paid for it yourself. It means welcoming every guest with the same level of professionalism, whether they're staying for one night or one month. Perhaps the greatest benefit of an ownership mindset isn't what it...

The strange thing about deforestation is that it rarely feels urgent while it's happening. A few trees are removed here, another section of land is cleared there, and life goes on. By the time the loss becomes impossible to ignore, it has already become part of the landscape. Looking back is often when we realise how much disappeared without us noticing. That is the reality Kenya is beginning to face. Forests across the country continue to disappear, taking with them far more than trees. They protect our water catchments, regulate temperatures, reduce soil erosion, support wildlife, and keep entire ecosystems in balance. Yet despite their importance, deforestation continues to threaten some of Kenya's most important natural landscapes. That reality becomes clearer in Nairobi. For a city of its size, it has managed to hold on to something many capitals lost long ago. Trees still line many of its streets, birds can still be heard above the traffic, and green spaces continue to of...