Stephen Muikia’s journey shows how difficult it can be for innovators in Kenya to benefit from their own work.
Nearly ten years ago, while working at the Cooperative Bank, he developed a financial concept that aimed to make interbank money transfers faster and more convenient. He believed the idea could improve the country’s financial system and decided to share it with the Central Bank of Kenya and the Kenya Bankers Association.
What followed was not the partnership he had hoped for. The concept was later rolled out as PesaLink, a service now widely used by millions of Kenyans. Muikia, however, was not recognized, involved, or compensated.
Despite having registered his work with the Kenya Copyright Board, he found himself locked out of the very innovation he had introduced.
Muikia took steps to seek justice. In 2019, he filed a case in court, presenting evidence that his idea was more than just a simple suggestion.
For four years he waited as the case went through trial, only to have it dismissed. The judge ruled that what he had presented was only an “idea” and not a true innovation.
Muikia has strongly disagreed with that conclusion, pointing out that he had copyright registration and clear documentation of his concept. To make matters worse, the court has delayed issuing a written judgment for more than two years, preventing him from appealing the decision.
The consequences of this situation have been severe for Muikia. While banks continue to profit from PesaLink, he now struggles to survive by selling tissues and serviettes on the streets.
His story has been shared widely online by professionals such as James Gachiri, who highlighted the injustice faced by innovators, and by others like Sebastian Mwaura, who revealed that similar experiences had happened to him.
Mwaura explained how he pitched an idea only to later see it launched by people he had trusted, showing that this is not an isolated case.
These examples raise important questions about the state of innovation in Kenya.
How safe are creators when presenting their ideas to institutions? What protection really exists for intellectual property if registered work can still be used without consent or payment? And what does justice mean if the system delays or denies fair treatment?
If such problems remain unaddressed, many innovators will hesitate to share their ideas, fearing they might be taken away.
This not only harms individuals but also slows down progress for the country as a whole. Stronger safeguards, clear legal protections, and accountability from organizations are needed to ensure that innovators are not left behind.
Kenya has the talent and creativity, but unless fairness is enforced, stories like Muikia’s will continue to discourage the very people driving innovation forward.
