The only other interesting fact was the origin of these products. Considering Canada is further from the equator which errr… passes through Kenya, Bitange Ndemo put it … Nani wana jua mingi?
The conference aptly subtitled: Building a Knowledge Based Economy, could not have come at a better time. Granted, the organizers were focusing more on IT knowledge and marketing Kenya as the next regional hub by making maximum use of the SEACOM cable landing. But I dare take this a step further and invent a Thinkers Annonymous, without the obligatory tedious 12 step programme
We can trim this down to 3 steps i.e. identify a need and fulfill it without re inventing the wheel. Dare fill a natur
A different kind of innovational thinking is called for, one that bridges the gap between product supply and waste, focusing solely on the reduction on international trade deficit by reducing the cost of imports.
The all encompassing ‘serikali haitusaidii’ clutch goes out the window now that somebody is finally serious about creating PPP’s. To make the jackpot even moore enticing, the govt has a prize riding on this baby.
In all fairness, we have almost all the factors of production. Homegrown and *ss kicking tomatoes, god given sunlight and young nimble backs in the Kazi kwa Vijana Should be aptly named Akili Kwa Vijana
This gaping lycopene tomatoes can be exended to other things like teaching innovation to
Now, excuse me while I try to grow a braincell, what about you?
For those
who missed the conference, you can watch Bitane Ndemo’s speech here, courtesy of Benin Mwangi.During the 2nd Kenyan Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum in Atlanta last week, it became quite apparent that we Kenyans are afraid to make use of the noggin. How else can we possibly justify importing Ksh 5 million worth of sun dried tomatoes into a country where half of our local tomato product was rotting for lack of market? During the 2nd Kenyan Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum in Atlanta last week, it became quite apparent that we Kenyans are afraid to make use of the noggin. How else can we possibly justify importing Ksh 5 million worth of sun dried tomatoes into a country where half of our local tomato product was rotting for lack of market?
During the 2nd Kenyan Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum in Kennesaw, Ga. it became quite apparent that we Kenyans are afraid to make use of the noggin. How else could we possibly justify importing sun dried tomatoes to a country where half of the local tomato product was rotting for lack of market and the sun shines 49% of all annual daylight hours? Or importing dairy products while farmers feed cabbage and kale to their livestock in a bid to reign in increasing feeds prices?
The Diaspora Conference aptly subtitled ‘Building a Knowledge Based Economy: The Role of the Kenya Diaspora’, could not have come at a better time for marketing Kenya as the next regional service hub and Business Process Outsourcing destination. The organizers were focusing more on IT knowledge by making maximum use of the SEACOM cable landing. A different kind of innovative knowledge is called for in tandem with Information Technology.
Dr. Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication said we are living in poverty because we are not embracing science. I fully concur. Lack of forward thinking innovative inventors is driving Kenyans into poverty and hunger.
I dare suggest a Thinkers Anonymous, Kenyan Chapter. Without the obligatory 12 step program, of course. The organization will be charged with brainstorming to create local solutions to local problems. Solutions which through innovative thinking, bridge the gap between product supply and future demand by eliminating waste.
The all encompassing ‘serikali haitusaidii’ crutch goes out the window now that somebody is finally serious about creating working solutions through Public Private Partnerships.
Meanwhile, as I try to grow a braincell take a looksee at Dr. Ndemo on building a knowledge based economy (courtesy of Benin Mwangi via BMJ Mureithi) and get started on your Thinkers Anonymous at your ka-local.
No related posts.
I was supposed to have been there,but,i sent some reps to do the work. In due time,i shall see the video.
But,Dorcas,i have to disagree with Dr Bitange(who btw,has posted on mashada many times,great man). I am a firm believer of “build them and they will come”, Kenyans are quite innovative,it is the govt that is corrupt and lacks the drive to build the required tools. Provide the tools,watch how the mwananchi excels.
Watch the way Seacom will take off..and you will see the innovativeness of Kenyans.
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@Mzungu,
I agree with you that Kenyans are quite innovative. However, waiting for the government to provide is not an option anymore.
Remember in the 80’s there was this dream plan of lighting up Kenya? Every family was supposed to be able to light up their house at the flick of a switch by the year 2000. Almost a decade after the target date there is still not enough electricity to power up the (unfinished) grid.
Since the government has, in partnership with others, made the SEACOM cable landing possible (hence providing the ‘required tools’ ) innovative Kenyans don’t have any excuses now.
In what ways do you not agree with Dr. Bitange?
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I agree with Mzungu, the Kenyans I know are quite innovative and intelligent-as much or more than people from any other country. Many of the writers here on Mashada seem to be hung up on skin color. I disagree with that and suspect it may be a holdover from colonial times. From my experience and observations in a long life, skin color has nothing to do with anything except maybe social habits. I know it has nothing to do with intelligence, ambition, or kindness.
One thing I see in Kenya is apathy about Kenyan leaders. Somehow the idea needs to bloom that the leaders work for the people and if they do not do a good job, vote for someone else next time. Kenya needs leaders that care for and try to take care of the people. If the leaders try and steal the new elections, get some help from the UN.
I have know several Kenyans with great ideas about how to improve the country. Then they take no action because they feel the government is too oppressive to allow any action or will tax the new idea to death or take other action that will not allow the idea to come to life. This is just politics and Kenyans can change this if they stick together.
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This a good idea whose time has come. Do you know that this was Benjamin Franklin’s way to statemanship?
Question is are we as civil servants and public servants able to absorb and implement these ideas?
way to go anyway.
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Dorcas, this blog you are writing is a perfect forum to get Kenyans to work together and start thinking. There is no reason for Kenyans to accept substandard performance from it’s political leaders. There is no reason that the whole country could not work together to conquer hunger and produce all the food Kenya needs with left overs to be shipped to other countries to the benefit of the Kenyan economy.
The country’s politics I will leave to others because I am not a Kenyan although I most likely will be a Kenyan resident in a few years. But at this time, I feel it would be rude of me to speak about Kenya’s politics as a citizen of another country. (although that does not seem to bother many other on this site.) Rather I would like to write about the food problem and other agricultural issues. I have read that one of the problems is water for agricultural crops for food for human and animal consumption. OK, why not build some aquaducts to transport water from the huge lakes in the northwest, Rift Valley areas of Kenya to the areas of land that will support crops? Why can’t this be done. The Romans did this thousands of years ago without help from anyone else and many of these structures are still standing and functional after thousands of years. Today there would be millions of dollars available from many sources for a project like this from organizations such as the IMF and probably many government and NGO sources that I have not even dreamed about. And the technology today is vastly superior to what the Romans had. Kenyans are certainly as intelligent as the Romans were thousands of years ago and there is so much outside help available. Plus there is most likely an unlimited supply of quality rock for building in the north and at least one huge cement plant in Mombasa for mortar that I know about. Why can’t Kenya use the help of outsiders to vastly improve their situation? If your blog could help overcome some of the apathy, I believe many things could be accomplished. And think how you could encourage thinking with this powerful platform of your blog speaking to the people of Kenya about ways to improve Kenya’s situation. It would be hugely more beneficial than talking about how many times a mans needs to shake his weanie after relieving himself.
Dorcas, I challenge you to use your gift of words to start helping your fellow Kenyans in this blog. This thinkers anon. thread is a good idea. Now maybe you and others can expand on it.
If every Kenyan would just look around him (or her) and find just one small thing to improve the life of Kenyans, soon there would be great progress. For example, I was into my umpteenth Tusker sitting at the beach bar of one of the hotels on the north shore above Mombasa and I kept hearing about the problems of the seaweed on the beach part of the year and as I looked at that seaweed I thought that when I move to Kenya after I retire, I am going to research the idea of harvesting the seaweed from the shallow water and see if it can be made into cattle feed. I know I can build a machine to harvest it because I have seen machines used in Crystal River, Florida in the US that are self propelled boats that travel all over the fresh water rivers and lakes that cut and remove the water hyacynth (sp?) with just 1 man operating it. These machines look like small combine harvesters mounted on a large flat bottom boat. And in all the tourist beaches in all of the US there is another machine used everynight during tourist season that is pulled by a farm tractor and it picks up the first few inches of sand on the beaches and sifts out all the trash and debris so that in the morning the beach looks clean and fresh for the tourists. Now I know a machine could be built to harvest this seaweed by combining these two machines. I also know that seaweed is hugely nutricious and the only question in my mind is, will it be too salty for the animals. I don’t think so after it is dried. Maybe someone else has already researched this and I will search all my sources in the next 3-4 years before I am ready to retire. This could be a huge boon to the tourists industry and the cattle industry for Kenya.
Now here are just two ideas that could possibly help Kenya, water from the lakes and seaweed from the sea. Now what do you think could happen to Kenya if all the people just overcame their apathy and let their mind wander over currrent situations and how they might be imporved?
Dorcas, I hope you can use your skills and positon to encourage Kenyans to improve the quality of their leaders and their life.
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Contrary to the opinions held by the proponents of the think and improve your lot school of thought, the problem is the Kenyan government, its strucurea nd systems, not its members. I will explain with an illustration.
I am trained in Agriculture with some years of working experience in commercial farms. This means I understand the business behind the practice of Agriculture. With this knowledge I came back to Kenya and wanted to start an extension service to promote products that I would buy then sale to small scale farmers whose capacity I would be improving by disseminating inputs and knowledge in tandem.
The long and short of the story is the regulation and licences you need to for such a business to take off are downright unrealistic and not worth the effort.
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@hack
I admire your enterprising spirit. I understand you may not want to reveal the detailed nature of your business plan or your correspondence with the government.
Can we have a private conversation on this issue?
dorcas@mashada.com
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Dorcas,
Your mailbox doesn’t seem to be working. I will try geting to you at least twice before the end of the week.
Hack77
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@hack77 check your (yahoo) inbox
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