How’d you come up with that name?

I like your emphasis of not just trying to go for african-centric names.

Now that you’ve sold the domain name, what was it called?

I’ve never heard of moniker.com. I might just give it a try because I’ have some domain names that I’m desperately trying to get rid of.

What on earth is an ecofaebrick?

There’s one other thing I’ve noticed about semi-criminal economies, especially as it applies to kenya and that is, the proliferation of family owned banks. e.g. family bank, equity bank, etc, etc…

How are these guys doing it? titus muya, the head of family bank was not a banker, but he decided one day to just open a bank?

James Mwangi worked for a bank that collapsed and whose owner had to flee the country when his corrupt deals caught up with him, but yet, he too turns around and starts another bank

It seems like entrepreneurialism has been reduced to the opening of banks all claiming to offer services to the un-bankable (aka the poor) but the only people getting rich are these “philanthropic” bankers.

Where are these guys getting the money from?
Where are they moving the money to?
Who is regulating them?

I’m beginning to realize that the economic growth during the first term of the kibaki era was largely fueled by these banks giving out loans, not by any real productivity, but where did these previously unheard of banks get their money from?

Point of correction:

The West is “peaceful” because of three things and the Rule of Law id NOT one of them. They are below:

1) Welfare Benefits
2) Threat of Nuclear War
3) Monopoly of violence by the state e.g. police, army, special forces, intelligence services etc.

Rule of law is just a smokescreen. Make an honest assessment and you will see the truth.

Two wrongs don’t make a right brother.

KE,

You are doing great. Leave the KoolAid drinkers to drink their KoolAid and practice their corruption.

In all seriousness, I don’t want to quibble, but many businesses get by on personal contacts to those who are able to serve their interests. Very few businesses get off the ground without their founders making use of the personal connections they have, especially if it provides them some sort of advantage.

That being said, while I am not intimate with the details of Trans Century Group or Equity Bank’s relationship to State House, any business that finds itself dependent on political patronage and favour cannot be said to be anything but corrupt, as it enjoys a position that its competitors cannot aspire to. I would go further and say that this makes them inherently weak, as a change in government would wipe out their competitive advantage.

As far as operating in a semi-criminal economy goes, I’m running a series of posts on my blog at the moment on starting your own business, and I would add the following tips for any budding Kenyan entrepreneurs:

a) You will pay bribes to get stuff done. It may not be right, it may not be fair, but you have to come to terms with it

b)Do not, under any circumstances, get into bed with a politician. They could easily lose their seat at the next election

c) Keep the KRA onside. I have worked for a business that was going through an audit. They pick over even the tiniest discrepancy. Do not piss them off

d)If necessary, keep two sets of books. One for what is actually going on, one for the authorities

e) Knowledge is power. It is also something that can’t be seized. It is easier to put a manufacturing firm out of business by confiscating its assets than a consultancy