Why don’t you tell President Obama to stop using Kenyan examples in reference to the problems bedeviling Africa.

President Obama admits that he knows the issues facing Africa in very personal terms since his cousins and immediate Kenyan family cannot get jobs since they have to bribe to get virtually anything from any government institution.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/w.....index.html

Personally,I believe to say the truth is not an option- If you’re genuine about saving the situation in Kenya. Obama is certainly not giving negative reviews to Kenya but he’s opening up a discussion on these issues facing the continent. And I believe that’s the same thing KE is trying to do here.

Why don’t you first tell us how many times you paid bribes JK- U probably paid bribes to get your Strathmore University credits, so why should i even pay attention to your jib jab.

However, talking about corruption is not just to shame people. I don’t think the people in Kenya really give a damn about this little blog here. So, the main purpose is to really highlight for people (especially for aspiring entrepreneurs)what the environment they operate in is really going to be like.

So, in the broader scheme of things, you should be looking at these stories and asking yourself, how can one operate in a wheel & deal culture (or a semi-criminal economy) when the playing field is either not level or totally corrupt? To think you can do it just on hard work or innovation would be quite naive.

Working Stiff:
I think what Equity bank and Transcentury are doing is not even what the world bank or IMF advocated. It is worse. One is stealing depository money from poor kenyans and diverting it into places nobody really knows, while the other is stealing from state parastatals and diverting the money into private hands.

This is the basic problem: They are not really creating anything. They are simply diverting other people’s money into their own pockets. It is nothing more than corrupt banking at it’s core.

Nobody seems to look at the origination of the economic model, it was started during the era of the Structural Adjustment Programmes advocated by IMF, World Bank the “Chicago Boys”.

If Kenya’s goal is to emulate some of the Asian nations, then maybe we should emulate their economic strategies. During the 90’s they ” resisted the Washington consensus. They put restrictions on capital flows. The giants of Asia—China and India—managed their economies their own way, producing unprecedented growth But elsewhere, and especially in the countries where the World Bank and the I.M.F. held sway, things did not go well.” (Vanity Fair article, http://www.vanityfair.com/poli.....ebt200907).

If there is to be true economic growth, we need a better vision. For those concerned about KE’s observations, his thoughts are what quite a number of overseas investors can see in the Kenyan economy. Also, this focus on overseas investors, interesting… hmm?
Btw, are there still discussions of privatization of water? Can you imagine what that effect would have on ordinary people?
It is telling that someone would think that only 50 percent of Kenyans are in poverty. This is how the PEV happened and yet it seems nobody in Special Branch knew what was happening.

Keep up the work, KE. Let the people know the Emperor is naked.

@KE you have some good points and after all start very interesting debates.

My only problem is that your blog is an entreprenuership blog which should also show more of Entreprenueral Kenya and the positives, but then again you decide what you write.

I think we need to shame the corrupt but only after we have all the facts and have analysed their situation in the right context.

Dont forget that some of the instituitions that are criticized unfairly are crucial for the robustness of our fragile economy.

Didier i am still waiting for real solutions from you. Yes you can.

I said above I can only say the truth… I am not claiming to know all the solutions to the problems that the Country has.

All I’m asking is why is your friend JK against naming and shaming individuals who have been involved in corruption and impunity.

We will continue shouting to the top of our lungs until these people are either dismissed and put behind bars. How can the same individuals who have been in scandals after another be the same people who miraculously show us a VISION. You people need to start waking up.

What other policy do you want ? Round them up seize their assets and put them in jail simple!!

Ah, yes, the harvard business school. Churning out business leaders who almost brought the global economy to his knee’s with all of their cocamamy theories on finance.

Anyway, I think I know what you are referring to. I have seen the case study that HBS did on Equity bank and there’s also another case study on Kencall, which I’ve ordered and I’m looking forward to reading, but generally, these case studies are written by HBS faculty members, academics who are often American and who often don’t have that inside perspective on a particular countries politics and culture.

The only time I’ve seen an instance where the professors have insights into their home countries is with the Indian professors, who teach there, but who grew up and went to school in India.

So, just because Harvard says you are good doesn’t really mean anything. The founder of Satyam, the Indian outsourcing company, which was later found to have been a fraud was on the advisory board at the schools’ global initiative program in India and was frequently hailed by the harvard faculty. (see link here: http://www.boston.com/business.....as_enron/) – it turns out that the harvard faculty had no idea what he was up to when they praised him and they were forced to release him from their board when they later discovered the fraud.

So, my point here is that you shouldn’t let the name “harvard” intimidate you. Many of the professors are disconnected from the real world and many of the educational programs they run are nothing more than money minting machines for the school. The executive education program (the one which Naikuni attended is one such program. KQ probably paid about $50,000 dollars for Naikuni to attend that 3-week program). They know that people around the world are desperate to have the “harvard” certificate on their walls and they know companies will pay to send their employee’s to these programs.

95% of the stuff that goes on at the harvard business school is geared towards raising money and if they have to write a favorable review for a company in exchange for a donation, they will do it. I don’t think they did that in Equities case because they generally don’t really care about Africa (the real money is in India & China) – but occasionally, you’ll get a few people who’ll do research on African issues and poverty, but you can’t spend too much time on it because like I said, they want people to spend their time raising money from richer countries, not studying poor countries that won’t bring in large donations!

I will not mention the United Nations because most people stopped paying attention to that useless organization years ago.

Now that you know the truth I havent seen you give a prescription of how to turn things around. All I hear is gloom. I have been to Loyangalani and all 8 provinces of Kenya. I have also travelled around the world. I currently live in Europe so I have seen both worlds.

If you visit India’s Calcutta and Mumbai you will see poverty on a scale you can hardly comprehend. But the Indians and Chinese depite having some very bad sides have projected to the world their positive sides which is attracting investment and helping the poor find employment and generate wealth. What you are doing is giving general and vague statements based on your hatred of the politicians leading Kenya.

I can understand your frustration if the people you had hoped led Kenya didn’t make it but remember we lived with Moi for 20+yrs without necessarily liking him. If you put politics aside what would you do to transform Agriculture, Finance, ICT and Infrastructure and reduce unemployment? Assume for a minute that you were in charge or that we had the best govt in the world what would you do? Give concrete policy proposals. Saying things like I would eradicate corruption doesnt count, tell us exactly what policies you would put in place to eradicate corruption, generate employment and increase arable land.

Did you know a country like Israel is many times drier than Kenya and has a serious shortage of water? Yet it competes with Kenya in the horticulture industry which Kenya does very well in by the way. Lets hear some positive things you would do.

John Karanja I salute you we need many more Africans like you at least you are doing something positive on the ground. I know things are not easy but you are soldiering on. That is the right strategy. Did you know even the Americans some 100yrs ago went through the same problems and they overcame by diligently working against the odds. I am playing my part by sending remittances and encouraging investors to come invest in Kenya. I have already brought some investment into the country that is quite significant. You are a true son of Kenya who loves his country and is doing something positive. I checked out your website and it is quite good. May God give you the energy to do even more.

How do you explain the accolades Equity bank has got from Harvard Business School and the UN. Dont you think this instituitions have credible vetting systems?

Criticism should be fair and just.

Cost of living will increase to new levels as time goes by. The country will have to supplement the increasing food shortage with increased Importation.

You know we cannot live in denial, lets please accept the realities on the ground first. Lets admit what is there and then we can start from there.

We cannot continue lying to ourselves and living in a false world which is not the reality.

JK,

I believe you don’t know me either so I think we are even.

I don’t see any personal attack, am just trying to show the callous nature of your remarks. You can say all you want, but the truth remains, until we turn the tide of corruption and impunity in Kenya nothing will ever improve.

So don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger. When you open the envelope don’t kill the messenger. Sit down and accept the truth by the word.