'We are digital,' thats what kenyans love to say, I guess the advent of digitality has come a long way accompanied with illusions and overwhelm. I guess we all yearn for a utopian society, yet none of us knows how it feels like and how life is in this ideal society. Ever wondered, what if Utopia is already here with us? Nobody would know definitely, only Christ Jesus can tell us that, for only he, came from the father and only him, has seen and known the father.
The excitement that came with fibre optic cables, precipitated by a flamboyant animated commercial advert, left every Kenyan wanting to be associated with this masterpiece technology. But to a majority of us Kenyans, especially those of us living outside the flashy and leafy suburbs of the major cities, any link with the fibre technology has remained just but wishful thinking.
Living in the material world and having a nexus with reality, an economy of Kenya's calibre is to work on the fundamental structures so as to effect such a technology. Compared to our east African brothers, we have a right to chest thumb our achievement for at least a few of us Kenyans, can use the same technology advanced economies are using. But what more do you expect, when you are playing in the league of mediocrity? you will definitely celebrate mediocre achievements, and that's what we Kenyans are doing.
Let me not sound like I am the over ambitious kid who wants to be a pilot and yet has never seen an aeroplane. Recently, I was reading an article on Forbes magazine, on the new splendid and magnificent Google fibre city. I was surprised to realize even Americans were paying very high bills on internet until recently when Google came in to this field as game changers.Google as a company has proved to be on top of its game. Remember it is the very company that has shaken the iPhone market through its android operating system and as we speak Apple is contemplating price reduction to hedge its market share against the gluttonous competition in the smartphone industry.
Thanks to Google, Africans like me were able to afford smartphones. Jamii telcom, the service providers of the fibre optic cables are now colonizing the whole Kenyan market, and soon African market will be their servitude. Of course I know Zuku also come in handy as able contenders but unfortunately they are lacking in the zeal and the thirst for the still unexploited but very promising internet market. However, my concern is the quality of services these organizations are offering, the rate, terms and conditions, installation cost and the monthly subscription rate.
With lack of competition, people will definitely not get value for their money. as we speak google is offering the 1gbps services at the rate jamii telcom is offering to 100mbps subscribers. Installation cost are very low, thanks to the american government that offered to provide the necessary infrastructure to effect the dispensation of fibre services. without discrimination both faces of the american society can now approve and attest their sense of belonging by enjoying all kinds of services offered by their company. Companies that have traditionally been providing this services at rates that are exploitative to the people responded spontaneous by several price cuts, incentives and even a great reduction in installation cost....ooh my it seems with the entrance of Google in this market, chicken had come home roasting.
Internet is a basic need, that is what the generation Y has been made to believe. I believe Europeans, Americans, and the Chinese can say this without fear or intimidation. For Africa, that is a story for another day. But what will it take for Kenya to enjoy the highly coveted fibre optic technology? of course we need Google, if that is what it will take for local companies like Jamii telcom and Zuku to up their game. But before Google can start contemplating coming near our town, our house should be in order. Uhuru Polycap Muigai Kenyatta, kazi kwako ndugu, you are a digital government, that is what you say, live up your words, put up the infrastructure and enable kenyas go fiber. sema Faimba. shalom.
Friday 20 September 2013
Friday 13 September 2013
Ever thought of A plastic tile
the whole of this week i was on a trip traversing the depths of Nairobi trying to procure for ideas that are not only viable but those that impact positively especially to the vulnerable in society. With my colleagues, our fast journey landed us in Matasia past Ngong forest, we were on a mission to visit Dr. Jared Ombasa, a specialist in Dog breeding. Upon arrival, we were welcome by uproar of dogs of great magnitude. The site was hosting over twenty breeds of of dogs from all over the world.
Dr. Jared's partner, Mr David Osiany, a communication's consulatant and former Sonu chairman introduced us to the beasts which exhibited mixed reactions in the presence of strangers. The south African Boer boy, was the most friendly and very playful, this breed goes for atleast kes 120,000. next was the dogman, the most fierst and aggressive. this species is the best security dog and when it attacks, the harm is ultimate. it will kill you. this dog is capable of wrestling four men with guns and even kill them, surprising? dont doubt me, it happens. then came the most intelligent dog, the famous german shepherd, it is gigantic, red eyed, and professional.
That aside, yesterday, we were in kariobangi, Nairobi area, we were visiting one Dr. Aghan Oscar the award winning public health practitioner. The philanthropist is a genius, he is saturated with content and living in the ideal world. You may be wondering those people at Dandora dump site, who is their boss, well i have the answer, it is Dr. Aghan. he recycles the non-biodegradable plastics to produce fencing poles, roofing tiles, furniture and even building blocks. The roofing tile is a masterpiece tile, it can last for 400 years without colour change and depreciation. it is beautiful and strong.....gosh Kenya is full of brains, u doubt my story, here is the link corecresintile@gmail.com
Dr. Jared's partner, Mr David Osiany, a communication's consulatant and former Sonu chairman introduced us to the beasts which exhibited mixed reactions in the presence of strangers. The south African Boer boy, was the most friendly and very playful, this breed goes for atleast kes 120,000. next was the dogman, the most fierst and aggressive. this species is the best security dog and when it attacks, the harm is ultimate. it will kill you. this dog is capable of wrestling four men with guns and even kill them, surprising? dont doubt me, it happens. then came the most intelligent dog, the famous german shepherd, it is gigantic, red eyed, and professional.
That aside, yesterday, we were in kariobangi, Nairobi area, we were visiting one Dr. Aghan Oscar the award winning public health practitioner. The philanthropist is a genius, he is saturated with content and living in the ideal world. You may be wondering those people at Dandora dump site, who is their boss, well i have the answer, it is Dr. Aghan. he recycles the non-biodegradable plastics to produce fencing poles, roofing tiles, furniture and even building blocks. The roofing tile is a masterpiece tile, it can last for 400 years without colour change and depreciation. it is beautiful and strong.....gosh Kenya is full of brains, u doubt my story, here is the link corecresintile@gmail.com
Tuesday 10 September 2013
Business unusual
Yes, it is business unusual, the recent electioneering season was a jump start to this long journey in the unknown world of devolution. New centres and tabernacles of power were erected and now they are up and running. Just like in my previous writings, we not only devolved 47 governments but these are 47 mini economies. If you doubt my words, then ask yourself, why do these units engage in budgeting process? Essentially, the traditional budgeting process recognised such units into departments, the famous DEL the departmental expenditure limits which focused mostly on cash limits, but that was the past.
These traditional models was justified by a risk averse generation of people who feared the mystery of the future. These people ran a cash starved budget with an excuse of inducing financial discipline in to the public sector, thanks to them, we stagnated our economic recovery journey. Cash based budgets is a thing of the past, it is so worrying that the government of the day is still advocating for such measures especially with regard to devolved system, their loud excuse of course being lack of capacity. Ooh yes, capacity is lacking indeed, thanks to a reluctant and defunct Transitional Authority whose mandate was to help county governments build capacity.
With the devolution equation still incomplete, maybe its time we shall have to revisit our budgeting system once more. Going forward, we need to address pressing issues of the ballooning unemployed population, the increasing wage bill while keeping in mind as a nation we need to remain a competitive economy within the region. Ours should now be a resource based budget that sounds more responsive and effective in addressing the demands of this dynamic generation.
The public sector both at the national and county level should incorporate both best practices from public and private sector to ensure effective and efficient service delivery minus compromising its long-term aspirations especially with regard to capital expenditure. It goes without saying that with the advent of devolution, the call for the restructuring of our budgeting system and other public financial practices cannot be ignored.If indeed devolution was a measure to address issues at the grass root level, then apparently that should begin at the budgeting process.
Today i do not have opinions nor will I air my contemplations on this subject, that would be premature and indiscreet of me now that am not a budgeting expert. But from the little knowledge I have on the budgeting process, it does not only involve formulation, there's implementation, monitoring and evaluation. What is happening right now, is the change of the formulation process and the parties there to. It is therefore, discreet to do a total overhaul of the whole process even to change the system in order to fit in the new dispensation. We know change is here to stay, we shall lose a lot struggling to consult a past that is a liability to development.
These traditional models was justified by a risk averse generation of people who feared the mystery of the future. These people ran a cash starved budget with an excuse of inducing financial discipline in to the public sector, thanks to them, we stagnated our economic recovery journey. Cash based budgets is a thing of the past, it is so worrying that the government of the day is still advocating for such measures especially with regard to devolved system, their loud excuse of course being lack of capacity. Ooh yes, capacity is lacking indeed, thanks to a reluctant and defunct Transitional Authority whose mandate was to help county governments build capacity.
With the devolution equation still incomplete, maybe its time we shall have to revisit our budgeting system once more. Going forward, we need to address pressing issues of the ballooning unemployed population, the increasing wage bill while keeping in mind as a nation we need to remain a competitive economy within the region. Ours should now be a resource based budget that sounds more responsive and effective in addressing the demands of this dynamic generation.
The public sector both at the national and county level should incorporate both best practices from public and private sector to ensure effective and efficient service delivery minus compromising its long-term aspirations especially with regard to capital expenditure. It goes without saying that with the advent of devolution, the call for the restructuring of our budgeting system and other public financial practices cannot be ignored.If indeed devolution was a measure to address issues at the grass root level, then apparently that should begin at the budgeting process.
Today i do not have opinions nor will I air my contemplations on this subject, that would be premature and indiscreet of me now that am not a budgeting expert. But from the little knowledge I have on the budgeting process, it does not only involve formulation, there's implementation, monitoring and evaluation. What is happening right now, is the change of the formulation process and the parties there to. It is therefore, discreet to do a total overhaul of the whole process even to change the system in order to fit in the new dispensation. We know change is here to stay, we shall lose a lot struggling to consult a past that is a liability to development.
Wednesday 4 September 2013
With great power comes a great responsibility
The most celebrated jargon with the advent of the jubilee administration is the word 'digital', whatever the relevance, I do not know. But why I like President Uhuru Kenyatta is because, unlike the average Kenyan leader, his ambition is priced and his words can be taken to the bank. We are living in the dispensation of information technology where the slogan is no-longer survival for the fittest, but survival for the informed. It is a society that does not only anticipate for a brighter future but believes it can invest and live in that future as at current.
This creative economy is not for yes-men nor for the sycophants, it is for the go-getters, those who believe it is their responsibility in whatever circumstance to change the reality of their surrounding. How do you then change the reality of your immediate surrounding if in the fast place you do not know the problems that confront your neighbourhood? That question is rarely asked, and sad enough, those self proclaimed masterminds of development do not seek to address this adverse effects of ignorance.
Information is power, so they say. With great power comes a great responsibility, ooh yes we can take that to the bank. But now what is the missing link, why the poverty amid oceans of resources? Why are the majority of our people still struggling with hand to mouth lifestyles when actually we should no-longer be worrying about food security? How comes in this age, knowledge is still inaccessible leave alone being unaffordable to a majority of our juvenile population? Why should we in this era still agitate on lack of access to clean water and health services? it is a sad story.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the power, at least for a majority of us who afforded to reach high school education. For those of us who graduated from college and University, somebody gave you the power to read and write, that you cannot deny, unless on the day of your graduation you were busy sleeping. That power is in our minds. That power to alleviate poverty from our society, that power to eradicate ignorance and disillusionment in our midst, that power to realise a healthy and empowered society, a society swimming in abundance of material prosperity, good governance and well established democratic institutions. yes, that power we can claim it, at least we have the prerogative to do so.
Back to my tenet, ' with great power comes a great responsibility'. I do not need to elaborate why the power has not generated the material benefits. We do not take up the responsibility, if not, we are running away from the responsibility. But somebody again said, 'responsibility gravitates on those that can shoulder them'. does that imply we are running away from this responsibility, now that it is responsibility which seeks those with ability to carry them out. Are we still in the euphoria of serikali iingilie kati, or the likes of serikali itupe kazi.
Unapologetically, I will tell you, its nobody's business to employ you, not even your mother, your destiny is in your mind, you can choose to chase it or throw it in employment. The role of the government is essentially to provide services, not employ people. Its time to move from the know-how to the do-how phase of our development because only action changes reality, thinking doesn't. If we must think development, then it is our responsibility to do development, if we anticipate of best practices in our agriculture at-least you now know that thinking and anticipating doesn't change reality, action does my friend. Tuseme na tutende, tubadilishe hali yetu, tujenge uchumi yetu na hatimaye tujenge taifa letu. Shalom.
This creative economy is not for yes-men nor for the sycophants, it is for the go-getters, those who believe it is their responsibility in whatever circumstance to change the reality of their surrounding. How do you then change the reality of your immediate surrounding if in the fast place you do not know the problems that confront your neighbourhood? That question is rarely asked, and sad enough, those self proclaimed masterminds of development do not seek to address this adverse effects of ignorance.
Information is power, so they say. With great power comes a great responsibility, ooh yes we can take that to the bank. But now what is the missing link, why the poverty amid oceans of resources? Why are the majority of our people still struggling with hand to mouth lifestyles when actually we should no-longer be worrying about food security? How comes in this age, knowledge is still inaccessible leave alone being unaffordable to a majority of our juvenile population? Why should we in this era still agitate on lack of access to clean water and health services? it is a sad story.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the power, at least for a majority of us who afforded to reach high school education. For those of us who graduated from college and University, somebody gave you the power to read and write, that you cannot deny, unless on the day of your graduation you were busy sleeping. That power is in our minds. That power to alleviate poverty from our society, that power to eradicate ignorance and disillusionment in our midst, that power to realise a healthy and empowered society, a society swimming in abundance of material prosperity, good governance and well established democratic institutions. yes, that power we can claim it, at least we have the prerogative to do so.
Back to my tenet, ' with great power comes a great responsibility'. I do not need to elaborate why the power has not generated the material benefits. We do not take up the responsibility, if not, we are running away from the responsibility. But somebody again said, 'responsibility gravitates on those that can shoulder them'. does that imply we are running away from this responsibility, now that it is responsibility which seeks those with ability to carry them out. Are we still in the euphoria of serikali iingilie kati, or the likes of serikali itupe kazi.
Unapologetically, I will tell you, its nobody's business to employ you, not even your mother, your destiny is in your mind, you can choose to chase it or throw it in employment. The role of the government is essentially to provide services, not employ people. Its time to move from the know-how to the do-how phase of our development because only action changes reality, thinking doesn't. If we must think development, then it is our responsibility to do development, if we anticipate of best practices in our agriculture at-least you now know that thinking and anticipating doesn't change reality, action does my friend. Tuseme na tutende, tubadilishe hali yetu, tujenge uchumi yetu na hatimaye tujenge taifa letu. Shalom.
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