[kictanet] Kenya, like other developing nations, seems is stuck between a rock and a hard place..

[aki]

I'm no economist but would like to share some amatuer comments here.
Corrections are very welcome. :-)

Given the right circumstances, we are destined to become even more bigger
players in the region. We are also far capable of doing much more than we
give ourself credits for, BUT, unfortunately we are stuck. Unable to move to
the next level.

I believe one reason that we cannot move ahead is the "shoppers" mentality
that is holding many back from thinking what we need to do. I also honestly
believe we need new people or injection of fresh ideas with goals
commitments in govt that will be the core of what happens to the development
of the nation. I write from a technology point of view and know we are
literally shooting ourselves in both legs. We cannot fix the mistakes of
the past hundreds of years as the older generations stood by and watched the
first trains rollout across the land. These generations were mere bystanders
on a free ride and could only match thinking that lacked visions and goals.

How fast are things really moving? I can say that we are unable to keep up
the pace, even in our technology fields. I listed the Mara Online project
just as one, literally there are hundreds of such projects that have a
National and International impact waiting to be done. It's also a shame we
are bent of creating more and more end users in the economy. When we think
of Southern Sudan as investments, we immediately think of what we can* buy
to supply*-not anything beyond this-- yet we are regional leaders.
The current economic practises must go and we need to match the growth with
a balance of imports and local creations. Why is it that the pace of say
e.g. e-Govt is extremely slow and only happens when it receives donor or
world bank funding or external partners? Why is it that we have not created
a better voting system or e-monitoring facilities to remove the system
problems we are already aware of? If we think 2010 was when we implemented
video in judiciary, then it seems we are in a bigger self denial in a global
sense because the technology has existed since the 1980s and kept getting
better over time.

Things need to change, the system needs to change and also people's thinking
needs to change. We need a balance if we are to go to the next level. I
write from a technology point of view but am certain other sectors too will
have similar views.

Thank you.
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