[kictanet] Marketing ICT in Kenya

Fri Nov 8 07:46:53 EAT 2013

Kivuva,

First let me apologise to all list members and the application developers out there who are actually delivering working products.

I had some point had the misconception that the developer of the "Lipa na MPesa" platform was not local, sorry for that misinformation.

I believe we need to take the case of the bicycle repair men in context, they were inventing not aping which explains why it is fool hardy to encourage the fellow in Muranga who is trying to make an aeroplane using scrap metal.

Even at the Olympics one needs to meet a minimum thresh hold to participate so all I am asking is that before we allow developers to get to the starting line they should meet a minimum thresh hold like an application that actually works without constantly throwing errors such as "variable not defined".

@Ngigi, let us lobby the government to include ICT solution providers when they go to market Kenya but we should be the ones to recommend what qualifies to be showcased as the fellow from KTB have no idea what is a good application.

Please let us be clear that I am not suggesting that we do not have brilliant developers and applications locally but we need to remember the Swahili saying "Kizuri cha jiuza kibaya chajitembeza".  

Let us find those who have done great things and lead them to the podium as they will not take themselves, the same way that one does not apply for an Oscar Award but is recommended by their peers.

Have a great weekend, remember do not drive and text

Regards

Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya

Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

On Wednesday, 6 November 2013, 21:57, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:

If our 'bicycle' craftsmen start fidgeting with flight, by all means, let us support them! 

But, if they start fidgeting with remaking the wheel, let us not create for them an incubation lab so we can enjoy the sight and have something to talk about.

Rgds

On Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 9:34 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com> wrote:

Robert and Ngigi,
>Its part of the famous Reality Distortion Field. We have to believe,
>let these young people believe, have something to hope and live for.
>When some two bicycle craftsmen called Wright started fidgeting with
>flight, many people mocked them, but the rest as they say is history.
>
>
>On 06/11/2013, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:
>> Lieing to one self (if indeed that is actually possible) is really very
>> different from confidence. As an example, Americans have the confidence
>> they can do it, having done more than their fair share of 'firsts' and
>> continuing to do it.
>>
>> Yet, this lieing to ourselves, lowering of the standard of innovation to
>> the point that if you make an application that records how many times you
>> sneeze and cheered on by international partners (read all those venture
>> capitalists) just because you are in Africa is considered an invention way
>> up there with a Nobel effort in the west, is just plain stupid!
>>
>> We need to move from the previous ICT regimes, *all talk*, to actually
>> building something of a local industry that is *real*, that is making
>> *real* products people are actually *buying* and this country is getting
>> real *dollars* for.
>>
>> Going back to original topic, how are we marketing Kenya's real efforts in
>> ICT?
>> Waithaka Ngigi
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 11:43 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The value of PR and Confidence in national building.
>>> On a positive note, lying to ourselves that we are a leading ICT
>>> destination in Africa has the positive effect of creating momentum,
>>> good International Public Relations, and much needed media coverage.
>>> In the past ten years we've seen a flurry of business angels and
>>> venture capitalists hawk the landscape in search of the next MPESA.
>>> That has had a positive impact on the ICT space with several
>>> innovations getting noticed and funded. Actually, many of the
>>> innovations hubs have thrived because of riding the "ICT wave" that
>>> Kenya is the final destination in Africa when it comes to ICTs. And
>>> because the hubs thrive, they help to cement that notion by walking
>>> the talk. The many Apps competitions like DEMO Africa, and PIVOT East
>>> too have thrive because of the same notion, and stimulate our young
>>> people to develop great applications. And the cycle continues.
>>>
>>> Kenya has become a launchpad for Africa's commercial strategy for Tech
>>> firms, as Kenya grows it's influence as the regional tech hub
>>> powerhouse. Multinationals like the IBM (research lab), Google,
>>> Microsoft, Samsung, and Bharti Airtel have all noticed and setup
>>> regional hubs in Kenya because of confidence in us. While in Indonesia
>>> for the IGF, I met a Fijian lady who was praising Kenya for being the
>>> silicon valley of Africa. Indeed, a Kenyan Bernard of nikohapa.com won
>>> the Afrinic/Seed Alliance FIRE award for the best application in the
>>> region.
>>>
>>> Remember, according to some CNN article by Todd Leopold,
>>> (
>>> http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/02/us/american-exceptionalism-other-countries-lessons
>>> )
>>> Americans lag behind in many academic and social measurements. They
>>> are number 27th in Mathematics, 50th in life expectancy, 72nd in
>>> paying taxes, and 173rd in infant mortality yet they are number 1 in
>>> confidence, and they literally rule the world. Rwanda too is riding on
>>> the wave of good international PR, my thesis is, after 30th years, it
>>> will be Africa's Singapore. We need that confidence, PR and
>>> international goodwill to rub on us. I don't mind if we lie to
>>> ourselves.
>>>
>>>
>>> We owe much of the gains of the last 10 years to the optimism that
>>> swept the country after the 2002 elections, and the pragmatism of
>>> President Kibaki who realised the value of PR for the country, and Dr.
>>> Ndemo's action oriented approach in growing the ICT sector (remember
>>> the impossible undersea cable and the dream Konza Technology city).
>>> Vision 2030 too was part of that optimism. I hope and pray that the
>>> Uhuru regime will not erode the gains made.
>>>
>>> Finally, lets celebrate the young Kenyans who spend countless hours in
>>> Nairobi University Nokia lab and innovation Lab, Strathmore's iLab,
>>> iHub, Nailab, mLab, e.t.c. This guys have made Kenya a technology
>>> tourism destination, and contributed to the confidence we enjoy now.
>>>
>>> Warm Regards.
>>>
>>> --
>>> ______________________
>>> Mwendwa Kivuva
>>> twitter.com/lordmwesh
>>> kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Regards,*
>>
>> *Wait**haka Ngigi*
>
>> Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
>> Building
>> T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811
>> 000
>> www.at.co.ke
>
>>
>
>
>
>--
>______________________
>Mwendwa Kivuva
>twitter.com/lordmwesh
>kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know
>

-- 

Regards,

Waithaka Ngigi
Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building
T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811 000

www.at.co.ke

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