[kictanet] Taifa Laptop

Thu Aug 25 21:39:53 EAT 2016

Its not that I am disputing that fact Dr. Ndemo. But the fact that they can
pay extra to buy a foreign product gives that extra room for choice - in a
free market choice is a must have. Having a free market is in some
circumstances maybe even better for the development of our own products.
Competition breeds efficiency in the long-run.

I totally agree that we need to support Taifa as a product and make it
scale. But again the consumer has the right to have a choice. Some kids go
to University barely on loans that they can raise from family, if they
could. Some just can not - and in my personal capacity having been one of
those on that demographic I can feel what some of these kids can feel.

It just means that we need to become better business people to market that
product better.

I believe Kenyans can be patriotic. All they need is a reason to be so. All
they need is leadership.

On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 9:33 PM, Bitange Ndemo <bndemo at bitangendemo.me>
wrote:

> Ahmed,
> They did not but in Korea everybody had to use the local products.  To buy
> foreign, you had to pay extra.  In fact even today only 1 in 10 cars on the
> road that is not Korean.  The point I am making is that our problems
> emanate from the appetite of foreign goods.  That is how we are not
> creating jobs.  Freedom even in the most free states is relative.  Our
> security now and in the future depends on what we do with unemployment.
>
> Ndemo.
>
> On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 9:23 PM, Ahmed Mohamed Maawy <
> ultimateprogramer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Agreed with you bwana Ndemo 100%
>>
>> But the point of all this is that the Koreans didn't come to force us to
>> buy their units.
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 9:19 PM, Bitange Ndemo via kictanet <
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>
>>> Michael,
>>> I have bought six of Taifa Laptops for students who come to me for
>>> help.  They are happy with the product.  I don't buy Taifa because it is
>>> cheap.  I buy to support the growth of light electronic manufacturing
>>> industry in Kenya.  We have bought garbage in form of tablets for many
>>> years from Asia.  We effectively supported Asians to go through the
>>> learning curve.  Today they dominate the sector.  India is making the
>>> industry a priority and estimates show it will top more than $ 900 billion
>>> by 2020.
>>>
>>> Before we criticism these noble efforts we must look back and correct
>>> our attitude.  We supported Koreans perfect the Hyundai, Indians perfect
>>> the Mahindra, Japanese perfect the Toyota Mark II and Chinese perfect their
>>> electronic manufacturing capability.  Kenya will not wake up one day and
>>> produce a perfect product without going through a learning curve.  JKUAt
>>> has had to go through the learning curve since they produced their first
>>> computer, Madaraka with the support of the Ministry of Information and
>>> Communications.  We have a collective responsibility to be part of the
>>> solution to our perennial problems of unemployment.  Without the local
>>> market we cannot scale.  Patriotism means we make certain sacrifices while
>>> giving constructive criticisms.  Africa will never get out of poverty by
>>> being consumers of other people's products.  Go buy Taifa and give some
>>> advise on what they need to improve.  It has warranty and personally I have
>>> no problem with the lap top.
>>>
>>> Ndemo.
>>>
>>> On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 12:10 PM, Musya Michael via kictanet <
>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Anyone using this laptop? Experiences so far?
>>>>
>>>> http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/08/22/parents-protest-jk
>>>> uats-imposition-of-taifa-laptops-on-students_c1407693
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Michael Musya.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
>>>> Philippians 4:13
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>
>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Ahmed Maawy*
>> Executive Director - SwahiliBox / M-Power (CBO)
>> Curator - Global Shapers Mombasa Hub
>> Ambassador - Open Knowledge
>> Director - Startup Grind Mombasa
>> Software Developer - AJ+ / EveryLayer
>> (KE) +254 714 960 627
>> Skype: ultimateprogramer
>>
>> swahilibox.co.ke
>> globalshapers.org
>> www.okfn.org <http://okfn.org/>
>> startupgrind.com
>> ajplus.net
>> www.everylayer.com
>>
>
>

-- 
*Ahmed Maawy*
Executive Director - SwahiliBox / M-Power (CBO)
Curator - Global Shapers Mombasa Hub
Ambassador - Open Knowledge
Director - Startup Grind Mombasa
Software Developer - AJ+ / EveryLayer
(KE) +254 714 960 627
Skype: ultimateprogramer

swahilibox.co.ke
globalshapers.org
www.okfn.org <http://okfn.org/>
startupgrind.com
ajplus.net
www.everylayer.com
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