I think I'll add to the valuable input Dr Ndemo had put earlier. In the 70's it was about the BW, I believe now its about the invasion of VC culture ( read: Silicon valley types ) that is going to take us nowhere thus we need to do more. Out of those you've listed, please look further and add whether any of the innovations holds kenyan patents.

And please don't get me wrong, I know for a fact we are far capable of doing much more than just trying to create product and services entreprenuers. The Open Data Initiative is very important to our achievements, but KICTB may have taken the usual shortcut which unfortunately represents a rather negative image of the govt in such areas.

In this tech sector, govt plays a very important part in what happens in the future. And each time it is the govt that is killing the hopes of creative kenyans in national core systems. By this I do not mean supplying high end servers nor installing them nor maintaining them. I mean creativity that means local solutions to local problems.

On Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 4:08 AM, Ali Hussein <info@alyhussein.com> wrote:

Aki

Your impassioned comments about the role of government not withstanding, my humble opinion is that the cup is half full...Not half empty...

By the way I will also not be too hasty about dismissing the role a VC culture may or may not play in Kenya. We must start somewhere. After all local companies and enterpreneurs are blazing the trail of innovation and the smart money (slow in coming as it is) will follow. Mpesa, Seven Seas, Pesapal, ihub are all good examples of where we are at.

To quote Francis again, my two cowries :)

Ali Hussein - Sent from my BlackBerry®