Muraya, True that. First, very important we get this out of the way, :) you would not believe the amount of time and energy I have invested trying to convince people that * I am not that Samuel Gichuru :)* and neither am I related to him, the fact that we share a name has caused me problems with embassy's in Holland, Immigration in the UK just last week and immigration in the US. The irony is that most Kenyans who assume we are related have given me preferential treatment! You are right on spot Sir,{ lets forget the US/Europe for a minute here,} good governance, Justice, business ethics, is what we need, but I want to deal with that problem at the level me and you have control of at the moment, and that is when we jump a traffic light, easily bribe when arrested, bribe for contracts, pay the city council askari 50 bob instead of full parking fee, littering, jay walking and best of all calling on big names/name dropping to get preferential treatment... In my circle of friends and acquittance I have Matatu drivers, parastatal chiefs, sewer exhauster, policemen, a Magistrate, civil servants, a permanent secretary's, a minister, business professional and you Muraya... and we are all saying we need good governance fairness and equality.... my question is .... from who ? On Sun, May 22, 2011 at 9:12 AM, S.Murigi Muraya <murigi.muraya@gmail.com>wrote:
Sam,
There must be some form of trust | justice system | good governance that causes us Kenyans (and all other investors in Kenya) to cooperate with & mutually benefit each other.
http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Interpol-seeks-Okemo,-Gichuru-arre...
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Okemo+Gichuru+fate+rests+with+principa...
The USA has juice | justice | business ethics we have yet to develop in Kenyan society. It penalizes bad behavior to produce ethically stronger and locally trusted (if not globally accepted) companies.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/11/us-galleon-rajaratnam-idUSTRE74A3X...
Can you imagine any major business personality who funds any major political party in Kenya being jailed after being found guilty of corruption | of messing up shareholders | of distorting fair market principles?
Tell me that Justice does not contribute to Investor Confidence as much as innovation does in the USA | Silicon Valley?
On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 11:01 PM, Samuel Gichuru <gichuru@gmail.com>wrote:
Muraya,
You do have a strong argument but then I would like you to replace the word "Kenyans" with "Muraya" and you get to really personalise the problem. :)
I doubt we need the "TransCentury Types" but we need the Agosta, Muraya and Bitange (as himself and not the government) types that know the problems African Techs have and take time to solve them one by one, the time is gone when all we did is point our fingers at "Kenyans", the Government, institutionalised individuals to make the needed change.
The only people responsible for this country's soft power<http://www.samgichuru.com/you-soft-power-and-the-internet/> is you and me, (note: "Samuel Wanjirus" as well) , this was confirmed to me when I talked to Mark a principle founder of Viaweb, he says the first job we have as Kenyans is to change peoples perception.... we are responsible for the fact that they don't respect us.... that respect needs to be earned.
So do I agree with you? Yes.. and I also partly disagree...
Sam
On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 6:18 AM, S.Murigi Muraya <murigi.muraya@gmail.com
wrote:
Agosta,
Please expound, advise, update on the Kenyan tech community..
My thinking is somebodies (e.g.TransCentury types) in their right mind will NEVER invest in Kenyan youth | techies who worship the West -- who do not demonstrate PATRIOTISM - a PRACTICAL (not just emotional or ideological) value for Kenya or its activities in the EAC or COMESA.
Too many Kenyans are here today, then migrated tomorrow.
Most of us mentally colonized people (Africans mostly), lack Locally Respected Enterprise Cultures (LREC) to produce National and Regional if not Global Companies | Brand Names.. So we keep on producing Migrant "Nurses" to serve people who do not think too well of us.
Almost every decent software engineer I have interviewed over the past 2 or 3 years tells me they hate being involved in Government deals (sleaze & sloth) and the way business (bribery) is done in Kenya. Thus they would rather work for foreign firms.
It is not easy convincing them to work well (for 2 or 3 years) for at least one local firm intending to list on the NSE one day so they can learn to create and grow LOCALIZED wealth.
We will never understand Western problems as well as Westerners do, just like they will never undertstand African problems like we do.. So the Kenyan | African Firms worth most investments will be focused in providing localized | regional solutions -- to our rapidly growing populations.
Suspect this decade (2012-2020) will see Kenyan techprenuers whose firms create LOCALIZED wealth doing even better via the NSE. They are likely to have been in the local local tech business scene for at least 5 years and will be over 30 years of age.
This is not the USA | Silicon Valley where various Constitutional and Legal institutions work to check corruption and increase investor confidence. We need to build and invest in local firms that strengthen institutions that promote integrity.
Yes? No?
On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 8:23 AM, Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> wrote:
Sam
This is commendable, Paul Graham and the Y Combinator model can be very effective for Kenya.
My thought has always been that for young guys to develop anything, someone has to jump in early, provide a place to work, food and even accommodation as they hack away for 3-6 months
Once that is done, they have a product that works end to end, a few clients and they can move from these. I think the country has focus too much on VC's as opposed to developing a good angel network for enterpreneurs to tap for early stage money.
The y combinator model protects entrepreneurs from being in a perpetual bootstrap mode... Where you have to keep running after development and website to earn your keep.
Looking forward to seeing the tech community grow... Especially the "guy with and idea"
Again, good stuff chief
Liko
Listers,
I am glad to say that after meeting Paul Graham at Y Combinator I got introductions to everybody else I would have loved to meet including Reid Hoffman of linkedIn.
I can now confidently say that in the future Nailab might have a chance to present smart innovative ideas to VC and Angle Investors together with
likes of dropbox , airbnb and others in Silicon Valley.
PS Ndemo, I am disappointed that government bodies like KICTB keep sending people all over the world and cannot facilitate a simple meeting or connection despite the enormousness opportunity such networkings
On 5/21/11, Samuel Gichuru <gichuru@gmail.com> wrote: the present to
the average Nailab entrepreneur or tech seating at the Ihub.
Sam Gichuru Nailab
On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 7:41 PM, Samuel Gichuru <gichuru@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi..
I am visiting San Francisco and would have loved to visit Facebook, I understand Kenya ICT Board had a team that did a visit a while back
and
was wondering if anyone on this list was part of that team, I have tried reaching Paul Kokubo to no avail, some kidogo networking here will not hurt .. thank you
NB: I already have visited, Sales Force and is Scheduled to Visit Google, Y Combinator and a host of other companies, - Two office I cant find networking contacts are Facebook and Apple, your help will be much appreciated.
-- Warm Regards, ------------------------ Samuel Gichuru Nailab Director
twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> Blog: | www.samgichuru.com Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> Skype: Sam.gichuru Cellphone: | 0722-730565
-- Warm Regards, ------------------------ Samuel Gichuru
twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> Blog: | www.samgichuru.com Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> Skype: Sam.gichuru Cellphone: | 0722-730565
-- Sent from my mobile device
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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.
-- Warm Regards, ------------------------ Samuel Gichuru
twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> Blog: | www.samgichuru.com Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> Skype: Sam.gichuru Cellphone: | 0722-730565
-- Warm Regards, ------------------------ Samuel Gichuru twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> Blog: | www.samgichuru.com Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> Skype: Sam.gichuru Cellphone: | 0722-730565