Kenyans and other Africans, Yes, I agree. We have the money. But we need to organize to stop the hemorrhage of our resources. This is our moment to make our voices heard about our countries' economic sovereignty. What many of our leaders are doing giving away our tangible and intangible assets is treasonous and inexcusable. In Uganda, my country, the president, his family and their lackeys have turned themselves into a veritable mafia of commission agents carrying water for all sorts of foreign interests. They proclaim from the rooftops how indigenous Ugandans are too poor and dumb to own and manage businesses. Yet, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Some of that evidence points to how foreigners, including South Asians who arrive in the country with only the shirts on their backs, are provided with multi-million dollar loans/grants to finance pet enterprises. Ugandans can only dream of such largesse. Understandably, many of those foreign "investors" take the money -- pausing only long enough to wreck the business -- and run. A good example is Tristar, a textile firm that government set up as a showcase of a successful Africa Growth Opportunity Act inspired business, was handd on a silver platter to a pair of Sri Lankan briefcase businessmen with a $2.5 million loan from the state-owned Uganda Development bank. Their only qualification was that they were "Indian", a nationality that Museveni equates with a natural entrepreneurship. In addition to the free business and loan, the conmen were vigorously and publicly supported by the President's office in exploiting an all-female workforce (including sexually), recruited deliberately from rural Uganda and kept in apartheid-era like hostels, ostensibly because they would be too docile to rebel against their poor working conditions. A parliamentary investigation was sparked when the "Agoa girls," as the workers were patronizingly called, organized and downed their tools. That's when the sordid details of the sorry venture emerged. The adage that "if you want to look for traitors, start at the top" is all too true for our countries. With leaders such as these (and silent lambs as us), is it any wonder that nearly every race holds us in contempt and reaps fortunes out of our losses! Vukoni -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [DigAfrica] Re: [africa-oped] Fwd: Re: [picta-kenya] Re: Kenya opens door to foreign telecoms investors - Show quoted text - From: "Robert Alai" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, October 13, 2008 10:34 am To: [email protected], [email protected] - Show quoted text - Matunda Kenyans have the money. France Telekoms came to Kenya and bought Telkom Kenya but is being supported by the Kenyan government. It doesnt have money upto now. Kencall and all these foreigners claiming that Kenyans have no money came and borrowed in Kenyan banks. Tell me which foreigners brought their own money. Including Safaricom which went to the NSE and put up a bond. Lets not be cheated. Matunda, me and you and all people in Dig Afrika and PICTA wont have the opportunity to set up our ICT companies if Dr Ndemo is allowed to go ahead. We must insist on local partnership and its not something we should be begging for. We must insist on it Regards Alai - Show quoted text - On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 5:34 PM, nmatunda <[email protected]> wrote: - Show quoted text - --- In [email protected], "Mike Theuri" <mi.ke.the.u.r.i@...> wrote: Matunda, I concur with your views and completely agree with the way the Canadian banking industry has weathered the financial storm. During a brief visit to Canada I noted that there were 5 major Canadian banks and one major international institution (Europe's largest institution by way of assets) operating in Canada. According to the WEF: "Canada has the world's soundest banking system, according to a more recent report released by the World Economic Forum. Canada's banks received a score of 6.8 out of possible seven, ahead of the banks of five other countries which received a score of 6.7 per cent." We are now seeing the US rushing to regulate the banking sector and even going as far as taking ownership stakes in both US and foreign banks because Americans interest and not that of foreigners is at stake. There are lessons to be learned from this about the consequences of unplanned deregulation ie ownership, operational etc in sectors key to the economy. That said we must closely focus on the issue of Kenya and the PS' plan to invite foreigners with no conditions on local ownership. My original posting on this issue covered a number of varied issues, it appears the discussion has taken on a life of its own after it was shared on other forums and has morphed into a protracted battle between pro-PS types engaged in a concerted effort to silence the issue and individuals who despite their rather harsh and tough ways of getting the point across raise valid points that are apparently unpalatable for some. On Saturday, I received a message from an individual whom I shall not name who has gotten rather cosy with the PS of late suggesting that certain parties were out to reignite conflict in the nation through the revelation of the PS' plan and the resulting debates on lists and that I should play a participatory role in "helping them" squelch the "dissent". I responded saying that the individual was digging in the wrong place as there were no hidden dimensions to the issue other than the policies mentioned and that Kenyans should be free to hold individuals in public office to account without interference or intimidation. It was disappointing to read such a message hinged with hints to unsavoury moments in our recent history coming from an individual who once strongly stood for freedom of expression and the right to information. If other individuals have seen it fit to raise the issues outside of Picta it is indeed within their rights as Kenyans. Unfortunately the answer to Matunda's question is that there is nobody standing up for Kenyans interests on this issue, we only read in the media about plans to gazette following alleged consultations with foreign stakeholders. There is hardly ever any justification made and when it is sought, the PS has repeatedly used isolated but not precedent setting incidents such as the one I mentioned. We all recall the Ksh 100m tax payer funded trip the Finance Minister and the PS amongst other made to the western hemisphere to court Diaspora investors in 2007, only to display high handedness and refusal to answer legitimate questions seeking assurances about the ability of the Diaspora to invest in our own country. As a writer observed: http://www.kenyaimagine.com/Economy/Kenya-Finance-Minister-courts-investors-... "Next was the matter of investment, especially that of Kenyans abroad. However much investment opportunities are paraded, investors, whether Kenyan or foreign, always have the same questions about the local environment with regard to; bureaucratic bottlenecks, regulatory climate, corruption, and insecurity" When such questions were brought up the delegation brushed them aside and refused to answer them. Today, we read about Ndemo appearing to disregard the interests of Kenyans through his proposed policies and calling for increased foreign participation in the Kenyan economy. This is simply wrong, why is Ndemo rushing to make conditions better for foreigners but not exhibiting the same level of effort for Kenyans to have a larger stake in the economy? Ndemo should instead be taking on the issues his delegation brushed aside when questioned by would be Kenyan investors. The PS should put his country (Kenya) and its citizens first and that means working for the common interests of Kenyans. Any Kenyan who asks the PS or the Government to justify and explain its position on such contentious proposals should be given the opportunity to express their views, not condemned and counter attacked as seems to be the case now on a discussion list serving industry interests. Kenyans should not stand by idly as non-progressive proposals are quietly drafted and made binding to Kenyans without the process being open to critique and public input. Mike On Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 7:14 AM, nmatunda <http://../../../../post?postID=Nwl_acszxFkN4z3b2uNtU8XlfkXWMi8l7FoVzSnzRChXPvqnkZb6vcvKEzgqRf67GjelW9IqJOAw> wrote: Mike, I am with you 200% on this. Every country must always act in its self-interest; this move by the PS is deplorable and not in line with long term Kenyan interests, especially in as a lucrative area as ICT. In my books, we invite foreigners for such things as (a) financing (which by the way Kenyans have shown can be raised locally), (b) operations and management experience & knowledge transfer, (c) relationships that we can leverage through any such joint ventures, etc. Joint ventures can also cushion enterprises from predatory illegalities, especially given our weak legal dispute resolution structures! Of the latter, remember when heads of state corporations used to queue up with money bags to state house to prop up the Moi excesses! Or when companies could be shaken down for political donations at a whim! For me, a good (not ideal!) joint venture is one of the kind that Kenya Airways went into with KLM, when KA had been run down by politically connected individuals. KLM brought in management and operations experience, facilitated KA's access to markets and routes that KA otherwise couldn't easily access and in the process the KA brand rose, as did profits and more! The investment has paid well for Kenyans and KLM; a win-win. There is a lesson to be learnt from the current American financial crisis with respect to experiences in Canada. This country has been under pressure to deregulate its financial services sector for the longest time. Banks have argued that they needed mergers to allow them to compete globally; and that they needed global partners that would help them grow and extend their reach. Canadian government have constantly refused mergers or the kind of deregulation the industry sought! Their argument: the interest of the common person whose priority banks should be. Guess what? In the present crisis, Canada has come substantially well ahead of the US and others. And for what reason: they stood against unfettered deregulaion! and they stood up for the interest of Canadians. I ask all yee this question: who is standing for the interest of Kenyans in this open invitation to exploitation? Dr Ndemo needs to be stopped, I am afraid! Unedited. Matunda Nyanchama