Dear Eric,

Thanks for your comments.  The current Malaysian Prime Minister was among

the delegation in 1972 that came to Kenya and other African countries to

learn the magic of growing an economy at rate of 7%.  They were shocked to

visit cities in Africa that had no shanties.  They grabbled with the issue

of poverty, disease and ignorance.  The poverty level here is at 3% and

every Malaysian has a house.  Their ICT corridor is 70Km long and 30 Km

wide.  They are now working on a biotechnology corridor which shall be

even bigger than the ICT one.

In meetings to chart the way forward on these projects, the attendance is

greater than 95%.  Contrast this with our Africa.  We call meetings to

discuss policy and you hadly see anybody but when it comes to criticism

everybody has something to say.  More often in the negative.  A good

example is the policy proposals that I have made here.  Peterson is

already criticizing and saying the Government should ... strike a balance.

 Should we be asking where our problems are?  We are simply too

argumentative and have fallen flat on our bellies when it comes to

responsibility.

We do not need to reinvent the wheel, we simply have to learn what the

Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) did.  They allowed the MNCs but

ensured that components were manufactured locally.  The backward and

forward linkages enabled them to develop sufficient confidence to go it

alone.  The assembly of Motor Vehicle industry in Kenya had attained 60%

local content before it slid.  In 1985 we attempted to make a local car,

Nyayo.  Incidentally, that is the same year the Malaysians started their

Proton.  The initial production both in Malaysia and Kenya were so

expensive that we ridiculed our Nyayo car to oblivion.  Malaysians on the

other hand knew they had a learning curve to go through in order cut the

cost.  Today we import the Protons to Kenya.  Our technicians from General

Motors helped India with the Tata and Mahindra but we still have not quite

gotten it correct.  I have always wondered whether God made us perpetual

pessimists?

Had we trusted ourselves even by a tinge, we could very easily be

competing with Japanese or better.  The situation is not getting any

better since it is common to see 40 year old men living with their

parents.  Are we really creating independent minded Kenyans who can change

this country or Africa for that matter?  These are the people who make

comments on subjects they have no idea in.

Eric I worry a lot for our continent.  Per harps I shouldn't.

Regards

Ndemo.

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