Dear Kwach, Thanks for your thoughts. Fortunately, we have been thinking along the same lines. There are a number of locally outsourced jobs that ICT board need to develop. We have the leads and already started working towards realizing our objectives. Digitalization of Government records starts soon. This too shall boost local outsourcing. I am pretty sure that all the infrastructure projects will be complete by next year. Our challenge is to develop entrepreneurs. We have opportnumites especially in developing local content but this is not being exploited. It is ipmperative that we work towards developing especially youth to take advantage of these opportnities. Ndemo.

Fellow Contributors,

Firstly I am impressed by the contributions that have been made in this discussion forum and I must commend Marcel for kicking off this timely discussion in the first place. Kenya is a beautiful country with a determined and hard working people. If there is one thing we Kenyans ask is an equal opportunity and we shall excel. If you talk to any economist they will tell you that the future is in the service industry more so for a country like Kenya that is neither gifted in mineral riches nor expansive arable land (Kenya is primarily 70% desert however with the remaining 30% we are able to become one of the global leaders in floriculture and tea production). The sad thing is that the world markets have changed and become increasingly competitive. Service industries worldwide more so in the IT Outsourcing space compete very aggressively for the market opportunities that present themselves. And those opportunities that have already been bagged are protected jealously.

Unfortunately when it comes to the IT industry the trend that is emerging is not pretty. Blue chip companies, government departments and parastatals have for a while adopted a strategy that has not been conducive in nurturing this industry. The sad thing is where they seem to have a silent conspiracy in only seeking international players for the major IT projects. Talk of Chinese Government IT Loans/Grants complete with planeloads of Chinese Engineers and technicians who swarm in and out without passing on any skills leaving us with pretty much mis-directed/unused investment once the project is implemen

---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"