Fortune thinks kenya is headed for good times.

[RV Pundit]

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This might be true. I was stuck in conference the whole of last week with mostly europeans and americans who have travelled extensively in africa..and they all agree that kenya stands out..development wise.

http://fortune.com/2015/01/22/the-new-world-of-business/

[RVtitem]

I think these ferengis judge a negro country by how it is receptive to their corporations. Typically, Kenya is one hell of a freeway for foreigners. They really don't care about the well being of the natives.

[RV Pundit]

Outside Ferengi driven RSA and maybe Egypt there are few economies in Africa that have the diversification, the sophistication and liberazation/open market competition that exist in Kenya. We were with a Nigerian..the guy had trouble buying USD..reason the 90% oil dependent nigeria economy forex have been cleaned dry following 3 months oil drop..you cannot buy USD in nigeria now..unless you have say Master or Visa card...Nigeria you might think is good..but it just oil.

Kenya has had serious trouble in tea and tourism..but the economy is just going strong.

I think these ferengis judge a negro country by how it is receptive to their corporations. Typically, Kenya is one hell of a freeway for foreigners. They really don't care about the well being of the natives.

[Georgesoros]

If only there was organization. There is trash all over the place, even in high end areas. There is no govt. All govt people are busy looking for bribes

[Reticent Solipsist]

I think these ferengis judge a negro country by how it is receptive to their corporations. Typically, Kenya is one hell of a freeway for foreigners. They really don't care about the well being of the natives.

I would aver that bureaucratic red tape, absurd regulations, endemic corruption, political risk, poor infrastructure, an unenlightened political class - have had more deleterious effects on the Kenyan Negro than all the foreigners--read Westerners-- put together.

[gout]

I thought we had kicked out these obsolete Breton Woods institutions' policies out of Kenya... there is no good coming out of the...tax on senator KEG, Capital gains tax...

The implementation of IMF-supported fixes to central bank and treasury management ought to keep inflation in check and the currency stable as well.

Ndemo feels we need a homegrown economic model away from the IMF that takes into consideration, gives incentives and protects micro and small enterprises...why are we obsessed with giving incentives to multinationals while killing our micro and small enterprises just to get good ratings by this ferengi


http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/ndemo/-/2274486/2610012/-/1ewmn7z/-/index.html

[RVtitem]

Exactly gout. I think GOK has to be careful. I have seen people get employed by CBK courtesy of having experience working with the IMF.

I wonder why a negro thinks its a virtue to work for IMF....while this is the very institution that has put africa in economic prison....

I fully support Ndemo...Africa needs to tweak western protocols but not implement them as they come.

[Georgesoros]

Another one. Kenyans think that employing a PHD to run an institution the company will succeed.

Exactly gout. I think GOK has to be careful. I have seen people get employed by CBK courtesy of having experience working with the IMF.

I wonder why a negro thinks its a virtue to work for IMF....while this is the very institution that has put africa in economic prison....

I fully support Ndemo...Africa needs to tweak western protocols but not implement them as they come.

[RVtitem]

Another one. Kenyans think that employing a PHD to run an institution the company will succeed.

Exactly gout. I think GOK has to be careful. I have seen people get employed by CBK courtesy of having experience working with the IMF.

I wonder why a negro thinks its a virtue to work for IMF....while this is the very institution that has put africa in economic prison....

I fully support Ndemo...Africa needs to tweak western protocols but not implement them as they come.

I do not support employing pure "raw" talent...But what I meant is that those people who have worked for IMF appear not to be a good choice given the reputation of IMF with screwing negro countries on behalf of the west.

[MOON Ki]

I would aver that bureaucratic red tape, absurd regulations, endemic corruption, political risk, poor infrastructure, an unenlightened political class - have had more deleterious effects on the Kenyan Negro than all the foreigners--read Westerners-- put together.

It is always much easier to blame others than to take responsibility for oneself.

[Mr Mansfield.]

If we built 500,000 Units for the urban poor in informal settlements,that would have been real development since it would have created millions of jobs,better housing,water,sanitation,health and more taxes but this high economic growth rate led by the SGR and low oil prices is for the rich politicians and middle class kenyans,doesn't make sense,we need balanced development,

Without Prejudice.

[RV Pundit]

0.5m units at modest cost of 2-3m would be trillions shilling that our gok cannot afford. I think you're confusing the core function of gov..which is to provide common services...to everyone. Gov should spend about as much money on social projects as private co or individual would..i'd go with 10% like the tithe...90% should be spent on core gov services...like security, infrastructure and 43 gov services...as enumerated in the constitution.

If we built 500,000 Units for the urban poor in informal settlements,that would have been real development since it would have created millions of jobs,better housing,water,sanitation,health and more taxes but this high economic growth rate led by the SGR and low oil prices is for the rich politicians and middle class kenyans,doesn't make sense,we need balanced development,

Without Prejudice.

[RV Pundit]

I have worked with folks from WB..and i can tell you they are just normal folks like me and you..policy wonks who make wrong judgement call..but mostly based on real data...far more rigorous than what others folks do. IMF has made mistakes..but let not delude ourselves that our problem start and ends with IMF or WB.

I do not support employing pure "raw" talent...But what I meant is that those people who have worked for IMF appear not to be a good choice given the reputation of IMF with screwing negro countries on behalf of the west.

[MOON Ki]

0.5m units at modest cost of 2-3m would be trillions shilling that our gok cannot afford. I think you're confusing the core function of gov..which is to provide common services...to everyone. Gov should spend about as much money on social projects as private co or individual would..i'd go with 10% like the tithe...90% should be spent on core gov services...like security, infrastructure and 43 gov services...as enumerated in the constitution.

What do you consider "core"?    After food, I can't think of a more basic requirement than shelter.  Where I live, the expected norm is that the government will make available sufficient low-cost housing to those who need it.

[MOON Ki]

I fully support Ndemo...Africa needs to tweak western protocols but not implement them as they come.

It's all very well for Ndemo to wave about some generic  "let's have a different model" or whatever.    But:

* What does he actually have in mind?  (Even a rough outline will do.)

* How will that help improve the situation?   (That one will require understanding and articulating the real problems.)

[Mr Mansfield.]

0.5m units at modest cost of 2-3m would be trillions shilling that our gok cannot afford. I think you're confusing the core function of gov..which is to provide common services...to everyone. Gov should spend about as much money on social projects as private co or individual would..i'd go with 10% like the tithe...90% should be spent on core gov services...like security, infrastructure and 43 gov services...as enumerated in the constitution.

What do you consider "core"?    After food, I can't think of a more basic requirement than shelter.  Where I live, the expected norm is that the government will make available sufficient low-cost housing to those who need it.

Housing is a constitutional right Chinese have already built 36MN homes for the poor between 2011 -2015,


@RV Pundit,

What makes housing expensive in Kenya is interest rate and prohibitive professional fees,Its possible to built a 50SQM at 1MN and cost becomes 500BN,There is so much idle cheap land in ukambani and maasai land we can leverage,If the gov rolls out a 5year plan to build 100K subsidized housing units annually,those are hundreds of thousands of jobs annually and more middle class,you also create an urban rail transit from Nairobi and also shift activity from the small city,that's real development,

shifting containers from mombasa road to SGR or building konza city doesn't make sense 4 common mwananchi,if Kenya was really developing,we wouldn't have the rich surrounded by slums everywhere,

Without Prejudice. 

[Georgesoros]

There is no govt that does not push policies to ensure the poor also have a place to sleep.

[RV Pundit]

Mansfield and Moonki,
The gov cannot possibly feed and house everyone while collecting 25% of the GDP as taxes; there are many competing needs that are reflected in budget making process;There is no way you can justify housing the urban poor [0.5m out of 12m households] who constitute less than 5% of kenya and of poor kenyans some in northern kenya who lives on trees and bushes; without even the many luxuries the urban poor have including good schools, hospitals, and name it.

There is definitely need to deepen social programs....esp for the helpless, the disable, the orphaned, the old, the sick,the vulnerable and the real poor...but most kenyans who are able and active should be out there engaging in productive activities..and generating taxes. Building a hse is easy stuff...mwafrika just need to learn basic skills in masonry, capentry and brick making.

Gov should in meantime focus on services that will reach most folks.....in all the corners of kenya. Education is a big one.

What do you consider "core"?    After food, I can't think of a more basic requirement than shelter.  Where I live, the expected norm is that the government will make available sufficient low-cost housing to those who need it.

Housing is a constitutional right Chinese have already built 36MN homes for the poor between 2011 -2015,


@RV Pundit,

What makes housing expensive in Kenya is interest rate and prohibitive professional fees,Its possible to built a 50SQM at 1MN and cost becomes 500BN,There is so much idle cheap land in ukambani and maasai land we can leverage,If the gov rolls out a 5year plan to build 100K subsidized housing units annually,those are hundreds of thousands of jobs annually and more middle class,you also create an urban rail transit from Nairobi and also shift activity from the small city,that's real development,

shifting containers from mombasa road to SGR or building konza city doesn't make sense 4 common mwananchi,if Kenya was really developing,we wouldn't have the rich surrounded by slums everywhere,

Without Prejudice. 

[Mr Mansfield.]

(1) Kenya,just like the rest of world population is shifting from rural to urban areas so we need to invest in the future,By 2030 we will have more urban residents living in slums,Nairobi,the capital city will be a very big slum,compare it with 50years ago and foresee 50years to come,nobody will want to live there,


(2)Jobs,Over 80% of Nairobians live under less that $1.25 a day,If we were to roll out a 5year program of 100K housing units annually,How many jobs are those vs SGR 30,000jobs?Our middle class would increase would explode,

Without Prejudice.

[RV Pundit]

You tend to think that middle class is having a nice crip. That is really shallow thinking. Urbanization will happen naturally and organically. Most of slums we have are really not so much due to poverty but much more due to vague land ownership..all slums are sitting on mass grabbed public land..where folks cannot invest in building because nobody has titled deed.

Gov has so many competing needs in so many sectors with so little money there is NO SILVER bullet for transforming the economy.

Education is important. Housing. Health. Security. Transport. Internet/Telecommunication. Nuclear R&D. Social programs. Financial stability. Rural roads. Water and Sanitation. Name them.

Any modern gov is too complex to have your simplistic silver bullet solutions.

Right now we spent huge chunk of our money in
1) Education -3B dollars-in teacher salaries and school equipment-
2) Security-2-3B dollars in military, police and prov admin
3) Infrastructure-Roads and Railways.

What remain is very little when you factor about 300-400B funds that goes in paying for debts, pensions and consolidated accounts commitment.

And then throw in another 250B that goes to counties.

And there is just no money to turn the hovels of kibera into shiny middle class crip...not that living in one..without real income from real economic activities..will suddenly transform us to middle class.

(1) Kenya,just like the rest of world population is shifting from rural to urban areas so we need to invest in the future,By 2030 we will have more urban residents living in slums,Nairobi,the capital city will be a very big slum,compare it with 50years ago and foresee 50years to come,nobody will want to live there,


(2)Jobs,Over 80% of Nairobians live under less that $1.25 a day,If we were to roll out a 5year program of 100K housing units annually,How many jobs are those vs SGR 30,000jobs?Our middle class would increase would explode,

Without Prejudice.