Look like SGR to Kisumu & malaba - aint happenning soon.

[Nefertiti]

This is where Ruto comes in - and sells Safaricom & hopefully more privatization to get extra bucks - we need to build roads, bridges, dams, pipelines, power stations, ports, railways, electricity transmission and water & sewage systems

Again sorry to appraise you but Ruto is not synonymous with development. He is synonymous with corruption - WASTAGE - Mau, dams, name it. Our biggest problem is not capital - so that we need debt - it's that we cannot build efficienty - economically or frugally like Kibaki - because of local graft and incompetence - and so we resort to import everything - capital, expertise, machinery, even material. We do not have excess capital or outstanding enterprise to utilize the infrastructure - we therefore must carefully pare borrow & build with utility. This last part is critical - paring. The Chinese are struggling with excess industrial capacity - which they are offloading on Africa, Latin America, etc - Kenya will not have anywhere to off-load yet debt must be repaid on time.

Kibaki leveraged the post-Moi clean slate - his borrowing and privatization was not a binge - it was well calculated unlike Jubilee. Development is not buildings or steel or physical infrastructure - it's the investment with the best utility at the right time. In 2000 this was roads and FPE which Kibaki did very well. Right now it is city metro subway and such areas - and not railway or sewers . Sewer will not attract invest. I would say FSE & TIVET - and fund research at Uni level.

[RV Pundit]

Long story short - matters economy - are measured by GDP GROWTH RATE. The rest of details.

This is where Ruto comes in - and sells Safaricom & hopefully more privatization to get extra bucks - we need to build roads, bridges, dams, pipelines, power stations, ports, railways, electricity transmission and water & sewage systems

Again sorry to appraise you but Ruto is not synonymous with development. He is synonymous with corruption - WASTAGE - Mau, dams, name it. Our biggest problem is not capital - so that we need debt - it's that we cannot build efficienty - economically or frugally like Kibaki - because of local graft and incompetence - and so we resort to import everything - capital, expertise, machinery, even material. We do not have excess capital or outstanding enterprise to utilize the infrastructure - we therefore must carefully pare borrow & build with utility. This last part is critical - paring. The Chinese are struggling with excess industrial capacity - which they are offloading on Africa, Latin America, etc - Kenya will not have anywhere to off-load yet debt must be repaid on time.

Kibaki leveraged the post-Moi clean slate - his borrowing and privatization was not a binge - it was well calculated unlike Jubilee. Development is not buildings or steel or physical infrastructure - it's the investment with the best utility at the right time. In 2000 this was roads and FPE which Kibaki did very well. Right now it is city metro subway and such areas - and not railway or sewers . Sewer will not attract invest. I would say FSE & TIVET - and fund research at Uni level.

[Nefertiti]

Says who - some author from Havard? Do you measure your personal growth by the pay check - or net income v spend? Gross NET Income is what matters - ergo Jubilee has not grown Kenya. If you must borrow you do it frugally - and this principle applies squarely at individual, corporate, county or national level.

Long story short - matters economy - are measured by GDP GROWTH RATE. The rest of details.

This is where Ruto comes in - and sells Safaricom & hopefully more privatization to get extra bucks - we need to build roads, bridges, dams, pipelines, power stations, ports, railways, electricity transmission and water & sewage systems

Again sorry to appraise you but Ruto is not synonymous with development. He is synonymous with corruption - WASTAGE - Mau, dams, name it. Our biggest problem is not capital - so that we need debt - it's that we cannot build efficienty - economically or frugally like Kibaki - because of local graft and incompetence - and so we resort to import everything - capital, expertise, machinery, even material. We do not have excess capital or outstanding enterprise to utilize the infrastructure - we therefore must carefully pare borrow & build with utility. This last part is critical - paring. The Chinese are struggling with excess industrial capacity - which they are offloading on Africa, Latin America, etc - Kenya will not have anywhere to off-load yet debt must be repaid on time.

Kibaki leveraged the post-Moi clean slate - his borrowing and privatization was not a binge - it was well calculated unlike Jubilee. Development is not buildings or steel or physical infrastructure - it's the investment with the best utility at the right time. In 2000 this was roads and FPE which Kibaki did very well. Right now it is city metro subway and such areas - and not railway or sewers . Sewer will not attract invest. I would say FSE & TIVET - and fund research at Uni level.

[RV Pundit]

Look like you're in argumentative season - where you want to dispute anything.GDP has been the main tool for measuring economic activity since 1944 when IMF & WB were established. Everyone and their grandmother knows the best measure of nation economy is GDP growth rate. In this case - Jubilee averages around 6% (round off) - and we haven't re-based yet (IMF/WB recommend 5yr rebasing circle - we try to stick to 10yrs in Kenya).

Says who - some author from Havard? Do you measure your personal growth by the pay check - or net income v spend? Gross NET Income is what matters - ergo Jubilee has not grown Kenya. If you must borrow you do it frugally - and this principle applies squarely at individual, corporate, county or national level.

[Nefertiti]

That's wrong - GDP - at face value. You have HDI, Gini index and other equally established metrics. HDI is actually the most useful measure of development. With corruption and massive debt - GDP is not all that sorry - cause HDI and Gini as measures of inequality - are no good. Investment choices matter. Corruption of course remain a major impediment - as the driver of inequality.

Look like you're in argumentative season - where you want to dispute anything.GDP has been the main tool for measuring economic activity since 1944 when IMF & WB were established. Everyone and their grandmother knows the best measure of nation economy is GDP growth rate. In this case - Jubilee averages around 6% (round off) - and we haven't re-based yet (IMF/WB recommend 5yr rebasing circle - we try to stick to 10yrs in Kenya).

[Nefertiti]

It so much fun smoking Ruto - the Snake in the Garden.

Look like you're in argumentative season - where you want to dispute anything.GDP has been the main tool for measuring economic activity since 1944 when IMF & WB were established. Everyone and their grandmother knows the best measure of nation economy is GDP growth rate. In this case - Jubilee averages around 6% (round off) - and we haven't re-based yet (IMF/WB recommend 5yr rebasing circle - we try to stick to 10yrs in Kenya).

[RV Pundit]

Okay let talk HDI - which isn't restricted to the economy - but takes in other data.
https://countryeconomy.com/hdi/kenya
Moi had stagnated HDI at 0.45 or around.
Kibaki took us from 0.47 - to 0.56 - about 0.1 HDI improvement. Kibaki started from a very low base - 2002!
Jubilee took us from 0.56 - to 0.59(as of 2017)- from 145 country rank - we are now 142.
Jubilee has now firmly placed kenya on the medium HDI ranking.

That's wrong - GDP - at face value. You have HDI, Gini index and other equally established metrics. HDI is actually the most useful measure of development. With corruption and massive debt - GDP is not all that sorry - cause HDI and Gini as measures of inequality - are no good. Investment choices matter. Corruption of course remain a major impediment - as the driver of inequality.

Look like you're in argumentative season - where you want to dispute anything.GDP has been the main tool for measuring economic activity since 1944 when IMF & WB were established. Everyone and their grandmother knows the best measure of nation economy is GDP growth rate. In this case - Jubilee averages around 6% (round off) - and we haven't re-based yet (IMF/WB recommend 5yr rebasing circle - we try to stick to 10yrs in Kenya).

[MOON Ki]

Let not talk about laptops ; all schools electrified; tablets and laptops for teacher delivered.

You need to talk to some of the "ignorant" people who write stuff like this about Jubilee's great "successes":

26 Feb 2019
The Kenyan government has suspended its over Ksh 17 billion plus school laptop project

https://sun-connect-ea.org/kenya-suspends-its-ksh-17-billion-one-laptop-per-child-programme/

Labs instead of one-laptop per child?   I seem to remember that being suggested way back when.

When President Uhuru Kenyatta announced in 2013 that all the 1.2 million Class One pupils would get laptops, educationists proposed instead that the government consider building computer laboratories.

Being an election year, however, the politics of expediency held sway.

Of failed school laptop project and sobering lessons it offers.

Five years after the projected launch of the primary schools laptop project, the government has finally admitted it is not viable. Instead, the Ministry of Education plans to set up one computer laboratory for each of the 25,000 primary schools across Kenya.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001314435/of-failed-school-laptop-project-and-sobering-lessons-it-offers

How Uhuru's Sh24.6 billion laptops project collapsed

... a number of critics had floated the idea of constructing Information and Communications Technology labs in schools but the proposal was rejected by the government.

https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Why-schools-laptop-project-failed/1056-5000062-10b9yum/index.html

(Oh, schools being electrified is all very well, but that wasn't the main objective, and, had it been,  it certainly could have been done without the extra joke expense of the laptops or tablets or whatever.)

Spin away, but reality is what it is.

[RV Pundit]

I am happy they tried. They actually managed to pull it through for first year. That entailed a lot of electrification, trainings and roll out. Now those tablets and laptops & audio-visual - will continue to be used - until they die.

Countries that succeeded embraced POLICY EXPERIMENTATION. This was a bold move. I am very happy they even thought about it.

Countries that succeeded also knows when to cut the loses and run. If evidence suggest - we need computer labs - go for it.

Ultimately we need the kids taught those skills. My yr 4 (9 yr old) kid is already being taught coding (C++) and you expect public school kids to compete how?

We need a lot of policy experimentation. Who knew what M-pesa would eventually turned out if Prof at CBK then didn't give them a chance?

The laptop project results will be apparent in 20yrs - not now. When computer savvy kenyan kids from all over face the world in a decade - there will be a huge difference with say their Uganda counterparts.

Let not talk about laptops ; all schools electrified; tablets and laptops for teacher delivered.

You need to talk to some of the "ignorant" people who write stuff like this about Jubilee's great "successes":

26 Feb 2019
The Kenyan government has suspended its over Ksh 17 billion plus school laptop project

https://sun-connect-ea.org/kenya-suspends-its-ksh-17-billion-one-laptop-per-child-programme/

Labs instead of one-laptop per child?   I seem to remember that being suggested way back when.

When President Uhuru Kenyatta announced in 2013 that all the 1.2 million Class One pupils would get laptops, educationists proposed instead that the government consider building computer laboratories.

Being an election year, however, the politics of expediency held sway.

Of failed school laptop project and sobering lessons it offers.

Five years after the projected launch of the primary schools laptop project, the government has finally admitted it is not viable. Instead, the Ministry of Education plans to set up one computer laboratory for each of the 25,000 primary schools across Kenya.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001314435/of-failed-school-laptop-project-and-sobering-lessons-it-offers

How Uhuru's Sh24.6 billion laptops project collapsed

... a number of critics had floated the idea of constructing Information and Communications Technology labs in schools but the proposal was rejected by the government.

https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Why-schools-laptop-project-failed/1056-5000062-10b9yum/index.html

(Oh, schools being electrified is all very well, but that wasn't the main objective, and, had it been,  it certainly could have been done without the extra joke expense of the laptops or tablets or whatever.)

Spin away, but reality is what it is.

[hk]

On GDP growth. Last year 6.3% gdp growth was driven by agriculture, manufacturing and transport https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/economy/Kenya-s-GDP-growth-rebounds-to-6-3pc-in-2018/3946234-5087360-1wy5djz/index.html . Transport grew by 8.8% a 5 yr high. But there's a caveat, from the horses mouth https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001322719/how-kenya-hit-6-3pc-growth-in-economy

[Nefertiti]

Most public schools have a "Computer Class" in the curriculum. Not examinable. There is one physical class equipped with desktops, printers, projector - and one instructor. Class 4 to 8 kids get trained one lesson per week. With FSE high schoolz need to step up to some advanced IT lessons. We could end up with serious talent once the digital divide is nailed. Good chance - of a few Gateses and Jobses emerging - no guarantees of course. We have a mixed bag of say athletics and agriculture - both start with a level ground compared to the west - but on anything that need thinking we swiftly sank to the bottom.

Even with Jubilee & Ruto incompetence I see good potential  in the laptop thing.

I am happy they tried. They actually managed to pull it through for first year. That entailed a lot of electrification, trainings and roll out. Now those tablets and laptops & audio-visual - will continue to be used - until they die.

Countries that succeeded embraced POLICY EXPERIMENTATION. This was a bold move. I am very happy they even thought about it.

Countries that succeeded also knows when to cut the loses and run. If evidence suggest - we need computer labs - go for it.

Ultimately we need the kids taught those skills. My yr 4 (9 yr old) kid is already being taught coding (C++) and you expect public school kids to compete how?

We need a lot of policy experimentation. Who knew what M-pesa would eventually turned out if Prof at CBK then didn't give them a chance?

The laptop project results will be apparent in 20yrs - not now. When computer savvy kenyan kids from all over face the world in a decade - there will be a huge difference with say their Uganda counterparts.

[MOON Ki]

I am happy they tried. They actually managed to pull it through for first year.

A huge problem is that nobody ever thought past the past year.

Now those tablets and laptops & audio-visual - will continue to be used - until they die.

Jubilee has invented hardware devices that last forever?   Amazing.

Countries that succeeded embraced POLICY EXPERIMENTATION.

Do those countries, which must be the ones Kenyans begs and borrows from,   indulge in every dumb and expensive idea that strikes some "leader's" fancy?

If evidence suggest - we need computer labs - go for it.

Common sense suggested that right at beginning.

We need a lot of policy experimentation. Who knew what M-pesa would eventually turned out if Prof at CBK then didn't give them a chance?

"Something over there exceeded our expectations.   So let's try every dumb and costly idea we can think of.  Who knows what success we might strike".   That doesn't seem like very smart thinking for a country that depends on begging and borrowing (i.e. has little  money) and which still cannot even properly feed itself (i.e. other, more important, priorities).

[Nefertiti]

We need a lot of policy experimentation. Who knew what M-pesa would eventually turned out if Prof at CBK then didn't give them a chance?

"Something over there exceeded our expectations.   So let's try every dumb and costly idea we can think of.  Who knows what success we might strike".   That doesn't seem like very smart thinking for a country that depends on begging and borrowing (i.e. has little  money) and which still cannot even properly feed itself (i.e. other, more important, priorities).

There was a mega-project meant to address food security for posterity - 1M acres under irrigation, GMOs, Israeli experts, etc. It's called Galana-Kulalu - it was plastered all over the billboards in 2012-13. I could be wrong but it's nothing to write home about. That and 6000 supposedly completed dams - with a half dozen extra megadams under construction - it's amazing folks and animals are still starving to death.

It's what Pundit won't admit : the best ideas in the world won't work with Uhuru and Ruto's level of incompetence and greed.

[Nefertiti]

if wishes were horses

[MOON Ki]

There was a mega-project meant to address food security for posterity - 1M acres under irrigation, GMOs, Israeli experts, etc. It's called Galana-Kulalu - it was plastered all over the billboards in 2012-13. I could be wrong but it's nothing to write home about.

There was a misunderstanding in that one: the government's "Kenyans will eat from this project" was taken by some to mean eating the project money.  So, the usual story of billions "spent",  but nothing to show at the end.

[RV Pundit]

Galana-Kulalu is not a failure. It a victim of short termism propaganda. The Isrealis did 10,000 acres model farm. Kenya gov learnt a lot of lesson including that river Galana could never provide enough water for 1m acres - hence the huge dam being built upstream now.

We need to keep trying out new ideas.....a country is like a company...we need a fair share of R &D....most of R & D projects fails....but the few that succeeds pretty much makes up for all the losses.

If we don't engage in policy experimentation or R & D --- we are not going to leapfrog -- we are going to take 500yrs to get to where western world is.

There was a mega-project meant to address food security for posterity - 1M acres under irrigation, GMOs, Israeli experts, etc. It's called Galana-Kulalu - it was plastered all over the billboards in 2012-13. I could be wrong but it's nothing to write home about. That and 6000 supposedly completed dams - with a half dozen extra megadams under construction - it's amazing folks and animals are still starving to death.

It's what Pundit won't admit : the best ideas in the world won't work with Uhuru and Ruto's level of incompetence and greed.

[RV Pundit]

Of course - formalizing the economy is part of gov objective and achievement. The informal sector maybe big - but it useless if we don't know how big, if we cannot tax it and if we cannot regulate. If Jubilee manages to formalize the economy - that would be awesome - starting from the big ones - retail & wholesaling (dukas) and transport (matatus & trucks) --- take the taxis -the ubers are now easy to track,measure and tax.

On GDP growth. Last year 6.3% gdp growth was driven by agriculture, manufacturing and transport https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/economy/Kenya-s-GDP-growth-rebounds-to-6-3pc-in-2018/3946234-5087360-1wy5djz/index.html . Transport grew by 8.8% a 5 yr high. But there's a caveat, from the horses mouth https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001322719/how-kenya-hit-6-3pc-growth-in-economy

[Nefertiti]

Ideally once you formalize 99% cash-free economy - you can go with flat 20% VAT on all items except maybe unga - and scrap PAYE. It's a shame how the tiny working class is double taxed at about 50%. Flat VAT and corporate would be magical - and at $100B you get 25B or thereabouts. Tax evasion by informal and corrupt companies esp wahindi is a major form of loss.

Of course - formalizing the economy is part of gov objective and achievement. The informal sector maybe big - but it useless if we don't know how big, if we cannot tax it and if we cannot regulate. If Jubilee manages to formalize the economy - that would be awesome - starting from the big ones - retail & wholesaling (dukas) and transport (matatus & trucks) --- take the taxis -the ubers are now easy to track,measure and tax.

[hk]

Of course - formalizing the economy is part of gov objective and achievement. The informal sector maybe big - but it useless if we don't know how big, if we cannot tax it and if we cannot regulate. If Jubilee manages to formalize the economy - that would be awesome - starting from the big ones - retail & wholesaling (dukas) and transport (matatus & trucks) --- take the taxis -the ubers are now easy to track,measure and tax.

No one  would be against formalizing informal sector or measuring the true size of kenya economy. However capturing economy data more accurately doesn't mean the economy has grown exponentially. Its one of the reasons why ordinary kenya is dismayed with heady gdp growth numbers that aren't reflective in "real economy". Kenya economy isn't necessarily formalizing but consolidating in few sectors. taxi, uber and little, matatu various saccos etc. The finance sector, due to agency banking and mobile money is shedding workforce.

[hk]

Ideally once you formalize 99% cash-free economy - you can go with flat 20% VAT on all items except maybe unga - and scrap PAYE. It's a shame how the tiny working class is double taxed at about 50%. Flat VAT and corporate would be magical - and at $100B you get 25B or thereabouts. Tax evasion by informal and corrupt companies esp wahindi is a major form of loss.

Of course - formalizing the economy is part of gov objective and achievement. The informal sector maybe big - but it useless if we don't know how big, if we cannot tax it and if we cannot regulate. If Jubilee manages to formalize the economy - that would be awesome - starting from the big ones - retail & wholesaling (dukas) and transport (matatus & trucks) --- take the taxis -the ubers are now easy to track,measure and tax.

What would be your corporate tax rate? And would you also scrap income tax rate for individuals? How about other rates like landlord tax? I'd reduce the vat to a flat rate of 8% no deductions. An income flat rate of 15% for both individuals and corporates. In retail there's tot tax or turnover tax, that's what need to captured for individuals by looking at individuals mobile money and bank statements. This can be self assessment tax just like TOT is and landlord tax( which is 10% gross).
Simplified and lower taxation always lead to more compliance and higher tax collection.