Young Business Kenya

Devaluation of Kenya Shilling: Government Must Explain

2011-08-21T20:39:00.000+03:00

Central Bank of Kenya

Demonstrations and riots that have engulfed the United Kingdom in the recent past are not only shocking but also reveal that people, irrespective of their colour, culture and location can react differently when agitated. Developed countries have their ‘hooligans’ who loot as those in developing countries.

Democracy and respect for the rule of law is fundamental in governance but democracy itself must be controlled and regulated. Even though political scientists define democracy as ‘the majority wins,’ it is also important to define the relationship between democracy and civilization.

However as the people of UK go to the streets about the high cost of living, Kenyans are struggling to survive with an ailing economy. The value of the shillings is depreciating alarmingly forcing the living cost to rise above the income and expectation of ordinary Kenyans. The irony is that the government is not explaining to the people the reason for the high rate of inflation. A dollar is now changing at about one hundred shillings and yet many Kenyans live below a dollar a day and are not able to eat the required three meals a day let alone breakfast. Prices of most essential commodities such as Maize, Sugar, Unga, petrol, paraffin has doubled the normal price.

The Minister for Finance, the Central Bank governor and the whole chain of command in the treasury charged with the responsibility of managing finance and economy for the country should explain the situation or own up and resign because they have failed the country. Political responsibility should be a voluntary measure by any credible and responsible leader, Chief Executive Officer or Manager who has failed in discharging his or her duties.

While people are suffering, starving and dying from hunger, the leadership especially the ruling class including parliamentarians are busy increasing their salaries and running their businesses. Adamantly, most Members of parliament have refused to pay taxes and yet they themselves are the law makers. The Kenyan leaders should not mistake and underestimate Kenyans as cowards.

Kenyans are patient but very intelligent and strong. They can protest and demand for credible and accountable leadership. People’s power should not be taken for granted because it is a very strong component in terms of pushing for both economic and democratic freedom. The Kenyan leaders should not be brainwashed to think that Kenyans are different from other oppressed and suffering people in Uganda, UK, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and the rest now experiencing serious political and economic unrest.

The government has failed totally in its economic plan. Last year, the dollar was exchanging at 77 shillings. It has now clocked 94, an escalation of 27%. In south Sudan which just attained her independence, a dollar is exchanging at about 2.8 Sudanese pounds. The effect of the inflation is weighing strongly on the people of Kenya.

Politically, it is being speculated that the high cost of the dollar is politically instigated by certain politicians as a strategy for 2012 general elections. This is a very immoral attitude if true. It is a hell bent strategy aimed at literally strangling Kenyans. Though speculation, it is naïve to deny it because of the nature of Kenyan politicians who are known to be crafty, unreliable, irresponsible and not concerned with the welfare of the people.

By Denise A. O. Kodhe,

Executive Director, The Institute for Democracy, Leadership & Empowerment in Africa- IDEA, Nairobi, Kenya.

Retrieved from: http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=6033

Connecting African Entrepreneurs to Global Business (Sylvester John)

2011-08-21T20:36:00.000+03:00

The average university students in Africa will wait to graduate before they seek to exercise the power of knowledge to impact their communities. Not so for Sierra Leon born Sylvester John, who as an undergraduate at the University of North Florida (U.S.A) in May 2000 helped establish a Center for Education, Free Enterprise and International Trade in Ghana. He eventually brought the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) initiative to Africa.Sylvester spent more than 10 years in Ghana and Togo. He officially established SIFE in Africa (specifically in Ghanaian universities) in 2000

Sylvester Theodore John was recently promoted to serve as Senior Vice President, International Students In Free Enterprise Inc.. SIFE creates a global partnership between business and higher education and prepares university students to meaningfully address real world issues that entrepreneurs and business leaders encounter. Mentored by faculty advisors and business leaders, university students conduct projects annually which are then judged by business leaders drawn from 45 countries across the World.

In September 2001, as head of SIFE Africa, Sylvester established an African-wide program that has since spread to 11 countries; has active participation from over 150 universities and 4,800 students annually and has witnessed the implementation of over 400 projects.

In Kenya, Sylvester John helped launch the SIFE Kenya chapter that has seen over 2,300 university students' gain from business interactions, SIFE projects, and international business competition popularly referred to as SIFE World Cup. In October 2005, under his leadership, University of Zimbabwe SIFE Team stunned the world by scooping the coveted SIFE World Cup at a competition in Toronto.

Those who have interacted with Sylvester will testify to his strong will power to transform Africa and the way the continent conducts her business with the global community.

At The African Executive, SIFE Kenya and Inter Region Economic Network, we congratulate Sylvester John for his new job as Vice President SIFE International operations in 45 countries and endorse him to be our African hero this season!

Retrieved from: http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/hero/index.php?id_article=17

Graduate Uses Skills to Make a Difference

2011-07-03T14:55:00.000+03:00

Stephen Ondieki Orioki is a graduate of the academy at Raila Educational Centre in Kibera. Orioki completed the IT Essentials course and free business training offered at the academy, which provides guidance in several areas including job seeking, entrepreneurship, and customer service.

Orioki used his career and technical skills to open a computer repair shop. He started running the business out of his home, with a computer he purchased with borrowed funds, and invited youth who were involved in deviant activities such as drugs and gambling to play computer games at the center and learn more about technology. "It's a place for them to socialize and think more positively," Orioki explains. " While they're here they can avoid situations that lead them in the wrong direction and might cause them to become just another sad story. Most of them can relate to me because I grew up in the neighborhood," he adds. "They see me overcoming the same challenges they face and they're motivated to try to make some changes themselves.”

A Regional IT Ambassador

Orioki has successfully expanded his business into three computer centers with 30 computers and four employees. He visits each center every morning and evening to make sure everything is working properly, and offers affordable computer skills training to help local youth develop technical skills. More than 400 students have completed courses at the centers, with an average of 30 students attending each class.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Orioki was invited to attend the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Award ceremony in Oslo, Norway. “Stephen’s achievements inspired the selection team in the United States,” says Muraj, “and they chose him to represent the entire African region at the awards.”

Venture helps SMEs take right steps and grow their business

2011-06-27T18:49:00.000+03:00

When Ms June Gathoni and Ms Monica Wangui decided to invest their savings to help and empower entrepreneurs, many thought that theirs was a doomed venture.

But just one year after investing the Sh8 million they had saved and secured through sponsorship to start up Maple Small Medium Size Enterprise Resource Centre, Ms Gathoni, the director, said the centre has not only become a promising business but has also helped thousands of entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

The centre in Wanadege, Hurligham in Nairobi, advises entrepreneurs on business opportunities and also engages in consultancy for SMEs and start-ups. Among the services they offer their clients are business plan writing, systems management, marketing campaigns both locally and internationally, brand management, public relations and consultancy, all at a fee.

Ms Gathoni, 30, says the centre is for start-ups, SMEs and other companies that are looking for information, help and empowerment in entrepreneurship and it aims to equip SMEs with financial and business management skills.

“Our main objective is to support SMEs’ every step of their way as they implement systems and good business practices that govern enterprises from small businesses to future corporations,” Ms Gathoni told the Business Daily.

Small to medium business owners and start-ups can also borrow funds at competitive terms than currently available in the market to enable them grow and expand their businesses.

Before starting the centre, Ms Gathoni was in information technology and M-Pesa business for more than seven years and she felt the heat of being denied quick loans when she needed money, and lack of business information.

“At times, you want a loan to boost your promising business but the condition in banks and other financial institutions send you away because you probably don’t have the security they need. This puts your business at risk of collapsing and that is the gap we want to fill,” she said.

To achieve this, the centre holds annual small and medium enterprise fair and conference, training seminars, workshops and forums that bring together financiers, companies with business opportunities and consultants for SMEs.

Businesses and individuals seeking to join the resource centre and enjoy training from business experts in various sectors are required to pay Sh1,500 annual fee.

So far, says Ms Gathoni, they have more than 1, 000 members from Nairobi, Eastern, Central, Nyanza, Rift Valley, and Coast provinces where they hold conferences during different times each month, and more are still coming on board.

In most economies, Kenya included, she says, SMEs comprise about 99 per cent of all firms and employ between them about 60 per cent of the workforce, hence the need to empower them.

Driving innovation

And in many sectors, SMEs are responsible for driving innovation and competition. Globally SMEs account for 99 per cent of businesses and 40 to 50 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

Since they began their services, Ms Gathoni says, there has been positive improvement in their members, and Government supports SMEs in order to boost economic growth.

“The government is now recognising our work and it’s concerned about these group of business people it had earlier ignored,” she said.

She says that SMEs should be taken more seriously and that suitable framework should be put in place to help them surmount the challenges that they face.

Retrieved from http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Venture+helps+SMEs+take+right+steps+and+grow+their+business/-/539444/1185878/-/item/0/-/5cryvf/-/index.html
on 27th June 2011.

The Depressing Kenyan Economy. What's Next?

2011-04-24T19:27:00.000+03:00

Benefits of social media in marketing overstated

2011-04-24T19:15:00.001+03:00

The ’cola wars’ between Coca-Cola and Pepsi are arguably the longest running competitive battle in the history of branding.

I have been teaching case studies on these wars to MBA students for more than a decade because, aside from it involving two of the world’s biggest brands, they also illustrate many of the key aspects of brand management.

Market segmentation, integrated marketing, line and brand extension, the role of portfolio management - these topics and more are the key lessons from a century of skirmishes between these two branding behemoths.

And we now can add one more: the value of social media. Last year Pepsi shocked American marketers by announcing a major change in its US brand strategy.

After 10 years and $150 million of investment in Super Bowl TV ads, Pepsi passed up the chance to buy any media during Super Bowl 2010.

Instead, as part of a wholesale shift away from traditional media, Pepsi invested as much of 50 per cent of its American branding budget into social media.

At the heart of this new strategy was the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Using Facebook, Twitter, live Ustream video and an iPhone application, consumers were encouraged to suggest social causes that would “refresh the world”.

Traditional

Consumers could then vote - again through social media - for their favourite causes and Pepsi would donate millions to these and use social media to promote the impact that its generosity had on these worthy causes.

Any traditional advertising Pepsi did commit to was largely aimed at promoting its social media channels.

The response was spectacular: 80 million votes registered; 60,000 followers on Twitter; 4 million “likes” on Facebook. And all at the expense of arch-rival Coca-Cola which, despite also investing in social media, had continued to invest most of its budget in outdated traditional media like Super Bowl advertising and old-fashioned product placement deals with the likes of American Idol.

There was only one snag. For all the big social media numbers and even bigger talk of communication revolutions and social movements - Pepsi’s sales started to slide.

And Coke’s didn’t. And market share was not the only thing Pepsi had lost, for the first time in living memory it also lost its number two spot.

Diet Coke is now the second biggest cola brand in the US.

An overt focus on social media had blinded Pepsi to the realities of its market.

It was not marketing a movement, it was marketing cola. Marketing at Pepsi should have never been about conversations or dialogue - it should have been about reminding consumers what Pepsi stands for and encouraging them to go buy it.

First, senior Pepsi personnel have admitted to the failings of social media.

Second, not only is Pepsi aware of the failings of social media, it is now reversing course. More money is to be pumped back into traditional media.

Designer spawns jobs and new market for local raw materials

2011-04-03T11:26:00.000+03:00

Decor Interiors’ director Kamnia Mehta at the firm's workshop in Nairobi.

We meet Florence Mumbua from Sultan Hamud at the busy Decor Interiors Limited workshop in Nairobi’s industrial area.

She has come to deliver her weekly supply of sisal.

Unlike the skilled workers at the workshop who specialise in making office and home furniture from sisal, Ms Mumbua’s skill is different.

She and 12 other members of her group harvest and refine sisal which they sell to Decor Interiors.

Selling sisal

“We make a living from selling sisal. A metre goes for three shillings and in a week we make a single supply of 2,000 metres,” she says.

The proceeds are taken to the group and after deducting a permanent contribution to cater for the various members’ needs, the rest of the money is shared out among members.

Ms Mumbua and her colleagues are lucky to have found a market for a product whose value majority of her fellow villagers have not discovered.

They are not even the actual owners of the sisal plants.

Back home, sisal plants are only used as fences around farms because there is no stable market for the crop.

“Those who own sisal plants do not know where to sell the produce. Some farmers sell us the leaves but most of them give them away for free,” she says.

In contrast to the activities at the remote villages in Sultan Hamud where this raw material is sourced from, Décor Interiors Kenya Limited showroom is all glamour, showcasing the latest designs in home and office interiors.

Kamni Mehta, the director of the company and a designer by profession says they aim to boost local talent using locally available raw materials.

Ms Mehta has been at it for 15 years, having started off with a design and advertising company back in 2004.

The company started with a total of nine workers. Today it directly employs 22 people and indirectly engages 23 workers as weavers and harvesters— a category where Ms Mumbua and her group belong.

A year later, opportunities opened up for the design company and they were soon participating in a trade show dubbed Top Draw in London.

Locally, the company has participated in a number of fairs among them the Homes and Gardens Expo at the Sarit Centre in 2009 and the just-concluded Ideal Interiors Expo where they scooped the people’s choice award.

“ We want to take local design to another level. It is surprising that even with the abundant talent that the local design industry has to offer, Kenyans still stare and yearn for products featured in international magazines,” she said.

She says Decor Interiors aims to give Kenyans an opportunity to sample products made from local materials and this explains the choice of sisal.

She says this will also offer job opportunities at the material extraction stages, designing and sales processes.

The company is also keen to explore other markets outside Nairobi where they have based for the last six years.

“We have been growing tremendously. By the end of 2009 we started selling products to Grumeti Expeditions Limited in Tanzania and now we are looking to exporting to South Africa and other markets,” she said.

While focus initially seemed to be on retail business, this has since expanded to include production on special projects which involve large orders for corporate and residential use.

“Retail is more intense in terms of production. We are now responding to larger projects in the residential, corporate and hospitality sectors,” said Ms Mehta.

She adds that with the evident boom in the real estate sector, Kenyan designers should be given a chance to benefit from evolving trends in the industry.

Steps to Unlocking Your Best Business Solutions

2011-02-25T13:24:00.000+03:00

Let It Be Free: “Free advice” is worth what you pay for it, right? Not always. Some of today’s best small biz resources are free. SCORE"Counselors to America's Small Business" is one of America’s best small biz resources. Here are a few other examples (among hundreds):
- The Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership operates EntreWorld is one of the most extensive and useful small biz Web sites. It’s all free and has no advertising.
Expand Your Boundaries: Some terrific resources are near; others far. Organizations such as Better Business Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce and Small Business Development Centers have thousands of local offices. But for opportunities beyond U.S. borders, Hong Kong-based Alibaba is a top provider of online marketing services to small importers and exporters.
Consider Big Biz: When it comes to small biz, a few big companies do “get it.” Staples, for example, makes ordering supplies a breeze; OPEN: The Small Business Network from American Express offers good financial management tools, services and savings; while Microsoft’s bCentral is a standout.
Go for Gov.: Government-sponsored resources (state and federal) can be helpful, especially for startup info, contracting and import/export matters. Business.gov is a good portal. (And by the way, StartupJournal.com, from the Wall Street Journal, is a super site for start-up info.)
Don’t Leave Your Desk: A phone, a Web connection and a guidebook such as BizBest to help point the way are all you need to find help for any business need.
Be a Skeptic: Thousands of organizations, publications and Web sites offer “resources” that are blatant advertising. Look deeper. Ask questions. And be wary of the Web. It offers tremendous resources, but picking them out from all the garbage gets tougher by the day.

Why I must grow my income and change my lifestyle

2011-02-07T20:43:00.000+03:00

Following my golf experience, I have now realised that a car is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

There are times when I spend more of my workday thinking of my personal life.

Right now, there are two things that deeply bother me and impact on my personal life.

Following my golf experience, I have now realised that a car is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

The problem, however, is which car? My previous car, The Beast, which I recall with fondness was all about proving how full of testosterone I could be.

The question for me now is which car should I get without breaking my rather unhealthy bank account.

During the holidays, I noticed that most of my ex-classmates and village mates were driving Mercs and huge 4- wheel drive cars.

Truth be told, I would be perfectly okay driving a small car such as a Duet or Vitz.

The car would not cost me an arm and a leg, plus I worry that parking outdoors is not safe for an expensive car.

But after my golf experience, I am fast realising that there could be some truth in the line “fake it till you make it.”

My new car budget has expanded beyond my means — but I must find a way of upgrading myself on my preferred mode of transport.

Just before I can ponder on the second thorny issue, my PA beeps me on my desk phone.

She say, “Mr Josphat, please remember the telecon in five minutes.” Sometimes I do not know what to do with my PA.

Camaraderie

I keep telling her to call me simply Josphat. I read somewhere that doing away with titles creates camaraderie among colleagues. But she keeps calling me Mr Josphat.

I respond with a polite “thank you” as I prepare to dial-in for the telecon.

Kenya leads in intensive mobile internet users

2011-02-07T20:33:00.001+03:00

A woman browses the internet trough her mobile phone.

Kenya has the most intensive mobile internet users in Africa, with each user browsing an average of 525 pages each month, according to a new report by Opera.

Kenya has the most intensive mobile internet users in Africa, with each user browsing an average of 525 pages each month, according to a new report by Opera, the leading mobile internet software company.

The number of unique users grew by 246.2 per cent in the year to November 2009 while page-view grew by 615 per cent in a similar period.

The report, a snapshot study carried out in November last year, shows an exponential growth in usage of mobile internet around the world, especially in developing countries.

Compared to findings of a similar study in April last year, Kenya moved up one place to number three in the top 10 African countries with the highest users of mobile internet. Ghana and Kenya lead the top 10 African countries in terms of page-view growth at 4,348.6 per cent and 615.4 per cent respectively. Ghana and Ivory Coast lead in growth of unique users at 1,558.8 per cent and 330.2 per cent respectively.

“Despite tough economic times in the past year, people continue to adopt technology — such as mobile browsing — especially when it helps them overcome their hardships,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO Opera Software.

The findings raise hope of growth in mobile-enabled investments for entrepreneurs and solutions for consumers.

Relevant information

According to a recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), “In the near future, Internet-enabled phones may help deliver locally relevant information and services to entrepreneurs in developing countries, the way SMS and voice technology are already doing.” Local telecom firms have in the past few years invented a number of value added solutions based on mobile internet platforms. These include business directories, online payments and bookings for air and bus travel.

Top countries

“They enable users to access information, especially that relating to news, education, health, jobs and family. In a number of African countries, notably Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, mobile telephones enable individuals to gain access to banking,” adds the report.

The report by Opera also ranks various websites preferred by mobile users. In Africa, Facebook is the most popular in six out of the top 10 countries and is the second site in three of the countries where it is not leading. Also captured in the survey is the popularity of handsets for browsing. The Nokia 5130 topped the list of mobiles used for internet, followed by Nokia 3110c and Samsung SGH-E250 respectively. “Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets are extremely popular in Africa, but Samsung is a significant exception, boasting the most popular phone used by Opera Mini users in South Africa, Zambia and Namibia,” reads part of the report.

The report by Opera, State of the Mobile Web, tracks trends in mobile internet by capturing data of handsets using Opera Mini (leading the global mobile internet software market at about 30 per cent.) Opera Mini is free, supported through a partnership between its developer and the search engine company Google.

The report does not capture data from in-built mobile browsers but is indicative of the general mobile internet market.

Managerial Functions

2011-01-19T16:30:00.003+03:00

The functions which describe managerial job, when put together, make up the management process. This process is analyzed into key functions of management viz., planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. Planning, organizing and controlling which deal mostly with non-human aspects are known as mechanics of management, whereas staffing and direction which are primarily concerned with human aspects constitute dynamics of management. In the conceptual scheme, though the functions are listed out in a sequence, I practice they are interlocked as a system. As all functions are not equally important for all managers, time spent by them for each of these functions varies according to their levels in the organization. These functions has been discussed below:

Planning: Planning refers to anticipate the opportunity, problems and conditions and choosing from among the alternative future courses of action. The planning process generally includes the following activities.
- Forecasting is looking ahead to anticipate the opportunity, problems and conditions in a future period of time.
- Establishing objectives means setting the end results to be accomplished by directing organizational efforts.
- Programming is establishing sequence and priority of actions to be followed in the attainment of the objectives.
- Scheduling is deciding on time sequence for program steps.
- Budgeting is allocation of resources to minimize costs.
- Establishing procedures means developing and applying standardized methods of performing a specific work.
- Developing policies involve establishment and interpretation of standing decisions that apply to repetitive questions and problems of significance to be organization as a whole.
Organizing function: The organizing function of management is the process of defining and grouping of activities and creating authority relationship among them. It consists of
- Developing the organization structure which involves identification of task and grouping them into units or departments for performance.
- Delegating authority to the managers and making him responsible for group performance.
- Establishing relations creating conditions necessary for mutually cooperative efforts of people in the organization.
Staffing: Planning the organization with suitable personnel constitutes the staffing function. It involves selection, training and development, compensation, and appraisal of subordinates by the manager. Manpower planning and manpower management looks after these activities and try to ensure suitable methods of remuneration and performance appraisal of the employees.
Directing Function: involves managing people and the work through the means of motivation, proper leadership, effective communication and coordination. A manager must develop ability to command. He should issue orders and instructions without arousing any resentment among the subordinates. He must be able to secure willing obedience from his subordinates without destroying their initiative and creativity. Moreover, it requires a sound communication system to enable exchange of ideas and information for common understanding.
Controlling Function: enables management to ensure that achievement is in accordance with the established plans it involves:

Establishing performance standards for evaluating results.
Performance on the basis of records and reports on the progress of work.
Performance evaluation against the standards set.

Corrective action to regulate operations, remove deficiencies and improve performance

5 Tools To Becoming An Entrepreneur

2011-01-14T20:45:00.004+03:00

Here’s a quick list of five tools that will kick start your journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Good luck and may the entrepreneurial force be with you!
1.) Notebook or diary – keep a notebook or sketch pad handy at all time. You never know when you’re going to get an idea and you don’t want it to slip away. As much as you think you will remember, I guarantee you will forget these ideas the majority of the time. Be safe, write it down! I’m actually using my iPad to keep notes on these days and it works great!
2.) Social Media – networking is a major component of becoming an entrepreneur. You won’t get to where you want to be without connections. You’ll need to connect with people in your field to help move your ideas along. Set up an account on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Become friends with everyone in your niche and follow all those people that are in related fields.
3.) Books/magazines – there are literally thousands of books on every subject including whichever field you’re targeting. Read reviews and ask associates which books are the most useful for your subject matter. You might also read books on entrepreneurship. And don’t forget that there are dozens of very helpful magazines on almost every subject under the sun.
4.) List of blogs/podcasts – locate any and every blog related to your field. Bookmark them, read them and leave comments. Also find related podcasts and subscribe to them so you know when they are updated. Podcasts are great to throw on your MP3 player and take everywhere you go. You can literally be listening and learning every minute of the day!
5.) Mentor – finding a mentor may be the toughest tool to locate. If you find one, they’ll be like gold. If you have to, you might need to connect with a mentor online or over the phone. Contact as many big names in your niche as you can, most of them are more than willing to give advice and answer the questions that you should have.
Those 5 tools are a must to get your entrepreneurial journey started. With a solid foundation you will have a much higher chance to succeed. Good luck and get busy!

Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneurialideas.com/5-tools-to-becoming-an-entrepreneur/

8 Simple Ways to Register a Company in Kenya - start right away!

2011-01-06T19:10:00.005+03:00

1. Name search: Obtain approval for the company name from the Registrar of Companies. The company name reservation lasts 30 days but can be renewed for a similar period. (3 days). Cost to complete: KES 100 per name reservation.

2. Prepare Memorandum and Article of Association: These documents describe the objectives, rules, subscribers and authorised share capital of your company.

3. Pay Stamp Duty: You begin by collecting four forms from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) at Times Towers. Two copies go to the Ministry of Lands and Housing, Lands Registry, one is retained by you and the other by the bank. Obtain stamp on the Memorandum and Articles of Association and a Statement of the Nominal Capital at the Lands Office (5–10 days). Cost to complete: 1% of nominal capital + KES 2,020, stamp duty on Memorandum and Articles of Association. * Bank handling charges of KES 100 for each transaction are also due.

4. Declaration of compliance: File Declaration of Compliance (Form 208) with the Registrar of Companies as required under the Companies Act (Cap. 486) - A Commissioner of Oaths/ notary public must sign this form on your behalf.(1 day). Cost to complete: KES 200

5. File Deeds at Registrars office: File deed and details with the Registrar of Companies at the Attorney General's Chambers in Nairobi (7- 14 days). Cost to complete: KES 6360
The founder must file the incorporation deed and the required documents and forms (listed below) with the Registrar of Companies, which includes:
- Stamped memorandum and articles of association.
- Statement of capital.
- Form 201, Notice of Situation of Registered Office.
- Form 203, Particulars of Directors and Secretary.
- Form 208, Declaration of compliance with the Companies Act.
- Copy of the company name approval
Fee schedule for registration:
- For the first KES 100,000: KES 2,800.
- For every KES 20,000 after the first KES 100,000: KES 120, subject to a maximum of KES 60,000.
- Filing fee for three forms: KES 600.

6. This includes your memorandum and articles of association. There is a varied fee attached to this.

Register for a Personal Identity Number (PIN), VAT & PAYE: This takes a day or two to register at Times Tower and is free.

Registration for a personal and a company identification number (PIN) is required to register for the VAT (PIN certificates of at least two directors or 2 shareholders or a director and the secretary are required), the local service tax, and the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax.

Register for NHIF: NHIF stands for National Hospital Insurance Fund. This is mandatory medical contribution for your employees. Register at the NHIF building (1 day). Cost to complete: No Charge.

The employee contributes a fixed sum to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which must be deducted by the employer from the employees’ salary. The maximum contribution is KES 320 per month. The contributions are used to offset the costs of medical treatment, but they only cover a fraction of actual costs. Hence, most companies provide employees with medical insurance.

Register for NSSF: NSSF stands for National Social Security Fund. It is mandatory to contribute to your employees retirement fund. Registration is done at the NSSF building at the bottom of Valley Road (1 day). Cost to complete: No Charge.

The National Social Security Fund provides the employee with a lump-sum retirement benefit. Historically, the rate of return paid by the state is considerably less than that achieved by private schemes, but participation is mandatory. The employer pays a standard contribution of about 1% of salary, subject to a maximum of KES 400 per month. Half the contribution is deductible from the employee’s salary. The precise amount of the contribution (where less than the maximum) is determined by reference to salary bands.

Register for a Business Permit: This application is made to the City council. You will need office space prior to submitting this application (5 days). Cost to complete: KES 5,000

The fee to apply for a business permit varies by type of business, number of employees, and size of the company’s premises. The fee is payable to the Nairobi City Council, Licensing Department. The City Council will issue a business permit.
Fee schedule for business permit:
- Medium trader, shop, or retail service from 5 to 20 employees and/or premises 50–300 sq. m. (fair location): KES 5,000.
-Mid-size business of 50 employees and premises 300 sq. m.: about KES 20,000 to KES 50,000, depending on the nature of the business.

The Licensing Laws (Repeals and Amendments) Act , 2006 (enacted in December of 2006 and came into effect on May, first, 2007), amends the Local Government Act (Cap. 265) by reducing the number of business permits required for a distributor of goods or provider of services to carry on its business activities. Applicants having obtained a business permit to operate from one local authority will not be required to obtain another business permit in another local authority. In addition, business permit applicants will have an opportunity to elect whether to apply for a 1- or 2-year permit. The 2006 law also eliminated the requirement to obtain a trading license in addition to the permit.

7. Register for PAYE: (1 day). Cost to complete: No Charge

8. Get your Company Seal. This is the last bit. Buy a company seal from the relevant business dealers after a certificate of incorporation has been issued by the Registrar of Companies. (2 days). Cost to complete: between KES 2,500 and KES 3,500. You can get good quality company seals from Seal Honey Stationers in Nairobi.

Youth Fund, ICPAK sign deal to benefit young accountants

2010-12-17T19:36:00.000+03:00

Young accountants will now find it easier to get jobs abroad, courtesy of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). The mutual benefit for both parties is to provide a channel through which they can use their respective strengths to assist each other achieve their statutory objectives and in so doing
benefit the Kenyan public and in particular the Youth. Under the MOU ICPAK will seek recognition of Kenyan
accountants in other countries while the Youth Fund will work with accredited employment agencies to place the accountants. The employment agencies will source job opportunities abroad. The Fund will provide pre-departure training, documentation and migration loans to the youth who obtain jobs abroad. The two organizations will also partner in providing financial management training to the youth, establishing a database of young accountants and in mentorship. “The first milestone of the MOU will be to hold a joint visit to Rwanda” said Mr. Umuro Wario, the Fund’s Chief Executive Officer. ICPAK Chairman Mr. Michael Itote said that Rwanda has been identified as one of the countries with employment opportunities for our youth as well as accountants. Others present during the signing ceremony included ICPAK CEO Ms Caroline Kigen, several board members and Mr. Henry Mwenda, the Fund’s Lending and Investment Manager.

http://www.youthfund.go.ke/index.php/component/content/article/48-yedffrontpage/61-youth-fund-icpak-sign-mou.html

Reach A Successful Small Business

2010-12-02T18:04:00.000+03:00

Think like an entrepreneur, to set your mindset and understand what an entrepreneur should do
What kind of entrepreneur are you? A question to review your own self perception about entrepreneur and think what kind of successfully entrepreneur you want to achieve appropriate with your character and ability. Also, this point will build a focus direction to achieve your vision
Start thinking about money. Yes, you have to answer about this question, how important is money for you? What will you do with your money? Through those questions, you can review and get summary about money for your life then it will create your plan to get it
Start planning. This is a plan that you have to think and created for short term and long term period of your life. Make a plan through according to your vision and plan some mission to make it real
Predicting your success. You have to draw about success on your next time period. A success vision and target for a year forward, 3 years, 5 or 10 years later
Polishing your plan, Nothing is perfect including life’s plan. But to be success you have to make your plan review and update related to business circumstances

Create A Great First Impression

2010-12-02T17:45:00.000+03:00

Build new business relationship, introduce ourself to others or show first performance on the stage are critical moment for us to leave great impression and generate positive appraisal. So how we have to able build great first impression to everyone and in every moment we exist.

1. There’s no second chance
Principally, you have to think that first impression is the starting key to build relationship. Think that will there’s no second impression . Don’t give bad impression at first because it will eliminate your relation interest to get a meeting with you next time
2. Sturdily Shaking hands
Shaking among relations or business partners is a must. Sturdily shaking hands will built a trust from them to you. Don’t forget to this simply point
3. Come on time
Almost everyone know about this rule. Don’t make appointment if you worried about your personal schedule. Just On time, on time… and on time
4. Fashionable
Build some neat and clean impression. Show your respect by wear appropriate dress or fashion
5. Be Your self
Let your act seem natural. Avoid pretended action. The best thing in this point is how you can show and known as originally you are.
6. Speak with honestly and structured
Honest build a trust, while speaking with good structure will build good communication. Keep your altitude for being honest and train your speaking skill to actualize this point
7. Positive thinking and keep smile
Positive thinking will build optimism, credibility and professionalism. And the last, don’t forget to ‘smile’ , melt all tension and awkwardness

Powerful Tips, Achieve a Sales Goal by Simplify Your Words

2010-12-02T17:42:00.004+03:00

According to his book, Ponijan Law, the author of Talk To Your Customer This Way, mentioned on second point tips to win the customer by Simplify Your Words. The point is about how we can talk with customer with words or sentences that easy to understood and make them satisfy with our explanation.

Simplify Your Words ==> Effectively Communication ==> Win a Customer ==> Sales Goal

1. Substantial
Talk with customer, we have to understand first about what is the substantial point we want to convey. Ensure that the point deliver to customers very well and they listen your substantial part without any confusion. Don’t talk too long and rambling, people can’t take the substantial content of conversation
2. Words Structure
Words selection to construct your sentence is better use general term or commons. Using technical term sometimes very impressed but some people do not understand what is the meaning. Just choose a simple words with a simply structure speaking sentence, people will have no difficulty to understand
3. Know Your Customer
The target to win the customer is how we can achieve our sales goal trough brilliant sales communication. Know who is your customers and their character, socioeconomic level, education, typology and their physiology will help you start and build appropriate communication style.

Zain to undergo transformation, adopt new brand name

2010-11-18T19:47:00.000+03:00

Zain Kenya will adopt the new brand name ‘Airtel’, on Monday next week, The Standard has learnt.
"It is confirmed that the re-branding exercise is set for November 22," sources familiar with the exercise said.
Zain’s transformation will see the second largest telecom in the country change its brand name for the fourth time since it started operating in Kenya. The operator entered in Kenya as KenCell, changed to Celtel, then to Zain and now will change again to Airtel.
Data services
"Bharti Airtel will formally launch its brand in African in just over a week, and our major focus will be on third generation mobile and data services in the continent," Bharti Airtel Chief Executive and Joint Managing Director, Manoj Kohli, said in Ghana on Friday where he announced its July-September financial results.
"I feel that after two quarters of restructuring of these areas, we should be able to achieve much healthier share of business. Already, we are seeing higher incremental customer addition," he added.
The new look of the brand is expected to incorporate the word Airtel.
‘Red’ is expected to be the dominant colour in the brand, which will be splashed all across India, Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Seychelles.
The change in the brand follows the acquisition of Zain’s operations in Africa by India’s Bharti Airtel in June this year in a $10.7 billion deal.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, who doubles as chairman and founder, largely owns it.
It is expected the company will set up its African headquarters in Nairobi, with Jayant Khosla, formerly of Essar, heading operations in English-speaking African countries.

EABC alarmed by rising business barriers in the region

2010-11-18T19:43:00.000+03:00

Members of the East African Business Council (EABC) have raised concern over many barriers frustrating trade in the region.
The entrepreneurs singled out some of the issues as arbitrary suspension of commodity exports, continuous application of illegal fees and lack of coordination among border clearing authorities. EABC said in a statement that export bans instituted by agriculture ministries of Tanzania and Kenya have, for instance, denied producers in the region access to markets that would otherwise guarantee them higher returns. The Executive Director, Agatha Nderitu said the organisation has written to all Government institutions and agencies concerned requesting them to abolish or suspend the reported barriers.
"We want to encourage all businesses to continue reporting such trade barriers," she said in the statement issued last week by the regional umbrella organisation of the private sector.
In Tanzania, Nderitu pointed out that foreign-registered vehicles involved in transporting cargo still pay $500 to Tanzania Revenue Authority on each entry on top of annual fees of $600.
Tedious clearanceIn Burundi, she added, goods are still made to undergo tedious clearance procedures from numerous agencies, which include immigration, security, anti-corruption and customs department among others. In Rwanda, the EABC statement explained, Rwanda Revenue Authority does not recognise EAC certificate of origin particularly on goods originating from Uganda for electro-welded black tubes.
According to Nderitu, Uganda Revenue Authority and Uganda National Bureau of Standards continue to issue different requirements regarding standards on Pre-Export Verification of Conformity.

New Kenyan Organisation to help ICT Entrepreneurs

2010-11-14T17:29:00.001+03:00

There is a new private technology business development network - c4IDEA.com - with a mission to promote the rapid growth of innovative and profitable technology-driven ventures in Kenya, was launched early this month in Nairobi.
"It will serve as an online clearing house bringing together entrepreneurs, interns, mentors, investors, incubators and other partners in order to create wealth and generate jobs for Kenyans," Peter Kamacia, c4IDEA.com founder and chief executive officer, said last week.
"Such networks are a critical ingredient for the early success of the Government’s economic recovery strategy."The emergence of the technology business development centre reflects the increasing presence in Kenya of the ICT business, which is one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy propelled by mobile telephony and the Internet.
Kamacia said c4IDEA.com is looking up to cash in on the wave of anticipated investments in the country brought about by the liberalisation of the Very Small Aperture Terminal (Vsat) technology , a move that has sparked the evolution of data networks.
Last week, for instance, saw the launch of Kenya Data Networks Limited (KDN), the latest data communications carrier in the local market.These networks are behind the phenomenal success of such technology hubs like Bangalore in India and other emerging technology areas like Cape Town in South Africa, Accra (Ghana) and Port Loius in Mauritius, according to the c4IDEA.com founder.
"They also re-assure international investors and joint-venture partners that their investments are part of a professional business community," Kamacia, who has worked in the technology world for over 10 years, said.
He went on to explain that c4IDEA.com’s prime objective is to help entrepreneurs find local and international investors for their technology-driven ventures.
By December last year, US Information Technology (IT) companies were jostling to promise customers cheaper and flexible services using technology professionals in low wage countries such as India, China and Mexico, according to the CNET News.com website.
Hewlett-Packard (HP), for example, already has several thousands of services employees in the Indian sub-continent, while computer services giant Electronic Data Systems announced its "Best Shore" programme, promising a 40 per cent increase in personnel and resources devoted to low-cost applications services centres around the world, according to the CNET report.
By 2015, a total of 3.3 million US jobs and US$136 million in wages will transfer offshore to countries such as India, Russia, China and the Philippines, according to Forrester Research.
"With local Treasury Bill rates just below two per cent, a double digit inflation and currency in circulation at Sh60 billion, the financial market appears ripe for new investment vehicles," Kamacia argues.
Kamacia said technology-driven ventures backed by solid business plans prepared by entrepreneurs and other key stakeholders will charm investors in search of better returns.
"Our second goal is to promote the establishment of business incubators or technology parks to host technology- driven ventures," Kamacia told The Financial Standard.
A business incubator is an office or factory facility that houses its tenants by giving them space on flexible terms and shared services such as meeting areas, secretariat, accounting, research computer and even production-related facilities.
They offer a range of business development services to enhance the success and growth of their tenants, and ventures located in such incubators or parks can save up to 40 per cent of their costs, said the consultant.
Through this network, c4IDEA.com is hoping to involve Kenyans living overseas as both entrepreneurs and/or investors in technology-driven business based Kenya. "As professionals working abroad, they have first hand experience of technology and should therefore be at the forefront in transferring technology to Kenya," Kamacia said.
"We aim to facilitate this process by proving the Kenyan Diaspora with a dynamic network that is ready and willing to collaborate with them."
As part of its mission, c4IDEA.com if focused on ensuring Kenya becomes an active player in the lucrative outsourcing industry. To this end, the centre has scheduled a series of seminars over the next few months on global outsourcing , business processing and contract manufacturing , for technology entrepreneurs and investors.
www.c4IDEA.com.Business

How to make your salary work hard for you

2010-09-16T09:36:00.000+03:00

In Summary

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER

Having full financial freedom has to do with personal financial planning.
Figuring out where your money is going is the first step towards taking control of it.
If overspending is an issue, figure out which categories to reduce spending and plan to start paying off credit cards
Put the money into income generating assets, since assets earn you money and liability burns your money
The rich don’t accumulate cash. They accumulate assets that generate cash flow for them

When most people think about future careers to choose, they are always tempted to focus only on the potential salary they can earn. Most believe a decent salary gives one financial freedom.

Definitely, a big income always helps, doesn’t it? Having the money to pay all your monthly bills and going for those luxurious vacations tells all about your personal financial situation.

The reality, though, is that having a big income is not always the key to a secure financial future. As we found out, people have different definitions of what financial freedom means to them. Most believe it allows them to live comfortably.

But majority think financial freedom means earning a big salary and being able to afford such things as lavish vacations, expensive cars, boats, expensive clothes, jewelry, or luxurious homes.

To some, financial freedom is having an extra income, adding to their present income so as to boost their financial status. They search daily for low-risk, high-return investments, hoping to fall into a fantastic deal that will put them into a higher financial bracket.

Philip (he allowed us to use only his first name) works as a banker in the city earning around Sh150,000 monthly, but says the salary is not enough to sustain him, which is why he decided to operate a matatu business.

“If my salary was around Sh500,000, I would not be interested in getting an extra income elsewhere. I think it would have been enough. But I need more money to sustain my family and to settle my monthly bills.

I need to work hard to live a comfortable life,” he says during the interview with Money.
The banker says his current salary cannot guarantee him financial freedom.

“I pay for my children’s school fees and I am repaying a car loan I took last year. I also depend on the same salary to pay for the house rent and to settle other bills. It is just not enough, I think I need more cash and a better salary to satisfy my needs.” Financial freedom is impossible to achieve with the current economic hardships,” he adds.

According to experts, the road to financial freedom is private and personal. They say one cannot rely on someone or something else to pave the way for their financial security.

“Unless you are committed to setting and keeping your financial goals, there is no salary, no matter the figure, that will give you financial freedom,’ says Mr Paul Muhami, a Nairobi-based financial consultant.

He adds that obstacles like fear of failure, laziness, negativism, bad spending habits, and lack of emotional and financial intelligence can block one’s path to financial success.

“This is why it is easy to argue that someone who is earning Sh7,000 is living a less stressful life than the one who takes home more than Sh700,000. The former is used to living a simple lifestyle, and can be able to cope and save part of the little salary he earns, aiming to start some income generating activity.

However, the latter is likely to be in big debt. For poor financial planners, big salaries always attract more debt and most high income earners spend their working careers repaying loans and other debts,” he says.

Mr Manyara Kirago of First Independent advisors and author of ‘How to become a Lifelong financial Success’, says earning a big salary can give one full financial freedom, if he or she sets their goals right.

“I have five clients who only depend on their monthly paychecks while each has a net-worth of over Sh100 million. Having full financial freedom has to do with personal financial planning. Figuring out where your money is going is the first step towards taking control of it.

With a monthly paycheck, the limit to your spending is listed in black ink. It would be better if spending was below that number,” he says.
According to Mr Kirago, majority of those who earn big salaries (like members of Parliament) always tend to spend a lot of money and eventually put themselves into a big trap of debts.

“In the world of finance, there is a saying that expenses rise to meet income. And this could be true when studying how most well-paid employees spend their huge cash.

The more they earn, the more the needs and since the money they make is not enough to satisfy all their needs, they end up borrowing bad loans from banks, which take them years to repay, hence more deductions in their pay slips.”

He adds that many of those who always complain of not having enough money are those who earn big salaries but fail to manage them properly.
“It should be understood that there is no budget or spending plan set in stone.

Safaricom cleared to join Equity bank patent case

2010-09-16T09:31:00.000+03:00

In Summary

The model widens bank’s client base

On average, 5,000 clients sign up for the service every day, a report released by Renaissance Capital says.
Through the integration of the bank’s network of over 80 branches with 17,500 M-Pesa agents, Equity is expected to increase its presence in rural areas with limited access to financial services.
M-Kesho enables individuals to withdraw money from their bank accounts through their mobile phone handsets.
The service also allows Equity customers to deposit money into their accounts through Safaricom’s M-Pesa agents.
It was launched in May.

Safaricom Ltd was Wednesday enjoined in a suit filed by a businessman who has taken Equity Bank to court over the M-Kesho banking concept.

And although businessman Hoswell Mbugua Njuguna opposed the move, Mr Justice Leonard Njagi said the country’s largest mobile phone operator had been adversely mentioned in the case.

The judge said in a ruling that Safaricom was reasonably an interested party and should therefore be enjoined in the suit for its input to be taken into consideration.

He quoted a demand letter written by Mr Njuguna to Equity saying the fact that he copied it to Safaricom’s chief executive officer, Mr Michael Joseph, was enough evidence of the partnership between Equity and Safaricom in the banking product.

Through his lawyer, Mr Duncan Anzala, Mr Njuguna said he had sued Equity Bank and not Safaricom, over alleged breach of confidence. He argued that it was better for the matter to be heard without Safaricom’s involvement.

The case, which was slated for hearing Wednesday, could not proceed after Equity’s lawyer George Sichangi said he needed time to file his reply because he had been instructed to handle the matter on Tuesday.

Equally, Safaricom, through Mr John Ohanga, said it needed time to file its response.

Mr Njuguna accuses Equity of breaching confidential information shared with two of its agents on a concept similar to M-Kesho.

Claiming that M-Kesho features contain most of the details of his concept known as Weka Usaidike, Mr Njuguna alleges that it was wrong for the bank to use the confidential information to enrich itself.

In a sworn statement, Mr Njuguna says he confided the information to Anne Kinuthia and Eric Karobia on August 10, 2006 in a bid to secure an agreement.

However, the talks ended without a deal. He says he was shocked when Equity and Safaricom rolled out their product with features similar to his creation.

Since the product was launched in May, the bank is said to have opened over 600,000 accounts.

M-Kesho customers deposit and withdraw money through their mobile phones. The bank has also introduced sheds and centres throughout the country for handling its operations instead of traditional bank facilities.

Customers also use Safaricom’s M-Pesa service to deposit and withdraw money from their bank account.

Other than stopping the bank from further use of the said information, Mr Njuguna will also be asking the court to order an inquiry on the damages for the breach of confidence.

The case will be heard on September 30.

The broadband mess in Kenya - and I’m so angry

2010-08-18T15:48:00.002+03:00

Kenya is in dire need of investment in technology. That is why I am angry that the factors hindering growth are actually "policy" related to this sector, and not due to lack of innovators or investors. There are many innovators and investors willing to take the challenge of helping Kenya come out of the dark ages of narrowband and into the grace of broadband.
The problem rises from the differences between the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) and other 3G service providers. There seems to be a great cloud of varying information which hardly gets to the man on the street. The unclear issues include the following:
The Zain situation with the CCK
Though very confusing, The East African recently reported that they have only applied for a 3G licence but have not paid for it. However, some Zain insiders earlier claimed that they had paid and were in the process of testing.
Meanwhile, a couple of senior chairmen and CEOs I had the privilege of meeting with in a closed session also mentioned that they been informed that Zain had paid the fee. Every once in a while it is reported that the Zain connection knocks into 3G, and a couple of local techies have told me that they have hit 3G before both on their modems and handsets.
The Orange situation with the CCK
This is another saga that was recently clarified when Orange finally stated their position. They too find the US$25m (Sh1.9billion) 3G licence fee excessive.
The reason we have no alternative provider is because the fee is set too high. But why? Since there is no other obvious reason, short of greed, it seems to go back to two individuals and a long-term strategy by the Government.
Safaricom still dominates the market but not because of innovation. President Kibaki recently directed that number portability be executed by end of January 2010, although it now appears this will not happen until mid-2010. Worse, someone had earlier mentioned to me that even two years down the road we will still be in anticipation. I will not be surprised if this was some ambitious politician's manifesto come 2012. And even Prime Minister Raila Odinga, instead of getting down to supervisory work, which is his real job, is busy flapping his gums about the Mau Forest and ODM policies, but not about what the Government is doing wrong.
The lack of ability to criticise Safaricom in media means we cannot complain about the poor service. Yet Michael Joseph, the Safaricom CEO, has been named CEO of the Year in Kenya.
Corporate cancer
The African leadership cancer goes beyond government and into corporates. But then again, in Safaricom's case, the corporate is in bed with the Government.
As it appears, we won’t have a new 3G service provider because Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Charles Njoroge, the Director General at the CCK would prefer this not to happen, and if it must, that the competitors suffer in getting it. They also are not willing to look at alternative solutions to allowing other networks because Safaricom needs protection, to keep the money flowing in. Government protection. In the next two years, voice will probably be a dead business. Data will be the goose that lays the golden eggs – so that prohibitive $25m 3G fee is, one suspects, trying to protect the data for one company.
Zain, Yu and Orange’s alternatives
• Zain, Yu and Orange need to negotiate a better rate for the 3G licence and then finance a debt repayment on behalf of the CCK to cover the excess fee Safaricom paid.
• CCK keeps the same fee and work on a debt recovery management plan where they get percentages of incomes till the fee is covered, plus interest of course. The licence can be issued for free or at a deposit, and I believe CCK would have recovered the sums within five years.
• CCK refunds Safaricom the US$ 25m and we forget 3G. That way, no-one has it and it’s an even playing field.
Orange, is the beast that Safaricom is worried about. Funny, Orange is just about to get it right, and the only reason 99 percent of the country is not with Orange, is because it is yet to discover flat billing on data. This per MB rates they keep trying to sell on a sliding scale are so confusing and people would rather not buy. Orange is the only company that does not need to be greedy and they will get all the customers. But the greed is showing. The French owners are still French, and they bite. And they are greedy. They need to ease up.
Turning our backs on Ndemo
My point is, we need to isolate and openly ignore Bitange Ndemo who we openly allow into the tech fold (as his actions on media freedoms have shown, he is not a great believer in freedom of expression). Inviting him into Skunkworks meetings and conferences and other meet ups needs to stop. He needs to get the hint. I find it sad that we allow the same person who is ruining tech in Kenya to come in.
I find it sad that we, the tech community, have not stood up as one and said Enough! But we are Kenyans, the only things we know to unite around usually revolve around entertainment and even then, not for long. We have no common goals or agendas to developing tech in Kenya, we have united common wishes and ideologies, but we are not really out there turning wishes into goals. As for Charles Njoroge, well, I guess I’m glad I don’t run into him. I might say some unhappy words.
I hate the fact that my job now involves spending more time dealing with politics and struggling to get connections to work rather than working on projects. A good 80 per cent of my productive time is wasted because of these two individuals and I am getting fed up with losing ideas and time because of all this rubbish. So let’s begin showing our outrage by boycotting these two.

Phone firms say rivalry rules still not level

2010-08-18T15:36:00.000+03:00

The telecoms industry is under heat over competition rules that were opposed by Safaricom prompting the government to appoint consultants to review them.

Micro-financier sets up shop in western Kenya

2010-08-18T15:27:00.000+03:00

Mr. Dan Awendo, InvesteQ Capital CEO (right) receiving an award. Photo/FILE

Scramble for small and medium enterprises by financial institutions has intensified in Western Kenya with the latest entry of a new player.

InvesteQ Capital, a financial firm specialising in serving small and medium enterprises has opened an office in Kisumu and joins Faulu Kenya, Real People and Kenya Women Finance Trust which are targeting small businesspeople who tend to shy away from commercial banks due to high interest rate.

According to Mr Dan Awendo, the chief executive officer, the move meant is to bring services closer to the people from Western Kenya region and who have been travelling all the way to Nairobi to be served.

“We have been operating in Nairobi for the last seven years and most of our customers have been from outside Nairobi and in particular Western Kenya and that is why we are bringing service closer to them,” said Mr Awendo.

Speaking at Nation Kisumu office, Mr Awendo said that many people who wish to do business in the region have been unable to do so due to lack funds.

“We will be targeting people who have business ideas but lack funds to execute those ideas in Western Kenya due to devolving of funds to the grassroots,” the chief executive officer said.

InvesteQ general manager Allan Ogendo said the firm provides working capital, structured finance and other financial products that an SME may require to grow.