The challenge of building “African” platforms…

Posted on October 12, 2012 by John Karanja

Picture by The Economist

What is an African platform? What does it look like? and perhaps more importantly what does it do? Will it address a Need or a Want?

What exactly will make it African? Will it work elsewhere in the World? or Will it address uniquely African problems?

What are uniquely African problems?

Is there such a thing as an African Market Place? If so Where is it?

These are questions one must ask themselves in the quest of building “African Platforms”.

I subscribe to the view that the African Platform will be Mobile and it is on this canvas that relevant applications/services will emerge and those that will win will be those that help “The African” thrive and not simply survive.

This is because if there is one things Africans share in common is hope for the future.

So get started with a local opportunity and then watch how it may just affect the World.

Senegal Builds Africas “statue of Liberty”

Posted on October 2, 2009 by John Karanja

Income Statue of Africa's Rennaissance

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has commissioned a 160-ft high bronze statue commemorating the “African Renaissance.” The statue, “shows a muscular man in a heroic posture, outstretched arms wrapped around his wife and child, who is balanced on one of his biceps,” reports the Associated Press. Plus, the entire group is coming out of a volcano. The statue is symbolic of the African family(Man, Woman and Child) rising out of the volcanic threshold of Slavery, Racism and IGNORANCE . The statue members seem to be pointing at their collective destiny with ultimate focus and expectation.

Senegalese media reports that the statue will be dedicated in a grandiose ceremony on December 12, 2009, with various African leaders and Brazilian President Lula Ignacio da Silva in attendance.

Read more on Africa’s Rennaissance [Click Here]

Malawi’s food revolution.

Posted on September 14, 2009 by John Karanja

Corn Revolution

Malawi under the Presidency of Bingu Wa Mutharika has been able to transform itself from a country in dire need of food aid in 2003 to a country that is now feeding its neighbours Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It also gives food donations to the World Food Program which sends food aid to countries like Kenya.

This was possible because the President took full control of the Ministry of Agriculture as was therefore able to supervise and coordinate the food security program. They also got rid of corruption through getting rid of the hawkish middlemen and provided agricultural subsidies to the farmers at the local level. Drip irrigation was used to supplement rainfall.

Watch an interview with President Bingu Wa Mutharika

PART 1

PART 2

Africa’s Cultural Renaissance

Posted on September 11, 2009 by John Karanja

Kikuyu Kiondo - African Hand Bags

African governments finally agree to Protect Africas Cultural heritage. This is critical in empowering African communities to trade in cultural commodities as well as to protect cultural assets on an international scale. This is important because African artifacts have been stolen,pileaged and taken from the continent without a single penny reverting to the creators or inventors of these artificats. In Kenya the Kiondo a Kikuyu cultural artefact is patented and owned by a Japanese company while the Kikoy is owned by a British firm. This means the original creators of these commodities cannot manufacture or sell these commodities on an internal scale. This consitutes one of the most destabilizing effects of colonial rule and the subsequent misuse of the African cultural heritage.

The agreement also covers Lingual aspects. Here are some excerpts from the agreement.

Session in Khartoum, the Republic of The Sudan, from 23rd to 24th January 2006;

Inspired by the Cultural Charter for Africa adopted by the Heads of State and

Government of the Organization of African Unity meeting in its Thirteenth Ordinary

Session, in Port Louis, Mauritius, from 2 to 5 July, 1976;

GUIDED BY

The Constitutive Act of the African Union;

The Universal Declaration of Principles of International Cultural Co-operation adopted by

the General Conference of UNESCO at its Fourteenth Session in 1966;

The Pan-African Cultural Manifesto of Algiers (1969), and by the Inter-Governmental

Conference on Cultural Policies in Africa organized by UNESCO in Accra, in 1975, in

cooperation with the Organization of African Unity;

The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981);

The Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

(1954) and its additional Protocols;

The Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import,

Export and Transfer of Cultural Property (1970);

Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972);

The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001);

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003);

The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions,

(2005);

The Decision of OAU Summit on the establishment of the African Academy of

Languages;

Session in Khartoum, the Republic of The Sudan, from 23rd to 24th January 2006;

Inspired by the Cultural Charter for Africa adopted by the Heads of State and

Government of the Organization of African Unity meeting in its Thirteenth Ordinary

Session, in Port Louis, Mauritius, from 2 to 5 July, 1976;

GUIDED BY

The Constitutive Act of the African Union;

The Universal Declaration of Principles of International Cultural Co-operation adopted by

the General Conference of UNESCO at its Fourteenth Session in 1966;

The Pan-African Cultural Manifesto of Algiers (1969), and by the Inter-Governmental

Conference on Cultural Policies in Africa organized by UNESCO in Accra, in 1975, in

cooperation with the Organization of African Unity;

The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981);

The Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

(1954) and its additional Protocols;

The Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import,

Export and Transfer of Cultural Property (1970);

Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972);

The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001);

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003);

The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions,

(2005);

The Decision of OAU Summit on the establishment of the African Academy of

Languages; Read the rest, Download the Agreement [click here]

Nigereans building a city on the sea

Posted on September 10, 2009 by John Karanja

Lagos Atlantic System

The Nigereans are building a new city on the sea adjacent to Lagos in order in create more office blocks as well as free up the thoroughly congested Central Business District. This is a positive step in one of the worlds most chaotic cities which is projected to be the 3rd largest city outside China by 2020 with a population of 24 million inhabitants.

This development is largely driven by oil revenues which have for decades been poorly utilized mostly stolen or siphoned by Nigerias corrupt leaders.

Watch the video of this development and follow the discussion here

LAGO’S SEA WALL

LAGO’S ATLANTIC CITY ENGINEERING

Does Kenya need a Dictator? of Democrazy and AID

Posted on May 13, 2009 by John Karanja

Jomo Kenyatta Benevolent Dictator

This is an article written by my friend Kennedy Oduor. In it he gives his reasons why Kenya needs a dictator. I have some sympathy for what he says because if you look at the progress of Rwanda under President Kagame or Uganda under President Museveni it has been relatively more dramatic and more smooth than that of Kenya.

However i would add we need a benevolent dictator in Kenya and we do not really need an authoritarian regime as Ken proposes. However one can see where he is coming from as democracy has not delivered to Kenyans any substantial gains yet.

Odour also tackles the question of AID from the west and here we are in agreement we need to enable our people to stop becoming more dependent on AID and turn them into entrepreneurs.

This is why we have formed the STOP AID MOVEMENT join us at http://stopaid.org

Without further a do here is the explosive and thought provoking article from Ken. Feel free to comment and lets have a discussion on this.

——–
Kenya does not need democracy. Kenya does not need a new constitution. Kenya does not need a judicial reform or police reforms.

Kenya needs a dictator.

To me democracy is embargoed by God, democracy is the opiate of NGOs, and other groups that thrive best in calling press conferences and telling the evils in governments. Democracy is the wishful thinking of the USA that keeps bombing civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s the blabber of the fangless UN and NATO that stood when 10,000 people were being killed per day in Rwanda.

Democracy is the day-dreaming of Martha Karua that forgot about the same when her tribesman took over the leadership of this country and a click of them decided to sweep it into an abyss. It is the wallow of Raila Odinga that cannot point a finger at Museveni the warlord when he directly insults his people.

Democracy is your jealousy when you can’t get the job coz your uncle is not the employer. It is the slow, backward thinking that all Luos will gain visas when Obama became President of USA. Democracy is an fantasy of the West that keep pouring aid into Africa when that money is channeled into secret kitties.

Democracy is the invention of God. Handed over to man. And which man said, “Sorry we don’t like what it sounds like. Please give it to NGOs. They can better make noise that we won’t listen to!”
That is why KENYA NEEDS A RUTHLESS DICTATOR. Not for five years but for 15 to 30 years. There are two sides of head, the right and left cheek. One side can be scarred while the other is smooth like the thigh of a geisha girl. A good example is Saddam Hussein. He was good to the extreme and bad to the extreme. He made sure Iraq was economically strong, even with the gothic hand of Bush constantly poking him.

He built first class highways, universities, hospitals, and sewerage systems. But sorry that he gassed his own people, massacred his opponents. There are two sides of the coin. And am talking about the good side of a dictator.

We need an economic dictator to be precise.

Look at Chavez the Venezuelan Kingpin. His country is so rich he once gave free oil to USA. How about Gaddafi? He doesn’t want people telling him to go home. Why? Because he knows that people like Kibaki will take over from him and mess his hard earned economic strength? He crashes the opponents with a huge punch. He throws belligerents into the red sea. Why? Because he knows that should he leave, the rats will invade the treasury and start dragging out sacks of maize even though they know that you cannot cart away more than 10 billion without being seen.

Ohh and look at Cuba. The brothers have proved good shepherds of the Cuban flock. They don’t have those fuel-guzzling cars. They don’t own golf resorts. They are angels sent by God to tell Americans that you cannot assume the position of God. You cannot scatter armies across the world in the pretence of keeping world peace!

That is God’s prerogative, which even a big and tall Hussein Obama, cannot assume.
Kenya needs a dictator to take over this country. Raila can be a good dictator but lack the balls to take over land grabbed by people that were handsomely rewarded by the colonial masters. He cannot tell Moi to hand over the loot. He cannot tell the Kenyatta family to let go of the loot and the land.
Kenya needs a dictator so ruthless the thieves will start giving out stolen property without being asked. a dictator that will cut the ministries to ten or five. Call a press conference and announce:

“Today marks the true independence of this country from the dogs and the fat cats. It is sad but by the powers given to me by the constitution of the republic of Kenya, I hereby order the reduction of MPs’ salaries from 800,000 to 150,000. I further direct that all the ministries shall from today henceforth be given Toyota 110 and…and if they deem so unfit, they should be allowed to use their salary to acquire Mercedes E-Class”.

“I further direct the removal of the Anti-corruption Commission and order them to be redeployed into a new Ministry of Social Welfare for Orphans and widows. I disband the institution of both the Prime Minister and Vice President. I further direct that no one should masquerade as an assistant minister as I will not appoint any, but will bestow my trust in Permanent Secretaries and the Ministers whose positions will be advertised and every Kenyan with the relevant qualifications shall fill”

“With powers conferred to me as the only one above the law, I order no Presidential elections until after 30 years. This order is only subject to change should I die. I bar all persons against talking politics in the press, but to personally write to me should they have an idea or complaints. Alternatively call me on 000001009000111. I order that only journalists without blood to write columns that cast doubt on my type of leadership!”

“I scrap all entertainment and sitting allowance for both the Ministers and MPs. How can you deliberate on the issues of your country while standing?”

“This now means that the tax payer has been saved. Not by me, but by The Almighty God. This means that the Kenyans shall have crossed to the Promised Land. The land that was promised by the past three presidents but none did give, instead they left you at the gates of hell”.

“I order the reduction of all taxes by 50%. I order that water and electricity shall be free of charge. The basic prices of commodities such as sugar, flour, and oil shall be one in all shops, supermarkets and village markets”

“Given that Kenya has not been involved in any cross border war since independence, we shall disband the corrupt City and Country Councils, and the Armed Forces, the Army will from now on constitute the same. They shall be trained on the psychology of parking and receipting”.

“And now I cut my own salary from 2 million to 500,000”.

“And now to my opponents that will call themselves opposition in parliament, be advised that you shall have nothing to oppose as we shall be giving to the people and not taking. I advise you against sabotage as this plot will be met with excessive force that it deserves. We are prepared to kill you for the sake of the country. We rather one head than thousands killed by drought and diseases”.

“We are messengers of God sent to set an example in Africa. To refuse blood aid from America, Germany, France and United Kingdom. We are the men and women sent to bring glory to the black continent – to give color to it”.

“We are sent to save the wounds between the legs of girls in Darfur, Turkana, and Northern Uganda”
“With this trend Gaddafi and I, through the help of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and Ahmed Abnijaad shall annex Africa…shall transform Africa into the true jungle it once was. The jungle without guns and aid workers”
“Let me take this chance to warn Museveni. I understand your crave for blood, Mr. Kaguta. It’s long since you pillaged in mass. I know that killing the Nilotes has been your obsession. In fact, let me be clear by saying that the Northen Ugandans have been reduced to ashes. You now are looking for more. Your appetite for blood is so high when you see the Kenyan Nilotes. But, I have news for you, Amin Destroyer! That the Kenyan Nilotes are under my wings. And should you try my patience again, I will push you over to the Congo basin where your soldiers are stealing gold!”

“God bless Kenya, God bless Africa, God punish the blood aid pretenders of the West!”

—-

Kennedy Odour is the Editor of Apprentice Life Magazine in Kenya.

Kenyan Horror Movie Banned

Posted on May 10, 2009 by John Karanja

Movie Scene

The Kenyan government was so scared by a Kenyan made horror movie they decided to ban it. When producer Joseph Kinuthia created his movie he only wanted to give people a taste of horror Kenyan Style.

His movie titled Otto the blood bath is a story about an Old man who comes back to haunt his children after they do not honour his death bed wishes. Watch a snippet here.

The question is with the government allowing literary hundreds of Movies (including horror ones) to enter the country from Hollywood and Nollywood why should it stifle its own homegrown industry.

Perhaps because the censorship board which banned the movie must have been completely horrified by Kinuthia’s production, which may have felt more closer to home than the normal western movies which exaggarate horror to unbelievable extremes.

This is my theory. What is yours?

Investing in Africa Euvin Naidoo & Raila Odinga.

Posted on March 30, 2009 by John Karanja

Obama and Raila

Dear friends this week i continue with my posts on African development with some ideas from Euvin Naidoo a Harvard Graduate who has worked with McKenzie consultanty agency as well as various development and investment agencies.

Watch the video below and share some of his insights into development in Africa.

Euvin Naidoo: Africa as an invesment

In my view Africa will really begin to take of when many of the economies become more integrated and goods and services can move indiscriminately across the different regions of Africa. It is also good to note that economies such as Angola are growing at 18% which is the highest economic growth rate in the sub saharan Africa. Watch the Kenyan Prime Minister discuss about these developments in Africa.

African Internet and Mobile Growth

Posted on March 21, 2009 by John Karanja

Mpesa Banking

Watch Mark Shuttleworth, President of the Ubuntu Foundation,and June Arunga, Open Quest Media, speak about opportunities and challenges business and individuals face in developing parts of the world.This a lovely talk of African Prospects with historical occurences being put into context. June Arunga has travelled Africa from Cairo to Capetown and is an expert in the Mobile Phone revolution in Kenya. Kenyans are using mobile phones to expand their economic space and conduct business. She argues that the country needs to develop address systems to allow people to conduct business in a transparent manner. I also remember reading that issuing of title deeds to squatters would be an efficient way of distributing capital and wealth. Anyway here are the videos.

DLD Internet and Mobile Entreprenuership Conference

Watch Video [Click Here]

Saving the Mau forest. The time is now.

Posted on February 1, 2009 by John Karanja

Mau Forest is a forest complex in in Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has has an area of 273300 Ha.

The forest area has some of the highest rainfall rates in Kenya . Mau Forest is the largest water catchment area in Kenya. Numerous rivers originate from the forest, including Ewaso Ng’iro River (southern), Sondu River, Mara River and Njoro River. These rivers feed Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron. Westerns slopes of the Mau Escarpment are covered by Mau Forest. These beautiful Forest is now under threat.

Will the Mau Forest be saved? Kenyan leaders and politicians, in a bid for votes, have always failed in reaching an agreement on the Forest; most have always put their political interests first, other than the Forest’s, and sadly that’s what they continue to do now.

They do this, while an environmental disaster waits for us. All efforts should be made to save the forest because it is the source of lakes and rivers. Scientific reports say Lake Nakuru will be the first to dry.

Most Kenyan leaders and politicians know the dangers of not protecting the Mau Forest; but fearing in losing votes, they have always failed to act to save the Forest.

Forest destruction will be a major blow to Kenya’s biological diversity, since forests harbor 50% of Kenya’s plant species, 40% of mammal species, 35% of butterfly species and 30% of bird species – all on only two percent of the land mass.

Logging in the Mau Forest will have a devastating impact on water quality and level in Lake Nakuru, home to the world’s largest concentration of flamingoes. Protected under international law (Ramsar Convention), Lake Nakuru may lose its economic value as Kenya’s second most visited tourist site.” GlobalResponse

And the downside, as stated by UNEP, could be worse: Kenya stands to lose a nature-based economic asset worth over US $300 million alone to the tea, tourism and energy sectors if the forest of the Mau Complex continues to be degraded and destroyed, the UN Environment Programme said today.

Isn’t it about time for real action? It could be already too late; but better late, than wait for the disaster that would be.

Article by Omar Basawad and John Karanja

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Category Archives: Africa