Random observations for the day
- Hebu please update your blogrolls with the new URL. Thanks to those who have done so already.
- Gossip of the day: Supposedly, few Telkom Kenya folks were sad to see former MD John Waweru leave, he was apparently cutting all sorts of deals with the sons of one John Michuki. Let’s hope the licensing gravy train at the CCK left the station before his arrival.
- I’ve been looking for the back story behind David Makali’s departure from the the Standard…John Kamau sheds some light.
- Apparently, Nairobi city council money is nowadays allocated up to the estate level (some things have changed)…whether it gets spent on estate projects is another thing. I found this out after my recent attempt to walk back home from the cybercafe at 7:00 pm turned out to be an exercise that would require night vision googles. Our estate was given Kshs 3 million to spend on fixing the street lights, but only the lights that were close to the main road were fixed, the rest of the estate is in darkness. When folks from the estate went to the councillor to complain, he (without flinching) said that since guys from our estate don’t vote for him they shouldn’t expect anything from him (missing the point that people didn’t vote for him because he’s been totally useless all along) (some things remain the same). So now people don’t know where to turn to get the issue resolved, plus they are busy fighting plans by the National Housing Companies to repossess the flats and sell them off. That’s why I’m fully behind the We Can Do It Campaign and gag when I hear the mayor claiming that not paying rates would hurt the 7o% of Nairobi residents who live below the poverty line and who receive services from the City Council…eeh…what services are these exactly?
on September 19th, 2005 at 21:03
I like the new blog. You views/random observations are both entertaining and informative. I will digress into a totally irrelevant and personal response. From the internet, I understand you left “opportunities” in the US of A to work at home; congratulations on the confident move. Assuming you have an interest in making alot money (likely), what is your perspective/opinion of the climate in Kenya for local ambitious enterpreneurs without capital to invest?
I reckon you may know something(or access to information) about how people like Merali. How are they able to borrow soo much money locally?
Rich.
Washington, DC.
Hi Rich, glad you are enjoying the blog. Here’s my two cents with the disclaimer that I’m in no way an expert on the ability to access capital in Kenya since business is not my line of interest….It is very difficult to make anything happen without capital in Kenya. If you are looking to come back and become an entrepreneur here, your best bet is to try and build capital or get investors while you are still overseas. Folks like Merali are savvy businessmen with well-established and successful track-records (having the right connections doesn’t hurt) that makes it easy for them to obtain financing…you can’t really compare him with folks in the start-up category. For more on Merali see (http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:w9PLUKEREZ4J:www.eastandard.net/archives/june/tue01062004/financialstandard/news/fsnews01060404.htm+merali+kenya&hl=en). Hope this helps, if you have any more specific questions let me know.
on September 20th, 2005 at 19:50
Thanks. Quite an inspiring story; I respect this Mireli guy. While he was awake when the opportunities came by, some things do not add up. I still can’t see a non-politically connected black face borrowing $200M locally(Nairobi) however pursuasive. So, what are you doing in Kenya now (vacation/work)? Do you need to sit bar exams in Kenya to get a license there?