Kenyan Pundit

EDIT: This post should have gone up last week but it got “eaten.”

Apologies for the lack of posts, I have been traveling for the last week and a half and more travel is coming up. This doesn’t seem to be a good year for me to travel, however, if my bags aren’t missing I’m dealing with the most ignorant immigration officials who make you thank God that you have a country to come home to. Travel has become such a pain in the ass (especially for African folk) and that’s when you’re documented from here to Mars…at this rate, I will be walking around with a binder of documents starting with my birth certificate to prove that I’m actually a person.

Anyway, enough whining.

I’m happy to be back in Nairobi. Wish I could stay longer. Here to do some background work for Ushahidi and Mzalendo.

Already checked off my list of to-dos including great braids courtesy of Kenyatta market, and sausages galore. The clincher was a lunch of matumbo, kunde, ugali, and a cold Coke from a glass bottle all for the princely sum of Kshs 200.

The mood in Nairobi is generally subdued. There’s been zero talk of politics from the usual suspects (OK from my cabbie friends who normally have a steady stream of stories). Instead, people are focused on what they feel is the Safaricom IPO rip-off (especially those who took loans), price of fuel (did I have a good day or are the roads less cong

Should be a great event, I will be attending and possibly speaking and registering for the event gets you an Ushahidi t-shirt and lots of other “schwag”…and you get to hear about possible opportunities to help with the next version of Ushahidi (we are trying to put African developers on the map, no pun intended..heheh). All the details are available here. Please spread the word to the techies in Nairobi!

So I came across this post by Kenyan Entrepreneur and I was just as perturbed as he was.

Why would Google East Africa sign a deal with Wunderman (and who are they…can’t even locate a website?) rather than promote adwords accounts in East Africa? Is it difficult to do online transactions in East Africa (but then surely how are Mama Mikes et. al. surviving)? Are Kenyan companies difficult to sell to when Google approaches them directly? This deal doesn’t make sense.

Another point made by KE a while back…is Google being a little cheap with their gadget competition for East Africa where you stand to win $600 as a first prize. How about maybe a $1,000 or a contribution towards the student’s tuition? The top prize for high schoolers who participate in the Summer of Code jam in the U.S. is $4,500… The attention being paid to young developers in Africa is appreciated but I’m wondering whether the nature of the prize is sending a subliminal message about the quality expectations that Google have of East Africa vis-a-vis other parts of the world. Or maybe I’m just being touchy.

And then the deal with Safaricom. Why would anyone sign up for a “free” Safaricom address if you already have a free gmail account? No wonder the uptake been slow. Has anyone tried this?

It’s not all bad though, I hear the local mapping is going well and they are making Google Apps available for free to local universities.

Statement from George Nyongesa of Bunge La Mwananchi:

Two nights and three days after wananchi led by Bunge La Mwananchi demonstrated on the streets of Nairobi to protest against high food prices and the escalating cost of living, ten Kenyans are still being held at the Central Police Station in Nairobi because “the matter is now being viewed from a political angle and not being treated lightly”. So serious is it that we have been informed that consideration is being given by the “powers that be” to closing Jeevanjee Gardens, where Bunge La Mwananchi is headquartered in Nairobi.

Samson Ojiayo, Jacob Odipo, Gitau Gacheke, Frederick Odhiambo, Helen and five others are being held under tight surveillance. In fact, security has been beefed up at the Central Police Station. We have been informed by the DCIO that the ten must be taken to court on Tuesday morning. In the meantime, we are not being allowed contact with them despite spirited attempts.

We are demanding the production in court on Tuesday 3rd June, 2008 of all those arrested for speaking and demonstrating on behalf of the rights of the under privileged of our society.

We urge you to keep vigilance with us by spotlighting this issue and thereby protecting the freedom of expression and the rights of all Kenyans!