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Future of IT in Kenya
Rank: Elder Joined: 2/23/2009 Posts: 1,626
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@madhaquer - You are right.We have a mwakenya culture and complaining culture. Without courageous individuals ready to solve problems and solve them creatively we'll just end up copying other people. The main reason mpesa put Kenya on the spotlight was its simplicity.Its far behind the current technology but its elegance is unbelievable.Now imagine what would happen if Kenyans approached other problems the same way with better technologies. Uncertainty is certain.Let go
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/17/2011 Posts: 627 Location: Mbui-Nzau, Kikumbulyu
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madhaquer wrote:The future of IT in Kenya is bright, bleak and unpredictable.
Not for lack of educated people but for lack of innovative people.
We have truck loads of CCNA, DBA, Developers etc, but we are not a silicon valley because we approach IT with a wrong attitude and those people or companies who make any inroads do so mainly by providing very basic services.
IT in Kenya is still in an infant stage where a small % of the population having appreciated the value of ICT are yet to fully adopt this technologies as their everyday tools of trade.
The biggest barriers are cost, reach ability, literacy and innovation.
Those that can in any way surpass those barriers have gone ahead to make some good money.
Eg: MPESA solves the reachability problem; people send money electronically without the need to use computers or access expensive networks. (Not sure if it's cheap though)
Schools: Make a killing solving the literacy problem (not sure how beneficial some are) but the number of youth and adults lining up in colleges to learn how to use computers is very encouraging
Computer shops selling refurbished and low cost clones also make a killing solving the cost problem for those who wish to own their own PC.
Mobile apps do fix the cost barrier as more people have access to phones than they do to computers, but even there we have practically zero innovation.
What we lack is innovative people who can take those ICT skills learnt to build profitable businesses. Right now practically most developers I know are either plain lazy Joomla clones or people who would rather go greenhouse farming in their free time than risk their time developing a prototype for a decent idea they have.
Instead of hawking software they have developed, the unemployed ones make a living off installing pirated software or selling flash disks.
None of this universities or colleges has produced a market worthy app in the several years they have been churning out graduates who spent hours working on a project, because, we are a me too country. Developing the same old school timetables, cafeteria systems, video library apps or some other crap VBA application.
Go there ask to throw money at a risk worthy app and you will be terribly disappointed at the low entrepreneurial spirit this places have.
We Just do not innovate!
We do not appreciate that Science is meant to make our lives either more interesting or easier and that people pay for that.
Can you take a risk ?
Can you solve one of those barriers or innovate ?
then the future of IT for you will be very bright for you.
I'm sorry for ranting.  Spot ON..now what do we need to spur innovation?
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Rank: Elder Joined: 7/20/2007 Posts: 4,432
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madhaquer wrote:The future of IT in Kenya is bright, bleak and unpredictable.
Not for lack of educated people but for lack of innovative people.
We have truck loads of CCNA, DBA, Developers etc, but we are not a silicon valley because we approach IT with a wrong attitude and those people or companies who make any inroads do so mainly by providing very basic services.
IT in Kenya is still in an infant stage where a small % of the population having appreciated the value of ICT are yet to fully adopt this technologies as their everyday tools of trade.
The biggest barriers are cost, reach ability, literacy and innovation.
Those that can in any way surpass those barriers have gone ahead to make some good money.
Eg: MPESA solves the reachability problem; people send money electronically without the need to use computers or access expensive networks. (Not sure if it's cheap though)
Schools: Make a killing solving the literacy problem (not sure how beneficial some are) but the number of youth and adults lining up in colleges to learn how to use computers is very encouraging
Computer shops selling refurbished and low cost clones also make a killing solving the cost problem for those who wish to own their own PC.
Mobile apps do fix the cost barrier as more people have access to phones than they do to computers, but even there we have practically zero innovation.
What we lack is innovative people who can take those ICT skills learnt to build profitable businesses. Right now practically most developers I know are either plain lazy Joomla clones or people who would rather go greenhouse farming in their free time than risk their time developing a prototype for a decent idea they have.
Instead of hawking software they have developed, the unemployed ones make a living off installing pirated software or selling flash disks.
None of this universities or colleges has produced a market worthy app in the several years they have been churning out graduates who spent hours working on a project, because, we are a me too country. Developing the same old school timetables, cafeteria systems, video library apps or some other crap VBA application.
Go there ask to throw money at a risk worthy app and you will be terribly disappointed at the low entrepreneurial spirit this places have.
We Just do not innovate!
We do not appreciate that Science is meant to make our lives either more interesting or easier and that people pay for that.
Can you take a risk ?
Can you solve one of those barriers or innovate ?
then the future of IT for you will be very bright for you.
I'm sorry for ranting. Jose: If I make it through this thug life, I'll see you one day. The Lord is the only way to stop the hurt.
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/17/2011 Posts: 627 Location: Mbui-Nzau, Kikumbulyu
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madhaquer wrote:The future of IT in Kenya is bright, bleak and unpredictable.
Not for lack of educated people but for lack of innovative people.
We have truck loads of CCNA, DBA, Developers etc, but we are not a silicon valley because we approach IT with a wrong attitude and those people or companies who make any inroads do so mainly by providing very basic services.
IT in Kenya is still in an infant stage where a small % of the population having appreciated the value of ICT are yet to fully adopt this technologies as their everyday tools of trade.
The biggest barriers are cost, reach ability, literacy and innovation.
Those that can in any way surpass those barriers have gone ahead to make some good money.
Eg: MPESA solves the reachability problem; people send money electronically without the need to use computers or access expensive networks. (Not sure if it's cheap though)
Schools: Make a killing solving the literacy problem (not sure how beneficial some are) but the number of youth and adults lining up in colleges to learn how to use computers is very encouraging
Computer shops selling refurbished and low cost clones also make a killing solving the cost problem for those who wish to own their own PC.
Mobile apps do fix the cost barrier as more people have access to phones than they do to computers, but even there we have practically zero innovation.
What we lack is innovative people who can take those ICT skills learnt to build profitable businesses. Right now practically most developers I know are either plain lazy Joomla clones or people who would rather go greenhouse farming in their free time than risk their time developing a prototype for a decent idea they have.
Instead of hawking software they have developed, the unemployed ones make a living off installing pirated software or selling flash disks.
None of this universities or colleges has produced a market worthy app in the several years they have been churning out graduates who spent hours working on a project, because, we are a me too country. Developing the same old school timetables, cafeteria systems, video library apps or some other crap VBA application.
Go there ask to throw money at a risk worthy app and you will be terribly disappointed at the low entrepreneurial spirit this places have.
We Just do not innovate!
We do not appreciate that Science is meant to make our lives either more interesting or easier and that people pay for that.
Can you take a risk ?
Can you solve one of those barriers or innovate ?
then the future of IT for you will be very bright for you.
I'm sorry for ranting. like this individual's effort http://3phasepower.blogs.../my-arduino-uno-r3.html
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Rank: Member Joined: 6/27/2011 Posts: 301 Location: Nairobi
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Fix the darn education system!! period. That is what we need for the long-term emergence of any industry not only IT. Let me briefly explain how high value companies are started in leading locations such as US, Europe. It all starts with an idea that is patentable. For one to produce an idea that is patentable, the ingredients are a good mix of quality education and the environment. I will take one or two examples of small companies, that were recently acquired by big players. Qualcomm acquired Summit Microelectronics in year 2011, a small semi conductor company of 50 people but with an undisclosed amount of patents. Nokia just acquired a company named Scalado for an undisclosed amount. The company has only 110 employees but was started by 3 people in year 2000. The brains behind the company was one Elec engineer who was interested in imaging software and of course saw the tremendous business opportunity. That small and young company has over 50 patents. The list goes on... Large companies are able to re-invent themselves by making the relevant connections with these small companies. We need to think of how to produce high quality engineers or any other experts for that matter. Something is totally wrong for us to be at a situation where we cannot build our own roads.
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/17/2011 Posts: 627 Location: Mbui-Nzau, Kikumbulyu
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eboomerang wrote:Fix the darn education system!! period. That is what we need for the long-term emergence of any industry not only IT. Let me briefly explain how high value companies are started in leading locations such as US, Europe. It all starts with an idea that is patentable. For one to produce an idea that is patentable, the ingredients are a good mix of quality education and the environment. I will take one or two examples of small companies, that were recently acquired by big players. Qualcomm acquired Summit Microelectronics in year 2011, a small semi conductor company of 50 people but with an undisclosed amount of patents. Nokia just acquired a company named Scalado for an undisclosed amount. The company has only 110 employees but was started by 3 people in year 2000. The brains behind the company was one Elec engineer who was interested in imaging software and of course saw the tremendous business opportunity. That small and young company has over 50 patents. The list goes on... Large companies are able to re-invent themselves by making the relevant connections with these small companies. We need to think of how to produce high quality engineers or any other experts for that matter. True that ..but it is a long term solution ..so what happens in the mean time ..to those of us who went through the "darn education system"? 
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Rank: Member Joined: 11/10/2010 Posts: 281 Location: Nairobi
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I believe that the only thing you need to learn from the "darn education system" is how to read, write and some maths.
We are living in a time when anyone with this 3 essentials and the right attitude and motivation can get to learn whatever they want.
Societies that innovate have values that support innovation. And values don't come from the "darn education system". It's a cultural issue, we love to play the victim card.
Blame the government,
blame the economy,
blame the colonialists,
blame the "darn education system".....
Kenyans are not victims, they choose their own paths. Right now every university in the country sits on a fiber optic link to the internet. If any student doesn't like their 'darn' lecturer, they can fire up you tube and get an alternative.
But then we like the easy way out.
Why innovate when we can pirate ?
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 7/8/2008 Posts: 947
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madhaquer wrote:The future of IT in Kenya is bright, bleak and unpredictable.
Not for lack of educated people but for lack of innovative people.
We have truck loads of CCNA, DBA, Developers etc, but we are not a silicon valley because we approach IT with a wrong attitude and those people or companies who make any inroads do so mainly by providing very basic services.
IT in Kenya is still in an infant stage where a small % of the population having appreciated the value of ICT are yet to fully adopt this technologies as their everyday tools of trade.
The biggest barriers are cost, reach ability, literacy and innovation.
Those that can in any way surpass those barriers have gone ahead to make some good money.
Eg: MPESA solves the reachability problem; people send money electronically without the need to use computers or access expensive networks. (Not sure if it's cheap though)
Schools: Make a killing solving the literacy problem (not sure how beneficial some are) but the number of youth and adults lining up in colleges to learn how to use computers is very encouraging
Computer shops selling refurbished and low cost clones also make a killing solving the cost problem for those who wish to own their own PC.
Mobile apps do fix the cost barrier as more people have access to phones than they do to computers, but even there we have practically zero innovation.
What we lack is innovative people who can take those ICT skills learnt to build profitable businesses. Right now practically most developers I know are either plain lazy Joomla clones or people who would rather go greenhouse farming in their free time than risk their time developing a prototype for a decent idea they have.
Instead of hawking software they have developed, the unemployed ones make a living off installing pirated software or selling flash disks.
None of this universities or colleges has produced a market worthy app in the several years they have been churning out graduates who spent hours working on a project, because, we are a me too country. Developing the same old school timetables, cafeteria systems, video library apps or some other crap VBA application.
Go there ask to throw money at a risk worthy app and you will be terribly disappointed at the low entrepreneurial spirit this places have.
We Just do not innovate!
We do not appreciate that Science is meant to make our lives either more interesting or easier and that people pay for that.
Can you take a risk ?
Can you solve one of those barriers or innovate ?
then the future of IT for you will be very bright for you.
I'm sorry for ranting. This was a good rant. Wazua is such a nice place to get a pulse on Kenya and your "rant" was well needed to bring this discussion back in line. The question you asked is what every Kenya ask "Where is the money in IT?" but the answer they get is often the wrong answer and it usually "you will get a nice job. Look even Nokia, IBM and Google have set up shop in Kenya" That all fine and dandy but there is a lot of money to be made and you gave the best examples of the smarter Kenyans making the money. Mobile phone advertising a lot of people are willing to pay big money to get this huge market if some just gets it right. There are so many ways our lives can be improved by technology and MPESA has just shown we are willing to pay for the convenience. Process (re)engineering is where I honestly think there is a lot of growth and this should not be limited to MPESA. What works in Kenya can possibly work in other African countries and that is the market we should be targeting not trying to recreate photoshop or competing with facebook. PS: I am not an IT anything I don't speak, read or understand code.
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Rank: Member Joined: 7/17/2011 Posts: 627 Location: Mbui-Nzau, Kikumbulyu
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madhaquer wrote:I believe that the only thing you need to learn from the "darn education system" is how to read, write and some maths.
We are living in a time when anyone with this 3 essentials and the right attitude and motivation can get to learn whatever they want.
Societies that innovate have values that support innovation. And values don't come from the "darn education system". It's a cultural issue, we love to play the victim card.
Blame the government,
blame the economy,
blame the colonialists,
blame the "darn education system".....
Kenyans are not victims, they choose their own paths. Right now every university in the country sits on a fiber optic link to the internet. If any student doesn't like their 'darn' lecturer, they can fire up you tube and get an alternative.
But then we like the easy way out.
Why innovate when we can pirate ? we innovate because not all the solutions to the local problems can be pirated( or rather using pirated software) its just a matter of creativity. Just like (OMG am mentioning it) Mpesa solved the money transfer and micro banking problem but has also ended up solving many other problems. I.T. needs to be applied in innovation but also chaps need to innovate IT too!!  quot;
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/23/2009 Posts: 1,626
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madhaquer wrote:I believe that the only thing you need to learn from the "darn education system" is how to read, write and some maths.
We are living in a time when anyone with this 3 essentials and the right attitude and motivation can get to learn whatever they want.
Learning to learn is the one thing everyone should get from school. Wanyee - there is always wazua for those of us who have gone through the education system.What do you mean we need to innovate IT? Tony Stark - For someone not in IT you've got it right.Mobile phone advertising and process re-engineering are a gold mines yet to be tapped and we so need solutions in those areas. Its also true,once you start flourishing as an IT specialist you get lucrative jobs offers too good to let them pass by to pursue your own personal interests. Uncertainty is certain.Let go
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