Why is foreign investment so important for our government anyway? So is all government expenditure recurrent bills and anglo leasing type issues? Isn't there money set aside for R&D development? And what companies are these that are apparently getting jittery? Standard Chartered recently opened a multi-billion shilling regional hub in Westlands. Toyota EA is now Toyota Kenya. The Chinese are still unpacking their luggage, we have more fiber cables landing soon. Am not seeing any slowing down and who said this magazine is the final world. Please lets stop handing over our pride,dignity and self respect to a magazine published in some western capital and taking all it says to be the truth and nothing but the truth. On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:21 AM, Peter Osotsi <peter.osotsi@gmail.com>wrote:

Aki,

What else do you expect from our politicians in an election season?

The world gave up on us a long time ago. Hebu read/listen/watch the news and see how politics is raping and mutilating this nation and our young people. 65% of young people are jobless.

Our politics essentially killed the Kenyan dream we were handed by the white man.

Sometimes I hate being a Kenyan.

Peter

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:46 AM, aki <aki275@gmail.com> wrote:

...

“FDI is very sensitive to political risk and Kenya right now is facing critical tests in these areas,” Prof Joseph Kieyah, an analyst at the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra) said. The 2011 Failed States Index by Foreign Magazine ranks Kenya among countries in “in danger” though says the country has improved marginally since the 2008 post-election violence that caused major business disruptions and uprooted millions from their work stations.

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Foreign+companies+reduce+i...

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I know I may be fanning the Aki fire with this, but sincerely, why are we so dependent on FDI? Can't we shore up our own capital reserves? It's unfortunate that our bond market is yet to pick up but it's one of the best solutions for this IMO... Where do companies store their cash at hand? Bonds would offer a better store of value at the same time allowing for fund raising for investing in local ventures/projects... On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 11:53 AM, Thuo Wilson <lixton@gmail.com> wrote:

mmmmh " Workers at an export processing zone in Athi River: Foreign firms have reduced their investments in Kenya." This are the same pple who pay kenyans 5kper month?

Wilson./

On 27 June 2011 11:48, Mark Mwangi <mwangy@gmail.com> wrote:

...

Why is foreign investment so important for our government anyway? So is all government expenditure recurrent bills and anglo leasing type issues? Isn't there money set aside for R&D development? And what companies are these that are apparently getting jittery? Standard Chartered recently opened a multi-billion shilling regional hub in Westlands. Toyota EA is now Toyota Kenya. The Chinese are still unpacking their luggage, we have more fiber cables landing soon. Am not seeing any slowing down and who said this magazine is the final world.

Please lets stop handing over our pride,dignity and self respect to a magazine published in some western capital and taking all it says to be the truth and nothing but the truth.

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:21 AM, Peter Osotsi <peter.osotsi@gmail.com>wrote:

...

Aki,

What else do you expect from our politicians in an election season?

The world gave up on us a long time ago. Hebu read/listen/watch the news and see how politics is raping and mutilating this nation and our young people. 65% of young people are jobless.

Our politics essentially killed the Kenyan dream we were handed by the white man.

Sometimes I hate being a Kenyan.

Peter

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:46 AM, aki <aki275@gmail.com> wrote:

...

“FDI is very sensitive to political risk and Kenya right now is facing critical tests in these areas,” Prof Joseph Kieyah, an analyst at the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra) said. The 2011 Failed States Index by Foreign Magazine ranks Kenya among countries in “in danger” though says the country has improved marginally since the 2008 post-election violence that caused major business disruptions and uprooted millions from their work stations.

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Foreign+companies+reduce+i...

--

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-- Regards,

Mark Mwangi

http://mwangy.posterous.com

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-- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 720 406 093 | E: pkariuki@gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | B: http://www.kaboro.com/ |

That's the thing... Our bond market is fledgling, but it's traditionally the most reliable source of capital in any nation... For both corporates and governments... The US has been able to finance slightly more than twice it's GDP through bonds (imprudent as it is, I'm just illustrating the potential of the same). Given that Kenya is the largest economy, doesn't it make more sense to position Kenya as the defacto investment destination of choice for banks/corporates/governments in the region that have excess capital? We won't need to go to the world bank as we will be able to finance our own operations largely... if insurance companies in .ug/South Sudan/Rwanda etc invest in said bonds, we can raise VC funds through a similar manner with pension funds/mutual funds etc investing in the funds... Really EA has enough capital lying idle for us to keep borrowing from the World Bank/IMF etc... Really the problem is our structure... If we can fix that we will win the battle. On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 5:14 PM, <ashok+skunkworks@parliaments.info> wrote:

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 11:57 AM, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki@gmail.com>wrote:

...

I know I may be fanning the Aki fire with this, but sincerely, why are we so dependent on FDI? Can't we shore up our own capital reserves? It's unfortunate that our bond market is yet to pick up but it's one of the best solutions for this IMO... Where do companies store their cash at hand? Bonds would offer a better store of value at the same time allowing for fund raising for investing in local ventures/projects...

most companies i believe send their money overseas ... the only bond market that exists in Kenya is mainly for treasury bonds ... corporate bonds you probably need some kind of independent risk assesment body for credit ...does such a thing exist ?

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@Mark you cant discredit that article just coz a bank recently opened a multi-billion shilling regional hub. The fact that is was recently opened means it was conceptualzed years ago when confidence was high. To put that much investment then pull the plug when its done would not make sense. So the opening despite decline is confidence is still a-go. The same goes for the fiber, toyota Ke and others. Dont even start with the Chinese.... look at what they are doing in Zimbabwe. That should scare you if they have deep interests in Kenya too. In short whatever you see happening today in terms of foreign investments is the results of decisions made in the past and not now. Decisions made today will affect tomorrow. Revisit that article again next year and then you can determine its base. My thoughts Steve ----- "Mark Mwangi" <mwangy@gmail.com> wrote:

Why is foreign investment so important for our government anyway? So is all government expenditure recurrent bills and anglo leasing type issues? Isn't there money set aside for R&D development? And what companies are these that are apparently getting jittery? Standard Chartered recently opened a multi-billion shilling regional hub in Westlands. Toyota EA is now Toyota Kenya. The Chinese are still unpacking their luggage, we have more fiber cables landing soon. Am not seeing any slowing down and who said this magazine is the final world.

Please lets stop handing over our pride,dignity and self respect to a magazine published in some western capital and taking all it says to be the truth and nothing but the truth.

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:21 AM, Peter Osotsi < peter.osotsi@gmail.com > wrote:

Aki,

What else do you expect from our politicians in an election season?

The world gave up on us a long time ago. Hebu read/listen/watch the news and see how politics is raping and mutilating this nation and our young people. 65% of young people are jobless.

Our politics essentially killed the Kenyan dream we were handed by the white man.

Sometimes I hate being a Kenyan.

Peter

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:46 AM, aki < aki275@gmail.com > wrote:

“FDI is very sensitive to political risk and Kenya right now is facing critical tests in these areas,” Prof Joseph Kieyah, an analyst at the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra) said. The 2011 Failed States Index by Foreign Magazine ranks Kenya among countries in “in danger” though says the country has improved marginally since the 2008 post-election violence that caused major business disruptions and uprooted millions from their work stations. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Foreign+companies+reduce+i...

-- _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co..ke

-- Regards,

Mark Mwangi

http://mwangy.posterous.com

_______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke

I was happy for that assessment for one reason, it will keep foreigners away for a bit longer so that I can get entrenched. The only reason kenya scored badly is the ICC cases and repeated intervention from UN et al. But since post election 1. we have a new constitution with proper separation of powers and transparency(anyone watch the interviews?) 2. we have a new Judiciary with a supreme court and highly independent officers who dont report to the president(maybe except for one) 3. MPs are almost paying tax. all the above were unheard of in kenya. We have the foundations of the worlds next great nation , hence the standard chartereds,toyotas, IBM, Nokia, Samsung, Google , GE and the chinese setting up their africa HQs in kenya, not SA or Nigeria or Egypt.... So if FDI owners believe kenya is a big risk, that is a good thing for a kenyan in the short term. Entrench yourself before they come in with their big moneys......so that they can buy you out or compete with you on equal footing. On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 12:20 PM, Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi@gmail.com> wrote:

Let the Kenyan shilling keep rising, this way, imports become harder to afford. But given we are import depedent with most Kenyans walking around looking for blue collar jobs ... _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke

-- Sent from my Voice Recognition Watch© -------------------------------------------------------------------- Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,but that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.As we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear,our presence automatically liberates others.

I will differ with Joram, Areba and Mark in this regard; Most companies have already closed down or are in the process of closing down. Even ones that process our staple - maize, have closed down recently. Just unpack your shopping and tally how many of the items in your tray are MADE IN KENYA. Everyone item thats made elsewhere represents a loss of jobs and income to you and the people of Kenya. When you look at it that way, you understand the impact of your statements. I don't blame anyone but you, the chap reading this and typing forth an angry response. Every 5 years (5 years without failure) we keep on electing the same imbeciles, then turn and with a yawn, then another yawn, then we start complaining again. Look at the death in Westlands of a young promising lady, our people are being lured into drugs, prostitution, cheap labour and other societal ills. We should champion a new era by developing business/social applications and programmes that will foster the development of a new set of thinking. 5 people (Mutunga and the 6 Judges) will not carry the burden of 40 million Kenyans, we have to help them. Kenya has an almost 70% unemployment rate, Tanzania is doing better at close to 60%. And we are at 16 on the list of FAILED STATES, our GDP is coming close at number 20 (from the rock bottom!) on the GDP states list. Again, Tanzania is rapidly catching up. We should consider this and many other factors before declaring we do not need FDI, maybe this FDI could have eased the pressure on the KES through dollar inflows to balance the dollar bleeding happening now. Guys, lets think with an open mind, this stuff we are going through is interconnected in an intricate web, only the keenest will notice the weak links. God help Kenya. Osotsi PSS *As for the expanding multinationals, look closely at their interests: - * TOYOTA: Cheap white toyota's all over town bought with loans from - eeh - Stanchart and other banks STANCHAT: Multinationals and the UN, yes, the UN and non governmental bodies (all international banks fall in this category). GOOGLE: Digitization of .KE records, yea, .KE! (remember governments everywhere are the largest source of procurement, and Mr Googs knows that!), GE, HP etc fall in this category. Blah blah blah! Don't blame me for what I wrote, think for yourself what you can do to make the situation better. On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:54 PM, [ Brainiac ] <arebacollins@gmail.com>wrote:

Joram echoes what is indeed true. A wise skunker would listen to what he says... :-)

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:51 PM, Joram Mwinamo <joram.mwinamo@gmail.com>wrote:

...

I was happy for that assessment for one reason, it will keep foreigners away for a bit longer so that I can get entrenched.

The only reason kenya scored badly is the ICC cases and repeated intervention from UN et al. But since post election

@obbayi point taken. present conditions dictate future decisions. It is not in any foreign governments interest to build the Kenyan economy, National psyche or cultural uniqueness Life nay existence is all about competition. The western donors/ Foreign Direct Investors are in it for the development of their cultures. World bank and other 'Development patners' advocate for free trade policies yet they didn't follow the same route. The US,UK,France e.t.c protect their industries/companies interests with military force. they all operate some sort of closed economy Every single one of these mega corporations are very closely tied to their governments. Therefore depending on the whims of a foreign government to fund your own development has turned out disastrous for the continent for the past 4 decades. I think China is the only sovereign state that is very proud/able to stick a middle finger to anyone who attempts to give them instructions on how to conduct their personal business and we should learn a thing or two from them. On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 6:32 PM, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki@gmail.com> wrote:

My question though is, we have lower pay rates than the chinese... Why are they cheaper in construction etc? If you figure that out you kinda figure out why Kenya is not competitive as a manufacturing destination...

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 6:30 PM, Peter Osotsi <peter.osotsi@gmail.com>wrote:

...

I will differ with Joram, Areba and Mark in this regard;

Most companies have already closed down or are in the process of closing down. Even ones that process our staple - maize, have closed down recently. Just unpack your shopping and tally how many of the items in your tray are MADE IN KENYA. Everyone item thats made elsewhere represents a loss of jobs and income to you and the people of Kenya. When you look at it that way, you understand the impact of your statements.

I don't blame anyone but you, the chap reading this and typing forth an angry response. Every 5 years (5 years without failure) we keep on electing the same imbeciles, then turn and with a yawn, then another yawn, then we start complaining again. Look at the death in Westlands of a young promising lady, our people are being lured into drugs, prostitution, cheap labour and other societal ills. We should champion a new era by developing business/social applications and programmes that will foster the development of a new set of thinking. 5 people (Mutunga and the 6 Judges) will not carry the burden of 40 million Kenyans, we have to help them.

Kenya has an almost 70% unemployment rate, Tanzania is doing better at close to 60%. And we are at 16 on the list of FAILED STATES, our GDP is coming close at number 20 (from the rock bottom!) on the GDP states list. Again, Tanzania is rapidly catching up.

We should consider this and many other factors before declaring we do not need FDI, maybe this FDI could have eased the pressure on the KES through dollar inflows to balance the dollar bleeding happening now.

Guys, lets think with an open mind, this stuff we are going through is interconnected in an intricate web, only the keenest will notice the weak links. God help Kenya.

Osotsi

PSS *As for the expanding multinationals, look closely at their interests: - *

TOYOTA: Cheap white toyota's all over town bought with loans from - eeh - Stanchart and other banks

STANCHAT: Multinationals and the UN, yes, the UN and non governmental bodies (all international banks fall in this category).

GOOGLE: Digitization of .KE records, yea, .KE! (remember governments everywhere are the largest source of procurement, and Mr Googs knows that!), GE, HP etc fall in this category.

Blah blah blah!

Don't blame me for what I wrote, think for yourself what you can do to make the situation better.

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:54 PM, [ Brainiac ] <arebacollins@gmail.com>wrote:

...

Joram echoes what is indeed true. A wise skunker would listen to what he says... :-)

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:51 PM, Joram Mwinamo <joram.mwinamo@gmail.com>wrote:

...

I was happy for that assessment for one reason, it will keep foreigners away for a bit longer so that I can get entrenched.

The only reason kenya scored badly is the ICC cases and repeated intervention from UN et al. But since post election

---

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-- With Regards,

Phares Kariuki

| T: +254 720 406 093 | E: pkariuki@gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | B: http://www.kaboro.com/ |

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-- Regards, Mark Mwangi http://mwangy.posterous.com

Sadly this is a reflection of what The Zeitgeist and Esoteric Agenda have been preaching for so long yet we are so blind to see it. I agree with Steve, there is no such thing as innovation that attracts these multinationals to Africa. All this though begs the question; all this "Call to action", "Change mindsets" "Vote Wisely" when does it bear fruit? I foresee a scenario where those children born in IDP camps will be responsible for a once and for all revolution, to take back the country that has been robbed off our feet as we watch and stare. -that is IMHO -ty On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:34 PM, Steve Obbayi <steve@sobbayi.com> wrote:

Joram dont be fooled with all those companies setting up shop in Kenya. That is actually a bad sign. Dont you know that growth has reached its peak elsewhere in the world and Africa happens to be the last market and thats why they are all running to Africa. It is not Africas innovation that is attracting them, it is in fact the lak of innovation that is bringing them here. The same thing happened when explorers like livingstone and the rest had a mad rush to conquer Africa. Africa had lack of innovation then yet there was a scumble for it. This is all a game of dominance and we are the pawns and we just dont know it

----- "[ Brainiac ]" <arebacollins@gmail.com> wrote:

...

Joram echoes what is indeed true. A wise skunker would listen to what he says... :-)

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:51 PM, Joram Mwinamo <joram.mwinamo@gmail.com<joram.mwinamo@gmail..com> wrote:

I was happy for that assessment for one reason, it will keep foreigners away for a bit longer so that I can get entrenched.

...

The only reason kenya scored badly is the ICC cases and repeated intervention from UN et al. But since post election

...

1. we have a new constitution with proper separation of powers and transparency(anyone watch the interviews?) 2. we have a new Judiciary with a supreme court and highly independent officers who dont report to the president(maybe except for one) 3. MPs are almost paying tax.

...

all the above were unheard of in kenya. We have the foundations of the worlds next great nation , hence the standard chartereds,toyotas, IBM, Nokia, Samsung, Google , GE and the chinese setting up their africa HQs in kenya, not SA or Nigeria or Egypt....

...

So if FDI owners believe kenya is a big risk, that is a good thing for a kenyan in the short term. Entrench yourself before they come in with their big moneys......so that they can buy you out or compete with you on equal footing.

...

On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 12:20 PM, Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi@gmail.com>wrote:

...

...

Let the Kenyan shilling keep rising, this way, imports become harder to afford. But given we are import depedent with most Kenyans walking around looking for blue collar jobs ...

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...

...

-- Sent from my Voice Recognition Watch© -------------------------------------------------------------------- Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,but that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.As we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear,our presence automatically liberates others.

...

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...

...

--

*“The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy”*

~ Alex Carey ~

Tel No: 0x2af23696

...

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