The rate of youth unemployment is currently worrying, coupled with the economic pitfalls that are being felt not only in Kenya but worldwide. Years ago, Kenyans had the ‘Nairobi dream’, maybe it wasn’t even made public, but it existed even before the American dream. Kenyans from all over the country wished they could get to Nairobi, get white collar jobs, establish their own businesses and get the financial facelift their lives cried out for.
Fast forward some years later, and devolution has eased that burden and pressure. In Western Kenya, huge companies, which were operating in their prime were already set up and were working actively, or example Mumias Sugar Company, Nzoia Sugar Company and the infamous Rai Paper mills. Still, it was a common sight for Western Kenya residents to opt for the lush streets of Nairobi, until devolution came along. The issue was unemployment then, but more so, a lack of solution s to the unemployment. Currently, the rate of unemployment has skyrocketed and even though devolution has taken its roots deep in the country’s administration, unemployed youth are still out and about.
However, the good reason for optimism is that there exists some kind of contrasting paradigm, in that as the economy and unemployment keep on cropping up as challenges, some other sectors are getting better, slicker and creating opportunities, most common being technology and with that, E-Commerce.
A lot can change in the region
During his trip to Kenya last week, Alibaba Group founder and executive chairman Jack Ma gave rousing talks to the youth and business people in general. The richest person in Asia, who is also the 14the richest in the world, was accompanied by other 38 billionaires from the red dragon nation, that is China, and were definitely optimistic of striking deals with business magnates and the Kenyan government.
Many Kenyans inclined their ears to listen to his inspirational talks and his steps to success, and the theme definitely was more oriented towards business and technology more than anything else. The question remains, “Can Kenyans see the need to take up the chances in the changing business world and technology, especially with the advent of devolution or will we just remain the receivers of dead projects from more developed nations and regions?” In the former Western province, devolution has been felt widely, with Counties now having a more defined system of rule. However, the challenges that were faced in the region before are still being felt today even after funds being pushed to the Counties, and they include struggling companies which were once powerhouses, job opportunities, thriving farming among others.
For some, technology hasn’t penetrated the region well enough to enable a business to operate on a higher level, but still, it shouldn’t be a problem if the people want to develop. Sometimes, taking up labels and tribes can hamper penetration of technology or online businesses more than we expect, because innovative minds are diverse, and this should be dealt with quickly. Moving back to the main highlight, Jack Ma highlighted the changing landscape of doing business globally at the moment. “I said the internet would be the future, I believed China will have E-Commerce, they said there is no payment and I said let’s build the payment, no logistics, let’s build the logistic, no support from the government, they’ll support you someday,” said Jack Ma. Having started his business at the comfort of his house, the tycoon has vast experience and this situation is the same as many Kenyans, especially from regions where the resources are available but seem closed from within, “I have never learned any knowledge about how to do business, I never go one day of computer training. Till date I don’t know how computers work,” he said, in an amusing way. The question then becomes how did he manage to come up with a large conglomerate of online business that has taken the world, especially Asia, by storm, “This is because I know people, I know what people want, I know what people don’t want,” remarked Jack Ma. This can be summarized into one word, demand. In a country that’s filled with agricultural opportunities and resources to be exploited, more should be done to put these into good use. There are many demands that need to be catered for, but the issue remains the archaic means used to meet and address these demands. Agriculture has been very pronounced in the region, given the proximity and usefulness of Mt Elgon, but the methods of farming haven’t advanced to match the fast changing landscape. It’s what some may call ‘the trending project that never advances.’
Even the modes of transactions in business are still yet to the desired standards. M-Pesa has changed the way we transact and conduct our businesses, but it has become a wall for Kenyans because we are still marvelling and admiring its effects, even though there are some other branches that have cropped up after the great innovation. This needs to change because it’s a need that people can’t live without and once changed, people will get used to. All these could be solved if a way is found to move totally to online businesses. During the talk at the University of Nairobi, the Chinese business magnate highlighted that the best chances come about where there is a need. Opportunities need to be taken advantage of, currently with all roads heading towards the world that is looking to accommodate technology and innovation in every sector; online businesses and E-Commerce present an amazing opportunity to satisfy the needs of many Kenyans.
All about the future
Devolution has allowed Counties in Kenya to develop their own administrative strata and to create an enabling environment for business to thrive. Apart from corruption, a lack of education can be cited too as a letdown and factor that has led to a lack of knowledge and experimentation needed to kick start a new era. Devolution isn’t the start of a new era as some may say, but making the way of life easier should be targeted as the start of a new era. Different sectors can be subject to the term and address of ‘new era’, like politics, given that now we are in an electioneering period and politicians are flaunting that term left, right and centre. There can be a new ear also in business and the use of technology to gain profits and improve our lives. For each and every County, technology can be put to good use. We know of social media and generally communication technology, but what about Agricultural technology in relation to ease of doing business, and other sectors that can benefit if brought to the online platform, like health transactions. There are firms, and institutions that already use this, but if it could be put to good use in all the Counties, then development would be realized quickly.
The first step is always the toughest risk. There is the group that knows all about the online business models, the technology and the individuals who can make it happen, the failures are lined all along the way but success comes regardless of the failures, “You have to get used to failure, if you can’t get used to failure, like you get used to being hit in boxing. How can you win if you don’t get used?” posed Jack Ma, adding that sharing lots of failure stories helps people to learn, “No matter how smart you are in business, you’ll make the same mistakes again and again.” One can only imagine the shift and change that the former Western province will experience once the responsible people lift the level of doing business a notch higher when the modes of Agriculture are technologically empowered. The future is all through online, “In 1999 nobody believed that they could buy and sell things online,” said Jack Ma during the talk, adding that the internet speeds in Kenya are better than America, only if those internet speeds will be put to good use. Jack Ma said he never thought the internet would be that big, “It was big compared to yesterday, but compared to tomorrow the future, it will be tiny. I believe 90 percent to 80 percent of business in future will be online,” he remarked, adding that in future entrepreneurs will be ‘netreprenuers’. It is a bright image of the future, and if Kenya wants to get to the next level, it’s a must to be part of the revolution.
