RIGHT OF REPLY

And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:32)

The thoughts put here are my own thoughts. I’m not speaking/Responding on behalf of Pivot 25 but as a person who was involved in the process of planning.

After reading sub-tweeting for a while and being angry, one Iddsalim encouraged me to do a right of response - Not to be a pussy blogger - as he put it. So why am I ranting? Read this article:

Why Pivot25 is a Briefcase Conference of Con Men Using Developers’ Name

Honestly, the author of this article is really misinformed. Am not seeking to justify his misinformation but clear the air and put things straight. I was partially involved in the process. What do I mean? The site Pivot25 was done under my keen watch as a PM for the web-platform.For those who have worked with one Jay Bhalla and Erik Hersman, know this people are sharp, fast and are keen to detail. Am not ass-kissing as most of you will say, but talking from experience. This two people having been the driving force behind this event and have sacrificed enough time, money and energy to put together this event. Building the online portfolio for the event was not easy, with the site having constant updating et al. Trust me for the people who attend the event, will have a blast and a time of their lives as this is the first event of its kind and its targeting the mobile developers.

Now onto the thorny issue. The author took the liberty to talk about details he has no idea about. That is, finances of the event and many other  improperly stated facts .To begin with, I have a couple of questions I would like to ask:

a) Who said all the sponsors presented here, provided money? Does he have any hard facts to prove this?

b) The figures he gave of 20m, how did he arrive at that cost? Any person who has done events knows there are costs. These are prizes (This event was giving away a top prize of $25,000 and a fully paid trip to DEMO at a cost of $25,000 and then each winner per the 5 categories (And not 6 as said) takes home $5,000).Then the events costs in terms of PR and printing and publicity? The venue itself, Ole Sereni, had a quote that was higher than the quoted figure in the ticket funds claimed in the story. I wonder where these figures were coming from.

c) The 114 sponsors, I seem to have missed the bus or counting for me is a problem. Just going by the logos provided my count comes to 16.I know this cause I PM the process, again a fact that was stated incorrectly.

d) Jay is there to provide the logistics and ensure the event goes on smoothly. The event is an mLab Initiative backed by Nokia, InfoDev, World bank and World Wide Web Foundation. I wonder whether he knows that.

e) Again, I find the author very racist. Does he have a good platform to verify what Jay has done in the ICT space? We judge people not by the "tough" talk but what you have done. And really, does the skin color have to make you African or for that matter Kenyan? 

There are so many incorrect things stated in the post. I wonder whether the author contacted Jay to give more info before he started name calling. I believe in freedom of speech and I believe, we all have a right to express ourselves, but when talking about particular things that you have no clue about, then do a good research (you can even use insiders) and then blog about it. When you blog incorrect, racist and absurd information and expect to get credit for "whistle-blowing" then you give the people who blog hard facts a bad image. I have seen Jay put the event one after another, from getting the sponsors, to event logistical management, we need to give credit where it’s due.

Another thing am happy about is we are having this awards for local developers, the first event of its own kind, where we appreciate our own for doing a great job. When you get people who trash this initiatives, I wonder what initiative we will do that we will be proud of. Let us learn to see the positive side of things, having problems with everything and everyone, talking trash with no hard facts, makes you not only look pathetic but make you look like gutter-press.

And lastly, Jay hasn't paid me half the loot he is claimed to have pocketed nor am not kissing ass to write this, but the desire to tell the truth.

PATENTS

Disclaimer: The views expressed are not professional views, but views from a layman. Any corrections from experts are more than welcome.

Shark Tank - One of the few series, which I have come to enjoy. The basis: Pitch your great-idea to the team of multi-billion Venture Capitalists, who in turn put in money towards the business, depending on your idea, pitching skills and the vision that the VC and the "pitcher" have. One of the key things that kept on coming on the episodes is patents. And the great ideas pitched most, if not all, had patents.

Am pretty sure this has to be the thorniest of issues that we as Kenyan innovators suffer from. Why do I say so? A couple of reasons:

a) People have so many good ideas, but then we can't share with the "big boys" in the market, as they will both be snatched and implemented before you even blink your eyes. Why? Financial muscle and proper management structures, which many up-coming entrepreneurs lack.

b) We lack knowledge on how to deal with patents. We are a developing country with a blue-print to vision 2030, which is being implemented in bits and pieces. Doing a quick search on Google, I realize there is a government entity under the ministry of Industrialization, called KIPI (Kenya Industrial Property Institute) .

Its good we have an arm of the government, that deals with patents. A quick flip into their site, which is well done, I go through the patents section. This is where all the jargon begins. They have some basic guidelines ET all of how to get a patent. Problem being when I download the document that shows the patent fees, first, I looked through the figures and understood nothing. Now that doesn't mean that I don't understand how to read numbers or anything, but the way they were presented and structured, it would be hard to for a kawaida mwananchi to understand them. So I quickly went to Hahn and Hahn Inc, Intellectual Property(IP) Practitioners, based in SA, they outline the costs to be around $2100 - $2300. Now that’s one hell of a figure.

Picture this, based on a story the Standard, run on page three of the dailies on Saturday (May,14^th 2011),A young guy with a great invention of a gadget that can cook after getting instructions from a mobile phone (The story run under the title - Student Whose Meal is but a Phone Call away).This is a great thing and good invention to some of us who are busy in the hustle of paper-chasing or what they call the rat race. I doubt this guy knows there is something called patenting of such a great invention, which if produced well under a good watch of Fab Labs at the University of Nairobi, the guy could sell millions of shillings or probably sell the invention to a manufacturer, where in return he could get royalties which could be a good revenue stream for the inventor.

That’s but one of the many inventions that just goes under the bus and after we read it, we enjoy and then life moves on. We have lost Kiondo and Kikoy to other people who are not Kenyans (Am not saying this in prejudice) but it’s because we have been busy sleeping on the job or too ignorant or simple we have procedures that need to be streamlined at the government body, KIPI. Kenya should have registered an industrial design to the kiondo and kikoy and also trademarked the name "kiondo" and “Kikoy” that way we would still be having them around.

Ideally after a rant you could provide possible solutions:

a) Streamlining the process. It takes up-to 60 days to a patent search and filing. How can we reduce this time period? Use of Technology to reduce inefficiencies and hence reduce the turn-around time

b) The Costs - At a tentative cost of $2100 - $2300(Hopefully not inflated), we need to get this to a lower cost. This will encourage more inventions and more patents. Think of it as sales by volume.

c) Collaborate with other government arms. If we could have the vision 2030 team come up with a small office, where we are able to help to encourage the young investors to patent their inventions, then that could be the way to go forward. And this will be to understand all inventions across the board and in all sectors.

d) KIPI - they need to do civil education on IP. This in-turn opens up eyes of inventors to patent their products. Think of it as spreading of word out there and hence revenue streams are high. I think why we lost Kiondo and Kikoy was lack of information.

That’s my 2 cents

PROMOTING "ZOMBIENESS" IN OUR YOUTH

Today, as I went about my normal business - as a Project Manager and a local Kenyan Techie with varied interests,I come across a tweet.On a normal day,I will tweet about 20 + tweets ranging from Tech stuff,to personal stuff,to various things (As varied as my interests.) While at it I come across such a tweet:

" OrangeKenya: Enjoy more facebook on your phone with 50MB for Kshs. 50 a week. Send a blank SMS to "1234" to subscribe then dial... http://fb.me/tT4Uwdov"

Really,Kenya is busy lacking content despite the three fibre pipes in the country and a probable fourth one looming and all our famous Telkom Kenya/Orange can tout is our Youngsters to facebook more?You gotta be kidding me.If anything was to go by,facebook is destroying creative minds,and instead creating zombies and youngsters who can't think beyond facebook. I recall reading some statistics some time back to the effect that Kenya is one of the heaviest facebook users in Africa and our famous ISP is seeking to solidify that?Really? Again,this is thin line between what facebook can do and what are its effects on our youngsters.Am thinking more in line that when we promote use of facebook,what can we do with it?What else can we build from it to make something sensible?The kawaida banter of I saw you drunk e.t.c is what is being discussed heavily.We seem to cultivate a nature where "intellectualism" lacks and encouraging things that don't add any value to the GDP of our economy e.g. Socialization. Am not saying it bad to socialize and facebook,twitter and all the social networks provide an avenue to that, but bottom line how are the adding up to the Kenya's workforce?Is there a way we can promote that kshs. 50 to direct our energies to something else more profitable to the up-coming workforce,Say Research?Like if you ask me there is huge gap in mHealth.Any service provider willing to help on this?I doubt all we get is them promoting socialization networking sites.Wow...... Maybe we need to focus.

POST VOLUNTEER FUN

After a hard days work of mapping and running around making a trip that almost made me look lame and useless(Story for another day),I decided to go through the #KenyaDecides on Twitter.And boy oh boy,Did I see interesting and crazy tweets.

Sample this:

Waarrr enyewe #kenyadecides :: Ati This dude refused to buy 2kilos of meat simply bcoz it was #RED n so he bought #GREEN skuma wiki for 5sok

Haki Mshai!RT @Geekymz: Waiting for my brigand friend to come pick me we go vote.If she's not here by 4pm,al just go by myself #kenyadecides

Green supporter ignores red traffic light and crashes into red supporter. The two are still exchanging fists by Globe Cinema. #kenyadecides

RT @Kirembu Done my laundry but my pinkie is still coloured which kind of ink is this #kenyadecides )) It's #jv, LOL

Haha, sad but funny, in the mock IDP vote there were 400 voters, 430 voted YES and 20 voted NO (450?) LOL http://bit.ly/9wbMLj #KenyaDecides
Wyclef Jean to announce his run for Kenyan Presidency in 2012 on CNN's Larry King show this Thursday #kenyadecides #uchaguzi
No tension whatsoever. If anything my hood looks ripe for a street party. This is how all polls should go #KenyaDecides
@Postinor: Can 5pm reach so I can go cook that chicken!! #KenyaDecides
Second time 4 my mum 2a poll station. She never bothered until recently. #kenyadecides
I think moi n ruto should kesho mek thea way to westie 4 bendover thursday. Coz thats wats gonna happen #kenyadecides
Man assaults wife with green onions after she refused to use tomatoes to prepare morning omlette for breakfast due 2 red color #kenyadecides
Need an artist 2 draw up a pic of the viral constitution baby Red Wafula Green throwing up a peace sign #kenyadecides #uchaguzi
Since Kenyans love free things, i suggest that IIEC to introduce: Fichua voters card, Ng'arisha maisha na referendum #kenyadecides
I hear Kibera is soo peaceful that tomorrow, instead of uprooting their beloved railway, youths plan to scrub and wash it #kenyadecides
SMS: red or green,we are all black,lets maintain peace.youth 4 peace, kibera mashimoni.
SMS: 132 kevanda pri sch, my phone has entered in a pit latrine and am now using this line, around 300 pple have voted.
SMS: #Uchaguzi SMS report: "Woman goes into labour at Kabete polling station. Voters have pre-named the baby 'Red Wafula Green" #kenyadecides


More coming.......

Safaricom's Innovation Forum Terms & Conditions

In light of this discussion that came up on a local techie-list,Skunkworks, by a blogger,Al Kags, about Safaricom's innovation terms and conditions and I quote word for word about the section that caused a bit of question :

Terms of Idea Submission By Submitting your proposal to Safaricom, you agree:

(a) That the submissions and its contents will automatically become the property of Safaricom, without any compensation whatsoever to you;

(b) That Safaricom may use or redistribute the submissions and their contents for any purpose and in any way;

And the section elicited a lot of replies.But after looking at the situation critically,I came up with a different angle to the whole story.My view is based on a book I have been reading about "The fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid" - By C.K Prahalad.He argues that some lessons that come up during "innovation sandbox" is to embrace constraints that become non-negotiables in the development process. In my opinion this are some of the non-negotiables that Safaricom has been having and in return they are able to bring up some very interesting products in the market.I can be biased or termed as a Safaricom sympathizer,but if they never do such things as tying you down the development process of the products will be slow and non-effective.Hence,we wouldn't have had products like bonga points,MPESA and M-KESHO just to mention a few.

Such stringent and "nasty" rules are part of the business, that is now raking the Kenyan Government millions of shillings from taxations and which in return benefits the Kenyans.I think there normally vested interests in each of the businesses we do and capitalism is what earns the company's revenue.They have recently moved into selling domain names at a cheap price and ensuring that using our MPESA you can pay for them.Meaning what,if somebody didn't come up with the set of tough and "non-ethical" rules then innovation would be retarded.As much as I say,there is nothing called fairness especially when it comes to making money,and thats what Safaricom is doing. In the Innovation Sandbox,C.K Prahalad,continues to state that that there are a couple of factors that are contained in it.One of them is mordern technology.Just going by the number of awards Safaricom has been given over the years,it was using a combination of innovation and use of modern technology to push the products to the people at the bottom of the Pyramid,and thats the common mwananchi.If MJ was to be asked where Safaricom's most money comes from is from the innovative products and solutions they bring to the common mwananchi.

In my humble Opinion,I think,such constraints are good and bad depending on how you look at them.Safaricom's CEO Micheal Joseph Gave his right of reply,which was posted on Al Kags Blog,in which he stated that they are trying to find a balance in the innovation area,which I found quite interesting and realistic.Am thinking in-order for a company to survive in this tough and turbulent Economic situations and guard its position as a market leader some,"rules" like this have to come into play.

GIVING CHILDREN A CHANCE

Kibera, Anyone who hears Kibera,one thing comes into his mind.

I think a picture is worth a thousand words.You can describe it in as many words as possible depending on how descriptive and creative your mind is. But deep within this funny clay and mud-made walls stands a number of good things.One of the many good things is humanity.Over one million people live here.And every single day a kid is born into this society.

Children are a gift from heaven,whether brought about by irresponsible sexual behaviour or planned.In the Bible,the Holy Book, Jesus Christ himself,compared the heavenly kingdom to the little ones.And in a society where almost 3/4 of the population is termed “poor”, children are not allowed to be children as they grow up.Some of them at a young age of 3 years get molested,beaten up and man-handled in a society that doesn’t care about kids. Figure this out a kid that is age 3 being beaten up and thrown into the rain,because of an alcoholic mother who has no time to feed the young one. Hence,kids at this tender age jump a step and start fending for themselves.This is a big concern to a society that should value kids,and protect them as they are leaders of tomorrow. Much more can be said about what happens.We already have the negative publicity of what happens in this place.

But on a positive note,I visited a place where kids are allowed to be kids.I loved the place.Its located in the muddy houses that are seen the photo above. 

This is one place where kids at a tender age get shielded away from heavy work and are allowed to be kids.They get to be children.To be a child,you need to undergo various steps and stages of life.That includes sleep, lots of play and creative development in terms of what they think they want to be.The colouring, the crayons and drawing.That’s what in my opinion makes a child grow.And Turning point is one place that makes kids feel at home and can make the best of it all.

Imagine all this happy faces getting to reach a point where they can have and provide for themselves and become better law-abiding citizens?

I had a chance of meeting Joanna Bayley,who works with the Turning Point Trust, as a fund-raiser to the making the young ones on loose their big dreams.

Am thinking,this kids look beautiful and really want to stay being children.How about we make it possible for them to play,live in a safe and humble environment where we can nurture them to be where we are or even better?

Contact me or talk to me directly,we can plan a visit or something to see how we can make them have better days in an environment that does not care about them.

Lets make this kids enjoy being kids.

E-Commerce in Kenya

I might not be as objective as can be in my post,but I will try and do due justice.

E-commerce (Electronic Commerce),provides one of the biggest and yet the best market place, that I can currently compare it to our market place with the only difference being you get extra services, like you just sitting in your house and your item of desire is dropped at your comfort and when as needed. This kind of market place (Flee  market) has grown as much internet has grown in the past few years.The good thing about the flee-online market is you get to utilise some payment which could be a little different from the norm.You get to use “plastic” money, meaning you don’t necessarily have to have hard cash to get your item at your door step.

Right in this country we have a phobia.According to Juliana,she actually thinks its a cultural thing.Well,I beg to differ,i think its phobia,from certain stories or incidences that have occurred in the past with people and generates fear that something might happen to them if they use credit cards.Thats so wrong,People should take advantage of the “plastic” money that offers a lot more security if anything.We are always thinking that in case we use our credit cards,we will loose our hard-earned cash to scams and phishing.Well,there are many things to counter that.Will review that in just a bit.

Kenyans, should take advantage of our internet(Fibre) and start shopping online.You find its a lot cheaper to shop online than to shop in a store in town.Well,there is a debate of if for example if you shop clothes it will not fit,or a shoe will not be the right size,well,my opinion,here is simple,you know your shoe size,if you have been in this world for over 20 years,then you can never miss your shoe size or your clothes size.So cut me some slack,and avoid the B.S.

Look at the advantages we would generate from E-commerce in the country.Imagine of a situation where say Savannis or Text book centre,can have a site where you just go up online and you choose a book and within a span of 3 minutes you buy the book,then in another 1 hour its delivered at your address.Talk of total bliss all at a go.Think of yourself as a workaholic,the person who forgets stuff/shopping for your house,and once you land in your house you remember that you need some stuff to do your dinner,Log in and you are able to place an order and within an hour or less,you have things on your door step.

How about we reduce the stress of queuing and Kids nagging you kwa supermarket,and you just log –in online and have a go at what you want?That’s what we should aim at.Making sure people have things comfortably and conveniently.I think we need to explore more into the Electronic Plastic Shopping(EPS). Looking at it,what is actually missing is the infrastructure and of course the PR to make people feel secure while shopping and offer some incentives,of course like lower prices of certain commodities.