Al Kags

I ……………………….. Do swear allegiance to my Republic and the people of Kenya. I will be loyal to my nation, I will live by the spirit and letter of the constitution and our national anthem; to protect and promote the rule of law; I will never violate the rights of any fellow citizen; I will hold each government official accountable while promoting education that makes every Kenyan become tolerant, truthful, honest, hardworking, courageous and just.

I will not discriminate anyone on whatever basis. I will promote unity in diversity, embrace minorities and the weak in our nation, peace, social justice,sports, music, art and cultural excellence; and I will endeavor to have at least one friend from every single Kenyan ethnic community, religion and race.

I hereby now willingly accept to be become a citizen of the Kenyan nation number………………………And shall now work every day to make Kenya a glorious, just, welcoming, prosperous and united nation that shall be the world’s leading promoter of environmental conservation, social justice, peace and democracy;

May God Help me;

“The more things change, the more they remain the same”

Much has been said about the new age we live in. Many people – myself included – have touted the current technology driven world we live in as a “new world”. It has often been suggested that the fundamentals of everyday living have been changed by technology, that people’s way of life are fundamentally changed by the coming of technology. More and more it is dawning upon me that nothing really has changed.

Merslow’s defined needs are still the same. People still want wealth, health, companionship, belonging, prestige, a connection… Not necessarily in that order.

So then as far as innovation is concerned, I realise that the object has got to be to enable, facilitate or stimulate people’s access to the things they want – meaning that what they need is well catered for. Ideas must be relevant to existing need but also must challenge the status quo in ways that are meaningful.

The issues of relevance and meaningful solutions is one that we must begin addressing ourselves to. I ask myself: as we have many interesting innovations – from ushahidi to m-kesho and so on, and as many more are in the pipeline, how connected are our techies to the lives of grassroot Kenyans? How many of the solutions are likely to be relevant and meaningful in lodwar, Malindi and kitale? How much do we know of what the true problems in pokot are?

What of the peculiarities of usage?

Two things come to me by way of way forward:

1. We must immerse developers into the kenyan fabric by making them travel round the country.

2. We must grow developers in every village in the country. We must show our youth true possibility.

3. We just celebrate success. A 25 year old built m-kesho. He should be a star. I don’t know his name. Can’t find it on google.