Konza City, the African Silicon Savannah of Africa, as it is referred to by those conscious of the mindset behind its inception, is a God-sent insight that, if allowed to take root, could transform our economic landscape entirely.
Counties, therefore, being the recruitment grounds, must carry out thorough Innovation and tech awareness. Nairobi county's Innovation Week is a masterpiece that is worthy of veneration and should be replicated in every county.
The national government should accord this initiative every necessary support with a deep consciousness of the infinite potential it harbours for industrialising the country.
An economic meltdown like this should act as a wake-up call for us to evaluate all our resources, especially human, and work on optimising the output. The leadership needs to demobilise its bureaucratic tendencies and welcome each and every citizen's ideas and human potential.
However, owing to our maturing democracy, government rarely attracts leaders with the sagacity to revolutionise the country's economy single-handedly, as was the case with Singapore's Lee Kuen Yu.
Unlike individuals, government has the luxury of diverse intellectual resources thanks to a large number of competent officials—if meritocracy is anything to go by, that can help refine economic strategies.
Kenya, just like other economic giants across the globe, has registered great citizen potential in global contests on various fronts: Sports, academia, innovation, etc. Our only setback, perhaps, is in the identification, motivation and organisation of our efforts and potential.
If we are to accelerate the realisation of economic breakthroughs in the country, our human resource value must be accorded high regard. When we choose to favour the 'yes men' in the place of merit and exalt the economic saboteurs while defaming the defenders, we shoot ourselves in the foot and deny ourselves the epiphany of our potential.
We need the will to act against the deeply rooted conventional reward system. The government must demobilise its bureaucratic tendencies and keep its doors wide open to ideas, skills and innovation, regardless of the owner's political persuasion.
The government should urgently institute a response system within its ICT department where every citizen is encouraged to share any natural or human resource that could help scale our economic index.
We may not have an abundance of mineral deposits within our borders, but none of them, if any, could beat a properly mobilised human resource, as exemplified by Israel.
Therefore, as the political leadership cracks its head trying to figure out the best settlement to the current political stalemate, the country is beckoning for every conscious citizen's worthy contribution.
The words of JFK to Americans on January 20, 1961, are more alive to us now than have ever: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country," and the leadership should at all times create favourable conditions for this timely call.
Good governance advocate. [email protected]
