Forget Obama's speeches, did you notice the new Kenya?

The US President Barack Obama came, saw and spoke. News channels covered his visit to Kenya and Ethiopia in detail and no sooner had he left than commentaries about the visit flooded the press. Some cheered his remarks on the inclusion of women and young people in the development process and the need to tackle corruption while others felt he was patronising when he went on and on about democracy as though it is supposed to be a one size fits all. The availability of internet services in this part of the world has gone a long way to demystify the West in general and America in particular. For example, Obama could not keep going on and on about what Africa needs yet his audience is aware of how black people are treated by the dominant white police system. Africans are also aware of his country’s role in the destruction of Libya, Syria and its support for countries like Saudi Arabia where women are still treated as second class citizens. At some point the Kenyan media was blasted for focusing on Obama’s car, his planes, and the secret service personnel instead of what had really brought him to Kenya, the fight against terror and the global entrepreneurship summit. However there was something else that many did not notice about the visit and yet I believe it has got vital lessons for the rest of the region – Kenya’s new competitive identity. A few years back when someone mentioned Kenya all you could think of was the Safari country whose savannah grasslands were guarded by lions, cheetahs and graceful elephants and giraffes among others. It would even not be so shocking to expect visitors to the country to expect to see only animals and jumping Maasai warriors. Those were the days when Hakuna Matata was considered by some to be the country’s national anthem. Then something else happened, the world woke up to a new version of Kenyans - the long distance runners who literally gave the Ethiopians a run for their money. Kenya became that country known for its amazing wildlife safaris and long distance runners. The runners soon became too many and Kenyan became an ‘exporter’ of runners especially to the oil rich countries but also to US, Denmark and other countries that needed athletics medals so badly. Then unfortunately the Al Shabaab terrorists who had for ages done their thing in Somalia slowly brought their bad manners to Lamu, then Nairobi, then Mombasa, Garissa and almost everywhere else. The tourists started opting to head to Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda and anywhere else but not Kenya. Even the much acclaimed “World Cup of Wildlife” where over two million animals mainly Wildebeests, zebras and gazelles migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara in Kenya risking being preyed on by crocodiles and lions, has not been enough to keep the Kenyan safari flag flying high enough. However Kenya has found a new competitive identity as the hub of innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Riding on its flagship Mpesa magic, the country has managed to attract lots of investors willing to tap into the fledging innovations and business attitude of the Kenyan people. When Obama came he met entrepreneurs not safari guides or runners like Ezekiel Kemboi. Just the other day, Kenya Airways revealed a record loss and yet Safaricom the home of Mpesa and other mobile money innovations remains the most profitable company in the region. Equity bank also recently launched its mobile platform called Equitel. The best thing about this whole innovations-entrepreneurship combo that Kenya is riding is that it is anchored on the thirst for the youth. Young people are the ones that keep coming up with different solutions to solve different problems facing them and their community. These young people just need an enabling environment and a good education to prosper. The key lesson in all this is that other East African countries can learn that it is much wiser to entrust the future prosperity of a country on the ingenuity of the young people than on tourism or natural resources. Tanzania may have minerals, Uganda may have oil, Rwanda and Burundi can talk about tourism, but ultimately, the quality of our young people is what counts most. It is therefore not surprising that Kenya remains the region’s leading economy. Let us continue to support the youth.

Opinions

Forget Obama's speeches, did you notice the new Kenya?