Zuckerberg and co attracted to Kenya’s economic enigma but few want to admit

A building at Kentucky State University. USA universities and other institutions cater for students of different intellectual abilities. [Photo: XN Iraki]

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook was around. One of his destinations was iHub, an incubator President Uhuru Kenyatta also visited recently. What really attracted Zuckerberg to Kenya? Are other entrepreneurs following suit? And why does USA prolifically produce entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg? Can we do the same?

He says he wanted to understand innovations in Kenya. Zuckerberg like other entrepreneurs know experience is the best teacher, not reading textbooks. There is no doubt that globally, Mpesa fascinates everyone. It became more fascinating when it failed in South Africa, the most advanced economy in the continent. Maybe Zuckerberg has been looking at Safaricom financial reports.

Few westerners want to admit that Kenya is an economic enigma. It is a country adorned with immense natural beauty. It is a country where some citizens live like their forefathers did thousands of years ago, yet others live the most affluent lives westerners can only dream off.

Where else in the world does one live in a ranch where your neighbours are wild animals roaming freely? Where else are you woken up, not by an alarm clock, but the choral verse of tropical birds? The Kenyan enigma has attracted westerners and now easterners since happy valley days. The core of the enigma is how you make so much money in a market that looks unsophisticated.

That is what’s sucking in French, Germans, Chinese, Americans, and other nationalities you never know about. I was surprised to find wine from Moldova (iko wapi?) in a Kenyan supermarket and Tilapia from Lebanon. The apparent unsophistication of the Kenyan market and the ability to make so much money leaves lot of rich men and women salivating to have a piece of action.

It is more than that. Where else on Earth do you hop from a five star hotel to watch the earth as it was on creation day into a national park or sanctuary? If you find out who owns some homes or resorts, you will have no doubt that Kenya is Eden. Where else on Earth do Ambassadors finish their tour of duty and remain in host country?

USA is so prolific

The leading headlines on corruption, school burning and so on have never shaken the addiction outsiders have for this country. Can bet Zuckerberg will return. Even terrorism could not. The negative headiness are what you see in an iceberg, the great things this county offers are below the water, invisible to majority of Kenyans intoxicated with politics and parochialism.

Enough digression. Why does USA produce such prolific entrepreneurs? And why focus on Zuckerberg eating fish and Ugali? Should we not be exploring his thinking, what we can’t see like the iceberg? From my American sojourn that lasted six years, I ferreted out a few observations on why USA is so prolific in spawning entrepreneurs that conquer the world.

While we fear intelligent people and do all we can to pull them down, USA co-opts them. Why do they have green cards and H1B visa? What should I do if I find a PhD student is more intelligent than me? Americans are pragmatic, they easily adopt what works. We try things that never work hoping for miracles.

Americans try to make life easy; we think making things complex is what gives us status and power. Compare an American textbook with one from other countries. Check US Supreme Court Website, everything is in plain English. Americans are willing to improve. They improved on monarchy by coming up with presidential system. They are willing to jettison old tired ideas and adopt new ones, particularly in technology. New cars, clothes, songs and so on come out every year. Even socially they are open-minded. What do you think of LGBTQ?

American schools cater for students of all abilities; genius goes to Harvard and Ivies, the intellectually disadvantaged go to community colleges. In Kenya if you do not go to university, life comes to an end; only extended by early marriages.

And except in university, fees are not an issue in USA; public schooling is free (paid by tax) but private and charter schools provide competition. Parents try to do their work by imbibing confidence in children early in life in USA. Diversity ensures inbreeding does not stymie creativity. Americans attract brains from anywhere in the world. We are still stuck in quota systems.

Americans are forever being inspired by their leaders. Did you listen to George Bush after September 11? Listened to Kennedy talk about landing on the moon? Listened to Obama speeches? Americans always get super ordinate goals that the whole nations focus on. What of us? They think long term; we are stuck in the five-year electoral cycles. Noted how all the eyes are now on 2017 elections?

US government and private entities funds R&D, about 3 percent of GDP to ensure continues trickle of new ideas, from research institutes and universities. IBM files more patents than Kenya. The ideas are later turned into enterprises. Students in universities care more about ideas that will be the next big thing, not what to eat or where to sleep. They easily get government loans.

Add Patriotism and national pride which are part of the national psyche. They buy America so that entrepreneurs are assured of a market. In Kenya, even spouses are better if exotic...

With such an anchor at home, Americans go forth and conquer the world led by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and others. Americans see the world as their playground; we see our counties as the playgrounds. Americans use the media to magnify their success stories and celebrate their heroes. No wonder the world never gets enough of America. Shall we be there someday? Please tell me...