selah wrote:My misgiving is not on the real estate potential the area is prime ..given its location ...The issue is transforming that area into silicon valley...a hub for startups..I think what is being envisaged is a hub for already developed companies.
When you look at the super highway the reason why it was developed is because of the need that was already there....Thika road was a mess and drastic measures were needed.
When we look at kenyan technology development eg Mpesa was developed in JKUAT ..UShahidi was developed in IHUB what this shows is that for technology to grow we need a community i.e a place where problems need to be solved not a place where everything is provided for and you need to look for problems to solve.
Silicon valley came into being after most of the student had launched successful businesses from the dormitories and garage.
We have creative pple in the Juacali sector why doesnt the govt make a city for this readily available skills why build a city for a skill that has not yet developed fully...or in its infancy stage.
Konza city is a speculators haven because I dont believe a company will go all the way to Emali to set up shop when Nairobi is just as good.
Silicon valley is not all about start-ups by college drop outs. It just have all the ingredients for ICT. ICT cannot be developed on human capital only, you need the infrastructure,the capital, the incentives. Think of Detroit and the auto industry. Suwon and electronics. Its convergence. Konza will bring to Kenya, ICT convergence. Nairobi lacks that. Read about Qatar Foundation n what they are achieving n while at it,cut on the pessimism. A Konza city for JUA KALI you said? Get serious,what's the combined output value for such?