Worked perfectly well..... Prices are also so decent.

This is like saying that we manufacture or assemble boda bodas while all we do is import the parts in boxes then employ some jamaas who sit in godowns the whole day with spanners joining the various parts - engine, wheels, chains etc together to make the complete boda bodas. That is how our car manufacturing/assembly currently works. Car manufacturing means sourcing steel and aluminium and moulding them into cars. Just like a tailor would source rolls of fabric from Rivatex (made from locally grown cotton) and transform them to new clothes.

Then you meet these guys in the pub and everyone is introducing himself as Engineer so and so. We should see the results of their engineering training.

The most embarassing one is, we even import bicycles!

Our political elite do not have the good will for industrialization, hence do not implement favourable policies to reduce cost of production.

Who is the problem? Those who elect these mediocre leaders!

Actually this is a brilliant idea. But I am afraid my accolades end with that statement. This being jubilee, don't be shocked to realize nobody has sat down and thought this through. We clear an average 7,000 second-hand units per month. At a minimum duty of 300K per unit, that makes 2.1B monthly and 25B annually. That is the bare minimum. Throw in the jobs created by the second hand vehicles market. Do we have a vehicle assembly industry big enough to create this number of jobs and generate as much revenue ?? Again, this is Jubilee, the attitude is "tutajulia mbele".

I heard the minister talking of environmental concerns. How about waive duty for electric vehicles and cut our import bill on fuel, stabilize the KES and utilize the excess power being produced. ERC and KPLC are struggling with excess power production. So much so that they have put on hold the execution of any further PPAs. Norway are on track to stop the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles before the tentative 2040 EU deadline. And to imagine the Norwegians got rich selling fossil fuels.

Have we laid the policy and infrastructure to achieve this?

Exactly. But don't be surprised if its some local assembly firm which sold the idea to the ministry (hoping to make a kill with the disruption). The ministry takes idea at face value. Makes sugarcoated presentation at cabinet level (ppt prepared by the businessman) and the idea is adopted pap. No feasibility study no nothing. Like the housing thing.

This is actually a very good idea if only jubilee can see it through to fruition.

Its time we are facilitated with dignity of owning something new. The industry and pricing will correct itself - you just need a proper and firm policy and investors will put up new car plants, supply and choice will increase and prices will come down.

The government should position this whole initiative from aspiration/ self dignity angle.

Can they also ban mitumba clothes? Again; it will take couple of years to adjust but we shall get there somehow.

As for mass manufacturing - we lost the plot 30 years ago and we should be happy with assembly plants. We are just waking up to basic secondary industries while some folks are into quaternery quinary industries - data, technology etc.

If we improve our self dignity and 'buy kenya build kenya', we can then discuss as a country what is our role in global value chain. I think positioning ourselves as the place you come to do leisure is not a far-fetched ambition. Not just tourism, leisure in all its dimensions.

[/quote]


This is exactly what Mugundaman was trying to say.. to much talk/excuses and no substance whatsoever. Kwani Wright brothers who invented the aeroplane walikuwa wangapi. Few kenyan engineers can even assemble a car/ pikipiki engine. Its largely juakali guys who do it.. with hardly no qualifications. Or Wale kalasinga wa River Road

From time to time we see in the press juakali guys coming up with various clever inventions but because they're
....well juakali.. They get very little or no support at all ( from the so called engineers) to hone their skills

Show me one tangible invention a graduate Kenyan engineer has come up with hapa Jamhuri in the last 50 years. Hata mtego wa panya is made in PRC
Looks like our engineers are taught Chinese dynasties and history and how others industrialised and NOT how Kenya can Industrialise.
@ Kusadikika when is Kenya's Deng Xiaoping moment going to happen? Kenyan Engineers have let this Country down.

Just like the Japanese in the 20th Century the Chinese have thrived at coping and perfected other people's innovations and technologies. The only thing Our Engineers can copy is an exam

Kenyan Engineers need not to go anywhere like Deng Xiaoping did. All info is at finger tips courtesy of information technology
They simply need to copy and modify the technology that is already there. The problem is 99% of their coursework is classroom based. Some graduate without wearing Workwear overall

America Australia Europe don't sleep because they are worried the Chinese are stealing their technologies. And yes They are

Africa is sleeping while China dumps sub standard products whilst stealing trillions of dollars worth of minerals

While our engineers are reminiscing on Century old plus Deng Xiaoping ideology

Bure kabisa

If you have the bundles the phenomenon of low industrialization in Africa is addressed by Sir Paul Collier. It's an hour long lecture but useful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3lh3Lb1kes