Let me take this as an opportunity to explore on what I'm currently learning. So far you're profiling not just tycho but Kenyans in general and the economy. For example, you conclude that Kenyans are greedy, but from what evidence? Is the evidence sufficient?

I suspect some group think is what's required here!

Given our current state of political dysfunction, this protectionism likely will not work in Kenya. Our corrupt leaders will force foreign companies to partner with companies that are well connected to political bigwigs. The resulting inefficiency will cause the cost of manufactured goods to skyrocket.

Plus Kenya lacks India's capacity and customer base. I.E. Unlike India which has a billion people, Kenya's customer base is not large enough to sustain a large investment. Therefore large investments must be export oriented.

If Kenyans want to fix manufacturing issues in Kenya we just need to go back to the basics mentioned in form three geography:

1. Build better infrastructure roads, railways, pipelines etc. The poor road network in western Kenya is one of the reasons the sugar industry is moribund.
1b. Get a reliable and cheap electricity supply. (reduce blackouts)
2. Address security: Investors want to feel safe.
3. Reduce corruption: Large corporations are wary of dealing with corrupt officials.
4. Offer tax breaks to corporations that set up in remote areas with lower labour costs. Nairobi is too crowded and labor costs high. Encourage corporations to set up elsewhere.

Our political discourse should be focused on issues such as the ones above. Do people want jobs and security or do they want a member of their tribe to be in power? I always wonder about Kenyans and their priorities.

Talking of printing paper, is it true we print exam papers and ballots abroad, if yes why? Don't we have firms with capacity to do this here, like nation or standard have printing capacity for exam papers

The market is there, selling is the problem

For the first time I'm going to agree with murchr

I see a lot of guys always asking what can I do with my 1m and the answer is always buy shares, buy kaburoti. No one has ever given the advise buy a toothpick machine from china and sell toothpicks in all bars in Kenya.

The question using the above analogy then is where do I get bamboo for this? If you visit the so called farming websites online you shall find a topic like grow bamboo for profit. Each time someone asks "where is the market?" Buy the toothpick machine from china and then contract these bamboo farmers, then visit each and every butchery in Kenya. You won't need a sales team to succeed.

You have to wonder. Is it a lack of entreprenuership in the country? Lack of marketers? A lot of business people will confess to you that the most difficult department to fill in their companies is that of a marketer or salesperson. It's nearly impossible. So if the small business person can't fill the position what about the gov't of employed cronies. Tembea Kenya by Maina Kageni is an exception. But lets be honest, when you see him travelling with those gas guzzlers, a lot of people are intimidated thinking they also have to have a gas guzzler. Compare that to travel sites in the US that use simple bloggers to market their areas.

Manufacturing is being killed by all these taxes that no one can understand. accounting practices that mama mboga has no clue about. Marketing courses that are made to stupify rather than bring out the zen in a marketer. I had the misfortune of being told by a leading "digital marketer" that their online marketing plan consists of buying ads in Facebook and Ads in Google. As in use the most expensive mode of advertsing for a small business.

I don't know the answer to this question but unless we have a mind shift, we shall next buy cookies from China. How can we buy bananas from Uganda with all the land in Meru that produces exceptional bananas. If del monte leaves we shall be importing pineapples too.

I refuse to believe that there is a lack of market in Kenya. Did anyone just see a Pizza Hut opposite UON?

We just don't know how to sell our stuff. We also hire the worst managers to run organisations. Instead of hiring professionals, we hire my cousin who did a course in IT. If journalist schools are now producing such websites as Mpasho, Nairobi News, sijui standard sd what, etc. Places where spelling mistakes are taken as dictionaries and grammar is too expensive, how are we going to sustain a manufacturing environment?

We have accepted mediocre as normal. Manufacturing shall never thrive in such an environment.

Having said that, I hope a young guy takes up the toothpick challenge.

Very well said @alma, our idea of marketers and sales people is yellow women who have no skills.

Swenani, our engineers are not trained to innovate or create, the profession has become a club where invitation is by which sch you went to. Don't expect anything from that kind of environment.

Now that Kinuthia is making diapers and sanitary pads, stuff that has become essential, isn't it time the GOK taxed the foreign stuff to build the local capacity?

but the audit firms and the banks made it sexy to have engineers looking at receipts and counting money - can't blame @impunity for dumping his welding tools.

Rich countries have from time immemorial used ‘Standards’ to go around the matter of ‘free trade’. Hence, a pump or genset manufacturer with headquarters in say Germany is forced to open ‘local’ factories in most other European countries, since every country has its own ‘add-ons’ to the basic standard that you’ve to meet. In US, most building products must meet LEED standards hence locking out overseas products. Only in Africa we don’t know how to ‘legally’ protect our industries. We don't have standards

True, let's stop excuses, there is always a local brand available. Let's start here!