investment news magazine - aug 2015

KEY TO INVESTING, LIVING AND TRAVELING IN KENYA. PRICE SHS 300/-

NAIROBI AUGUST 2015

Investment News 3

Business opportunities start here!

Investment News Business Opportunities Start Here

Publishers View……….. 4

Minerals are now point-

ing to the future of Ken-

ya‘s economy

The Last Word…… 30

What do the rest of the

world think about Kenya.

Is it reflecting the reality

on the ground?

Quick News…………5

Do not miss our current

news coverage.

Books and the Arts.24

We discuss the question

of Indian contribution to

Kenya‘s independence.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE August 2015

Special Reports

REGULARS

MINING IN KITUI: WHAT IF

D A N G O T E I N V E S T E D

BILIONS?

Now that Nigerian billionaire Dan-

gote is a front runner in mineral

exploitation in Kitui, it is im-

portant to estimate the influence

he could have in Kitui, Ukambani

and Kenya in General

CHINESE INVESTMENTS IN AFRI-

CA: ARE THEY A BLESSING OR A

CURSE?

This is the question the world is

asking everywhere the Chinese

are investing. In Africa, the an-

swer is even more urgently need-

ed. And applied to Kenya where

they are already investing in pro-

jects that say: We are here to stay!

INVESTING IN MACHAKOS

COUNTY

Machakos County has many ad-

vantages to become a key desti-

nation of investors. These include

proximity to Nairobi, to major

communications facilities such as

the airport, Mombasa Road and

rail lines.

Nigerian billionaire

Dangote

Artist‘s impression of

the Kenya-China Du-

bai city in Machakos

One of the castles in

Machakos County. It

belonged to MacMil-

lan.

4 Investment News Business opportunities start here!

Investment News

Editor

Muli wa Kyendo

Contributors

Uncle Sandu

Marketing

Charles Kavuu

Sylvia Njuguna

Investment News is

p u b l i s h e d b i -

monthly by Invest-

ment News Ltd,

P.O. Box 20257-

00100, GPO, Nairo-

bi, Kenya, Tel:

0 7 7 3 9 9 1 8 2 0 ,

0721302418,

Email: Editor

@machakosoutlook.c

o.ke

ISSN 1814

The Editor wel-

comes contributions

but takes no respon-

sibility for loss or

damage.

All rights reserved

Copyright: Invest-

ment News Ltd

PUBLISHERS VIEW

The Future Can be

Bright for Kenyans A few years ago, Kenya was

thought of as one of the

countries without minerals.

In deed, the only minerals

widely known was gold in

Kakamega whose exploita-

tion was poor.

Today that image has

changed. And as everyone

knows, Kenya is teeming

with mineral wealth.

In Turkana, in Baringo, in

Kitui— all originally mar-

ginalized by the colonial

government after being clas-

sified as semi-desert, enor-

mous wealth has been found

deposited underground.

Even up above, wealth has

been discovered in the form of

wind. And the wind blows

above the ground, sufficient to

create enough electricity for

Kenya.

In this issue of Investment

News, we look at one interna-

tional investor Mr. Dangote

and ask the question: How

will his investment affect the

politics of Kitui, Ukambani

and Kenya, in general?

So far, we have seen the nega-

tive impact made by Chinese

investors— acerbating corrup-

tion, smuggling of wildlife

products and an increase in

racist investments. What will

Nigerians bring along?

Killing African Traditional Industries

Many Africans do not believe

that the basis of ―modern‖

medicines is African. Most of

the medicines that we buy in

glittering packages have been

―stolen‖ from African tradition-

al medicines. Many were taken

to the USA by slaves from

whom they were stolen by their

―masters‖ who were registered

as the inventors.

The effect has been to kill the

African medical industry. And

worse, it has contributed to the

general impression that the

African has contributed noth-

ing to human civilization.

On page 14, we carry a story of

the fight between the pharma-

ceuticals and the alternative

medicine practitioners in the

USA which throws some light

on the unethical behaviors of

companies. Now turn to page

14.

Investment News 5


The International Coffee Organization (ICO),

has announced that its 74 Member States and

27 coffee associations from around the world

have joined forces to celebrate the first official

International Coffee Day on 1 October 2015.

International Coffee Day is a celebration of the

coffee sector‘s diversity, quality and passion. It

is an opportunity for coffee lovers to share their

love of the beverage and support the millions of

farmers whose livelihoods depend on the aro-

matic crop.

An online campaign will be launched in August

to spread the word about the October 1 date

and encourage coffee lovers to participate in the

celebrations. The campaign includes a website

to feature events and other online campaigns

dedicated to International Coffee Day.

Looking Abroad for Kamba

Language Teaching Jobs?

Advertisement are out for Kamba language

Teachers to “teach Kamba to motivated

Kamba learning students in Nicaragua” in

South America.

You can contact Kamba learning students

and meet for customized one to one Kamba

lessons in Nicaragua. Alternatively start on-

line Kamba lessons using SKYPE or

Webcam.

If you are a freelance Kamba language

teacher, tutor or run your Kamba language

school in Nicaragua, and looking for great

students or Kamba teaching jobs, just cre-

ate your professional profile and advertise

yourself online.

Coffee lovers around the world will have an op-

portunity to show solidarity with smallholder

coffee farmers. Kenya is a major produce of

quality coffee.

Quick News

The much publicized Global

Entrepreneurship Summit

brought together an estimated

4,000 entrepreneurs. The sum-

mit, held at Gigiri in Nairobi,

was opened by Kenya‘s Presi-

dent Uhuru Kenyatta and the

American President Barack

Obama.

The two president underlined

the important role played by

entrepreneurs in in changing

communities and the world at

large. Obama said he had

brought along the best brains

from the United States as well

as US$1billion to assist en-

trepeneurs around the world. .

Read a review of the summit

and its implications for Kenya

in the next issue of Invest-

ment News.

GES Ends with Great Promise

Fighting NHIF:

‗The poor will pay

only Sh300‘

A group of MPs have told Na-

tion Health Insurance Fund

the highest amount that people

should be charged if they don‘t

have a steady monthly income

is Sh300.

―The committee agrees that the

rich must pay for the poor and

the payment must be attractive

to those who are paying to get

more people into the scheme

Kitui South MP Rachel Kaki

Nyamai said on behalf of the

MPs. The payment must be

supported through actuarial

studies so that we ensure it

works,‖ she said

―We do not agree to charging

volunteers Sh500; they will pay

Sh300 and that is what we told

NHIF,‖ Nyamai said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and President Barack Obama

International Coffee Day

to Celebrate


Mabati Rolling Mills Starts Prize for Kiswahili

The alternative health com-

munity in the USA is abuzz

about Black Cumin

Seed being a "miracle"

herb. Although the herbs

many health benefits have

been known since ancient

times, it is only now the

world is beginning to appre-

ciate it.

The rich golden oil derived

from black cumin seed is

mentioned in The Bible, in

the Book of Isaiah. Also

known as "Pharoah's Oil,"it

was used by Egyptian Phar-

oahs to nourish the skin and

aid in digestion. Ir was so

treasured that King Tut was

buried with a bottle of it.

Now the alternative medi-

cine world in the USA are

producing the oil (pictured)

where it creating a lot of

excitement.

The specific benefits of the

Quick News

A major new award, the

Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili

Prize for African Literature,

has been established. Sup-

ported by Mabati Rolling

Mills in Athi River and ad-

ministered by the Cornell

University in the USA, the

prize recognizes excellent

writing in African languages

and encourages translation

from, between and into Afri-

oil are derived from 5 ma-

jor ingredients:

Nigellin and Melathin

help support healthy

intestinal elimination.

Sterols may help en-

hance healthy elimina-

tion throughout the

body, a process that nat-

urally removes biological

waste products.*

Nigellone and Thymoqui-

none are two volatile oils

known to help relax

muscle spasms and sup-

port open bronchial

tubes for comfortable

breathing.*

Essential Fatty Acids aid

in the regulation of nor-

mal metabolism, help

eliminate toxins, and

may help support normal

blood circulation and

healthy liver function.*

Prostaglandin produces

E1, which helps support

the body's normal regu-

lation of blood flow bal-

ance and hormonal bal-

ance.* (See our story

on page 14)

can languages.

Renowned author Ngugi Wa

Thiong’o, a Board member,

said that the Mabati-Cornell

prize is a “major interven-

tion in the struggle for writ-

ing in African languages, for

their place and visibility in

the global sun of literary

imagination.

Prizes have generally been

used to drown African Litera-

ture in African languages un-

der a Europhone flood. I

hope that this prize becomes

an invitation for other Afri-

can languages to do the

same and much more.”

Over 140 million people

speak Kiswahili in Eastern

and Southern Africa.

Ancient „Pharaoh‟s Oil‟ Takes America by Storm

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.naturalnews.com%2FHealth-Rangers-Black-Cumin-Seed-Oil-4oz-_p_691.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGXP49VmbaBHPrq8l1TN63oujavJQ

Investment News 7


which you will find in the

Bible book of Matthew

Chapter 25 from verses 14

to 30, capture just the kind

of audience that Investment

News targets only you just

have to replace ―servants‖

w i t h ― w o r k e r s ‖ o r

―employees‖, because at the

time (back in time), servants

were more or less, the

―employees‖ of the day.

Jesus told his disciples this

parable—a tale about Man

travelling into a far country,

who called ―his own serv-

ants, and delivered unto

them his goods.‖ (Verse 14).

Jesus goes on to say, ―…unto

one he gave five talents, to

Three Valuable Lessons on

Investing from Bible Parable An entrepreneur‘s interpretation

of the great scripture and how it

applies to you. By FRED MWEU

I fell upon an interesting

parable in the Bible that I

wish to share with you.

What I intend to impart is

related to entrepreneurship,

and it came from the Mas-

ter himself.

The subjects in this parable, Turn to page 29

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


The

Power

of Mobile Phone in Business

Technology has changed our lives. And it has profoundly done so in in-

dustry where the mobile phone is quickly taking the central role. Its

ease of use and portability has ensured an increasing umber of users.

Fewer and fewer people are accessing the internet through computers

mobile phones that make it possible to surf the net and transact busi-

ness on the go.

Recruitment sector has been the most impacted world wide. And it is

being predicated that within a few short years, the mobile will consti-

tute the most important recruitment strategy. By not having a mobile-

friendly web presence, you are reducing your potential to connect with

top candidates and reducing your reach significantly. Here, we look at

what is happening in recruitment industry worldwide.

TECHNOLOGY

We live in an increasingly mobile-centric world,

with people spending more and more time on

their mobiles each day Not surprisingly, there-

fore , a 2014 survey found that 89% of the em-

ployees and job seekers surveyed use a mobile

device during their job search.

Despite this, a survey found that, “more than one

-quarter of large businesses don’t have a single

portion of their job sites optimized for mobile use.

More importantly, 80 percent don’t have career

sites that are mobile-friendly.”

So why exactly is mobile recruiting the way for-

ward for agencies and how can you make your

business mobile friendly?

Have you checked to see if your website can be

displayed properly on a mobile phone? If not, it

may be a good idea to optimise it for use on mo-

bile, so that users are able to view and navigate

around the site correctly, as well as being able to

search & apply for jobs directly from their phone.

By optimising your website for use on mobile, it

will tailor the content so that it fits the display

area of the mobile phone being used to access it

and ensure that it can be viewed properly no mat-

ter what device is being used. If you’re unsure

about whether it’s worth the time and effort to

make your website mobile friendly, you can find

out how many people access your site via mobile

through analytics sites such as Google Analytics.

You may be surprised to see how high the figure

is!

An alternative option to altering your website for

mobile use, is to create a dedicated mobile re-

cruiting application for use on smart phone and

other mobile devices. These can be downloaded

from App Stores such as iTunes and have been

specially designed for use on mobile.

Mobile apps may be better suited for larger busi-

nesses with lots of job openings at one time due

to cost and upkeep. International firms such as

Nestle and PepsiCo are among those who have

introduced mobile apps to manage their recruit-

ment. These apps make it quicker and easier to

browse and apply for jobs within the companies

and in addition to the improved access to job in-

formation, these apps can also send out alerts to

users when a new vacancy has been added.

http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/9-10-job-seekers-search-jobs-mobile-glassdoor-state-mobile-job-search-survey/

http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/recruiters-google-analytics-jedi/

10 Investment News Business opportunities start

MINING IN KITUI What if Dangote invests billions? Aliko Dangote is a businessman based in

in Lagos. He is the owner of the Dangote

Group, which has operations in Nigeria

and several other countries in West Afri-

ca. A wealthy supporter of erstwhile Pres-

ident Olusegun Obasanjo and the ruling

People's Democratic Party (PDP), Dangote

controls much of Nigeria's commodities

trade through his corporate and political

connections. With an estimated current net

worth of around US$17.1 billion, he was

ranked by Forbes as one of the richest men

in the world and the richest black person

in the world ahead of Mohammed Al

Amoudi ($9.0 billion) and ahead of Oprah

Winfrey ($2.5 billion), Mo Ibrahim ($2.5

billion) and Patrice Motsepe of South Afri-

Investment News 11


Dangote Cement is a fully

integrated cement company

and has projects and opera-

tions in Nigeria and 14 oth-

er African countries; Dan-

gote Cement's current total

production capacity in Nige-

ria from its three existing

cement plants namely Oba-

jana (10.25MMTPA), Ibese

(6.0MMTPA) and Gboko

( 4 . 0 M M T P A ) i s

2 0 . 2 5 M M T P A .

The Obajana Cement

Plant (OCP) located in Ko-

gi State is reputed to be

one of the single largest

cement plants in the world

with a combined capacity

o f 1 0 . 2 5 M M T P A .

A fourth line which add

3.0MMTPA to the existing

capacity will bring the to-

tal capacity of Obajana to

13.25MMTPA by 2015.

Dangote Cement is also the

biggest quoted company in

West Africa and the only

Nigerian company on the

Forbes Global 2000 Comp

Dangote: A man of Superlatives

ca ($2.4 billion). Now Dangote wants to set

up the largest cement factory in Kitui,

where, last year he put up a party for the

County residents. But only a few people

are asking what kind of change he would

bring to Kitui—and to Kenya in general—

if he controlled such huge investment?

In whatever it

trades in, Dangote

in a near monopoly

in Nigeria.

Dangote Quarries

Company (DQC)

will explore lime-

stone resources in

Kanziko area.

Dangote says in-

vesting in the sec-

tor the project will

ease cement short-

age in the country.

Aliko Dangote is

reputed to be a non-

partisan, detribalized investor who offers

employment opportunities to elite gradu-

ates from different ethnic backgrounds. His

companies have reduced the level of crime

by engaging youths who are school leavers

in the area of transportation, product pack-

aging, security and others.


Supporting the Future Makueni Youth are now appreciating that ‘Wealth is in the soil’

Wycliffe Kyalo Waema (pictured) is a young man of 23 years. But he is also a very serious farmer. When he completed his secondary edu-cation in 2009, he decided to stay home and do farming.

“All my brothers had gone to Nairobi, leaving behind a good piece of land,“ he says.

Due to lack of funds, he start-ed planting French beans on only a quarter of an acre us-ing a generator. Then he be-came a member of Kimwango Horticultural Farmers Associ-ation which enabled him to get seeds and advice on farm-

ing and m a r k e t -ing. It also e n a b l e d him to ac-cess loans.

Kamwan-go, which is sup-ported by

MESPT, requires all mem-bers to become members of Universal Traders Sacco so as to access loans for farming.

Titus Mbai is the chairman of the Association which co-vers a sizeable area of Ma-

kueni County. Like Kyalo, Mbai, now 60, was interested in farming but he had no cap-ital. Unlike Kyalo, when he completed school, he went to Nairobi and found work.

He raised some money from his employment, bought a generator to pump water and returned home.

“I wanted to be a farmer, and with water now I was ready.”

When he started farming, however, he realized that gen-erators were very expensive to run.

“I needed Shs4,500 every week for diesel alone.”

Investment News 13


That is when he learned that he could get a loan to lay pipes and construct stor-age to get free flow water to his farm.

In his farm which was lush with tall healthy maize plants nearly ready for har-vesting, Mbai plants French beans, water melon, green grams, tomatoes, cabbages and passion.

The association is encouraging the youth like Kyalo to take up farming. So far, more than a quarter of its mem-

bers are youth.

Kyalo’s is a success story that has influ-enced other youth. Before he started get-

ting loans, his income was only Shs10,000 a month. Now his monthly income is Shs120,000. He

p la nt s s u kum a, French beans and maize.

“Water is very im-portant for horticul-ture crop farming. Some crops such as water melons have demand when it is hot and there is no rain,” says Kyalo.

He plans to increase his farm size from the current five acres to 10 acres.

And he is hoping to influence more youth to realize that “wealth is in the soil”.

Titus Mbai shows his free flow water irri-

gation in his flourishing maize farm (above)

while Kyalo Waema takes a visitor through

his French beans farm (Facing page)


The American Medical As-

sociation (AMA) is upping

the fight to gain total con-

trol over the medical indus-

try.

The fight is between the

AMA and doctors who sup-

port effective ways of treat-

ing diseases which do not

necessarily use manufac-

tured medicine– the type

commonly known as alter-

native medicine but which

Kenyans refer to as tradi-

tional medicine or herbs.

In the USA, the supporters

of traditional medicine are

exemplified by a physician

Dr. Mehmet Oz who runs a

popular TV show called The

Dr. Oz Show who openly

traditional medicine. Such

support of traditional medi-

cine could lead to dimin-

ished profits for pharmaceu-

ticals and also for regular

doctors. Through the AMA,

the pharceutical multi-

nantions hope to stop the

spread and adoption of tra-

ditional medicines.

One way is by expelling

member doctors who sup-

port traditional medicines

such as Dr. Oz. To this end,

the AMA has proposed new

"ethical and professional

guidelines" for physicians

that threaten to censor doc-

tors who deviate from what

the AMA deems as medical

g o s p e l .

A group of medical students

joined by residents and fel-

lows from the AMA recently

introduced a proposal before

the AMA's House of Dele-

gates that outlines how

physicians are to conduct

themselves when speaking

through mass media. Be-

cause they have the power

to influence millions of peo-

ple when speaking on televi-

sion and radio, physicians

like Dr. Oz "cannot function

under the same guidelines

as a physician counseling

individual patients," the

g r o u p c o n t e n d s .

So in order to maintain con-

trol of the conversation, the

AMA is developing a new set

of guidelines to govern what

it has dubbed "mass medi-

cine," disparagingly refer-

ring to people like Dr. Oz as

"quacks" who will "no longer

... be able to benefit from a

lack of specific standards

and professional codes." And

doctors who fail to abide by

the new guidelines, which

are technically just recom-

mendations, could face disci-

pline for allegedly "violating

medical ethics in the media."

"The AMA will create a doc-

THE DEADLY PHARMACUTICAL DEBATE

How Medicine Firms Make

Big Money at your Risk

Only recently, the Catholic Church in Kenya was up in arms against

an ―unethical‖ tetanus vaccine. But now doctors in the USA say,

‗Much of what the drug industry does fulfills the criteria for organized

crime in U.S. law.‘ This articles shows how far these multinationals

are willing to go to protect their incomes.

Investment News 15


ument clarifying what disci-

plinary actions may be taken

against a physician who uses

the media unethically," re-

ports the site Doctors in Oz,

which is an obvious play on

words referencing Dr. Oz.

"There are avenues for re-

dress available through the

legal system, licensing

boards, and the medical soci-

eties to name a few."

E v e n t h o u g h

the AMA represents as little

as 17 percent of all practic-

ing MDs - and this number

continues to decrease - the

organization seems to think

that it deserves full authori-

ty over what doctors say and

how they advise the public

on the latest food and medi-

cine science. And it spends a

pretty penny to maintain

this medical monopoly,

shelling out nearly $20 mil-

lion annually to lobby Con-

gress to do its bidding.

"Keep in mind that the

AMA is not the voice of the

medical profession," warns

the Alliance for Natural

Health USA (ANH-USA), a

health freedom advocacy

group that is standing up in

defense of medical free

s p e e c h .

"Its membership has slipped

to the point where it repre-

sents only 17 percent of

MDs, and many of those are

free memberships given to

medical students, yet it re-

mains the fifth most power-

ful special interest in USA.

This gives it the clout to in-

fluence Medicare prices,

make recommendations

that shape national policy,

and rake in about $218.8

million a year from its gov-

ernment-granted CPT medi-

cal code monopoly."

What the AMA is attempt-

ing to do here represents

nothing short of medical

tyranny. One of the resolu-

tion's authors, a medical

student from the University

of Rochester, actually re-

ferred to the AMA in the

media as "organized medi-

cine," which ironically

sounds a whole lot like orga-

nized crime. How can this

membership-based organi-

zation, which holds no actu-

al legal authority over the

medical profession, get

away with trying to assume

c o n t r o l o v e r

what doctors say and do in

t h e m e d i a ?

The answer to this question

is that the AMA operates

much like the mafia, backed

by an extensive network of

crony allies in the pharma-

ceutical and vaccine indus-

tries. AMA member doctors

are notorious for accepting

payouts from drug reps

(sales staff) to push the lat-

est pills and jabs on pa-

tients, even when safer,

more natural, alternatives

are widely available.

This is part of what got Dr.

Oz in so much trouble with

the medical cartels - he

openly talks about natural

remedies on his show and

during media interviews,

and isn't afraid to call out

industry kingpins like Mon-

santo for poisoning the

planet and the food supply

with deadly chemicals like

Roundup (glyphosate). So,

to silence him and any oth-

ers who might try to follow

in his footsteps, the AMA is

now playing hardball.

"Much of what the drug in-

dustry does fulfills the crite-

ria for organized crime in

U.S. law," says Dr. Peter

Gotzsche, director of the

Nordic Cochrane Center in

Copenhagen, and author of

the book Deadly Medicines

and Organized Crime: How

Big Pharma has Corrupted

Healthcare. "And they be-

have in many ways like the

mafia does, they corrupt

everyone they can corrupt,

they have bought every type

of person, even including

ministers of health in some

countries ... The drug indus-

try buys the professors first,

then chiefs of departments,

then other chief physicians

a n d s o o n . . . "

http://www.naturalnews.com/AMA.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/medical.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/free_speech.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/free_speech.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/doctors.html


In Machakos, China has planned a Shs65 billion

mega city styled as a Chinese-controlled economic

zone to compete with Dubai to provide over

200,000 jobs. Going by their practice of bringing

along even the sweepers, Kenyans have a good

reason to wonder whether Athi River will not be-

come another Chinese colony and what the future

will eventually be like. Many are already asking:

How will it sit in relation to other pro-

posed cities—Machakos

City and Konza City?

This analysis gives you

the world view of Chinese

investing in Africa.

China is today Africa‘s third

largest trading partner and

second-largest export desti-

nation. And while some ar-

gue that it is using a neoco-

lonial approach, others see

it as an alternative to sever-

al Western condition over-

loaded aid. But the ques-

tion is still in the air: Is

China empowering or ex-

ploiting without concern,

opportunities in Africa?

In the years 2002 to 2007,

China offered over $33 bil-

l ion of government -

sponsored aid – over half

for infrastruc-

ture projects –

to Africa and

$107 billion-a-

year bilateral

trade, quadru-

pled between

2000 and 2008.

The three main

areas of trade are: primary

resources from Africa to

China, cheap manufactured

goods and foreign Domestic

Investments ( FDI) from

China to Africa. In FDIs,

China has ventured into

new investment opportuni-

ties such as land acquisition

and outsourcing of farm pro-

duction. By 2009 almost

one million Chinese farmers

were working in Africa.

Led by its two largest econo-

mies, South Africa and Ni-

geria, Africa is probably one

of the last major regions on

earth that remain unex-

plored, as shown in The

Plundered Planet by Paul

Collier. It is supposed that

what is actually under the

soil in the average square

kilometre of Africa is at

least twice as valuable as

what is known to be still

available in the western

countries.

The debate still rages on about the Chinese investing in Africa even as it remains a key partner

Is China empowering

or exploiting Africa?

Top: Artists

impression of

Chinese city.

Left: Artists

impression of

Machakos City

Right: Artists

impression of

Konza City

Investment News 17


Clearly, there will be a big

wave of resource discover-

ies and Africa and the con-

tinent‘s commodity exports

will be five times their pre-

sent level, ending up in a

phase of rapid growth.

Since 2004 economic

growth across Africa has

increased by an average of

6% annually, while pov-

erty has substantially de-

creased. This is contrasted

with the fact that Asian

economies are in constant

need for commodities, not

only for new channels of oil

and mineral resources, but

also to mitigate their food-

security concerns, and gain

a strategic position in the

continent.

Moreover, Africa will be

soon among the last remain-

ing low-wage regions. The

effect of this will be to move

good production activities to

the continent where the re-

turns on investments will

remain higher than any-

where.

Three main rea-

sons have let

China succeed in

Africa. Firstly,

its credibility,

gained since it

shares with the

latter a common

experience as a

developing coun-

try. Africans see

in China a people who have

overcome oppression to be-

come one of the richest

countries within a few dec-

ades.

Second China‘s business-

like approach to develop-

ment and focus on infra-

structure projects means

hope for the Africans.

Thirdly, Chinese aid gener-

ally focuses on development

projects, aimed at satisfy

immediate needs, rather

than long-term investments

typically taken into more

consideration by Western

countries.

The fourth reason is China‘s

broad-based interests: Chi-

na is involved in almost eve-

ry sector, with engagement

growing not only in sectors

and geographies but also in

a broader strategic commit-

ment.

The flip-side of Chinese in-

vestment in African is its

apparent over concern with

its own needs. In many Afri-

can countries, China is seen

as supporter of dictatorial

and oppressive governments

and corruption and illegal

trade. An example is Libya

where it continued to sup-

port the regime of Muamar

Khadafi even when it was

obvious that the regime had

lost touch with the ordinary

Libyan. In Uganda, Rwanda

and Ethiopia the Chinese

have invested heavily alt-

hough these are ―hesitant

democracies.‖

Secondly, Chinese often rely

on their own labor, hiring

Chinese workers rather

than local ones, and using

Chinese materials, thus

making their projects of lit-

tle benefit to African com-

munities and industries. .

The debate still rages on about the Chinese investing in Africa even as it remains a key partner

Top: Artists

impression of

Chinese city.

Left: Artists

impression of

Machakos City

Right: Artists

impression of

Konza City


In Migeria, the Dangote

Group has nationwide staff

strength of 22,000, which

clearly puts him among the

most significant employers.

One analyst says, ―It may

possibly not be a wild as-

sumption to say that all Ni-

gerians have heard of his

name due to the impact of

his businesses. His goods

are practically in most

homes across the country.

People who may not use his

products might have passed

a few of his trailers by the

way.‖

Some statistics here will un-

derline this impact:

The Dangote Group im-

ports 400,000 metric

tonnes of sugar annually

which makes up about

70 % of the total require-

ments of the nation.

It is a ma-

jor supplier of

the product to

the manufac-

turers of Coca

Cola, Pepsi

Cola and Sev-

en-Up in Ni-

geria.

It imports

200,000 met-

ric tonnes of

rice annually just as the

company imports tonnes

of cement and fertilizer

and building materials.

Dangote Group also im-

ports fish and owns

three big fishing trawl-

ers chartered for fishing

with a 5,000 MT capaci-

ty.

The group exports cot-

ton, cocoa, cashew nuts,

sesame seed, ginger and

gum Arabic to several

countries globally.

A vehicle leasing unit

with over 100 fully air-

conditioned commuter

buses, is also part of the

Dangote Group.

It is also into real estate

with luxury flats and

high rise complexes in

Ikoyi, Victoria Island,

Abuja and Kano. Dan-

gote Foundation is the

philanthropic arm of the

group where yearly he

spends millions for wor-

thy causes such as con-

tributions to educational

and healthcare institu-

tions, sinking of bore-

holes and giving of

scholarships.

In all, Dangote is into ex-

porting, importing, manu-

facturing, real-estate and

philanthropy. All of these

are combined together to

form what is known as the

D a n g o t e G r o u p .

At the helm of its affairs as

president and CEO is the

―humble person called Aliko

Dangote.‖

Born in Kano, his grand fa-

ther, the late Alhaji Sanusi

Dantata provided him with

a small capital to start his

own business, as was the

practice then. He thus

started business in Kano in

1977 trading in commodi-

ties and also building sup-

plies.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote moved

to Lagos in June 1977 and

persisted in trading cement

and commodities. Encour-

aged by tremendous success

and increase in business

activities, he incorporated

Investment News 19


two companies in 1981. The-

se as well as others that fol-

lowed now make up the con-

glomerate known as The

Dangote Group.

Aliko Dangote is alo reputed

to be one of the few Africans

who had not looted their

countries and stashed bil-

lions of dollars in foreign

bank accounts.

Of this, Dangote says, ――If

you give me today $5 bil-

lion, I will not invest any

abroad, I will invest every-

thing here in Nigeria. Let

us put heads together and

work.‖

His stories evoke a lot of

positive response in Nige-

ria . So what do the ordi-

nary Nigerians say of him?

Here is a sampling:

Aliko Dangote is a man

of inspiration, a man

who has risen above

scholars, politicians fake

pastors and thieves, he

is my mentor. I pray

that God‘s continues to

bless and guide him.

Kudos to Alh. Aliko

Dangote, an icon in Ni-

geria economy. Your sto-

ry always gives hope

that with hard work and

perseverance, anybody

who dream of becoming

great can make it. Long-

life and more grease to

your elbow with little

effort and much result

its good to invest in our

country rather than out-

side because there is un-

employment in the here.

Please graduates don't

wait for the government

to give you work. Learn

from Dangote. Employ

yourselves.


Cooperatives on the Move

Taifa Sacco Expands to Nairobi

‗It has always been our dream‘ Taifa sacco wasn‘t conforta-

ble without a presence in

Nairobi. ―We have to be at

the centre of financial pow-

erhouse of East Africa,‖ its

General Manager, Mr Sam-

uel Ngugi says. ―The sacco

has gained value, it has

improved its image by mov-

ing to Nairobi.‖

The Nyeri-based sacco

started off as Murata Sac-

co Society and was regis-

tered in 1997 as a farmers

cooperative.

But it wasn‘t happy to op-

erate in an enclave. It had

a big ambition—to improve

the lives of its members ―in

Kenya and other parts of

the world.‖

But conditions of coopera-

tives were such that it con-

fined itself to its registered

area of operation. Now,

with the change of laws of

cooperative, the sacco is

ready to take on the world.

―We are strategically ready

(to open a branch in Nairo-

bi). It‘s a dream come

true.,‖

To take on Nairobi, the sac-

co has established an elabo-

rate ICT management sys-

tem, rolled out M-Taifa mo-

bile banking and inter-

linked its branches. It also

General Manager Mr. Samuel Ngugi: “We have what

it takes to achieve that dream.”

Investment News 21


Machakos Cooperative Union - the umbrella

organization for coffee farmers in Machakos and

Makueni counties - is pleased to announce that

it will launch is brand of coffee soon. Coffee is a

major cash crop in Machakos and Makueni

counties, and therefore the Union is working

hard to add value to what farmers produce.

Plans are already at an advanced stage for

roasting, packaging and selling our own brand-

ed coffee, both locally and globally. As the CEO

Mr. Martin Malila says, ―The cooperative mood

in this region is full of excitement following the

installation of the mill.‖

With the help of the Union, the Lower Eastern

Coffee Mill, which is owned by members of the

Union, individuals and corporates, has installed

a coffee milling plant in Machakos town in order

to help coffee farmers add more value to their

coffee. One of the important things the mill has

done is to reduce the distance farmers‘ travel to

have their coffee milled. Shorter distance reduc-

es costs and wastage that occurs in travel.

Secondly, farmers are milling their coffee at

rates lower than those charged by any other mil-

ler in Kenya while at the same time eliminating

wastage and thefts that occur in milling. In

their own milling plant, farmers are sure to get

the same amount of coffee as they brought for

milling.

Wecome to MCU

Brand of Coffee

specially trained its staff to

serve the new branch in the

capital city.

Recently the sacco celebrat-

ed its 40th anniversary and

rebranded as Taifa Sacco to

give it a national image that

allows it to operate all over

the country.

Why does the sacco want so

desperately to be in Nairo-

bi?

Apart from the fact that

Nairobi is the business hub

of Eastern Africa, Taifa Sac-

co has many customers in

Nairobi, according to the

General Manager.

―We have many customers

in Nairobi who operate ac-

counts in various Taifa Sac-

co branches.

―They are happy that they

will no longer be visiting

branches for financial ser-

vices that require them to

travel to the branches. We

are now taking the services

right to their door steps. We

shall engage in intensive

customer recruitment exer-

cises to win many more cus-

tomers.‖

The sacco has branches in

Nyeri, Nyandarua and

Laikipia counties. Following

closely after the Nairobi

branch, the sacco will open

a branch in Nakuru.

The Marketing Manager

Mr. G.M. Riitho says, ― As

we move on, we urge all

players to embrace the big-

ger picture and come to-

gether to take to the high-

est levels of performance

and service delivery.

―We are thinking big, and

focusing on the future with

confidence.‖

And Mr. Ngugi says ―We

shall continue sharing our

dreams and aspirations of

our members. It is our

dream to become one of the

largest most successful and

well run saccos in Kenya

and possibly in Africa. We

have what it takes to

achieve that dream.‖


Review of Investment Opportunities

In Machakos County

Unveiling its programs and

investment opportunities

recently was the Machakos

County. The opportunities

were contained in the

Machakos Vision 2020

Strategic Plan for 2015 –

2020.

The County outlines seven

strategic goals that the

County will pursue in the

plan-period. There are im-

proved health, Food securi-

ty and nutrition, Water and

sanitation, Enhancement of

security, Promotion of Edu-

cation, Development of

youth, sports and recrea-

tion facilities, and Identifi-

cation and support of vul-

nerable groups.

With a population of near-

ly 1.2 million, Machakos

County has a literacy rate

of 88 per cent. Some 76 per

cent aged below 18 years

attend school.

Energy supply

When it comes to infra-

structure, paved roads cov-

er only 7 per cent while

roads classified as good cov-

er 27 per cent of the Coun-

ty‘s road network.

And electricity access is on-

ly 17 per cent.

These are some of the areas

that spell great investment

opportunities. Emphasis in

the Kenya is being laid on

alternative sources of ener-

gy because of the unreliabil-

ity of water as a source of

power. Solar power and

wind are some alternatives

that investors can explore,

with high returns if success-

ful.

Tourism

The plan says, ―The beau-

tiful hilly scenery of the

County of Machakos is

perfect for tourism related

activities such as camping,

hiking safaris, ecotourism

and cultural tourism,

dance and music festivals

among many more.‖

Machakos County has a

wealth of creative tradi-

Lord Macmillan building at the foot of scenic Kilimambogo

(Kyanzavi) Hill was the expansive home of a flamboyant

American in the colonial period. It is among the things up-

on which tourism can be built.

INVESTING IN THE COUNTIES

Investment News 23


tions and cultural indus-

tries. World famous wood

carvers have their home in

Wamunyu in Machakos

County where the industry

was started by Mutisya wa

Munge. Syondo traditional

baskets and a myriad other

traditional crafts trace

their home to Ukambani, of

which Machakos is a part.

Dances like kilumi are dra-

matic and are famed for

their therapeutic qualities.

In deed, kilumi is like med-

itation which has created

enormous wealth for Asian

countries including India.

Ndanu Musau is one of the

many researchers on Kumi.

In her research The reli-

gious significance of kilumi

rituals,songs and dances

among the Akamba of Kitui

district (Kenyatta Universi-

ty library) she says, ―... ki-

lumi rituals and dances fall

into four main groups,

namely: ( 1) Worship -k-i -

l.-u-mi (2 ) Therapeutic

kilumi ( 3 ) Cleansing

kilumi (4) Initiation kilu-

mi.‖ Yoga falls into simi-

lar categories, but it is

the therapeutic aspects

that are empahised for

the international com-

munity. Similarly, kilumi

should be organized to

serve a similar purpose.

Kilumi is one of the tradi-

tional Kamba dances popu-

larized for national enter-

tainment during the era of

President Mzee Jomo Ken-

yatta and are well-known

for the rhythmic drum-

ming. All these can form a

basis for a modernized en-

tertainment, therapy and

keep fit exercises which can

attract both local and inter-

national tourist. They can

also be exported abroad to

earn investors greater in-

comes.

The Machakos government

has achieved great success

in creating an environment

in which these industries

can flourish to being great

returns for investors.

The Machakos People‘s

Park, located at the foot of

the internationally

f amo us Kap i t i

plains, is one of the-

se enabling govern-

ment investments.

Heavy promotion by

the government

and sheer fun and

freedom offered by

the park has made

it a leading choice

for many entertain-

ment events around

Kilumi can bring wealth to Machakos County just as Yo-

ga has done for India, but we need investors to modern-

Wide famous wood carving: They offer

excellent investment opportunities for

exporters Turn to page 26


Review of the book: Brown Man, Black Country.

Author: J.M. Nazareth

Pages: 540 Publisher: Tidings Publications, India

If you want a good example of a

book which has made no impact

because of poor editing, then

you should look up J.M. Naza-

reth's Brown Man Black Coun-

try. The title starts the series of

inept editorial mistakes. Surely

the title Brown Man, Black

Country is hardly creative at all.

Were there no women among

the brown men? And which

country is black? I am not being

flippant, but underlining the fact

that the editors of this otherwise

very informative book didn't try

at all.

The book is one of the few that

detail Asian contribution to Ken-

ya's freedom struggle. The au-

thor Jon Maximian Nazareth

(better known as J.M. Nazareth)

was born in Kenya—in fact Nai-

robi—in 1908. After studying

law in India, Nazareth returned

to Kenya in 1934 where he be-

came a Puisine Judge.

A man imbued with great politi-

cal ambition, Nazareth became

the president of the East African

Indian National Congress in

1950. He also headed the Law

Society of Kenya in 1954, was

elected member of the Legisla-

tive Council (better known as

Legco) for Western Electoral

Area in 1956 and became the

president of the Gandhi Memori-

al Academy at the University of

Nairobi. ..... :

In these capacities, Mr. Nazareth

was able to witness or even take

part in some of major political

issues that today we are still

struggling to resolve. And he

gives

Jomo Kenyatta (left) and Tom

Mboya; They refused to honor

an agreement to nominate JM

Nazareth an MP in exchange for

Indian support against White

colonialists

lots of information with excerpts

of the Hanzard, his own letters

and even newspaper cuttings as

proof for the audacity of his nar-

rative.

He interacted very closely with

the political stalwarts of the in-

dependence era such as Mzee

Jomo Kenyatta, Tom Mboya and

Julius Cikonyo Kiano with

whom he was, as he says, on

first-name terms.

Indian Congress and African

Aspirations

At independence in 1963, his

Indian Congress had identified

itself with the aspiration of the

Africans. In one resolution, the

Congress said, "That a drive be

launched immediately to encour-

age large scale enrolment into

the ranks of Kanu and active

support of Kanu and active par-

Books and Culture

The Indian Question in Kenya’s

Independence Struggle Answered

Investment News 25


ticipation in its work by the In-

dian community so as to make

Kanu a strong and f u 11 y

representative organization."

Indians were also to help fund

Kanu.

When Tom Mboya learned of

this he wrote a letter to Nazareth

to express his gratitude which

started with, "Dear J.M" and

ended with "Yours sincerely,

Tom."

And Nazareth wrote back to

Tom Mboya with a letter that

started with. "Dear Tom." and

went ahead to request for Kanu

receipt books to "hasten the re-

cruitment of Indians."

Then things started to happen.

While waiting for the letter,

prominent members of the Con-

gress were deported, starting a

campaign to reverse the deporta-

tion and scattering Indian sup-

port tor the Kenyatta Govern-

ment.

White Highlands and Indian

Land Question

Mr. Nazareth. starts chronicling

the Indian role in Kenya politics

almost from the start. As early

as 1902. Whites in Kenya had

formed what they called the Co-

lonialists Association "to save

the Highlands for White settle-

ment." The Highlands, latter

known as White Highlands, ac-

cording to the Whites lay be-

tween Kiu (beyond Machakos

Town on the way to Mombasa)

and Fort Ternan in Kericho.

Land in these areas was reserved

for Whites only. Indians were

barred from owning any land in

any part of the country. "The

Land Board in 1907 resolved

against allowing Indians to take

any government land."

These two decisions—to reserve

the White Highlands tor Whites

and exclude Indians from land

ownerships started the land cam-

paigns that we arc still involved

in. The Indians stood with the

Africans against the Whites.

This land problems is now bap-

tized "land clashes/' and in-

volves local communities facing

off each other with some taking

the role of the Whites and others

the role of the Africans.

What Churchill Said of 1906

Kenya

The famous British Prime Min-

ister, Winston Churchill visited

Kenya as the British Undersec-

retary of State in I906 and re-

ported that. "Every Whiteman in

Nairobi is a politician, and most

of them are leading parties."

That's exactly the situation as it

is today. Some people say that

we have more than 100 regis-

tered and unregistered parties -

some are "pocket parties" which

although they have been reg-

istered have only the man or

woman who registered them as

the members. That's the best part

of it- that you keep your party in

the pocket to scare politicians

and negotiate Government jobs.

The worst is when these parties

become tribal like happened in

the last General elections. This

problem too, we bequeathed

from the White colonialists.

Tom Mboya ‘Lies’ Dim Indi-

an Support

In addition to these, Mr Naza-

reth has personal stories which

may explain the Asian attitudes

towards indigenous Kenyans.

For example, he tells the story

of how he was persuaded to stay

away from active politics so that

he could be nominated as an MP

or to any other equivalent posi-

tion by the then powerful cabi-

net minister. Tom Mboya. How-

ever when the time came for the

nomination, nothing was forth-

coming.

He was naturally deeply hurt

and begun considering leaving

Kenya tor good. "Such hopes as

I had of finding African leaders

prepared to work towards such

ends (of including Indians in the

government) and whom I could

assist perished in the second half

of 1975, in particular the gov-

ernment reaction to the report of

the parliamentary select com-

mittee on the murder of J.M.

Kariuki and the detention of

Deputy Speaker J.M. Seroney

and a member of parliament

Martin Shikuku, events consid-

ered by some quarters to be in

connection with proceeding in

parliament." Finally, he resolved

to stay. "And so, born in Kenya,

1 hope to continue to live in

Kenya and to die in Kenya."

Eventually, of course, Nazareth,

left Kenya for India.


Sahelian Solutions (SASOL)

Foundation has over 20 years

experience in Food Security

interventions in Kitui Kenya

and selected countries in Afri-

ca, reaching over 400,000. SA-

SOL leads in development of

water structures for food pro-

duction among others. SA-

SOLis headquartered in Kitui

town.

the country.

According to government

statistics, more than 5,000

people visit the park every

weekend.

The Machakos Stadium,

which was renovated to in-

ternational standards, has

hosted many local and in-

ternational events.

The net effect of these stra-

tegic investments has been

the pulling into Machakos

of other events such as the

motor and cycling rallies as

well as flurry of media at-

tention

Real Estate and Industry

Perhaps this is the most ob-

vious opportunity for inves-

tors. Machakos County of-

fers large flat and empty

spaces for real estate and

industrial investments. In

deed many real estate de-

velopers are already taking

advantage of this and giant

estates are coming up in

Athi River all the way to

beyond Kangundo road.

Predictions are that within

a few years, the entire Kapiti

plains formerly occupied by

European farms will be cov-

ered with giant estates to

serve the needs of expanding

Nairobi population.

The plains also offer oppor-

tunities for investments that

require large flat spaces

such as hospitals and educa-

tional institutions. Already

there are a number of uni-

versities and secondary

schools located in the Coun-

ty which target the middle

class population of Nairobi

City.

Its nearness to Nairobi cou-

pled with security, has in

deed helped in this regard.

The Machakos County Gov-

ernment is working hard to

maintain and improve the

investment environment for

real estate investors.

Among the top priorities out-

lined in its Strategic Plan is

fast tracking issuance of title

deeds, increasing coverage of

street lights in towns and

trade centres and installa-

tion of CCTV surveillance

camera and policing

Other Investment Oppor-

tunities.

Other investment opportuni-

ties include water and sani-

tation, agriculture and

health.

The County Government has

been active in providing

health services especially

targeting women, but there

is still a wide room for in-

vestors. In deed, several pri-

vate hospitals have invested

heavily in the County.

Investors interested in

farming will join a growing

number of large scale farm-

ers, especially flower farm-

ers. Perishable farm prod-

ucts that need to take ad-

vantage of quick, and low

cost transport to national

and international markets

will find the County most

appropriate investment des-

tination because of its prox-

imity to the Jomo Kenyattta

International Airport. They

can also take advantage of

the Mombasa Road and the

railway line which traverse

the County to reach markets

in outlying cities and town

such as Mombasa, Kisumu

and Nakuru.

Investing in Machakos From page 23

Investment News 27


After losing a couple of

items to conmen at the

Masaku 7s rugby tourna-

ment, I think I am qualified

to join other journalists in

saying that the tournament

is anything else but a sports

event. At the end of the day,

no one knew – or was even

interested to know – which

team won or lost.

The Masaku 7‘s rugby tour-

nament means different

things to different people.

While one man could easily

have spent more than Ksh.

100,000 in hard-earned

money just to have the time

of his life, another man easi-

ly made the same Ksh.100,

000 during the same event

through thieving.

Conmen exist everywhere

on the planet. In such big

events, they will always

show up in large numbers,

regardless of the location or

type of event. Though times

change and technology revo-

Keep Your Hands on Your Wallet Even

as You Cheer Up in these Crowds

lutionizes the scams and rip-

off games, the rules and

tricks of handling such people

will more or less stay the

same. Being cautions and al-

ways considerably suspicious

of the next man will usually

be of help; but does not guar-

antee the safety of your mon-

ey and property.

Here are some popular ways

thieves have been making big

bankrolls out of the unsus-

pecting public.

The hype moment

The well-trained conman has

a good idea of how the human

mind works. He knows that

the best time to make his

move is when your mind is

distracted by the hype of the

party. In a match, this could

be when the teams score and

you‘re all up celebrating. He‘ll

be celebrating with you all

but at the same time, his

hand is in your pocket. By the

time you are done clapping,

your wallet and phone are

in his pocket. He is obvi-

ously more focused on

meeting his daily robbery

goals. Most people know of

the New Year festivals

where phones and wallets

are snatched just when the

year is seconds old and the

crowd is madly jubilated.

The crowd

The thief knows that your

primary concern when

you‘re in a crowd is getting

through. Your hands are

rarely anywhere close to

your pockets and your

mind is much further.

That‘s the moment you

won‘t even feel his hands in

your pockets as everyone is

also trying to push

through. You will only real-

ize you got robbed minutes

after you‘re out of the

crowd.

The street hustlers

These have considerably

Kick

back

with NGULI MULI


faded off the scene but few

cases still get reported. The-

se ones lack tact and will

simply rob you in broad day-

light or in the dark night.

Especially when you‘re all

alone, they will bank on

your fear. They‘ll usually

start off by demanding for

some money to buy marijua-

na or cigarettes and once

you show them how rich you

are, they can even get vio-

lent. They‘ll usually move

around the town as a group

and can be identified by

their dressing mode. They

could have a black or brown

trench coat with lots of

pockets to store the ―fruits

of their labor‖, or just a

hooded jumper to conceal

their identity. Usually, they

don‘t have much worry as

they‘ll take some hard drugs

before reporting to their

hustling stations.

The fake officer

Known more commonly in

the city as ‗kanju‘, these will

come and attack young boys

in public places. Normally,

there are two uniformed

men without uniform and

will show up in the park at

odd hours or in the streets

when you break simple

rules. They will threaten to

have you arrested and, just

to make their game strong-

er, could even hand cuff you

and seemingly lead you to a

police station. This can‘t fol-

low through so they‘ll ask

for a bribe and if you be-

come too smart for them,

they‘ll quit playing around

and simply rob you honest-

ly.

The list is virtually endless.

In events, this is a simple

rule to go by: Leave your

expensive property at home.

A flashy watch could get

your wrist cut off and a pure

gold chain could easily put

you on your deathbed the

following day. The more ex-

pensive you look, the easier

it is to be targeted by rob-

bers. Why would they go for

less when they could get

more anyway? Carry just

sufficient money well sepa-

rated in different pockets

just in case pick pockets

catch up with you. Also, go-

ing out with reliable friends

is helpful.

When confronted by the

street gangs or single hus-

tlers, don‘t be quick to show

fear. A little fear makes

their work easier and they

wouldn‘t mind letting you

go safely if you give them

everything you have. With

that said, know when to

give in. Some of these peo-

ple are already high on

hard drugs when they‘re on

the streets and will easily

murder a man who makes

their job harder.

With strangers, trust your

instincts. Generally, a thief

would rarely ever grow fat

or have a smooth-looking

face. They will often have a

rough expression that‘s nev-

er relaxed as they expect to

meet someone who might

Investment News 29


another two, and to another

From page 7

one;‖ (verse 15).

Like those servants in that

part of scripture, we all

come endowed with one or

other ―talent‖ but whether

we discover that is another

matter entirely. Another is

to know that one may have

the talent and not put it to

good use Many times we

stray from our talent to do

other things for many rea-

sons, ranging from what our

parents want, peer pres-

sure, available space for an-

other course of study after

failing to meet the cut-off

mark for a desired course of

study, or the profitability of

adventuring into a career

associated with the talent.

Some find their way back,

like many doctors I know

who are doing everything

else but that which they

spent an average of six

years studying in medical

school for.

So Boss gave the talents to

the servants, ―…to every

man according to his sever-

al ability; and straightway

took his journey.‖ (Verse

15). Some people refer to

talent as gifts and need I

stress anymore that we all

aren‘t equally gifted, even

in the same area, field, occu-

pation etc (the fingers are

not equal things).

We are then told that, ―…he

that had received the five

talents went and traded

with the same and made

them other five tal-

ents.‖ (Verse 16). So did the

one to whom two talents

were given, for he made an-

other two. But the one who

was given one talent, ―…

went and dug in the earth,

and hid his master‘s mon-

ey.‖ (Verse 18). And this is

the crux of the matter.

Money works very little in

storage. Even in the modern

economy, if you keep your

money in the bank, you will

not profit much. You should

trade with your money. Con-

sider the entrepreneurs who

multiply their money. As an

employee, you cannot multi-

ply your money. This is the

great lesson Jesus is teach-

ing. Trade with your money.

Again he is teaching that

there is no amount too small

t invest. The money with

one talent could have made

money, but he chose not to.

He chose to complain.

See how the servants with

five and two ―talents‖ made

something off the bit they

were allocated, while the

one allocated a talent, prob-

ably felt the little he had

couldn‘t be invested.

The master soon returned

and was full of praises for

the servants who had

―traded‖ with the talents

they had been given say-

ing to both of them- ―…

Well done, thou good and

faithful servant: thou hast

been faithful over a few

things, I will make thee

ruler over many things:

enter thou into the joy of

thy master.‖ (Verse 21

and 23).

To the servant whom he

gave a talent to, he had

nothing but harsh words,

describing him as, ―…

wicked and slothful serv-

ant, …thou oughtest

therefore to have put my

money to the exchangers,

and then at my coming I

should have received mine

own with usury.‖ (Verses

26 to 27).

In his fury, the master

ordered that the talent

with the erring servant be

collected and given to the

one who had ten talents.,

―for those that are given

he shall have abundance

but from him that hath

not it shall be taken away

even that which he

hath.‖ (Verse 29)

The secret Jesus is stating

is that the rich will con-

tinue getting richer, and

the poor getting poorer

unless we learn to recog-

nize opportunities and

invest in our talents.

Lessons of

Parable


common. You pay partly in mon-

ey, partly in western objects like

T-shirts, baseball caps, sports

shoes, branded socks, etc. These

things do not have to be new

(though clean of course).

You will get lots of addresses

everywhere you come and people

will ask you to send them things

from your country. I however

doubt that these things will ever

reach the people they are meant

for. Kenya is great, were there

last September and we left a

piece of heart there.

REPLY 2: I think it really depends on where

you're going. We were in Kenya

and Tanzania last month - people

in the outlying areas were more

amiable to exchanging gifts, but

in the city - Mombasa, Nairobi

they want the cold hard cash.

Those that would exchange for

something in the city generally

wanted money as well. Check

prices in your hotel gift shop first

and bargain accordingly. While

we did bring some pens -Bic ball-

points for the kids, there is also

the theory that Westerners

shouldn't constantly give stuff

away because it promotes a beg-

ging mentality among the chil-

dren. Too late in most cases...

You can e-mail me if you want

some more info.

REPLY 3: We were in Kenya and Tanzania

January 2009. I too had heard

about trading US objects, so

brought lots of pens, pencils,

baseball caps, ribbon, etc. I was

severely scolded by our driver

for giving pens & pencils to the

children. He tells that they

sharpen the ends and use them

as weapons against each other

and he also scolded the children

for begging. I was told that the

only acceptable way to donate

such items was through a school

or mission. Donations to schools

are gratefully appreciated. As

far as trading for gift items, you

will find that the prices are the

same with or without the trade.

Several times the "do you have

something to trade" routine was

used as a ploy to hook us into

buying and thinking it was a

great deal. It wasn't. The one

thing that is acceptable is giving

US shirts or hats to your driver

as a gift (along with the usual

tip). All the drivers seemed to

be proud of their US hats.

What others are saying about

Kenya and Kenyans This time I'll take a break and

listen to what others are saying

online about visiting and trading

in Kenya. I want you to ask

yourself if these are genuine an-

swers (or even genuine portrayal

of Kenyans) Is the picture being

painted of Kenyans flattering?

QUESTION:

I am traveling to Kenya in Sep-

tember. Several years ago, I read

somewhere that the native Afri-

cans really like to receive new T

-shirts with American type lo

gos printed on them as "gifts". Is

this still the case? Also, I under-

stand that one can sometimes

"trade" for handmade objects

such as spears or crafts etc. Are

there specific western things that

the locals particularly like that

would be good for trading? Is it

better to refrain from spoiling

the culture with such things as

logo shirts, etc.? Thanks for your

advice and opinions.

REPLY 1: Children will ask you for pens

and bonbons (candy). They are

also very glad with the soaps,

shampoos etc. that your hotel

provides you with. Trading for

handmade objects is indeed very

Investment News 31


investment news magazine - aug 2015

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