Need for Long Term Taming of the Shilling Volatility

Deficiencies in foreign exchange and volatility of the Kenya shilling compared to other international currencies should be of concern to all citizens. The current state of affairs is sadly an indication of rough economic times, especially if sustained for long.  The situation largely results from reduced export income versus huge outlay towards financing of imports. Whereas our income from exports is largely attributable to agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and tourism, the latter has been experiencing tumultuous times particularly in the recent past.

Invariably, one of the greatest contributions to the volatility scenario is that ours is a net importing nation, whose citizens are endowed with an entrenched propensity towards anything foreign. Though we have no choice but to import necessities such as oil and petroleum products, we need to consider whether it is viable to uncontrollably bring in vehicles, machinery, equipment and furniture amongst many other commodities.

We also import foodstuffs including eggs, fruits and more even when we have the capacity to produce our own. Notably, we killed our own vibrant textile industries courtesy of the influence of market for imported clothes. But, shall we ever reverse this culture which contributes greatly to our foreign currency woes?

This thought rekindles my memories of a visit to Muranga town to participate in a business forum, which happened in October 2006. During the event, participants displayed their wares, innovations, services and other attributes of entrepreneurship, which was and still is quite prevalent in the county.

Apparently, I was even then still passionate about entrepreneurship development, and had been invited by the local Chapter of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to enlighten participants on the then prevailing global trends. Numerous speakers advocated the need for innovation and branding of products from Muranga, which could be exported to other parts of the country.

Soon thereafter, I conceived this idea of Muranga Forum as a great eye opener. I wondered whether it could be replicated in other towns and cities in the country. Each region in the country is notably endowed with different resources as well as skills. What about developing these attributes to their full potential?

The eastern region is endowed with wood carving skills and coal deposits for example. Most of the sand used for building in Nairobi comes from Machakos; the Kisii region is endowed with resources and skills of working with soapstones; the Western region is known to have some gold deposits; Coast region is endowed with minerals such as natural gas; Turkana has oil deposits; the central region has coffee and tea; Kericho is abundantly endowed with tea just to highlight a few.

This essentially means that each region is endowed with one or more possible economic advantage when compared to others. Upon all these realizations and more, I soon after the Muranga Forum indicated in my diary that it could be easy to develop this country to new heights of growth and progress. That can happen if we embrace a strategy of branding Muranga, Kakamega, Kisumu, Malindi, and Turkana amongst others.

Notably, these ideas were cropping up long before the promulgation of our constitution in 2010. The devolution of the country into 47 counties had not even been envisaged, yet it’s now an irreversible reality. What will now prevent the branding of the various counties based on their unique endowments?

These devolved units are no doubt capable of taking advantage of the opportunities available. They only need to focus towards creativity and innovation, which can easily drive entrepreneurship development. The main consideration will be whether the county leadership is developing infrastructure and alongside empowering would-be entrepreneurs. Matters will indeed improve, if those still pursuing education are perceived as future creators and innovators. But, is that currently the case?

When recently invited to attend a career guidance session for a school, I listened very attentively to the focus of parents. I also paid attention to the perceptions of the teaching fraternity and the advice offered to the students. Seemingly, all the parties are still preoccupied in thoughts about traditional careers of medicine, engineering and law amongst others. What subjects for example does one   concentrate in when aiming towards successively becoming a lawyer, engineer, doctor and architect amongst others?

Ironically, these were the same considerations that pre-occupied our minds in the 20^th Century, when the world was still operating within the industrial era, and later the information/knowledge era paradigms. In the highly competitive and dynamic 21^st Century, matters are totally different. We can’t any more afford to employ an outside-in approach towards aligning our careers or vocations.

In other words, it is imprudent to focus on the careers likely to be available in the marketplace and start aligning towards them. On the contrary, it is now about focusing and aligning talents in the 21^stCentury. Once people study and align themselves towards their innate abilities, the issue of future careers or vocations will easily sort itself out, at the right stage of development.

Without doubt, everybody will effortlessly manage to fit themselves in their lines of best fit, and more particularly in the most befitting careers. Above all, it will be easy to harness creativity and innovation, which are the key ingredients of entrepreneurship and global development in the 21^stCentury.

Now that our country was devolved into smaller units, can national thought process be liberalized as well? Inevitably, the culture of quality individuals, organizations and products may need to be embraced as elaborately explained in at least two chapters of the book titled “Career Dynamics in the 21^st Century.” This will help us to become socialized towards consumption of our own innovations, rather than the over-emphasis on imports even when unnecessary.

That way, we will as a nation manage to respond and align ourselves appropriately in a fast changing world.  We shall also venture into sustainable entrepreneurship backed by inevitable culture of creativity and innovation. Finally, we will address the spiraling unemployment and unemployability of our graduates which now stands at 51 per cent.

Just like the economies of developed nations such as United States of America and others are driven by the entrepreneurship process, we will no doubt effortlessly join them in this scheme of things. Once able to sustainably meet our needs within and across counties, we will naturally be endowed with non-traditional or even additional surpluses that are capable of being transferred to the regional and global markets. Only then shall we be endowed with sufficient strategies of acquiring and maintaining adequate strength of our currency.

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