ICT and our Future

Prof. Jason M. Githeko

Egerton University
githeko@egerton.ac.ke

ICEFICT 2014 @ Safari Park Hotel,

Nairobi
12th June 2014
1

Key Points
Rethink ICT strategy to
support the lower 60% of
society and create major
export products
2. Incorporate the Kenya
Diaspora
3. Deepen S & T
education/training and
capacity building
4. Establish national S & T labs
1.

The Bottom 60%

CONSTITUTION OF KENYA
PREAMBLE
We, the people of Kenya
ACKNOWLEDGINGthe
supremacy of the Almighty God
of all creation

COMMITTEDto

nurturing and protecting the

well-being of the individual, the family,
communities and the nation
4

Kenya National Anthem

Kenya: The nation whose anthem is a prayer

Stages of Economic
Development (Jeffrey Sachs)

"The countries with highest income are all now

knowledge economies; they very much driven by
innovation, which is in turn driven by a high input
6
of science and technology" (J. Sachs, 2004)

Bad Schools, Beautiful People

Feet Problem

The Stem and the Bowl: Global

Income Distribution

True Innovation

10

Gachamba's Kenya 2

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Innovation Process

Source

Source:
http://www.bcit.ca/appliedresearch/arlo/commercialization/process.sh
12
tml

Hyundai 1975

13

Nyayo Pioneer 1
February 1990

14

Hyundai Today

15

Hyundai 2014

16

Are We Globally Competitive?

17

MoE Budget vs. Enrollment in

Primary School
Ministry of Education
Budget as a % of Total
Government Budget

Enrolment in Primary
Schools, 2009-2011

Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Kenya Facts and

Figures 2012

18

Kenya's Balance of Trade

Source: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ based on World Bank data

19

Selected Indicators for Asian Tigers

and Kenya
GNP Per Capita

(USD)

Country 1960
Singapore
Taiwan
Hong
Kong
South
Korea

2012

Size
(km2)

395 51,709 716

Life
Expectancy
at Birth

Populatio
Femal
n
Male
e
(Millions)
5.3

73

77

23.3

77

83

429 52,300 1,104

7.1

79

85

155 22,590 99,720

48.0

76

83

1256

Source: World Bank and

31,900 36,193

20

GDP Per Capita 1960

(USD)

1400

1256
1200
1000
800
600
400

395
429

200
155

0
Singapore

98

Taiwan

Source: World Bank and

Hong Kong

South Korea

Kenya

21

GDP Per Capita 2012 (USD)

60,000
51,709

52,300

50,000

40,000
31,900

30,000

20,000

22,590

10,000

Singapore

Taiwan

Source: World Bank and

1,700

Hong Kong

South Korea

Kenya

22

Employment Sources and

GDP

Agricultur
e
Industry +
Services

Contributi
on to
GDP
Employme Contributi
nt (%)
on (%)

75

29

25

71

Implies very low productivity in

agriculture

23

Patent Applications 2010

Source: WIPO IP Facts and

Figures 2012

24

Patent Applications 2013

Country
Singapore
Republic of
Korea
Kenya

Numbe
r
9,685
188,915
259

25

Africa Competiveness Report

[2013/2014]
100th

77th

96th

93rd

90th
Source: The Global
Competitiveness
Report 2013-2014:
Insight Report
Klaus Schwab, World 26
Economic Forum

Global Educational
Performance
Ranking

Source: The Center on

International Education
Benchmarking (CIEB). Statistic of
the Month: Measures of
Education Quality in the 2013
World Economic Forum Global
Competitiveness Rankings
27

Key Points
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Rethink ICT strategy to support

the lower 60% of society and
create major export products.
Incorporate the Kenya Diaspora
Deepen S & T
education/training and capacity
building
Establish national S & T labs
Review research policy to
support national objectives

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The End

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