Nyarwadhnyarwath
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 15, 2016
- 1,157
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Acha ujinga, soma uelewe kabla ya kukurupuka. Wapi imeandikwa kuwa mwandishi ni Mtanzania? Mnajikaanga kwa mafuta yenu wenyewe.
Is Tanzania ousting Kenya as East Africa's powerhouse?
Is Tanzania ousting Kenya as East Africa's powerhouse?
- Thread starter Xplorer
- Start date
Geza Ulole
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- Oct 31, 2009
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Its obvious Ethiopia is above Kenya no question on that! Tanzania knows that!
mwaswast
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- May 12, 2014
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True Geza ulole.
When did your dreams become a reality??
Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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The good thing is our loan (interest rate) from Chinese + construction costs are way cheaper compared to Kenya for 100km our project costs $800mln compared to $1bln for Kenya
Geza Ulole
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Xplorer
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- Mar 19, 2015
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- #129
How we can counter loss of projects to Tanzania
By Ken Opalo | Friday, May 27th 2016
Lately, there has been considerable hand-wringing over Kenya’s loss of key infrastructure connections with our landlocked neighbours. First it was Uganda choosing Tanzania for their planned oil pipeline to the sea. Then it was Rwanda suggesting that a railway line through Tanzania would be more cost-effective than one through Kenya. For a people used to being the economic titans in the region, these developments came as a negative shock to our national pride.
Suddenly, Tanzania seemed to be outdoing us at every turn. Our collective Tanzania envy hit an all time high. But should we really panic?
The answer to this question hinges on the kinds of policies we adopt as a response. The fact is Kenya’s attractiveness to our landlocked neighbours was never based on the strength of our political leadership in the region. As a country we have always been less ambitious than most about political projects in the region and on the continent, instead choosing to focus on economic integration. It is our unassailable economic dynamism that made us attractive over Tanzania as far as a route to the sea is concerned. Uganda is our biggest trading partner for a reason. For a long time they have been importing our light manufactures.
This is why I am moderately confident that we can weather the current realignments by maintaining our economic dynamism. We have the best human capital in the region. We have the most differentiated economy in the region. And despite the current hiccups, we have the most open political system in the region. All else equal, we are still the place to do business in the region. If we build on these strengths, we will still attract business from our landlocked neighbours.
The only thing that has changed is that we can no longer take our regional leadership for granted. We have to redouble our efforts in economic and political diplomacy.
READ MORE
Why neighbours’ cold shoulder may wreck Kenya’s grand infrastructure dream
Tanzania cuts power imports from Kenya by 67pc
Stanley Okumbi beefs up Harambee stars squad by Eight
We must also ensure our lobbying efforts in regional capitals are up to snuff. I was shocked by the fact that our officials appeared blindsided by Uganda’s decision to go with Tanzania. Does that mean that we have no snoops in regional capitals? How did we not see this coming?
We can longer assume our neighbours will engage us out of the benevolence of their hearts. We should not trust them on face value. Instead, we should trust their interests and make sure we design policies that make us attractive to their interests. The fact of the matter is that as the most advanced economy in the region we have a lot to offer.
We can be the regional information technology hub. We can be the regional medical services and research hub. We can make our universities the most sought after in the region and beyond. There is no reason we should cede the competition on offerings in higher education to South Africa.
By being competitive in these areas, we will be attractive not only to governments in the region, but also people of the region. The latter is arguable a more important goal. We will be the true regional leaders when every Eastern African child wants to come study or work in Kenya. This will not only be good for our economy and business, but will also afford us much-needed soft power.
And heaven knows that we need all the soft power that we can get. As the regional economic leader, our neighbours will naturally be wary of our machinations. It is for these reasons that we need to make ourselves as attractive as possible. Crass pursuit of our self-interest will therefore not work. A little humility here, a little long-term strategic planning there, and loads of good faith neighbourliness will go a long way in helping us maintain our regional leadership.
By Ken Opalo | Friday, May 27th 2016
Lately, there has been considerable hand-wringing over Kenya’s loss of key infrastructure connections with our landlocked neighbours. First it was Uganda choosing Tanzania for their planned oil pipeline to the sea. Then it was Rwanda suggesting that a railway line through Tanzania would be more cost-effective than one through Kenya. For a people used to being the economic titans in the region, these developments came as a negative shock to our national pride.
Suddenly, Tanzania seemed to be outdoing us at every turn. Our collective Tanzania envy hit an all time high. But should we really panic?
The answer to this question hinges on the kinds of policies we adopt as a response. The fact is Kenya’s attractiveness to our landlocked neighbours was never based on the strength of our political leadership in the region. As a country we have always been less ambitious than most about political projects in the region and on the continent, instead choosing to focus on economic integration. It is our unassailable economic dynamism that made us attractive over Tanzania as far as a route to the sea is concerned. Uganda is our biggest trading partner for a reason. For a long time they have been importing our light manufactures.
This is why I am moderately confident that we can weather the current realignments by maintaining our economic dynamism. We have the best human capital in the region. We have the most differentiated economy in the region. And despite the current hiccups, we have the most open political system in the region. All else equal, we are still the place to do business in the region. If we build on these strengths, we will still attract business from our landlocked neighbours.
The only thing that has changed is that we can no longer take our regional leadership for granted. We have to redouble our efforts in economic and political diplomacy.
READ MORE
Why neighbours’ cold shoulder may wreck Kenya’s grand infrastructure dream
Tanzania cuts power imports from Kenya by 67pc
Stanley Okumbi beefs up Harambee stars squad by Eight
We must also ensure our lobbying efforts in regional capitals are up to snuff. I was shocked by the fact that our officials appeared blindsided by Uganda’s decision to go with Tanzania. Does that mean that we have no snoops in regional capitals? How did we not see this coming?
We can longer assume our neighbours will engage us out of the benevolence of their hearts. We should not trust them on face value. Instead, we should trust their interests and make sure we design policies that make us attractive to their interests. The fact of the matter is that as the most advanced economy in the region we have a lot to offer.
We can be the regional information technology hub. We can be the regional medical services and research hub. We can make our universities the most sought after in the region and beyond. There is no reason we should cede the competition on offerings in higher education to South Africa.
By being competitive in these areas, we will be attractive not only to governments in the region, but also people of the region. The latter is arguable a more important goal. We will be the true regional leaders when every Eastern African child wants to come study or work in Kenya. This will not only be good for our economy and business, but will also afford us much-needed soft power.
And heaven knows that we need all the soft power that we can get. As the regional economic leader, our neighbours will naturally be wary of our machinations. It is for these reasons that we need to make ourselves as attractive as possible. Crass pursuit of our self-interest will therefore not work. A little humility here, a little long-term strategic planning there, and loads of good faith neighbourliness will go a long way in helping us maintain our regional leadership.
Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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Kafrican
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 26, 2015
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Look at the pic, look at all the countries in top 10, all the countries have vast mineral resources, atleast 75% of their exports are natural resources... all those countries except for Kenya. we got there by working on 30% of our land mass. our greatest asset bieng only the sweat of our human capital. you bettet hope kenya never developes its semi-desert areas to become productive and livable for the rest of kenya to disparse. or also better hope kenya never discovers vast mineral resources.
For tz to get to kenya, you'll have to go thrue ethiopia, ghana, Tunisia, Lybia... are you up for it?
and yes, from the worldbank website it looks that way, that in % terms, more kenyans live under the dollar..... but I give you homework, go to the world bank site and click that place that talks about poverty but instead of using the deault 1 dolla a day, raise the criteria to 2dollars a day and see what happens, on the kenyan site, the population living below 2 dollars a day is still less than 50, but on the tanzanian site , it suddenly moves to 70% of the population ! our middle class is way bigger than of the rest of EA combined....... So bitch please. Kenya is working to getthe rest of the minority out of poverty, while tz is working to get atleast a simple majority into middleclass
Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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Titanium is already being mined,there is a planned coal-powered-power-plant...so,are we really not exploiting them?
Kafrican
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 26, 2015
- 7,251
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all these were discoverd within the last 5 years give or take. you cant expect us to be making profits from them, as it stands, profits from natural resources contribute to less tha 1% of GDP. but the rest of those countries have had years.... decades of experience, they paid all their debts untill nothing was left exept to use that money for development.....
our jynx in the natural resources business is just starting, we still in the process of creating laws for them, 10 years from now is when we will begin to truly profit from them.
as of now, kenya got to where it is without natural resources! (unless you want to count limestone (cement) and soda ash)
Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 65,136
- 91,917
Kenya is not special the way u claim my friend even Tanzania resources have been mined recently at large scale! Gold, gas, diamond, limestone while coal, coltan, nickel, copper, soda ash n titanium not yet touched!
collinss
Senior Member
- Jun 15, 2015
- 105
- 51
Titanium was first exported in 2014, and even before that we were just doing fine.
we might have a few natural resources but they ain't enough to be significant in our GDP, you guys are sitting on a jackpot.
Mr geza when I look at your country the way Almighty blessed u and u still have wretched poverty in your midst I feel angry. U ought to be a leader in the continent we should be following your lead but sadly its the opposite.
Africans are just the same with all resources still poverty.example
Kumbe sudan ina uchumi mkubwa hivi.