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A Profile of Kenyan Entrepreneurs profiles a dozen of Kenya's most successful entrepreneurs across a variety of industries - manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, ICT, retail, media and entertainment to name a few. It is a collection that proves that when there is money to be made, you cannot beat a good entrepreneur no matter how deprived his or her background. Be inspired by stories that illustrate the triumph of hope over means and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Find out how they got to where they are, the pitfalls and challenges along the way and how they made and lost millions. Through their eyes you will get a fascinating glimpse...
Lieutenant General Daniel Opande, in his autobiography In Pursuit of Peace in Africa, shares his experiences in childhood, education, family and military career until his retirement. He wore many hats: soldier, military leader, peacemaker, humanitarian, peace ambassador and mediator. Notable highlights include his role in Kenyas Shifta Campaign of the 1960s and engaging with rebels during peace operations he led in Namibia, Mozambique, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In retirement, General Opande has occasionally mediated conflicts; among them the 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2017 election crises in Kenya and the aftermath of the 2015 upheavals in South Sudan. This book is a rich inspirational resource for aspiring leaders.
Much of the time, when confronted with a crisis of national dimensions, businesses do exactly what we expect them to do: they look to their own survival. Occasionally, however, firms in some contexts go beyond this. Based on qualitative, country-based fieldwork in Eastern and Southern Africa, Antoinette Handley examines how African businesses can be key responders to wider social and political crises, often responding well in advance of the state. She reveals the surprising ways in which business responses can be focused, not on short-term profits, but instead on ways that assist society in resolving that crisis in the long term. Taking African businesses in Kenya, Uganda, Botswana and South Africa as case studies, this detailed exploration of the private sector response to crises, including HIV/AIDS and political violence crises, introduces the concept of relative business autonomy, exploring the conditions under which it can emerge and develop, when and how it may decline, and how it might contribute to a higher level of overall societal resilience.
On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama made history as the first African-American president of the United States of America since its founding in 1776. Around the world, people celebrated his election as if he were one of their own and held exceedingly high expectations of his presidency. When, as senator of Illinois, he visited his fathers village in Nyangoma KOgelo in Kenya, he was struck by the ecstatic reception that the people accorded him. He was deeply touched by the abject poverty and fullness of spirit of the people. The level of need and the challenges that he witnessed in the poor neighbourhoods of Chicago in the US, in Indonesia and Kenya may have significantly contributed to ...
Doctor at Heart is not just about Dr Gikonyo's life journey, but it also delves into pertinent social, economic and political issues at the local and global levels. The author criss-crosses generations and in so doing presents their respective opportunities and challenges, while at the same time advancing theories and worldviews that the reader will find very engaging. The book also brings out the authors' multiple skills, each of which he pursues with a passion. His authentic search for solutions to the challenges of life, aptly depict him as a Doctor at heart. Notably, Dr. Gikonyo emphasises some of the elements of transformation that he envisages for Kenya through a never-before-published interview of Mwai Kibaki, a transcript of which is included in the book.
Breaking the Illusions is the story of resolve and grit in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this tell-all book, the author paints an insider's view of government, exposing the odds that are inexorably ranged against those who challenge the status quo and are perceived to be all-powerful. Hers is the intriguing story of a mistaken tag that at once opens multiple warfronts with shadowy detractors and opens previously unimaginable doors. The author provides a window into statecraft in a way that leaves the reader, researchers, ministers and even serving and aspiring public servants the richer.
Kiraitu Murungi easily fits into the category of 'Philosopher-King', a leader who, according to Plato, combines intellect, intelligence and wisdom in leadership. An alumnus of the University of Nairobi and the prestigious Harvard University, Kiraitu has applied these qualities to serve the society at constituency, county and national levels. In this candid interview with veteran journalist, Njeri Rugene, Kiraitu is blunt, brutal, frank and rational on politics and development issues. The first of its kind in the country, this lengthy interview is not only inspiring, but also an insightful and igniting expos of realpolitik in Kenya.
He is described as a Mau Mau oath-taker, seemingly of two minds ñ both for and against, loyal and disloyal. In A Daunting Journey, Jeremiah Gitau Kiereini, lets us into his life spanning three generations. He reveals insights into the influences and intrigues surrounding the early civil service and the powerful individuals who held Kenya's future in their hands. Kiereini also exposes the dichotomy that irreconcilably split the communities involved in the struggle for independence and the personal contradictions and challenges he encountered as he sought to find pride and loyalty in service to a newly independent Kenya. This is truly a fascinating chronicle that takes us from the humble and difficult years of childhood, through the Mau Mau years, the Kenyatta administration, the Moi regime, and on to the present in the life of Jeremiah Kiereini. Most captivating is the narrative on the infamous 1969 oath-taking commonly referred to as, ëCaai wa Gatunduí and the 1982 coup.
Lieutenant General Daniel Opande, in his autobiography In Pursuit of Peace in Africa, shares his experiences in childhood, education, family and military career until his retirement. He wore many hats: soldier, military leader, peacemaker, humanitarian, peace ambassador and mediator. Notable highlights include his role in Kenya’s Shifta Campaign of the 1960s and engaging with rebels during peace operations he led in Namibia, Mozambique, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In retirement, General Opande has occasionally mediated conflicts; among them the 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2017 election crises in Kenya and the aftermath of the 2015 upheavals in South Sudan. This book is a rich inspirational resource for aspiring leaders.
What did it take to get hundreds of Kenyan students, thirsting for higher education, into US colleges in the late 1950s and early 1960s? It took perseverance, help from countless people, and the overwhelming desire of the students themselves. This is an engaging and insightful book about an important and ignored slice of history. When we think of vital historical airlifts, minds race back to the Berlin Airlift. Robert Stephens takes us to another American-sponsored airlift that brought a generation of future African leaders to American shores for higher education. This effort profoundly altered the lives of these men and women, the development of East African nations, and the perception of America. At a time when the world struggled to understand the value of 'soft' as opposed to military power, this book offers a valuable historical model. Set during the last days of colonialism in Kenya, the book documents the development of human talent that would foster a majority-ruled independent Kenya. Its focus on Africans ñ their individual and collective biographies, aspirations and intermittent assistance from the US and others - is the story.