My blog posts and external op-eds/articles on business-related topics
Lunatic Express – The Railway that Built a Country Kenya is doubtlessly the only country in history to have been built around a railway line. When construction on the “Lunatic Express” (its official name being the Uganda Railway) began in 1896, the project was considered a “gigantic folly” and a terrible drain on tax money….
It all started with Uber.. When Uber launched in Nairobi, in January 2015, few imagined the impact they would have on how people move around. Taking a taxi in Nairobi used to be a dreadful experience, with smelly, old ramshackles being the norm. Drivers, at times as smelly as their cars, would more often than…
Kenya – Africa’s infrastructure powerhouse Kenya’s ongoing infrastructure boom started with former President Mwai Kibaki. Grand projects like Thika Road, and the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Bypasses in Nairobi, ushered in a national sense of yes-we-can. This has become part of the contemporary Kenyan mindset. Kibaki also rehabilitated national roads, like Nairobi-Mombasa, Nairobi-Nakuru, Emali-Oloitoktok, etc. In less than a…
The resilience of Kenya’s economy surprises even the harshest pessimists On September 17th and 18th 2013, IMF held A conference in Nairobi in praise of the economic environment in Kenya. Throughout the country, a tangible optimism was spreading that a long period of robust economic growth was in the offings. Five days later, gunshots and…
New Kwacha – same look – three zeros less Being back in Lusaka after almost 10 months felt really good. After all the travelling there last year, it is a country that I had really come to like. My usual hotel, Taj Pamodzi, was also still the same, with nice food, outstanding service, and that…
Having relocated from Nairobi to Lagos in January 2013, I have settled down, and gotten more or less used to living here. Apartment, car, driver, etc., are already in place, and I dare commend my own exploration work on the wining and dining scene. Getting to terms with the almost exclusively cash-based economy is a challenge,…
Konza Technology City – Africa’s “Silicon Savannah” Konza Technology City, dubbed “Africa’s Silicon Savannah”, some 60km from Nairobi, is one of the most publicized elements of Kenya’s Vision 2030. The US $10bn project aims to create a world-class technology park on roughly 2,000 hectares of land. Connected to Nairobi (60km) and to Jomo Kenyatta International…
Oil in Turkana: A Curse or a Blessing for Kenya? On March 26th, 2012, President Mwai Kibaki made an historic announcement: Kenya has struck oil in Turkana County! The announcement had barely been made before the debate was on in every office, café, bar, and online medium on whether this was a curse or a…
Jon Bøhmer saw his award-winning solar energy company, Kyoto Energy go down on April 6th, 2011, as the court in Norway ordered liquidation
Less than 3 weeks to clear another zero-rated consignment. That must be a new record for DHL! After the Kyoto Flash solar torchlights, which DHL took a month to get through Customs, we received the first samples of the new Kyoto Village Charger. This is a solar panel with 4 charging outlets. Jon Bøhmer‘s latest…
