STREETWISE MARKETING
Jua Kali: The Bane Of
African Firms
By Evans Majeni
A
t
independence,
African
governments inherited a fairly
formal economy. Rules, procedures
and standards were well formulated,
articulated and judiciously implemented. independent. ‘Wacha Ukoloni bwana” a
Swahili word for stop colonial mentality
became a common refrain. Somehow, we
believed we could enjoy Mzungu lifestyles
without their overbearing standards.
The professionals; engineers, architects,
doctors, pharmacists, lawyers were all
sworn to a strict code of professional
ethics. Little wonder that Africa had a
working template of budding industries
that were sworn to the straight and narrow. The Rain Started
Clouds Gathering
Came independence and the African big
men ‘grabbed’ power to use their own
words. These power grabbers were starved
of both material wealth and self-esteem.
Most of them had been detained and
mistreated by the Whiteman and were
therefore yearning for a chance to flex
their muscles.
Their first victim was the “Mzungu”
standards. In Kenya for example, anyone
who tried to uphold higher standards was
promptly reminded that we were now
Henceforth, mediocrity and disorder
became our second nature. Africans
looked for, found or created shortcuts in
every public undertaking to the chagrin of
formal operators and the general public.
In Kenya Matatus, a newly sanctioned
group of public transport predators would
eventually bring down the giant Kenya
Bus Service and other similarly well
organized outfits. They, unlike their formal
counterparts had a free hand to operate as
they wished. They had no fixed fares or a
regulated timetable and operated at their
convenience mainly during peak hours.
Official Chaos
Overnight, the Jua Kali operators
sprouted almost in every industry. And
The multinationals, overwhelmed by the many
rats nibbling at their market moved their pro-
duction to friendlier nations. Our industrial area
turned into an industrial grave yard and our Na-
tion, one big supermarket for Chinese fakes.
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they remained true to their calling - a
mockery to investment and a ridicule to
standards. Kenya for example, came up
with a new one - tender-preneurs, a polite
word for officially sanctioned theft from
the government.
Affirmative
actions
to
Africanize
businesses were haphazardly implemented.
Expectedly, the formal operators with their
strict adherence to standards and quality
could not keep up with the government
sanctioned predators. The public service
institutions such as schools, colleges and
hospitals amongst others gave way to
private enterprises. One by one, other
formal players also fell by the wayside. For
example, Sugar companies closed shop as
sugar barons took over.
Death Of Professions
Equally, our professions were under attack
from power brokers and influence peddlers.
Anyone with power, influence, connections
or a little fee could obtain almost anything
from the authorities - licenses, certificates,
titles name it.
That’s how we ended up with more
accidents on our roads, collapsing
buildings, fraudulent lawyers, doctors
procuring abortion at a fee and pharmacists
dispensing poison.