Do We Market Kenya Or Does It Market Itself?

Recently, Amazon, owned by the world's richest man, Jeff Bezos, picked South Africa for its Africa headquarters—the traditional inhabitants' hullabaloo around the hallowed grounds chosen, notwithstanding. Granted, it makes economic sense because South Africa is Africa's second-largest economy and has all the enviable infrastructural trappings to support the venture. But geographically, it is far removed from Nigeria and Egypt—Africa's largest and third-largest economies. We know that Bezos is not in Africa for charity.

There are veiled indications that Aliko Dangote's experience with his first choice when setting up shop in East Africa, Kenya, had something to do with Amazon's decision to pitch tent in South Africa. At the time, Kenyan government officials asked for a hefty Cinderella-dream type bribe, but the shoe did not fit.

This shocked the hell out of Mr. Dangote and he settled for Ethiopia in protest. And more recently, Tanzania has made it to his list. The shoe perfectly fitted an Abyssinian and we missed out big time.

The big boys club took note and in their clubhouse map of Africa, there is a big question mark drawn over Kenya. The other countries with these question marks and crosses are the certified war zones declared so by UN security council resolutions or censures. We have done little to remove that question mark.

What we still do instead, is to keep yapping about the missed opportunity in the cement plant rather than go to reassure Mr. Dangote that we've turned over a new leaf. His acceptance to set foot in Kenya would be a big endorsement and would signal to multinationals that we are genuinely open for business. The big boys read the 'investment ready' sign language quite well and they compare notes frequently.

The world already knows that our game parks are blessed with the big five animals and excellent tourist facilities to boot. Yet we spend a lot of money marketing Kenya as a preferred destination. But it is the unmarketed free-flowing remittances from the diaspora that have overtaken tourism inflows even in the peak years before Covid-19 kept many visitors away.

Much as we don't market the country for remittances from our diasporans, we take great pride in reporting the amounts as if we had something to do with them in the first place. This is akin to seeking cheap photoshoot moments, a popular national pastime.

The opportunities that don't require us to utilise our marketing spend are the ones that give us the greatest value in all the useful aspects we seek as a country. But we want to spend because there is a budget and an opportunity to benefit from the process. These become self-development opportunities instead of country development milestones.

We don't have an active 'roho safi' damage control unit that fights for our image. We just move on swiftly hoping that the world will forget our misdeeds—as we remain highly exposed on reputational risk matters.

If the sports company Nike was to set base in Africa, Kenya would be ideal because our athletes—Nike's biggest endorsers hail from here besides, the Bata shoe company has demonstrated that a shoe manufacturer can hack it in Kenya. But the Rio Olympics debacle that saw Nike branded sportswear shared amongst officials instead of the athletes, may make them think of setting up shop elsewhere.

The athletes have given us free publicity but some officials have messed it for us. And this is the shameless norm rather than the punishable exception across the board.

Must we be left to milk dry the opportunities afforded us by our geographical advantages such as the equator's good tidings in satellite launches and good all year round weather? Those attributes independently attract self-funding purpose-driven sojourners. They stick out like the elevated areas that telcos pick to erect their transmitter masts. They are plain to see.

This is not an indictment on the agencies responsible for marketing the country. And neither is it a time for them to receive accolades. Hits and misses characterise their scattered endeavours—their beautifully furnished offices, notwithstanding.

An audacious country goal such as: "to attract investments from the world's richest 50 people", would be worth the significant marketing spend that we currently utilise when seducing the world to come to see our animals. If it would be right for the world's top 50, then it would be right for the rest of the world's aspiring organisations in their thousands. They would be pulled in by the endorsements from the top tier businesses. These top 50 are a lot that takes no substandard proposals. We would have to work our brains hard enough, then put our best foot forward.

But people who are used to self-development on the country's fat, won't encourage such talk. Instead, stollen benefits are what they use to add insult to injury when they lead flashy lifestyles way above their payslips intended holding capacities. Job motivation is pretty high but is pegged on wrong incentives.

The Swahili saying: kizuri chajiuza na kibaya chajitembeza, serves to remind us that we market in earnest what is bad, as the good stands on its attractive qualities to deliver dependable suitors. Creativity is needed to fill the void for us. The USA spends heavily on Hollywood movies that in turn market the country.

The movies have a huge return on investment directly to the producers and cast, and indirectly but deliberately through the desires infused by such movies on foreigners. The resultant stampede by the world to set foot on American soil goes on as was planned by America. It aids their economy.

In contrast, with no movies to inspire the world but energy-sapping stories piling up faster than they can be managed, we will continue to have parallel efforts in marketing the country as it also markets itself without our budgeted input. Our national efforts have no major returns on investment. The modest returns have room for improvement.

The mobile money service, Mpesa, from Safaricom put Kenya on the world map as a tech pioneer from Africa. That never cost the government a shilling, instead, it earned it money as it is a shareholder in the company.

With this single innovation, several tech firms have pitched tent in Kenya with no help from the agencies charged with such responsibility. We all remember that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was here to study amongst other things, the Mpesa ecosystem and more. No Africa headquarters announcement has followed that visit. It is that question mark on the big boys clubhouse map that has kept him working from home.

The United Nations has its only third world headquarters here in Kenya. The others are in New York and Geneva. We've had spirited attempts from within the continent and elsewhere to relocate this HQ from Gigiri but several factors have kept it here. The ready and steady supply of cheap labour in Kenya saves the UN tons of money. Staff mortality statistics are within acceptable rates. Amenities and basic supplies are abundant. And above all, the peace and tranquillity sought are available round the clock. These add to what any employer wants for their staff, the presence of mind to deliver for them the set objectives.

On the selfish side, the foreign staff love this country, they even retire here. And to earn hefty hardship allowances, they are known to have filed reports that raised the country risk above New York's and Geneva's risk profiles. What an easy way to make money?

But all in all, it is the local population's industrious nature that has kept this enviable UN office in Kenya more than any deliberate country marketing efforts ever employed, have done.

It is high time that the national marketing agencies realised that the constant coffee smell in the air, is not the literal one emanating from our coffee producers, but from efforts employed by others out for their independent interests. We know what true marketing takes to deliver desired results.

A change of tack and tact is needed. Put more money in the efficient and creative private sector as you keep an eye on them, and they won't disappoint. Let government just monitor and evaluate. And before you punch me, please read this article afresh. You won't bulldoze your way through the punctuations I believe, and the meaning will get clearer, I presume.👊