tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338Thu, 07 May 2026 22:38:09 +0000entrepreneur challengesKenyaSafaricomzainM-PESAconstitutioninternettoastmastersjobsGenius Executive Centrecarsinnovationvillage projectbarcampkenyabusiness ideacyber cafelawonline purchasesstartupBPOBusiness DailyCLCompetent LeaderEDGEKibakiOrangebambanetbusinessbusiness experimentevaformAKenyanCompany.comholidayleadershipmarketingsmall businessAl-QaedaGPRSJournalismKenya PowerNairobiObamaSMSafri businessbankingbill of rightsbloggingceltelelectionshiatusinspirationlast minutemedianetworkingopportunitypeaceregulationsocial mediasokotelespeechterrorismtwittervirtual assistantweb designworkshopsBhartiCCKCHATCircumcisionClassifiedsCooperative BankCriminal LawEntreCafeHuman RightsICTIPOAKalonzoKalonzo MusyokaKenya LawKenyans4KenyaLaareLegalMeruMobile Car TrackMobile Number PortingMudavadiNCICNGONakuruNation MediaPayBillPolice BrutalityPost BankPremium Rate CallsPremium Rate SMSPublic Interest LitigationRailaSMESMSEsStandardTaxesVehicle theft. smsVice PresidentView Park TowersWaflashWest FMYuZapafricaafropreneuralcoholambitionauctioneersbeninmwangibittorrentbuymykenyancar.comcar trackcensuschaguo la teeniezchanging technologychemistcivil libertiesclickaholiccompany registrationcomplaincompromiseconcertconferencecost cuttingcreditorscrimecustomer caredatingdeejaydonationsdrug storedrugsdual citizenshipdusty shoesexecutionextra-judicial killingfacebookfarmingfinancingfood securityforexfunfuture incomegenius heal kenya initiativegraduationguidehustlingimpunityinternet theftinvestmentjusticekadhi's courtskalonjekencellkenyanchemist.comlandlife and deathlovemedicationmigrationmoneymoney transfermututhomy-shillingsnational securityonline currency tradingpartnerspassportpoliticspostprice warsprivacyprofitsprogrammingpropertyproposalprotestsred crossreferendumrestaurantright to liferightsrip-offruralsaccoscamschoolserviced officesocial media mediasoftlawsole proprietorshipspeedtarifftelkomtendertraffictrainingtruthuhurunetvideovotingwaterwritingyesyoutubeThoughts from a Kenyan entrepreneur passionate about startups.http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/noreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)Blogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-6207415933462902825Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:18:00 +00002025-09-09T17:22:15.331+03:00I disagree with many aspects of David Ndii's current role in President Ruto's government. However, his March 2016 article "Kenya is a cruel marriage, it's time we talk divorce" identified something fundamental about East Africa's structural challenges that deserves serious reconsideration. East Africa today faces the same pressures that historically drove European tribal coalitions to eventuallyhttp://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2025/09/the-unity-paradox-why-east-africa-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-9210360409683135990Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:06:00 +00002025-09-05T15:28:09.950+03:00justicetruthWhen President William Ruto announced Kenya's Panel of Experts on the Compensation of Victims of Protests and Riots in August 2025, many hoped it would finally address the police brutality that has plagued our protests since 2017. The 18-member panel, led by Professor Makau Mutua and Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo, has been tasked with identifying victims and recommending http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2025/09/kenyas-compensation-panel-why-this-isnt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-557696595158575204Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:52:00 +00002025-08-13T09:54:34.072+03:00In a world where artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping industries at lightning speed, one set of skills remains timeless: the ability to connect deeply with others. “Human connection jobs” – roles built on empathy, trust, communication, and ethical judgment – are becoming the most future-proof careers of our time. From counsellors to teachers, negotiators to community leaders, http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2025/08/preparing-your-child-for-jobs-ai-cant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-7581986094603401567Thu, 17 Jul 2025 09:32:00 +00002025-07-17T16:26:30.761+03:00 The Judicial Service Commission’s press statement of 17 July 2025, titled&nbsp;“Statement by the JSC on Unwarranted Attacks Against Judicial Officers,”&nbsp;urges the public to stop criticizing judges over bail and bond decisions. It portrays such criticism as a threat to judicial independence and the rule of law. But this defensive stance rings hollow in the face of real tragedies under the http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2025/07/unwarranted-attacks-or-unwarranted-bail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-3679134757000075146Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:06:00 +00002025-06-17T17:09:17.073+03:00bill of rightsconstitutionexecutionextra-judicial killingHuman RightsIPOAKenya LawlawNairobiPolice BrutalityprotestsPublic Interest Litigationright to lifeOn the afternoon of 17 June 2025, a shocking video emerged from Moi Avenue, Nairobi. In under 10 seconds, it appeared to capture a summary execution: a man is approached by police, questioned briefly, shoved, and then shot in the head. The officers walk away.The footage spread swiftly across social media and news platforms, prompting outrage and grief. But beyond the emotion lies a stark legal http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2025/06/deadly-force-on-moi-avenue-why-police.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0Nairobi, Kenya-1.2920659 36.8219462-29.602299736178846 1.6656961999999993 27.018167936178845 71.9781962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-2633239213524057876Mon, 19 May 2025 23:29:00 +00002025-05-20T02:36:11.167+03:00The year was 2014, July to be precise. I had just concluded chairing the organizing committee of the first and only Toastmasters Speech Fair and Annual Dinner event, a precursor to TEACON. This event had been a bold experiment, expanding on the traditional Toastmasters Annual Dinner by incorporating speech contests into an afternoon and evening affair. It broke many norms and conventions and http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2025/05/the-last-crumb.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-4030745491246296695Thu, 21 Mar 2024 06:08:00 +00002024-03-22T08:05:06.577+03:00Criminal LawLegal&nbsp;Does excluding mens rea in the Statement of Offence make a charge defective? Rule of Law When a person is accused of an offence, his constitutional right to a fair hearing requires that he should be informed of the charge with sufficient detail to answer it<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]-->. In order for an accused person to be informed of the charge, first the charge is drawnhttp://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2024/03/to-mens-rea-or-not-to-mens-rea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-8614739189002831727Wed, 01 Jul 2020 05:49:00 +00002021-02-05T09:02:23.072+03:00Here was my final message to my District team as I neared the end of my service as District Director for Toastmasters East Africa in June 2020. The team went on to achieve extraordinary results despite disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged as the top 3rd district in the world out of 125 districts.In August 2019, a month after I had started my term in office as District http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2020/07/what-man-has-done-man-can-do.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-6117388935572951987Wed, 07 Feb 2018 06:02:00 +00002021-02-05T09:06:36.575+03:00&nbsp;On April 15, 2014 Early Birds Toastmasters became the first Toastmasters club in Kenya to use a whatsapp group to communicate with its members. Having participated in several other Toastmasters club whatsapp group, I can confidently claim that Early Birds whatsapp group remains the one of the best managed. With this article, I’d like to delve in what it takes to manage a whatsapp group http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2018/02/managing-toastmasters-clubs-whatsapp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-2652454588846959646Wed, 22 Mar 2017 06:13:00 +00002021-02-05T09:18:44.201+03:00&nbsp;Here is my valedictorian speech given during Riara University's first graduation&nbsp;On January 7th, 2013 on my 31st birthday I received a strange gift from my sister. It was a deposit slip for part payment of fees for a one-year evening diploma course to a brand new University which I hadn’t heard of before. I had 1 week to make up my mind, or she could offer it to someone else. I http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2017/03/nurting-innovators-at-riara-university.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-7636615635360914169Wed, 16 Mar 2016 07:11:00 +00002016-03-16T10:11:08.978+03:00Almost three years ago to the day, I gave my CC9 speech at my then home club Nairobi Toastmasters on the need to set up a new toastmasters club. It's been my great privilege since then to see dozens of enthusiastic men and women come together and form what is without a doubt the best club in Kenya - Early Birds Toastmasters. Recently one of our members at Early Birds who flew back to San http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2016/03/early-birds-toastmasters-three-years.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-4886978464642821562Mon, 04 May 2015 12:52:00 +00002025-07-15T08:53:28.789+03:00Paxa Rainne slams her open palm on the car horn frustrated.Another matatu has overlapped and cut her off just as she was to join the highway. Driving into town from Ngara is still a nightmare, despite a spanking new superhighway. Rainne wonders if her naivety in being polite to other road users is a magnet for this menace.Rainne has been in traffic now for over an hour and has hardly moved ten http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2015/05/sine-qua-non.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-8766787468302974528Fri, 15 Aug 2014 08:53:00 +00002016-02-28T09:08:00.937+03:00speechtoastmastersThe following is a tip session delivered by John Kageche, ACB, CL and current President of Nairobi Toastmasters Club. It focuses on the need to properly prepare and present the 2nd, 3rd and 4th projects in the Toastmasters Competent Communicator manual towards building strong speech delivery. <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2014/08/kill-virus-tips-to-become-competent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-8156041514077425984Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:25:00 +00002021-02-05T08:45:52.456+03:00CLCompetent Leaderleadershiptoastmasters<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]> http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2014/08/planning-and-its-cousin-failing-cl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-1674220021671915592Sat, 09 Aug 2014 20:55:00 +00002014-08-10T00:09:10.659+03:00CLCompetent Leaderleadershiptoastmasters<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> The CL Series is a series of blog posts about my journey to attain the Competent Leader award in Toastmasters. Visit http://startupkenya.blogspot.com/2014http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2014/08/planning-for-10-months-ahead-cl-series.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-5515209038726531338Sat, 09 Aug 2014 08:36:00 +00002014-08-10T00:08:05.647+03:00CLCompetent Leaderleadershiptoastmasters"If you want to know if you're a leader, look behind you and see if you have followers". I read that quote yesterday while browsing through articles on my LinkedIn home page. I can't remember who it was attributed to and don't remember much of the article but that quote stuck. It's a great quote: simple, catchy and easy to apply. But is it true? What makes someone a leader, and better yet how http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2014/08/becoming-competent-leader.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Harry Karanja)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-6055348752335642365Mon, 22 Jul 2013 07:04:00 +00002013-07-22T10:04:01.146+03:00 There is a new player emerging on the cultural and business scene today: the idea entrepreneur. Perhaps you are one yourself — or would like to be. The idea entrepreneur is an individual, usually a content expert and often a maverick, whose main goal is to influence how other people think and behave in relation to their cherished topic. These people don't seek power over others and they're not http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/07/the-new-21st-century-career-idea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-3118949437212359636Fri, 12 Jul 2013 08:45:00 +00002013-07-12T11:45:09.526+03:00 Architect John Kithaka began his journey in business immediately after high school at age 18. A small farming venture in his rural Kenyan hometown with US$70 as capital from pocket money his parents gave him, built his foundation in business. Today, at 40, Kithaka is the CEO and founding member of the Fountain Enterprise Programme (FEP) Group of Companies. John Kithaka The group, made up http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/07/kenyan-entrepreneur-shares-nine-ideas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-7684850308984703646Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:46:00 +00002013-07-10T12:53:30.421+03:00 At the heart of any successful business is a great idea. Some seem so simple we wonder why nobody thought of them before. Others are so revolutionary we wonder how anybody could've thought of them at all. But those great ideas don't come on command. And that leaves lots of would-be entrepreneurs asking the same question: How did everybody&nbsp;else&nbsp;get inspiration to strike—and how can we http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/07/how-entrepreneurs-come-up-with-great.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-7099507606061561653Tue, 09 Jul 2013 06:24:00 +00002013-07-09T09:29:41.457+03:00 Herein are five Kenyan women entrepreneurs who have dared to enter the male-dominated world of business to build some of the region’s most respected companies. Quote:&nbsp;“Ladies, it’s like learning to ride a bike or driving a car. You need only to believe in yourself, trust your gut feeling and develop a clear plan or strategy, keep it simple and implement that plan step by step with http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/07/kenyan-women-enterprenuers-in-male.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-5305010572869813594Fri, 05 Jul 2013 06:12:00 +00002013-07-05T09:12:04.469+03:00 Being a drop-out is not an excuse...read on: Anthony Mwaura is a creative enterprenuer. At 25, he is a millionaire after he chose the unbeaten path and established one of the most sought-after advertising firms in the region. Whatever Mr Mwaura touches — be it the in-house music production studio he ran two years back or the corporate branding company he currently manages from his http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/07/college-drop-out-enterprenuer-rakes-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-7335761571059500410Thu, 27 Jun 2013 06:14:00 +00002013-06-27T09:18:18.526+03:00 In my head this is what I think an average entrepreneur is like. &nbsp;Pretty young (think Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) living the red beans and rice lifestyle and working 80+ hours a week and sleeping under their desk.&nbsp; On some parts, I’m probably right — but on many, I’m flat-out wrong.&nbsp; This is demonstrated by a recent report from the Kauffman foundation for entrepreneurship.&http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/06/12-interesting-facts-about.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-2160649658164059815Tue, 25 Jun 2013 09:35:00 +00002013-06-25T12:35:06.895+03:00 I asked myself why most youth in Kenya, and youth in general, do not like agriculture as a career? Why do youth hate agriculture so much? Here are below are some reasons: <!--[if !supportLists]-->1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <!--[endif]-->Young people perceive agriculture as a profession of intense labor, not profitable and unable to support their livelihood compared to white collar jobs offer. They http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/06/15-major-reasons-youth-shun-careers-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-1085614989256032446Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:46:00 +00002013-06-17T12:52:58.890+03:00 As a student at Virginia Tech in the United States, Mogaka Mwencha would stock up on local Kenyan crafts while on holiday, and display them proudly in his room. His friends would gape over the artefacts and in the spirit of entrepreneurship, Mogaka sold selected pieces at a tidy profit. Little did he know that his passion for Kenyan art would culminate 12 years later in a business worth over http://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/06/10million-shilling-online-venture-built.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725338.post-5532495711350660160Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:01:00 +00002013-06-13T09:17:37.196+03:00 Young people in Kenya have taken up agriculture to heart, boosting their income and setting themselves up with the skills they need to make a living from agriculture.&nbsp;Receiving training from Farm Africa, these young entrepreneurs improve the quality of their produce and learn how to grow high value crops, such as tomatoes. The training also ensures that the young entrepreneurs tomatoes arehttp://startupkenya.harrykaranja.com/2013/06/tomatoe-success-for-young-kenyan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0