Revisioning Kenya: 8th August

June 30, 2008 by Kwani Litfest  
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A symposium featuring 12 visionaries drawn from Kenya and abroad, these thinkers will impart their ideas on how to address and repair the issues thrown up by the post-election violence. We firmly believe that Kenyans have the ability to repair the recent damage and aim to feed into the groundswell of effort already growing nationwide. To this end Slum TV will film the speeches of the symposium, which will be available on internet and through established DVD distributors. A Kwanini short story book will also be produced and circulated countrywide. The symposium will close with a sumptuous event where speakers and attendees mingle and network.

Invited Speakers

Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat (Kenya): of the Africa Peace Forum and a co-convenor of Concerned Citizens for Peace

Kevit Desai (Kenya):- Director of Engineering for Centurion Systems, Head of IEEE, member of Kepsa who organizes a large competion for university inventors each year and tries to find companies to produce the items commercially. His current focus is uses of ICT in rural areas

Farming Systems Kenya - They work with 20,000 farmers including the Kesses Farmers Marketing Federation, and have revolutionalized small-scale farming by harnessing the power of collective bargaining. By organizing farmers into marketing federations the federations have doubled produce prices for members while dropping input prices (esp. fertilizer and seed) considerably.

Irwin Chen - Expert on new media publishing

Reginald Ihejiahi (Nigeria) - Managing director and CEO of Fidelity Bank, and a serious financial operator, he will speak of the importance of merging and supporting art and literature and how words can affect a nation’s thinking.

Sarah Simons

Professor MK Musaazi (Uganda): An inventor with real practical solutions to African problems. Professor Musaazi was recently advisor to the TV programme Schools Shape Up, where a number of his workable solutions to homegrown issues are viewed in action. He will discuss inventions and their practical applications

Onesmo Ole Moi Yoi (Kenya): World famous bio geneticist and scientist with a simple, but radical way of thinking different

Rafique Keshavjee: Visionary entrusted with creating the Aga Khan University in Arusha and Nairobi on the creation of entrepreneurial spirit and the way to move Kenya towards self sufficient income generation.