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This chapter provides an analysis of the policy process that led to the information and communications technology (ICT) boom in Kenya during President Mwai Kibaki’s administration (2003–2013). It offers an analysis of the policy development that spurred the highly successful innovations in the country’s ICT sector. The chapter explains the course of establishing the institutions that supported ICT entrepreneurship and describes the process involved in the making of far-reaching policies and analyzes three case studies in ICT policy development—The East Africa Marine Systems (TEAMS) project, the M-Pesa application project, and the Posta land development project—and discusses their contributions to the ICT boom in Kenya.

What do you need to do to become successful in Kenya’s tech scene? This chapter investigates whether there is something like a Kenyan recipe—a holy grail—for success. We find two different worldviews, a Kenyan and an international, that champion opposing prescriptions for how to do it “right.” This dynamic, in turn, gives rise to tensions and is the reason behind the many contested issues surfacing in Kenya’s international tech sector. However, tension and contestation, if tackled with the right mindset, can also become an opportunity. Thus, this chapter introduces the art of managing worldviews in order to equip the reader new tools to work through prevailing issues and infuse technology entrepreneurship with a unique Kenyan character.

The study of entrepreneurship in general has drawn large interest over the last decade, and the specific subject of parallel entrepreneurship is no exception. Parallel entrepreneurship, or concurrent entrepreneurship, is the simultaneous ownership of at least two business ventures. It is found all over the world but is particularly evident at the international level, in the form of conglomerates. It has been argued that entrepreneurs owning several enterprises at the same time are more experienced than their peers operating single businesses and that studying this particular business model can enhance understanding of entrepreneurship more generally. This chapter identifies some of the most salient factors related to parallel entrepreneurship—factors that, if better understood and supported, have the potential to make a significant contribution to the economic transformation of developing economies. It also explores the contextual factors contributing to the growth of entrepreneurship in Africa and the prevalence and implications of parallel entrepreneurship. It concludes with a number of recommendations on how to support and develop parallel entrepreneurship in the future.

Is there a right model for venture capital (VC) in East Africa? After working with primary and secondary sources, we concluded that such a right model does not exist at the moment. We found that the high cost of operating a fund in the region and the length of time it takes to find, evaluate, and make investments are the top concerns among fund managers. In addition, fund managers in the region are called upon to take on roles that are not typical of conventional fund management—including, in particular, getting heavily involved in their investees’ businesses. We also found that challenges related to deal flow and exit, while perhaps not in the realm of a right model for fund structures per se, inevitably have an impact on which structure works best. We propose various solutions to these and other VC challenges in East Africa that emerged from our study. We conclude that in order to succeed, VC has to adapt more effectively to suit the context and characteristics of venturing in the region.

is a modest representation of the powerful space and time in which an inspiring generation of entrepreneurs finds itself at the present moment—a generation that is working actively to bring the benefits of the digital age to every citizen and organization of Africa, unleashing the power of modern-day technology for the benefit of society. Above all, it is a generation that seeks to help create a brighter future full of opportunities and possibilities for the many generations to come. The book has sought to capture this intriguing moment and—like the snap of a camera’s shutter—permanently conserve and document its uniqueness.