Kenya Kwanza, which has the Digital Superhighway, as one of the main anchors of its Bottom- Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), appears to be antagonizing the very ICT investors it needs. In Kenya, at least 82 government critics have allegedly gone missing since June, with 29 others said to be unaccounted for.
The latest abductions in December, 2024 led to the disappearance of Gideon Kibet (@Kibet_bull on X). This caught the eye of a top Venture Capitalist who invests in tech startups in Kenya. According to a post by Kyle Schutter, co-founder and Head of Business, Kuzana VC, Kibet is, “our friend and second place finisher for our HakiHack government transparency hackathon competition in August 2024”.
Kuzana invests $20,000-$100,000 in early-stage Kenyan agri-businesses that source from farmers with $20,000-$500,000 in annual revenue, ideally for export. Beyond funding, Kuzana offers operational and sales support to its investees. The VC’s investment strategy is long-term, and one with no intentions to divest.
Sanctions for the Abductions
Following the disappearance of a Kenyan young techie they refer to as “our friend”, Schutter is demanding that the incoming Trump administration, “remove Kenya’s special tax-free import to the US (aka AGOA) until the government of Kenya abides by its own laws.” The U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will take office on January 20th.
He further emphasis that the current William Ruto led government is not known for its human rights record, stating, “Remember the current president of Kenya was charged with crimes against humanity until the case fell apart when the witnesses “disappeared”/changed their story,”.
The VC also alleges he has been informed that staff at the US embassy in Nairobi and USAID in Kenya aren’t allowed to support the peaceful protests of the Kenyan people.
However, it’s worth noting that Marc Dillard, USA ambassador to Kenya, has since issued the following statement, “President Carter championed human rights worldwide. In the spirit of his legacy, we join the calls in Kenya for accountability and respect for rule of law. Abductions must end.”
William Ruto has also commented on the abductions after previoulsy terming them as “fake news”. Speaking at an event in Homa Bay, he said, “What has been said about abductions, we will stop them so Kenyan youth can live in peace, but they should have discipline and be polite so that we can build Kenya together,”
For the Kenyan tech ecosystem that is trying to recover from a “funding winter”, the words of this top VC are not encouraging. The statements also come shortly after the Kenyan government set up a ten-member task force to examine why numerous businesses are choosing to exit the country. It could also undo a lot of Ruto efforts to lure US investors to Kenya.
