The Star ­ Wednesday
Date: 03.06.2015
Page 31
Article size: 135 cm2
ColumnCM: 30.0
AVE: 52800.0
Availability of skilled
artisans necesary for
the growth of Kenya's
real estate industry
LAST week we discussed the role of artisans in
real estate development and maintenance and how
as a country we are losing a vital component of
the process, an issue we will delve into further this
week.
Human capital is the health, knowledge,
motivation and skills, which when attained are
regarded as an end in itself, regardless of income
potential because it imparts self­confidence and
self­worth into an individual. Perhaps that is why
we are building universities left right and centre,
without any policy on quality and variety of the
throughput, nor reflection of market needs and
demands. It is to be hoped that in the long run,
through competition, they will level themselves
out and each will specialise in particular fields. It
appears to me that we are building the house from
the roof instead of setting out a strong foundation
by perfecting the vocational skills.
There was once a Korean engineer, who while
in Kenya tried hard to convince our nation's
leadership, including writing a 38 page letter to
President Kibaki detailing how we could train our
crafts women and men to improve our products
for the world market. Very sadly he died without
someone leading him to the House on the Hill.
He was keen to instil into our youth, the Korean
work ethic of 18 hours of sweat and blood to earn
a decent living. His specimen products were of
very high quality.
Another example, when I was growing up
in the 1960s my parents built a palatial home.
What struck me was the excellent workmanship
displayed by the mason. The joiner was equally
impressive. The plumbing and electrical works
were done much later but not so impressive, the
greed for money had taken root and people were
in a hurry to get rich, hence workmanship was
not a major factor. What we need is more and not
less of these skills. I imagine there were many such
geniuses in other parts of Kenya upon independ­
ence but since there was no succession plan policy
in place, they have become less and less yet our
development needs have become more. The educa­
tion policy makers failed to see the need. In the
context of a nation, human capital refers to the
collective value of its competencies, knowledge
and skills. It is the country's source of creativity
and innovativeness. To me the change ability is an
imperative for any developing economy.
Related to human capital, is the Human
Development Index. It is a composite statistic of
life expectancy, education, and per capita income
indicators. It is used to rank countries in terms
of human development. Pakistani economist
Mahbub ul Haq developed it and is anchored in
India's Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's research
work on human capabilities. It is framed in terms
of whether people are able to live desirable lives.
Human development concerns expanding the
choices people have, to lead lives that they value,
and improving the human condition so that peo­
ple have the chance to lead full lives. Thus, human
development is about much more than economic
growth, which is only a means of enlarging peo­
ple's choices. Devolution is taking root in our
country but is not fully anchored fully yet but this
is a philosophy that we as a nation must embrace
and nurture as if our lives depend on it because
they do.
Nabutola is a building surveyor and consultant­
in­chief at My Rita Consultants.
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya