ISenate yaseKenya idlulise uMthethosivivinywa Wokuqala Wezinkampani Ezintsha ka-2022 ophikisanayo, obeka isisekelo soshintsho olushintshayo ohlelweni lwezinkampani ezintsha olukhula ngokushesha ezweni. Uma uMongameli uWilliam Ruto esayina lo mthethosivivinywa ube ngumthetho, uzogunyaza izinkampani ezintsha zaseKenya ukuthi zabele okungenani u-15% wezindleko zazo ocwaningweni nasekuthuthukisweni (R&D) futhi zigcine ubunikazi baseKenya ngokuphelele ukuze zifanelekele ukuqashelwa ngokomthetho nokusekelwa nguhulumeni. Lo mthethosivivinywa manje ulinde imvume kamongameli.
Nakuba lo mthethosivivinywa wethula izinhlobo ezahlukene zezikhuthazo—njengokuncishiswa kwentela, izibonelelo, izinhlelo zokukhulisa, kanye nezinhlelo zokuqinisekisa isikweletu ezihloselwe ukuthuthukisa ukusungula izinto ezintsha—ubangele ukukhathazeka, ikakhulukazi mayelana nesidingo sawo sokuba ngumnikazi waseKenya ngokuphelele. Abagxeki bathi lo mthethosivivinywa ungavimbela ukukhula ngokukhipha izinkampani ezintsha ezinabasunguli bangaphandle noma abatshalizimali bangaphandle abangahlangabezani nezindinganiso zobunikazi bomthethosivivinywa. Izinkampani ezinjalo ezintsha, ebeziyingxenye ebalulekile yokuthuthuka kwebhizinisi eKenya, ngeke zikwazi ukuthola izinzuzo ezibalulekile, zinciphise amandla azo okukhula.
“Inhlangano izofanelekela ukubhaliswa njengenkampani entsha kanye nokwamukelwa ohlelweni lokukhulisa ibhizinisi uma inhlangano iphethwe ngokuphelele yisakhamuzi esisodwa noma ngaphezulu saseKenya futhi okungenani amaphesenti ayishumi nanhlanu ezindleko zenhlangano zingabalelwa emisebenzini yocwaningo nentuthuko,” kusho ingxenye yomthethosivivinywa.
Abagxeki balo mthethosivivinywa baxwayisa ngokuthi yize inhloso inhle, izidingo zawo eziqinile zingavimbela ukuqamba okusha okuhlose ukukukhuthaza. Izinkampani eziningi ezintsha zaseKenya eziphumelelayo zidonse imali enkulu yakwamanye amazwe futhi zinabasunguli bangaphandle noma abasunguli ababambisene nabo abanikele ngolwazi lwabo olubeke iKenya njengendawo yokusungula izinto ezintsha e-Afrika. Igunya lobunikazi bendawo balo mthethosivivinywa lingawakhipha lawo ma-startups, okungenzeka ukuthi linciphise ukukhanga kwezwe njenge-magnet yezimali zamazwe ngamazwe. Izinkampani ezintsha zaseKenya zidonse izigidi zamaRandi ekuxhasweni kwe-VC eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, okugqamisa ukukhanga okukhulayo kwezwe kubatshalizimali. Ngo-2024, izinkampani ezintsha zezwe ziqoqe amaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-638 (ama-KES82.3 billion), ngokusho kombiko we- Africa the Big Deal.
Isibopho sokusetshenziswa kwe-R&D esingu-15% samukelwe ngemfudumalo njengoba sihlose ukukhuthaza ukusungula izinto ezintsha okujulile ngaphakathi kohlelo lwezinkampani ezintsha zaseKenya, sikhuthaza abasunguli ukuthi bathole amalungelo obunikazi, babhalise isofthiwe, futhi bahlanganyele ocwaningweni olubucayi—konke kubalulekile ukuze bahlale bencintisana emhlabeni jikelele. Njengoba umkhakha wezinkampani ezintsha waseKenya uvuthwa, lesi sidingo sizocindezela izinkampani ukuthi zibeke phambili ukusungula izinto ezintsha zesikhathi eside kanye nempahla yobuhlakani.
Uma uMengameli uWillliam Ruto esayina umthethosivivinywa ube ngumthetho, uMbhalisi Wezinkampani Eziqalayo uzokwengamela imisebenzi yezinkampani eziqalayo, okuhlanganisa imisebenzi yocwaningo kanye nokulandelela ukuhamba kwemali yezinkampani eziqalayo.
Nakuba lokhu kuqapha kungathuthukisa ukuzibophezela, kuphakamisa nemibuzo mayelana nomthwalo wokuthobela imithetho yezinkampani ezintsha esezivele zibhekene nesabelomali esiqinile kanye nezinselele zebhizinisi eziyinkimbinkimbi.
USteve Okoth, umqondisi wentela e-BDO East Africa, uchaze imfuneko ye-R&D engu-15% njengesinyathelo "sokufaka izinto ezintsha" phakathi kwabasunguli nokuthuthukisa "ukuncintisana" ohlelweni lwezinkampani ezintsha. Uthi lokhu kuzocindezela izinkampani ezintsha njengoba eziningi zisebenza ngamanani amancane futhi azikwazi ukubeka phambili ukuhamba kwemali ukuze ziphile kunokusebenzisa imali ngendlela efanele njenge-R&D.
"Le ndlela ingase ibe nemithetho eminingi ngokweqile. Izinkampani ezintsha ziyahlukahluka, futhi ikhono lazo lokuqamba izinto ezintsha livame ukuncika embonini yazo ethile, esigabeni sokuthuthuka, kanye nemodeli yebhizinisi. Isibopho esibanzi singaba yimbangela," kusho u-Okoth.
"Indlela eguquguqukayo neqhutshwa yizikhuthazo echaza amaqiniso esistimu yezinkampani ezintsha yaseKenya ingaba ngcono kakhulu ekukhuthazeni ukusungula izinto ezintsha nokukhula okusimeme."
