Author: Ndesanjo Macha

Thomas Kwenaite discusses the future of South African soccer in the light of Orlando Pirates' shocking exit from the African Champions League competition: “The South African Premiership might be rated among the seven best commercially successful leagues in the world and number one in Africa, but certainly the strength of its club football sucks!”

Arefe reviews the new book Beneath the Lion's Gaze, the latest in a series of works examining the bloody aftermath of Ethiopia's 1974 revolution.

Bernos links to a trailer for an upcoming film on Ethiopian music: “Filmmaker Olivia Wyatt went to Ethiopia to document the music of 13 different tribes for her a film on tribal Music on Ethiopia.”

The iHub, an innovation center for techies, developers and innovators was launched in Nairobi this week. What exactly is the iHub?:

iHub – Nairobi’s Innovation Hub for the technology community – is here! It’s an open space for the technologists, investors, tech companies and hackers in the area. This space is a tech community facility with a focus on young entrepreneurs, web and mobile phone programmers and designers. It is part open community workspace (co-working), part vector for investors and VCs and part incubator.

Several leading bloggers attended the event and here are their stories, photos and videos.

VC4Africa describes what the iHub will be about:

High speed internet, a comfortable and cool working environment, and a space for events and meetings to take place is what the iHub is about. It's run and managed by members of the local tech community.

It isn’t just a business. The end goal of the Innovation Hub in Nairobi is not to make money and be more profitable. Instead, it is to grow a stronger technology community in Nairobi, one where developers, designers, VCs and businesses are all better connected and mutually benefiting from the growth.

Bankelele considers the event a Nairobi Tech Moment:

iHub Nairobi: Our fabulous friends at Ushahidi are in the news for their recent technological endeavors which have been used in earthquakes rescue & relief in Haiti and Chile. But back here in Kenya, is something even more momentous, which is the unveiling & launch of the Nairobi iHub on March 3 2010.

The event, Sheila writes, was Geek Heaven in Nairobi:

Last night I went to Geek Heaven in Nairobi….and it looked kind of ordinary at first…. except we were in some kind of room in a building, with the skyline of Nairobi as the backdrop. It was the IHub Launch www.ihub.co.ke in Nairobi, Kenya and the evening was packed full of geeks, super geeks, TEDsters, futurists and a number of possible “Post humans” – people with artificially enhanced intelligence.

iHub, she argues, is a celebration of the power of ideas in Africa:

The IHub celebrates the fact that here in Africa we are beginning to value and invest in the power of ideas, as the essential currency for future progress and change. The iHub is a realization of the “Mindstep” or paradigm shift towards the areas where technology approaches a barrier, and new technologies emerge to cross it.

Njeri witnessed the launching and posts photos from the event:

The launch of IHub – Nairobi's Innovation Hub was yesterday at the Bishop Gatimu Magua Centre on Ngong Rd. The vent brought together the tech community in Nairobi as well as lovers of technology.
I was the unofficial blogger paparazzi and I can assure you that anyone who was in that event was captured on still.

Lone Ranger says iHub is simply what developers need:

This is the way to go, as there are a lot of smart guys out there with no means of putting ideas into action. This is just amazing. I attended the launch of iHub jana and it was good to see who is who in the IT field was there. The amazing thing was that almost all of the guys there were of age 40 and below, or 90% of the guys were 40 and below.
This is just what us developers need.

Kenya Christian writes:

This space is a tech community facility with a focus on young entrepreneurs, web and mobile phone programmers and designers. It is part open community workspace (co-working), part vector for investors and VCs and part incubator.

Nikolas was not invited to the event so he decided to watch TV instead. It was an invitation only event.

Now since i missed an invite to the premier iHubnairobi launch event of the day i shall sit about over here watching TV and regaling you lot with the most minute minutiae of my life currently and the current search for a one in all cell service provider.

Things you should know about the event:

■There will be eight lightning-style 5-minute talks done by local techies as part of IgniteNairobi (see Global Ignite Week for more)
■Keeping up to date with the event, we’ll be live streaming it via Ustream here.
■The first 100 attendees – who are on the list as confirmed -will get one of the new iHub t-shirts designed by the guys at The Ark and printed by Bonk. (Yes, they are incredibly cool).
■The floorplans and layout for the iHub are about done, but no buildout has started happening.
■We’re having a cocktail tonight, so it’s drinks and bitings/hors d’oeuvres.

Sam is happy that the event was given good TV coverage by KTN:

Launching of Ihub was quite phenomenon for the technical community. The fact that KTN gave it such a good coverage and substantial air time on Financial Markets live was quite encouraging.

Ihub creates a platform for Kenyan software and web developers as well other techies to meet and collaborate to bring out various innovations. The facility is equipped with a host of resources including fast internet provided by KDN and Zuku.

What will it take for the iHub to succeed?:

For iHub to succeed it has to become self-sustaining knowledge ecosystem. A place which will continuously appeals to great minds and produce wonderful applications, systems and ideas. Not all animals were equal in animals Kingdom and the same will applies here but in a good way. Yeah the doers will be given priority over the talkers. The reason is bright, innovative people like to be around other bright, innovative people. According iHub blog:
“We have never promised equality within the iHub, doers will be given preferential treatment to talkers and browsers. It’s a meritocracy, where those who create new and cool things are given more and better access.”

The Role of Government is critical in this, and it was refreshing to hear Mr.Paul Kukubo pledging that the government through ICT Board will be actively involved as a partner in iHub.

According to White African, the iHub isn't completely built yet:

The new iHub in Nairobi isn’t completely built out yet (in fact, it’s still basically just concrete and few painted walls…), however that won’t stop us from having a party to celebrate the opening of the new innovation hub here! It starts at 5:30pm (Kenya time) at the iHub (map).

Here is Njeri's web album of the event. Afrinnovator has posted videos of the event.

Juliana's thought provoking piece on the future of technology in Africa: “Before I get to the five ideas that shape my perspective on futurity in Africa, I found myself asking, where are the African futurists?”

Rebecca's advice for France Telecom if it has to succeed in East Africa: “Whatever it is, I think if France telecom is to challenge the domination of other bigger companies, they need to start acting like them, in response to the public, otherwise their silence does not smell like they are contenders.”

Njeri writes about the launch of Nairobi's Innovation Hub (iHub) at the Bishop Gatimu Magua Centre on Ngong Rd. in Nairobi, Kenya.

Quick hits in the African Tech space from Erik: “StarTrack is a new location based tracking service in Nigeria, Loy Okezie has a good overview of this new service from Starcomms.”

Rosebell discusses mudslides in Eastern Uganda: “Landslides have always been a problem in eastern Uganda but what has been put in place to lessen the risk of many in these villages being buried whenever it rains.”

SA Rocks posts a video of Don Packett, a South Africa stand up comedian: “This man makes me laugh. And yes, sure, he’s a friend so I sort of have to say that, but I really, really mean it. Honest”

What is the best model for running sports clubs?: “In the last few months, I have been feeding off comments and conversations about the need for sports clubs and more specifically football clubs to embrace ‘tribal’ outfits (for lack of a better word).”

What has Oklahoma Senator got to do with Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army?: It has now been more than 100 hours since a team of young U.S. activists, inspired to help stop the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army in Central Africa, descended on the Oklahoma City office of Senator Tom Coburn (R) to demand that he lift his hold on a bill aimed at neutralizing the LRA fighters and rebuilding communities long terrorized by the insurgency.

Victor's list of 15 annoying things in Malawi: “The frequent power failures by the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM). One ends up buying countless bundles of candles or if you can afford purchase and run a generator!”

What do new ministers receive from friends and relations in the D.R of Congo?: “Instead of sending cards, the new minister’s better off friends and relatives have brought gifts. Some bring whisky or champagne, others bring live chickens and goats (five, to date).”

“Mugabe is popular and charming,” writes Bev Clark: As he’s just celebrated his birthday I thought I’d check what sign he is in the Chinese Zodiac. Born in 1924 makes him a Rat. There are some interesting predictions for him in 2010:

Rajesh wonders whether the FIFA World Cup 2010 will be an opportunity for nation building in South Africa.

Dave is happy to see the swell of support for the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo as a umerous events in celebration of International Women's Day (March 8) are dedicated to them.

You can follow citizens' comments, opinions and reports on elections in Togo through African Elections Project blogs.

As two neighbouring countries, South Africa and Zimbabwe, celebrated two very contrasting “Fathers” – Mr. Nelson Mandela and Mr. Robert Mugabe, Chris Kabwato discusses the politics of father-figure in Zimbabwe.

African Elections Project is twittering the upcoming elections in Togo.