 And we are back, thank you for staying with us and you know being a Tuesday as I had said we want to talk about entrepreneurship and today we are exploring investment between Kenya and diaspora businesses a very interesting topic especially if we have been thinking of you know investing you know if you are in the diaspora, if you know someone in diaspora who's been thinking of investing in Kenya or even vice versa for this particular topic we've been joined by an expert she is Mary Muturi as the CEO of Jambalist thank you thank you so much it's a pleasure for me to be here thank you for having me this morning yes and I'm glad that I'm here yeah we can explore this topic definitely we're glad to have you so before we delve into the topic maybe you can give us your background because you have been in the diaspora for quite a long time and even that forms the basics so the foundation of how you formed your company Jambalist and why are you the experts to give us this advice so tell us about your experience thank you so much as you have said my name is Mary Muturi I'm the chief executive of Jambalist limited and this is a company that is founded or was founded by three ladies both two of the partners are in the US and myself I'm here but it just didn't get done before we started or I joined Jambalist before we founded Jambalist I used to work with the United Nations I worked there for more than 27 years and I retired in 2019 and I somehow I find myself back home so and so we founded this company three years ago actually during the COVID time and it was more to be able to meet the demands of the Kenyans diaspora in the diaspora at that time having lived in the US for more than 30 years we and also my partners have also lived there for a long time and therefore you know most of the people friends you know people at the UN the ones that I used to work with they'll gravitate towards us to find out about information you know I would get calls though I was not working for the Kenyan mission you can't imagine how many people used to call me to find out how can I get a passport how can I get you know visas or you know all those things and because of out of and then it's like the Kenyan community started growing in the diaspora and of course with the population and people having families then you know you start all those normal lives where now you have got Kenyans who have got families have got children and you start the ask again asking where can we get a good apartment where can we get a house or where can I get somebody who wants to cook and braid my children or I've got something happening over the weekend do you know somebody who does this or that catering or and therefore we started an online platform where all these people asking us questions and we keep on telling them they can all start putting that information on an online platform where instead of us having to tell them the information is like okay we gear them to our website and tell them why don't you just go to jambolist.com and there you'll be able to look for what you want if it's a Kenyan church a plumber who can be able to help you their plumbing issues are catering and also the people who have got businesses we also told them go to the jambolist.com register your online your business there it is free of charge we don't charge people listing their businesses there okay so that's how jambolist started and therefore we gravitated and became an advertising and marketing company and through the marketing we were able to have a virtual expo in 2022 which was very successful we had companies which were actually from here and also companies from the diaspora we opened we did it through zoom because that was what was there during that time during COVID you know everything was zoom as jambolist we find we held parties we held baby showers we held matanga everything virtually and it was very it worked it was very successful before we didn't know how it was going to be whether it was going to be successful but with this you know these three ladies were able to pull out these services for the community for free and but now when it came to jambolist now there are people want to advertise on our platform then we decided okay we can do this for business so that's how jambolist was born and we have invited people to come and join us last year we had first physical export and again it's because of the demand the people who joined us for our virtual they wanted to be able to do it physically you need to come with our production yes which they want to bring their own merchandise there they want to come and showcase what they do they want to be able to explain to the people and of course it's easier to sell when we are talking one-on-one other than on the phone the other reason why jambolist was actually formed is we have been swindled and some those are some of the challenges that you find in the diaspora yeah a lot of people who had gone there during my time a lot of them were not able to travel back to Kenya frequently and regularly so you found that okay they have got money they have been working they want to invest here they want to build a house even for themselves they would trust that money to their parents to their relatives to companies but eventually when they were able to come here they find nothing has been done and they have already sent too much money so and of course you know these are the things that jambolist wanted to make sure that I being in Kenya I'm the one who is on the ground I can be able to go under certain whether that business is true whether this company really exist sure so let me let me ask just to interject a bit so if there's someone in diaspora and their interest is to build a house in Kenya so how do you how do you come in how do you confirm is it through you that they build the house or through whoever they choose but now you are the one to just make sure that it's happening what we have done is that we have partnered with business people business companies in Kenya where we have already done our due diligence that this is a good company this is a company that exists it has been in existence for a long time the directors are legit and therefore we bring these business people with a diaspora who want to invest and they invest through them so we have got very many people who want to work with us we have got contractors who is like okay I'm here I would want you know if you have got people want to build you can introduce them to us so what we do we introduce these businesses to the diaspora people yes all right that makes a lot of sense yeah because we have had a lot of stories you know you've been sending money then when you come what you actually requested for what you were seeing you know it's not even barely a shadow of what you wanted or you know in some cases together nothing has been done completely they're actually sending you pictures of someone's house that is being built it's very devastating because I understand the people in diaspora you know they really work for their money they do they work they work 20 almost like 24 hours you know yeah you have doubles but because they have got goals and they have got this in mind and they also want their families to uplift their families you know that is the other thing that the diaspora people do they just don't work for themselves and you find that they get devastated when they have really been helping their relatives their siblings to come up and they take advantage of them because and that's again why we want jambolist to be there to educate our friends in the diaspora don't always just send your money to people because retirement and old age comes very fast before you know it yeah so it catches up very fast so with jambolist we are here to tell also try to invest and that is also what the department of the diaspora is doing you know again remittances and the money coming to that to Kenya from the diaspora not only from the US but from all over the world where Kenyans are has been helping and building this country but wanted you know just don't send money for people to live on and all that also think about yourself think about your old age because sometimes it's very difficult to really invest as a Kenyan in the diaspora for something that you can say okay I can live on this but it's easy to invest in this country because you know your country better yeah and they can be able to do invest here in a way that they'll have a comfortable retirement and that's what we are you know as jambolist we are always selling to our diaspora friends you know we are based in the US we are also have got linkages with Mexico we have got linkages with Canada and we are also going to be of course expanding to other countries in due time just to let people know yes you can and it is safe to invest in Kenya and you can have your return if you invest wisely in Kenya okay well I think that's wonderful and truly it helps with the economy you can build our country as a Kenyan there you're still investing you're helping yourself when you're helping the country at the same time so we have talks about investing in Kenya you know but and you'll get to some some of the great investments options that are there what about Kenyans investing in the diaspora you know are there possibilities are there opportunities for Kenyans who are don't really plan going to the diaspora but what to set up businesses there yes it is possible and thank God you know our government is trying very hard because you know the president you know has been talking about exporting and less importing so it's how now to get the routes to be able to really take our products out of Kenya the government is working hard to do that I know of a lady who has been selling academia in the US she was doing very well but unfortunately because of COVID it has slowed but you know after COVID things I hope you know they are picking and to be able to go back to where she was we have got now at least you can go to a shop or a supermarket in the US and find a gene made in Kenya so so they are the Agua also and that is something that I think Kenyans need to be taught and or to be told more about it because that is how the trade between the US and Kenya that Kenyans can take advantage of we have not taken advantage of Agua for the long that has been there but and that's why those that don't know Agua expand a little bit more yeah it's those the business is between the US and Kenya and we are glad that this year we have got the CS for investment trade and industry who is our keynote speaker and who is our guest for our export this year and wanting her to come and talk more of the opportunities that are there between Kenya and the US and we have also got a lot of you know their people we I know there is a county of Kourinaga also you know has been exporting coffee and they have they have been doing it for some time now I was speaking to a lady who is in artisan and just the small time business people would want to be able to work with them in the future to see how they can be able to sell their merchandise because right now we have been talking to earlier say but you know you have been working with big companies but as we are small companies we cannot be able to compete because their products are not like if you sell a mansion which is 17 million and when we are going just to sell you know necklaces clothes those ones there are small things but yet they are very marketable in the US so it's just how can we be able to package for them to be able to profit so there's a lot of opportunities from here to Kenya to the US and to other countries I believe yeah but also is how the government is able to assist the Kenyans especially because we have got people who would want to invest in agriculture and agricultural products are a bit sensitive yeah so it's how can we be able to package them to be acceptable in the countries outside I am glad at least we have got a direct right now to the US and they can be able to have to shorten the time that they used to take when they'll be a layover in another country we can get to the US so while Kenya was more or less limited to the European countries when it came to agricultural products but I believe in future we shall be able to also have be able to market more of the agricultural products they are you know there are people who in technology of course Kenya is high in technology and that is something that in future also can be especially for the youth because we'd like to bring the jobs which are in Philippines which are in India where they are they have got the places where they can call and get the information you know we can want would want to be able to have a call center in Kenya instead of having you know these are things that are you know to be explored and example is this exploring some of these things what are the businesses that we can be able to say okay we can form a call center in Kenya for a business in the US and they and you know and I know that the ICT department or the minister of ICT is also looking into that how they can be able to have you know such businesses so their business is that the opportunities the opportunities out there you don't even have to travel it we are in the age of digital marketing you know technology is helping yeah technology is helping yeah wonderful because I know there's a lady I saw a story of a lady who is selling chapatis something as small as chapatis I think it was in the US yes make a good money out of it exactly would you have thought that you can ship chapatis no no but there's a lady who is actually in Maryland who does who does the mandazis the samosas the chapatis and she's shipping them in the whole of the United States whatever you are in fact not even that I saw somewhere a Kenyan in the US say they can ship those the same products to the US to the US yes you can if you do your chapatis here and you freeze them yeah like the way the people carry their own you can still do it if you have got a market yeah you freeze them and it gets done people enjoy people enjoy you know yes so that is exactly what we are trying to really all these more small businesses and big businesses bringing them together and you know and as I said this year we have got the jamboree's expo which is going to be on the 24th I feel that 26 in New Jersey and it is a second one that we are having our keynote speaker CS Miano and we that we have had the president is also going to the has been has been invited by the president of the United States for a state dinner for a state visit and we have extended an invitation actually to the president if he can be able to also attend the expo after the dinner because I believe the dinner is on the 23rd so it falls during it is false during that time so I hope that the president can even hear us and be able to come and grace our because I'm sure he will bring a lot of good information to the diaspora people we and it would be like a linkage between the diaspora conference 2023 that was held here last year in December it can be an extension because so many people are left with questions so many people want to you know to interact with the government jamboree's is well versed and is well placed to be able to bring government and the diaspora people together so we have invited the president we are hoping that we can receive our confirmation soon for the invitation to the United States great so let me ask speaking of the government has the government created an easy business you know I'm business investment for people in the diaspora here in Kenya because sometimes people are saying you know one of the taxes at least were really going high we were saying that it's not creating a good business environment for Kenya for people to invest in Kenya do you think this is do you think this is the case or things are a bit different I lived in the United States for more than 30 years I used to pay for my property taxes and I could even it was around nine thousand dollars and we pay taxes in the US I was talking to a friend of mine who is also in the US because you know I'll be beaten by people here in this but you know and she was complaining that there's a lot of taxation in Tanzania so I think what it is is that we only know about ourselves in Kenya and we possibly don't know much about the other countries how they are performing so we think that possibly it's just as Kenyans who are being taxed or who are paying these taxes but again you know you find that different people have got different views and therefore we let people just you know have their views but we also you know the dollar has been going down not a long time ago it was 163 of course the diaspora people were very happy when it was 163 because they could invest very easily the dollar would multiply but as in Kenya we were hurting when it was too high today I believe it is about one and the other two and it is still going down so again you know so I think there's something happening we don't know you go to the supermarket a few things are going down we don't talk much about that but I believe I think we are on the you know on the right track but yes there are things the government is doing a lot to be able to at least bring these people to be able to invest easily the only thing that I find missing is sometimes the diaspora the Kenyan diaspora don't have enough information of what to invest here in terms with the government housing property where the government is not involved it's easy to do that but I would want the CES when she comes to the United States to be able to explain to the Kenyans what is it that you can be able to do here what are the projects that a Kenyan in the diaspora or a group of Kenyans in the diaspora can be able to do and tangible things we have been told before you can you know the diaspora can come and engage in construction in infrastructure but you know how it is even to get a tender to just wash more road it's so difficult so if there would be a few things which are dedicated for the diaspora and therefore it is only the diaspora people will send tenders there it's only the diaspora people who will be able to access this then that would help the diaspora people because then they'll be a director so this is just for the diaspora and therefore we don't have you know people saying going behind the doors and whatever of course Kenya is Kenya but at least would want you know for the for the Kenyan government to do that I know the affordable housing has been talked about a lot yeah the president also mentioned about it during the conference the diaspora conference 2023 that the diaspora people can also be able to invest in the affordable housing and they can be able to buy for themselves they can be able to buy for their relatives and what would want to do as jamborees is really to be able to be the connecting factor between the government because you can get all this information on our game on our website what we have tried to do as jamborees is the things a few things that affect the diaspora we put it on our website you can't imagine sometimes it's so difficult to get information I people don't read a lot people don't do research they want to give a courgette's call so and so to give you the information I've been here since 2022 and I still receive calls from the US how can I get this and I'm here it's easy but of course because again people are used to that but now we have been leading people to jamborees.com to go and get all this information we want to be able to put the link is linkages between the embassy the US embassy the Kenyan embassy in the US with jamborees so that people can go they can tell people okay you want your ID you want your passport you want you know okay you don't know where to go to jamborees you'll be able to get all these things so go to jamborees.com so we are building that to be able to meet the needs for our Kenyan diaspora so yes the projects I believe that the Kenyans can be able to take advantage of but they do not know how they do not know where and that's why we have the CS for for investment trade and industry coming to the US to give us more explanations and to be able to explain these things I'm sure she'll also be able to explain about taxes because again there's a fear that the diaspora will be taxed twice yeah in the US and here and over here yeah so that one again hinders the business but I've talked to banks and they say no usually they don't they but they have to have to have a form that they fail but we need to have that confidence that there's no double taxation because then why do that you business exactly make sense yes so and then of course we also want to be able for those who cannot be able to travel we want for them to have an easy way of transacting their businesses through banks because sometimes the banks ask for information that they cannot be able to have they are there and they don't have so it's a there's a lot of working together with the government with the people and all that yeah and we have to thank the department for diaspora because now they have started at least taking mobile services consular services to different places different cities and because one of the things that was very difficult to do is getting IDs when you're in the diaspora that one the department has been able to cover through the mobile consular services also the if the passports and also how to get other birth certificates other documents offered by the government that are required by the diaspora people and you know this this year at least in that in the US we have got in Massachusetts they are going there they're also going to Texas and they're going to Washington those are three states that you know those who are in those states can take advantage and be able to go and get their services done okay we have also gotten in touch with the ministry with the department for diaspora to see whether they can bring those services during the expo so that those who are in New Jersey those who are in Massachusetts you know Massachusetts will not be able to have gotten their things done they can get it they can come during the expo you have had it before and therefore I believe we can also be able to have those consular services in New Jersey during the expo okay yeah that's that's wonderful and it was about to ask you know the investment opportunities or options that you've said that the CS would be able to advise better you know when is when she comes for the expo so let me ask now when those that are going to the expo are from Kenya because that for those that have a market or the target market is that people are brought so how do they travel do you do they get in touch with you with the generalist to facilitate their travel that maybe make it faster yeah so do does your company help with what we do is we try to start our processes early so that those who are interested in coming because we have got no way of doing with with the the American Embassy in the U.E. in Kenya here they have to apply there's no shortcut about that but also there are those who already have visas who can travel and they have got no they are not inhabited by lack of visas so we do the processes early we advertise early and tell the those who are interested to please apply for their visas early enough so that they can have at least the interviews before May before the expo okay yeah alright great as we close up on this what are some of the challenges faced by clients and even investors yes I mentioned those challenges first of all is those who do not have documents to travel okay and therefore they have been swindled because they cannot be able to really to travel to go and asserting that what they're being told is true is there is a reaction and when eventually when they get to be to come to the US to Kenya they look for those companies and they don't have the offices anymore the offices are closed they have lost their money and you know hard and money you know the other is of course are the challenges of not knowing what are the investments which are readily available for them here and also the people you know how with the banks how to work together the banks for them to be able to finish their you know to finish their transactions and all that but we are happy that we have been able to partner with banks last year we had DTB who came to the expo and they were able to talk the people this year we are hoping that we have a few you know a bank that will also come over and be able to give the services of about we have approached KCB we have approached Consolidated we have approached equity and we are just waiting to hear who will come on board so that they can be able to go and to be there but also you have got banks which have toward the US you know before then okay yeah that's great finally you know this being a youth channel some babies a young person is listening in and say ah this is probably not mine you know it looks a bit big and in my team it's for a person at a certain caliber you know in status so how do you advise young people to even tap into this this opportunity that's there in the diaspora yeah you can't believe it but we have got very many young people now who are interested in investing in Kenya one of the things that you know for the youth in the US for the young adults who are coming up you know our children who are there who are born there they are now in their 20s we have got doctors they've got lawyers and what I would want to advise them is not just to get close and think that there's nothing really in Kenya but is to be able to come and visit or their parents to bring also to start bringing their children early enough for them to start enjoying the country and showing them don't just take your children to the village to say hello to the grandmother to the grandparents but show them what other Kenyans are doing I have a friend who came last year with the family she has got a young girl a young adult and also a youth a teenager almost a young adult and they visited a lot of businesses around and we have got a couple who lived in the US in California they're building a very big building in the on Riverside they went and so these are Kenyans who are doing it so they have to be shown that there are things that are happening there is not just when they just go to the village they're not they see oh you know it's like they are in an uncomfortable zone so they're not but I tell you now I've got one of my partners the son came here and he has said he doesn't want to go back he wants to study here he wants to stay here so there is a future in this country for the youth when they come here they see the transformation they understand the culture we have got a very open culture you go you are YouTube people yeah you go to the YouTube and see all the youth especially those who visited from Nigeria from Ghana they are youtubers and they come here they say how great Kenya is yeah we just need to advertise Kenya better in a positive way and Jambulis has also got an a youth a young adult branch called Ipad where we try to educate young adults of the things that they can find in Kenya in colleges and all that and also in the US so we start train showing them their things that you can do in Kenya before we started the station mentioned about a young man who is a New Yorker who studied in New York yeah and he has traveled around Africa there's got a few states but now he's in Kenya because he sees opportunities in Kenya so these are the people that would want to bring together as youth to speak to the youth to speak to the younger adults and be able to encourage them to come and invest in Kenya because it's very doable okay yes we have we take our country for granted sometime yes I think we also don't advertise it very much in a positive way yeah like now fun enough what a lot of the diaspora are talking is about the floods on the expressway and the waters you know and you know that one happened one night okay we suffered that one night I being one of them but yesterday you're driving everything is dry every business is back you know to normal to normal went and say that you can drive through the expressway without a problem nobody we never went back to say that you know definitely you know jamborees would be able to link up with you and bring you some of the youth maybe you can talk to them of and then see what can you be able to do with them what is it that can be able to sell exactly yes we can definitely that can definitely happen because we're all about the youths and you know empowering ourselves and you know doing all that all right so how can people get you use your website or maybe social media platforms if they want to reach out this is your camera yes again we are actually present you know all media platforms we are on Facebook as jamborees.com we are on X we are on our tiktok we are on Instagram and also we are on jamborees.com and we have also got jamborees.com for the expo that is going to take place in May 24th and 5th and 6th it's a memory weekend it's the beginning of summer that's when everybody is now tired to just remove their jackets and have a good time the swimming pools are open that time we are also going to have a barbecue for the community on the 26th it will be on a Sunday and you know everybody is of course invited even those who are in the diaspora those who are in the tri-state and anywhere from the diaspora and my number here that if you want to reach to me is 0742-287-666 again 0742-287-666 my name is Mermuturi and I'm glad and I'll have the pleasure of connecting you to be into our expo in the first place and also to show you where else you can be able to invest in the diaspora and the places that you can be able to go to thank you thank you very much for having me this morning and I'm sure you know we are on the right track as tenants and investments and our government is doing so much so that we can be able to have more over the exports instead of the imports and jambolists is in a place where we can be able to partner with all interested people with the government with the institutions you know anybody who wants to really get we can be able to be able to invest to advise them what to do not only in the US but also in Canada in Mexico and also as your friends in another place that we are reaching out to okay great thank you very much once again this has been Mermuturi the CEO of jumbo jumbo list limited and I hope it's again a thing or two about that from this conversation and you've opened your mind to investing there are a lot of opportunities you know as a diaspora here in Kenya and there's a lot we can do as Kenyans because there's a lot of potential in our country so now I'm going to take a short break and then we'll be back with more to in comments and another conversation follows right after that stick with us