The Standard yesterday, January 29, 2013 posted that Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) had quietly halved fares and scrapped all the daytime frequencies of the Syokimau commuter train service after its strategy targeting the middle class hit a snag. According to the post, fare for a one way ticket between Syokimau and the Central Business District (CBD) had dropped to KES 50 from KES 110 while fare for return ticket at peak times has dropped to KES 100 from KES 220. How does this look in terms of sensibility?

Over the last 90 days, the amount of money Apple has in the bank has risen to $ 117 billion from $ 110 billion, or to KES 10. 241 trillion from KES 9.631 trillion. Not a lot of money, but enough to fund Kenya’s entire budget for the next seven years, if it remains at its current amount. And it still isn't enough, according to Apple shareholders.

Developing Kenya’s infrastructure has become a never-ending task that seems to rest on the hands of politicians and good-will ambassadors like the World Bank. Despite billions of dollars in funding and the ever-growing need to create employment, it’s safe to say that whoever is responsible for pushing development projects through has fallen short of everyone’s expectations. What happens to the country’s own team of professional architects and engineers when local projects are outsourced to foreign developers?

There are lessons Kenya can learn from 2 of the world's most successful economies. South Korea’s annual production per individual stands at about $ 30,000 (KSh. 2.6 million). This is almost three times that of Brazil which stands at about $ 11,000 (KSh. 956,000). An average Kenyan produces $ 1,700 (Ksh. 147,730) worth of goods and services annually. What did these two financial giants do to reach such magnificent heights?

For a start, I had a credit limit I considered small. Naturally, I looked forward to the day I would enhance it to fit my ‘status’. That time did come with an additional sweetener; the minimum monthly repayment had been reduced to a mere five percent. Let’s just say I was jolted back to reality when the statement came showing an interest component in excess of KES 1,000.00 per month. Maybe I should have started by explaining how a credit card works.

Is age a deciding factor when thinking about venturing into self-employment?

Think about the people you see in the newspapers holding those cheques. Some of them look like they actually need the money. Have you heard what they usually plan to do with their winnings? Some of them say that they will use the money to pay off debts (bank loans, school fees, rent, et cetera) while others plan on buying land and housing or creating a better life for their families. Do you?

Gikomba market off Landhies road is another such place, but it’s a bit off town. You can catch Number 7 matatus to the place off Luthuli Avenue though. I hear the best time to visit the place is the morning, when traders are unpacking new arrivals. You may want to avoid visiting the place if it has rained in the last few days, or do so with a pair of gumboots due to the sludge.

But this shouldn't be the case if we can sit down and plan through out the year, in such a way that we have money assigned for various functions like holidays. A budget should aid through this. It's sole purpose is to give you a firm grip on your finances.

I have had opportunity to work in both profit making and not for profit organizations and concluded that the governance thereof is nothing to sing about. The people and money problems you encounter managing a bar are exactly the same you encounter managing a church. What, then, is the role of corporate governance?