Interview: Martin Gicheru – Kenyan Blogger and Web Developer

PC Tech Magazine’s Facebook Group celebrated 200 members with an interview with Martin Gicheru, who was the 200th member of the group. Albert Mucunguzi conducted an email interview, and below are Gicheru’s answers. Who is Martin Gicheru? Martin Gicheru is a web developer with Infoken Solutions, and a blogger at Techweez.com. I have grown a passion for developing using CMSes like Wordpress, Joomla, Magento and Drupal. At Techweez, which I started, I cover mobile reviews, tech events and sometimes take time to research the tech industry and write opinion analysis. A few months ago I was employed as IT admin in a Real Estate firm in Nairobi, decided to get dynamic, now I have full hands.
Martin Gicheru Martin Gicheru

I run a young property classifieds website http://favhouse.com. I am the guy you will find open to most business ventures as long as they have economic viability, and are, of course legal. My favourite food is Chapati with chicken and peas stew.

How many social networks are you on… and which of those if your favorite?

I am on Facebook, Twitter, Google plus, Zunguka and Linkedin. My favourite is Twitter as its an open world where you feel like you are all level on the same platform, fast dissemination of information and easy tracking of feedback.

What is Techweez, and what is its vision?

Techweez is a blog covering mobile web, applications development, gadgets and their reviews and the general good that technology is doing to make lives easier. Techweez aims to be the regional leader in technology information, with a global reach, inspiring techpreneurs to grow out of their cacoons and be the next millionaires. We aim to make technology consumers know what they are consuming and what works best for them.

What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced in running this blog?

I started this blog on my own out of a passion in writing, I had a deep desire to be a writer but ended up pursuing IT. Bridging this gap is what am working on, the creative edge. Something I have found challenging is ability to cover all tech products and events on a day to day basis, considering am also the web developer.

As a PHP developer, what projects have you been working on?

I am currently developing a fully gadget reviews website (I have said it here first) called Ninayo.com and once that is set I might stop actively developing websites and web systems for clients to fully run this, well plus Techweez. I am part of the crew at Infoken Solutions, see the portfolio section.

If you had 5minutes with your country’s president, what would you ask/tell him?

I would ask him why after so many years since Independence, we still have problems with food security. With all the available labour and technocrats, we still rely on archaic agriculture methods, relying on rain-fed agriculture.

I also have issue with the banking systems, we dont have enough support as techies. Our systems still believe in funding entrepreneurs who have physical security. I would like to know his plans on this.

For how long have you known PC Tech Magazine?

To be honest I have known this magazine for a day now. And am surprised how much good work you guys are doing, the nice coverage of very informative ICT articles.

Thank you for this interview, you dont know how hard I have scratched my head when you told me you are interviewing me in the next one hour.