April 2011 - KICTANet

Digital to Analog Conversion
by robert yawe 19 Jun '15

19 Jun '15

Hi, When the migration from analog to digital was initially raised fear was put into the public on how there would be no option but to throw away our analog TV sets and replace them with Digital. Now that digital transmission is finally here we need to look at how to make the migration as painless as possible while at the same time we do not disenfranchise any citizens. It has been mentioned that there are over 1 million TV sets in Kenya today, that means 1 million digital to analog converters will be required over the next 2-3 years. I believe this is a great opportunity for us to go into the electronic assembly business, I would like to propose that we 1st increase duty on converters from the current 35% to 250% so as to discourage the importation of the converters. Then exempt from duty and vat all assembly stations, test equipment and components for anyone who sets up a converter assembly plant, with a 3 year tax holiday. If you setup the plant more than 200 kilometers from Nairobi or Mombasa you receive an addition 2 years tax holiday. I believe this will sort out the issue of substandard converters and will also provide an opportunity for us to develop our electronic devices assembly skills. If you make a net profit of 1,000/- there is a clean 875,000,000/- to be made, close to what the government is spending on purchase of the Malili farm. This is assuming a standard device, there is still a market for those who want high end devices with recording, tuners, USB ports, etc which would mean that the returns could be much higher than projected above. So will we move away from juts being importers and retailers or do we have what it takes to do some value add? Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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KIXP Down?
by Michael Bullut 11 Aug '11

11 Aug '11

Good afternoon fellow listers, Might anybody be noting problems with the Kenya Internet Exchange Point? My colleagues working with service providers inform me they can not exchange traffic with their fellow counterparts. Warm regards, Michael Bullut. --- *Cell:* *+254 723 393 114.* *Google Talk: michael.bullut **Twitter:** @Kipsang <http://twitter.com/Kipsang/> * *Blog: http://kipsang.wordpress.com/* *E-mail:* *michael.bullut(a)gmail.com* * * *---*

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Fwd: Voice charges to fall further with revised rates
by Eng. Wainaina Mungai 13 May '11

13 May '11

Something for the *real* "consumer" to celebrate ;-) .... --------------- By MARK OKUTTAH 27 April, 2011 Safaricom and Telkom Kenya have lost their bid to stop the reduction of mobile telephony interconnection charges in June, setting the stage for a further fall in calling rates. Interconnection charge —which operators pay rival networks for handling their calls—is set to drop from Sh2.21 per minute to Sh1.44 in July and Sh1.25 in July 2012, giving the operators room to further reduce their per minute voice charges. In February, Telkom Kenya and Safaricom asked the government to put on hold for two years the annual reduction of interconnection charges that started in 2006, arguing that it would intensify the ongoing price war and hurt the operators’ profits, jeopardise job security and slow new investments in the local telecom arena. This prompted the Prime Minister’s office to form a task force that will determine whether to hold off revising the charges or let the revisal run as earlier set by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). The taskforce returned a verdict that charges should run their course. “*Nothing has changed and mobile termination rates were done through consultation and they shall remain as such,*” said Charles Njoroge, Director-General, CCK. He added that the downward fall in the connection charges does imply that calling rates will fall adding that tariffs are mainly influenced by market forces. The government’s verdict is a blow to Telkom Kenya—the operators of the Orange network—and Safaricom who, unlike their rivals Airtel and Essar, have criticised the free fall in airtime prices, made possible by the fall in interconnection charges. The charges dropped to Sh2.21 in July from Sh4.42 in July 2009, giving Airtel room to set off a vicious price war in Kenya’s voice market that has seen tariffs fall by more than 50 per cent since August, cutting subscribers’ monthly budget for airtime by half. The interconnection charge has come down from Sh6.28 in July 2007 to Sh2.21 last July and was set to drop to Sh1.44 this year and Sh0.99 in 2013. The reduction of the interconnection fee was informed by the need to reduce the cost of calls across networks, which had remained as high as Sh25 in 2007, compared to Sh12 for calls within the same network. This made it difficult for the small operators to gain market share from Safaricom, whose stake was about 83 per cent and who effectively used the high cross-network charges to win subscribers and discourage subscribers from switching networks. ..... http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Voice+charges+to+fall+fur…

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Fwd: Kenyan Contestant Athman Ali wins World Bank's Apps for Development Award
by Paul Kukubo ICT Board 04 May '11

04 May '11

Listers Please see below an email from the world bank. The message is clear.. Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: > From: pwarutere(a)worldbank.org > Date: 29 April 2011 13:54:14 GMT+03:00 > Cc: kmuthembwa(a)worldbank.org > Subject: Kenyan Contestant Athman Ali wins World Bank's Apps for Development Award > > Dear Colleague: > > This is great news for Kenya. Read the story of innovation by Athman Ali, a Kenyan, who was one of the winners of the World Bank's Apps for Development competition. He is featured on the World Bank Kenya website: > http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/KENYAEXTN/0,,m… > > Athman received his award from World Bank President Robert Zoellick during this years' Spring meetings in Washington DC earlier this month. > > You can also watch Athman explaining the innovation here: http://vimeo.com/22414610. > > Regards, > > Peter > ------------------------------- > Peter Warutere > AFRSC-World Bank > Hill Park, Upper Hill Road > PO Box 30577 – Nairobi, Kenya > Tel +254-20-322-6444;+254-722-524472 > Dama: 5368+6444 > The World Bank in Kenya > www.worldbank.org/ke > The World Bank in Africa > www.worldbank.org/afr > Learn more about our: > <50400274.jpg> > Join the conversation: > <50156809.jpg><50038916.jpg><50480734.gif><50133214.jpg><50149169.jpg> >

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Governance debates Online - High Cost of Living in Kenya
by Edith Adera 02 May '11

02 May '11

FYI ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Agenda Yetu <admin(a)agendayetu.org> To: eadera(a)idrc.or.ke Sent: Wed, April 27, 2011 1:05:41 PM Subject: High Cost of Living in Kenya Is the government doing enough to deal with the spiraling cost of living in Kenya? Visit www.agendayetu.org<http://www.agendayetu.org> to take part in the discussion; and opinion poll; on “The spiraling cost of living in Kenya”. Change Kenya …………. Be the Voice Join the AgendaYetu Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Agenda-Yetu/149981608349201 Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/agendayetu Agendayetu Blog: http://www.agendayetu.org/blog/

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Re: [kictanet] UCC attempts to block social networks
by S.Murigi Muraya 30 Apr '11

30 Apr '11

Think HIV is more of a danger to us than churches in Kenya are. Serious churches (and very many do) require HIV tests before marrying people. This started in the 90's when Church Leaders found their members were getting together with others who did not disclose they were HIV infected. In less corrupt churches, HIV Tests became one of the conditions to be fulfilled before performing wedding ceremonies. So it is hard to see how an institution that helps check the spread of HIV can be a danger to Kenyan society. It is easier to hound Sheep instead of Political Wolves who steal Billions from the Kenyan public to finance their election campaigns and to support their close associates/mistresses. Am sure most Churches would cooperate with the Central and County Govts in building databases that would help check a major cause of turmoil in Kenya. Am not aware of any law that requires Kenyans to disclose their HIV status but it would help if we knew whether we are being conned or not. huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/05/china-marriage-database-p_n_804686.html -----Original Message----- From: Agosta Liko <agostal(a)gmail.com> Sent: Friday, 29 April 2011 08:28 To: murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] UCC attempts to block social networks Daktari I agree about the preachers.... Can your Ministry or in this case CCK do something ? Or Cofek .... Kenyans need protection from these churches more than from telcos Thanks Sent from my iPhone 5 Trial Device On Apr 27, 2011, at 8:55 AM, bitange(a)jambo.co.ke wrote: > You sound like a pessimist. This administration has created more freedom > reforms than the entire East Africa combined including the past two > administrations in Kenya. And if it realy wanted to curtail such freedom, > the New Costitution would not have passed. > > We are aware that Kenyans are using social media to propagate hate > messages. This is a moral issue and I know the basis of it. Here is the > summary: > > Over the Easter, I decided to record and listen to all the sermons from at > least five TV stations. My conclusion. We are a drift (lost in the > wilderness). some of the preachers should not preach to human beings. > Here you find extortionists, liers and peddlers of deception. Our > theology is misplaced from what it is supposed to be. They promise a > heaven yet we know we are supposed to make heaven here on earth. > > We need a religious regulator in Kenya and demand for some reforms in this > sector. We know Jesus went through Biblical Studies before he started to > preach but what I saw was unqualified individuals pretending to preach. > In the 16th century Europe, they were in our current state of deception, > corruption, begging etc. It was the Protestant Ethic that shaped their > destiny and led to the current idiologies in the West. Read the work of > Martin Luther, John Calvin and the Puritans of England. This is what > shaped the future of Europe. > > We must now embrace the values in our new constitution and hopefully > reform our religions to the extent that they can lead a moral revolution. > Without this, no one individual can govern this country effectively. We > must blame ourselves for the weaknesses we have. Honesty, intergrity, > humility et [The entire original message is not included]

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Re: [kictanet] Governance debates Online - Using ICT to fight graft
by eonchari＠lynxbits.com 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

The government can borrow from what the commercial sector has been doing for decades now, namely mining data (and subsequently generating the same to useful info) that is generated at points of touch for their customers and lately social media has increasingly become a major point of touch. Edwin ----- Original Message ----- From: pkariuki(a)gmail.com To: eonchari(a)lynxbits.com Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: 4/29/11 1:19 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Governance debates Online - Using ICT to fight graft > This is actually a brilliant idea. Especially aggregating information on > Social Media platforms. We already have some companies (e.g. > www.gotissuez.com) who report on such matters (corruption, poor service > etc). We additionally have social media monitoring platforms that would be > able to get random information on twitter about certain topics (e.g. you can > monitor what people say about brand X or brand Y), many companies are > already this sort of thing in place as it offers feedback on both the > negative and positive aspects (many times, what is being done right is > ignored). Additionally, consistent feedback that there is a problem in a > particular area will point the anti corruption agencies in the right > direction. > > Many companies use this information to monitor brand equity and customer > complaints. It's just an issue of doing the same thing for the government.... > > > On Fri, Apr 29, 2011 at 8:05 PM, wrote: > > > Lusters, > > I spent most of the day at KIA with other colleagues, civil society, > > religious groups and KEPSA to discuss strategies for fighting corruption. > > It was evident that as we get closer to election, the level of corruption > > goes up (read sugar). There was a sense of frustration that we are not > > making much progress. There was a dim of hope in the sense that where we > > have automated, revenues are up and less corruption. It was also clear > > that we (civil service) had sufficient delegated authority to > > significantly change the future of our nation. In areas where social > > media has been put to use, up to 60% of graft can be detected even before > > it is concluded. > > > > If we scale up the use of social media, a senior KACC official tells me > > that they would gladly embrace it. In this list we have many smart > > people. I need suggestions how we can integrate SMS, Twitter, Facebook > > and any other tool to assist in the fight against this scourge. In my > > considered view, the anwser lies in technology. > > > > However, One of the presenters said that the western method of fighting > > corruption through courts could be the problem. If you recall in 2008 at > > the height of the post election crisis in Mombasa, one businessman did not > > have to go to court to recover his goods opting to see a witch doctor. > > > > Any views would be highly appreciated. > > > > > > Regards > > > > > > Ndemo. > > > > > > > > > > > > > FYI > > > > > > ----- Forwarded Message ---- > > > From: Agenda Yetu > > > To: eadera(a)idrc.or.ke > > > Sent: Wed, April 27, 2011 1:05:41 PM > > > Subject: High Cost of Living in Kenya > > > > > > Is the government doing enough to deal with the spiraling cost of living > > > in Kenya? > > > > > > Visit www.agendayetu.org to take part in the > > > discussion; and opinion poll; on âThe spiraling cost of living in > > > Kenyaâ . > > > > > > Change Kenya â¦â¦â¦â¦. Be the Voice > > > > > > Join the AgendaYetu Facebook page: > > > http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Agenda-Yetu/149981608349201 > > > > > > Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/agendayetu > > > > > > Agendayetu Blog: http://www.agendayetu.org/blog/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > > > This message has been scanned for viruses and > > > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > > > believed to be clean. > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > "easy access to the world" > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > kictanet mailing list > > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > > > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > > > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > > > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > > > development. > > > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > > bandwidth, > > > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > > > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > > This message has been scanned for viruses and > > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > > believed to be clean. > > --------------------------------------------- > > "easy access to the world" > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pkariuki%40gmail.com > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for > > people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > > > -- > With Regards, > > Phares Kariuki > > | T: +254 720 406 093 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: > kariukiphares | B: http://www.kaboro.com/ | > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eonchari%40lynxbits.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >

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Re: [kictanet] Defacement of another government site
by Dennis Kioko 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

I agree, on my way to Connected Kenya, i saw some mabati structures next to the NYS post. lets hope they are "surveyors" and not permanet settlers

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Defacement of another government site
by Dennis Kioko 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

see http://www.nationaldisaster.go.ke/: With the planned Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT)<http://www.cio.co.ke/Main-Stories/connected-kenya-citizens-to-enjoy-better-…>should help the government deal with such repeat violators of our cyber space. eGovernment and ICT Board should also help government and its agencies come up with platforms that are secure and regularly updated. As we digitize our systems, we do not want other countries snooping on our data without our knowledge. -- with Regards: <https://twitter.com/#%21/denniskioko> <http://blog.denniskioko.com> www.denniskioko.com

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Fw: Analysis: Deadly policing
by william janak 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

From: IRIN <no-reply(a)IRINnews.org> Subject: Analysis: Deadly policing To: "William Oloo" <williamjanak(a)yahoo.com> Date: Friday, April 29, 2011, 10:48 AM Analysis: Deadly policing JOHANNESBURG, 29 April 2011 (IRIN) - On 13 April millions of South Africans saw news footage showing a group of police beating an unarmed protester with batons in Meqheleng, a township outside Ficksburg in South Africa's Free State Province. Andries Tatane, a community activist and father of two children, was then seen looking down at an apparent rubber bullet wound on his bare chest before collapsing to the ground. He died shortly afterwards. The incident has sparked widespread public outrage and a national debate about the level of force being used by the South African Police Service (SAPS), particularly in the wake of another fatal shooting of an unarmed woman by an officer outside a Johannesburg police station on 26 April. A spokesperson for National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele told a local radio station that the cases should be treated as "isolated incidents", but many commentators point out that the use of lethal force by the police has risen dramatically in recent years. Figures from the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), which is charged with investigating all deaths resulting from police action, show that 568 people were shot dead by the police in 2008/09, more than double the number just three years earlier, and the highest number since the ICD was established in 1997. "The only thing that was an aberration [in Tatane's killing] was that it was captured on national television," said Gareth Newham, head of the Crime and Justice Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, a South Africa-based think-tank. Lack of training In the apartheid era police routinely used violence to quell protests, but with the transition to democracy in 1994, and the incorporation of various human rights in the constitution, police heavy handedness was discouraged. Most demonstrations post-1994 were peaceful and many units specializing in public order policing were closed down, with a resultant loss of skills in dealing with protests, Newham said. In recent years, mounting frustration among the high numbers of black South Africans who continue to live in relative poverty has often erupted in the form of service delivery protests like the one in Meqheleng. Newham noted that police handling of such protests tended to escalate conflict rather than neutralize it. "They think their job is to squash protest, and anyone taking part is seen as the enemy," he told IRIN. "Often they fire tear gas and rubber bullets before there's any real reason to." Sam Motseare, chairperson of Meqheleng Concerned Citizens group, of which Tatane was also a member, was among those who witnessed how quickly relations between protesters and police can disintegrate. "On that fateful day there was lots of police - we were shocked there were so many," he said. The protesters, whose main complaint was that parts of the township had been without running water for several years, had obtained permission to march and proceeded to the municipal offices without incident. "Somebody started throwing stones from the roof of the offices - that's when things starting getting out of control," said Motseare, who said the police did not seem to have appropriate training to deal with the situation. He told IRIN that he heard the police officer in charge give the order to shoot Tatane. "It has broken our trust in the police," he said. "We're afraid to call for another march." Damaging rhetoric Newham and others argue that the escalation in the use of force by the SAPS goes beyond the issue of training. Statements by political and SAPS leaders in recent years urging police to make use of their weapons to deal with criminals have been heard by the ranks. "The subliminal message that has been conveyed to members of the police service... seemed to encourage a gloves-off approach," said David Bruce, a senior researcher at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. "A lot of police management... believe that excessive force is necessary in order to get the job done, which often means turning a blind eye to how force is used." South Africa's high rates of violent crime also mean that many people welcome a tougher stance by the police. Norman Mampane, spokesman of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), criticized a decision in April 2010 to introduce military-style ranks to the SAPS, describing it as "the re-militarization of the police service". "Communities have a right to march and demonstrate," he told IRIN. "The police shouldn't be used to crush the views of protesters and strikers." ICD not part of the solution Within two weeks of Tatane's death eight police officers were arrested on charges of murder and assault, but Newham said it was more common for the police to evade responsibility. The alleged shooting and subsequent death of South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) member Petros Msiza by police during clashes with striking bus workers in Pretoria in March was not captured by cameras and so far no one has been arrested. SAMWU spokesperson Tahir Sema said it was far from the first time union members had experienced violent treatment by police. "We've put together evidence over a number of years," he told IRIN. "We've been calling for some time now for a judicial inquiry, but until we get those in government accepting that levels of police brutality are unacceptable, we won't be able to ensure that police don't clamp down on protesters." Newham supports SAMWU's call for an independent judicial inquiry to investigate the patterns and causes of police using excessive force and make policy recommendations, but doubts it will happen. "It's often seen as politically dangerous to expose findings about the police service to the public, especially in the run-up to elections," he said, referring to municipal elections set for 18 May. Politicians tend to believe it is the ICD's responsibility to deal with police brutality, but the institution lacks either the capacity or the legal clout to do much more than investigate allegations of misconduct, Newham said. Recommendations for disciplinary action were usually ignored. Bruce agreed that the ICD had little power to solve the problem. "Their [the ICD] rate of convictions is almost irrelevant," he told IRIN. "The use of force by police needs to be controlled, and that needs to come from enlightened police leaders." ks/he [END] This report online: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportID=92619 Côte d'Ivoire crisis: http://www.irinnews.org/Country.aspx?Country=CI © IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.irinnews.org [This item comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States. Reposting or reproduction, with attribution, for non-commercial purposes is permitted. Terms and conditions: http://www.irinnews.org/copyright.aspx IRIN partners: UAE, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, UNEP and the IHC. More information: http://www.irinnews.org/donors.aspx This mail is from an automatic address. Contact IRIN at: feedback(a)irinnews.org. Revise/stop your subscription: http://bit.ly/9nCoUP ] Subscribed Email: williamjanak(a)yahoo.com

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