January 2012 - KICTANet

Vision 2030: ICT and Other Sectors Converged (Day 2)
by Grace Githaiga 05 Jan '12

05 Jan '12

Thanks Bwana Kibati for your well articulated responses. As you can see, your responses have raised further queries on energy from Brainiac and we look forward to your responses. A great point you raise on the fact that changing our value systems must be a national collective effort if we are going to have social transformation. We can have all the infrastructure but if we do not have values, then there might not be much meaning to Kenyans. Barrack, Solomon and Harry, you now have it from Mr. Kibati. Harry, I do hope that you will take on the challenge to present the Vision 2030 secretariat with a concept on energy distribution. This will be a great outcome of this debate and I am sure Brainiac and other listers may want to join you. Barrack, i think this is your opportunity to influence. Is it possible to suggest how Vision 2030 can influence national values using ICTs? Tusingojee serikali...:) As we reflect on the responses, we also move on to Day 2. The focus is on the three pillars of Vision 2030. The vision is grounded on three piilars and we will look at the first one which is the economic pillar. The Economic pillar seeks to improve the prosperity of all regions of the country and all Kenyans by achieving Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate by 2012. http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars The Medium Term Plan (2008-2012 identifies six targetted priority sectors namely tourism, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, IT enabled services and financial services. Over to you listers. Please feel free to still raise concerns on the vision or on Mr. Kibati's responses too. Sasa basi wakilisheni!. Rgds Grace ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth and rule the World!

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Security Challenges for Cloud Computing
by Thomas Bbosa , CISSP 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

Dear all; I hope you find this useful. Security <http://ezinearticles.com/?Security-Challenges-for-Cloud-Computing---How-Pre pared-Are-You?&id=6782893> Challenges for Cloud Computing You could also download <http://www.bitworkconsult.com/component/docman/doc_download/21-security-cha llenges-for-cloud-computing> a copy of the article. Apologies for cross-posting. Regards; Thomas Thomas Bbosa , CISSP Managing Partner BitWork Consult Ltd Plot 135, UMA show Grounds Lugogo P.O.BOX 851, Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256-414-579099 Cell: +256-782- 480878 /+256-704-556089 /+256-782-048913 Fax: +256-414-289218 Website: http://www.bitworkconsult.com <http://www.bitworkconsult.com/> _____ The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is solely for use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Les informations contenues dans cet e-mail est confidentiel et peut être protégé par la loi. Il appartient au seul usage de la personne ou l'entité à qui elle est adressée et autres personnes autorisées à les recevoir. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire prévu, vous êtes avisé que toute divulgation, copie, distribution ou toute action prise en se fondant sur le contenu de ces informations est strictement interdite et peut être illégale.

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Re: [kictanet] Kictanet: Vision 2030: ICT and other sectors converged
by Mugo Kibati 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

> Happy New Year listers, > > I am just emerging from my new year break with family to find all your various comments ignited by the irrepressible Dr. Ndemo. Many diverse and cogent points have been made which would require several pages to respond to credibly. Rather than jump straight into it and take one position or the other on the various strains of debate, I would like to address the framing issue - the organising principles upon which the various positions are taken. > Taking the age-old debate about more or less government which is where the PS started us off, perhaps that is where we need to head and move away from a system of politics whose > organizing principle is mere ethnicity. > > I would recommend for those who have not watched the documentary or read > the book, “Commanding Heights” which is compelling narration of the manner > in which the global agenda was set throughout the 20th century. The great > protagonists being John Maynard Keynes (for government intervention and > spending to create jobs) and Frederick Hayek (for government getting out > of the way and merely facilitating private business). Indeed Ronald Reagan > and Margaret Thatcher were “students” of Hayek whose theories were > consigned to the political wilderness from 1945 to 1978 by Keynes. With > Thatcher coming to power in 1979 and Reagan in 1981 ably aided by Milton > Freedman’s Chicago school on free markets, it was (and has largely > remained) the Hayek era! Now with the global financial crises of the last > four years (the housing market collapse in the US and the Euro crisis), > Hayek is now back-pedalling. > > I firmly agree with Dr. Ndemo that we must agree on what political and > economic system we would like to espouse in Kenya and be deliberate about > it. As we move into the new constitutional dispensation, it will be > critical that we develop organizing political and economic principles of > governance that must rise above and overcome ethnicity or greed for its > own sake. Devolution under the right governance system will likely propel > Kenya to the next level but if callously implemented also has the capacity > to balkanize the nation. In voting for the new constitution, Kenyans chose > two equally vital political and socio-economic organizing principles – the > one to decentralize and devolve implementation and execution and the other > to unify under one nation and centralize policy making and standards (and > in the case of the especially crucial areas of security and education to > centralize even the implementation). > > A constitution does not exist for its own sake, rather it is a means to an > end. “Wanjiku” struggled to see the constitution put in place not for > political ends but in order that her life would improve. Indeed the > constitution spells out the promise of the constitution for “Wanjiku” in > several articles and chapters but especially in chapter 4 – The Bill of > Rights! It is the fulfillment of that promise that Vision 2030 seeks to > ensure. If the very bold and ambitious promises made in the constitution > are to be met, then a very robust and equally ambitious national > development plan must be mooted and executed. This is what Vision 2030 is > all about and this is also why I feel that the time has come to take > Vision 2030 to the people through their representatives – parliament! > > What I am intimating is that Vision 2030 must be owned by the people and > the necessary processes of ensuring that via their representatives are > under way. However that is just process, there must be life breathed into > the process of ownership. Educated and enlightened people such as those on > Kictanet must take the lead in that ownership by engaging in every facet > of the nation’s national development strategy. This engagement must be > real – i.e. both as citizens holding their leadership to account as well > as practitioners (e.g. private sector actors seeking to excel in their > respective fields and therefore proactively working to ensure the > necessary enabling conditions are in place). > > Going back to my contention about the need for a set of organizing > principles for our politics and economics to overcome crass ethnicity and > greed run amock, I hearken back to Hayek versus Keynes (the debate on more > or less government and the role of the private sector) and add to it > Hamilton versus Jefferson. At the beginning of the American experiment, > the US chose a federal constitution (much stronger than our devolution – > even the court and internal security systems are decentralized in the US > and the principle of subsidiarity to the states applies contrasted to our > system of subsidiarity to the national government). And yet Alexander > Hamilton (first Treasury Secretary) advocated for a strong central > authority while Thomas Jefferson (author of the declaration of > independence and later third president of the US) advocated for more power > to the states. Hamilton created the Federal Reserve (or Central Bank which > thrives to this day) and both created factions to engage in robust > political discourse that resulted in the strong political parties we have > today in the US which roughly continue the debate. Along the way (in > addition to the strong centre versus strong states debate) came the debate > on more or less government. The former is what I refer to as Hamilton vs > Jefferson and the latter Keynes vs Hayek. America is a better place > because politics has been focused around debating these different sets of > organizing political and economic principles, with the pendulum swinging > one way or the other and in the process, strong institutions of governance > and economic management and growth becoming entrenched. > > Is it feasible as we go into the new political dispensation that we could > have our own Hamilton vs Jefferson and Keynes vs Hayek debate around the > most efficient strategy by which to achieve Vision 2030 in a devolved > system and eschew destructive ethnicity? Once we are agreed on a set of > organizing principles, then it is easier to go into the nitty gritty of > particular debates about more or less government, etc without the many > philosophical inconsistencies I see articulated in adhoc debates on > different issues. > Regards, > Mugo Regards > >

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KenyaStudiesAssociation · Kenya Scholars and Studies Association
by Matunda Nyanchama 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Friends For those that would like to engage Kenyan scholars, most of them in the Diaspora, there is a mailing list for that. Dakitari Ndemo, you will be in good company there given scope of discussions and groups focus. Warigia can testify to this. Here are joining instructions: Post message: KenyaStudiesAssociation(a)yahoogroups.com Subscribe: KenyaStudiesAssociation-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: KenyaStudiesAssociation-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com List owner: KenyaStudiesAssociation-owner(a)yahoogroups.com Happy New 2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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On the Diaspora
by Matunda Nyanchama 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Allow me to share the attached papers: (a) a concept paper on tapping into the potential of the African Diaspora. It is a world bank note that has substantial likeness to work we did a while back under the Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA). (b) a second paper that focuses on why the Chinese have succeeded more than any other country. Please look at the annex on "best practices" section; ditto for the section a proposal for a formal framework for engaging the Diaspora. Below is are short excerpts from the vest practices section, which one can compare with what we have done in Kenya (NB: Dakitari Ndemo, I agree with you on the point that remittances aren't a sustainable way for development; indeed, some studies indicate that these fall sharply after the first immigrant generation. They have their own problems, such as escalating prices to make things unaffordable local populations but that is a discussion for another day. However, many countries do depend on these for forex earnings.) .... 2. China: Chinese nationals have succeeded in establishing an autonomous structure and have received a high level of both material and symbolic recognition from Chinese authorities. They have: • With the aim of better profiting from the potential offered by the Diaspora, the Chinese authorities have modified the legal context (multiple-entry visas and job contract), improved economic conditions (tax exemptions, higher expatriate salaries that are sometimes four times higher than for a Chinese colleague, bonuses, etc.) and created a special status for expatriates who wish to work in collaboration with China (honorary posts, national prizes, etc.) • For their part, Chinese Diasporas can count on efficient logistical support (such as technology parks) at several different levels of government, including county level; • Chinese Diaspora can also count on administrative support in form of information processing to facilitate communication among themselves and gain easy access to the information, which are important points for the internal dynamics of such a big group. • The autonomy they enjoy with respect to the Chinese government allows Diaspora organizations a certain flexibility in their negotiations and spares them the vagaries of Chinese domestic politics. Summarized from: Young, N., and J. Shih (2003). The Chinese Diaspora and Philanthropy Harvard University's Global Equity Initiative <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~acgei/PDFs/PhilanthropyPDFs/Phil_Chinese_Diaspo…> Below is a section relevant to technology that, I believe would interest participants on this list. 11. A number of ‘science and technology parks’ have been established in the most economically developed provinces, with highly preferential investment terms designed to attract Western-trained ‘overseas Chinese scholars.’ o Overseas Chinese scholars with registered capital of no more than USD 10,000 can enjoy rent-free office space for the first year, followed by rental for an unspecified period at 50% of the market price (or an option to buy at 80% of the market price); start-up companies enjoy a three year tax holiday, followed by a 50% tax rebate for two years anda 20% rebate for a further year. o An ‘Incubator Park for Returned Scholars’ in Shanghai similarly offers eight supporting treatments: e.g., the use of a 10,000 m3 workshop for two years rent-free or for sale at a‘preferential’ price, 50% tax rebates, low interest loans from a development fund, and an undertaking that the park will cover all costs ‘including transport, communication, accommodation and meals . . . [during] . . . the process of project negotiation’ o Beijing has established similar facilities and aims to attract ‘6,000 or more returned scholars’. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Happy New Year - ref: Re: Vision 2030: ICT and Other Sectors Converged (Day 3)
by Matunda Nyanchama 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Friends This is to wish you the very best of 2012. Kictanet has been a good source of information, ideas and exchange of those ideas in 2011. I hope that will be the case. I hope that we can make the best of those ideas in the interest of the nation, Kenya and the businesses associated with participants. Dr Ndemo raised an issue on Diaspora academics and professionals. Some of his observations are right: it is easy to cheer or jeer from a distance. We see it in soccer matches where some (as someone put it) some of the best players are on the spectator benches. That said, though, this matter cannot be generalized. We have many, many accomplished academics and professionals that choose to make the Diaspora their home; some do it by choice others by circumstance. I once listened to professor Mazrui on how he ended up on the United States, recognized as an authority in his space (globally) and yet no institution in Kenya wanted to welcome him. By the time Kibaki came along in 2002, he had been too long gone and entrenched in his space to be simply transplanted. We have many Kenyans in the Diaspora like those: they moved out when times were bad, are well-established and cannot simply come back. There are other examples that make people stay away from Kenya. A friend I know came home but could not even be short listed for an interview, despite his PhD and a number of published works. His luck came through a friend he met at a pub, someone who knew one of the VCs; an appointment with the VC then led to an interview and a job. He later told me that the department was dominated by some ethnic group and the reason he was kept out for such a long time. Another one I know supervised grad students meticulous only to become a target of his colleagues, eti he was making them look bad: completing paper reviews in timely manner, and having students get their degrees in reasonable time. His recourse: join a research outfit and leave out the politics of academia! I was recently in the UoN Senior Common Room with a friend; and it is amazing how our ivory tower reflects the ethnic cleavages in the country. Since I wasn't in the company of fellow Kisiis to the place, I ended at a table that appeared colourless with sober conversation and none of the ethnic passionate obsessions. For people that have established positions where they are in the Diaspora, it would be hard to adapt to such an environment. I once visited a friend at his post at the UoN and talked about his routine, much of which was composed of driving across campuses, offering the same course across different institutions for no one job paid enough; the man literary lived on the road! He used the same notes from year to year; and research? What language is that again? He kept talking about his former position back in the USA and how progressive the institution was, requiring ranking in teaching and research; and having time to attend conferences/seminars and the like plus supervise graduate students with interesting study topics. Yet here he was in a system of persistent struggle, spinning wheels to meet basic needs. Yet quacks that had connections with corruption rings were the limelight and mwananchi and authorities seemed to love it. There is more. GoK and other companies can pay experts as much as $3K/day; so called experts then staff work with junior consultants (to cut costs and make a profit) ending with dubious deliverables! If a Kenyan (whether in the Diaspora or in Kenya) asked for even $1K a day, which in some cases is less than what they are qualified to get, some people think it is charity! And the cost of doing business in Kenya? Speak not. I personally have a lot of respect for those that choose to settle back home; I salute their patriotism and commitment. I would NOT besmirch those that choose to leave for quiet peace somewhere else, where they can achieve their life goals. I just think that patriotism alone would not make people come home. Lack of patriotism is NOT the recluse of those that leave; we have a lot of people doing very unpatriotic things in Kenya like stealing from public coffers, taking short cuts in public services (pot holes anyone?), committing crime, selling drugs to our youth, doing inhuman demolitions, etc. But Diasporans can also bring different perspectives if we engage them appropriately; and in my view, we should be working towards collaborative models to allows for knowledge exchange and sharing of experiences. And this can be done both in the private and public sector. And there are many academic institutions keen on such collaboration; we just need to nurture these. If we truly want to develop Kenya we need to create an environment where ideas "germinate", get "watered" and result in true harvest in terms of products and service and hence economic development. An environment in which Kenyans can prosper on merit and fair play; an environment of ethics and values. Back in the 80s/90s GoK was a major bottleneck for people wanting to go overseas, what with the frustrating clearance process for those in public service and trying process in the issuance of passports. Today, we celebrate Diaspora remittances! What if, in hindsight, Moi and co had left the floodgates open for people to disperse across the world? We could probably be reaping several times more in remittances than we are doing presently. In a nutshell, we are better off with our people dispersed across the globe; they link us to networks in places they live and allow for knowledge flow and exchange that can benefit our country. The role of Indian and Chinese Diasporas in those countries’ economic development is well known; it is the reason I would like more of our people across the world. The Indian government has a special ID for people of Indian origin across the world; the ID, while not conferring citizenship, acts like a permanent visa for into India for holders. As the Indian ambassador to the US said at our recent Kenyan Diaspora conference in the USA, this card has spurred Indian tourism to a degree they hadn't imagined before. Happy New Year. Matunda Nyanchama ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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SA must grab BPO opportunity | ITWeb
by Sean Moroney 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Dear Listers, Best wishes for health and prosperity in 2012. I wanted to pass on the article below as the issues discussed have some relevance for Kenya's outsourcing industry. Regards, Sean Moroney http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content <http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50214:s a-must-grab-bpo-opportunity&catid=44&itwebafrica=t> &view=article&id=50214:sa-must-grab-bpo-opportunity&catid=44&itwebafrica=t

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