November 2013 - KICTANet

Fwd:Defamatory Blog Publication by Moses Kuria & Demand For Apology
by Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) 20 Apr '17

20 Apr '17

Dear all, the suit between Muite & Others versus Moses Kuria, which I understand is proceeding to court, should be a very interesting one to watch. Hopefully it shall give some insights on content control vs freedom of expression. See below. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ngunjiri <ngunjiri(a)kikuyusforchange.com> Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:05:07 +0300 Subject: {K4c} Defamatory Blog Publication by Moses Kuria & Demand For Apology To: KC4 <kikuyusforchange(a)googlegroups.com> This will most probably interest some of us, and help all of us be careful about what we write on our blogs. --- Ngunjiri [image: Issa & Co Advocates] Our Ref: M/058/001/L**** **** Tuesday, October 4, 2011**** **** Moses Kuria**** P. O. Box 1838-00200 ‘*Advance copy by email*’**** *NAIROBI***** **** Dear Sir,**** **** *RE: DEFAMATORY PUBLICATION ***** ------------------------------ We have been instructed by our clients, Wambugu Ngunjiri, Paul Muite, Ndung’u Wainaina, Maina Kiai and Hassan Omar.**** **** Our instructions are that you published in your widely read blog the following words of and concerning our clients.**** **** *‘I have said Ocampo has no case. All he has are fake witnesses coached by Hassan Omar, Wambugu Ngunjiri, Paul Muite, Ndungu Wainaina, Njonjo Mue and Maina Kiai.’***** **** Your insinuations are unfounded and baseless and our clients’ professional respective standings, characters and reputations have been severely tarnished by your publication.**** **** Our instructions are to demand a retraction, an apology and an admission of liability on your part for the publication of the defamatory words. This we hereby do. We shall address the issue of the damages payable to our clients upon receipt of your apology and admission.**** **** *NOTE* that if you do not publish an apology and retraction on your blog within the next *Seven (7) Days* of the receipt of this letter we shall proceed to the law for redress at your risk as to costs. **** **** Yours faithfully,**** *ISSA & COMPANY ADVOCATES***** **** **** *MANSUR M. ISSA***** **** cc. Clients**** **** *Issa & Co Advocates* <info(a)issadvocates.co.ke>**** ------------------------------ 5th Floor, City House, Wabera Street P.O. Box *24210 - 00100*, Nairobi, Kenya *ph*: *+ 254 20 340 150 · * *fx*: *+ 254 20 340 151* *em*: *info(a)issadvocates.co.ke · ***** ------------------------------ *CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:* This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential, legally privileged and protected by law. Access by the intended recipient is authorized. Any liability (in negligence or otherwise) arising from any third party acting, or refraining from acting, or any information contained in this email is hereby excluded. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediatelyand do not disclose the contents to any other person, use it for any purpose or store or copy the information in any medium.**** -- --- Fear makes men act even against their own interests- changing them from men of reason to blubbering fools. -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu) Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: GraceMutung'u (Bomu)

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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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Music Piracy in Kenya - Government can Help
by Bernard Kioko [Bernsoft Interactive Limited] 23 Mar '15

23 Mar '15

Bwana Daktari, The music industry in Kenya is unable to grow. Companies like mine and individuals are investing money in creating music but the same cannot be commercialized effectively. One of the main problems is organized piracy. Take for example the website WAPKID.COM, this website provides almost every Kenyan song FREE FOR DOWNLOAD. The website at the moment lists the following as popular tags - meaning these are the artists whose content is currently heavily being downloaded. I understand that this website is offering pirated content because Music works that is owned and copyright administered by myself is being offered for FREE here - the total investment I made for the songs on offer is Ksh. 5million over the last 2 years and now I have no way to recover my investment by sales since consumers can opt for free. John De Mathew - Nimwamenyire Muno Wangari Wa Kabera - Aciari Redsun - Shika Glasi Sam Kinuthia - Muiritu Wa Gikomba Onyi Papa Jey - Migingo Dhi Muigai Njoroge - Muti Utari Matunda Kamaru - Nairobi Iraguo Ki Kamande Wa Kioi - Kapusi Kakwa Salim - Kanyina Kanini Kamande Wa Kioi - Githukia Tombo It's possible that these artists and many more don't actually know that this exists BUT millions of Kenyans are downloading the music and who is benefiting? The Network Operators who charge money based on the data downloads. Infact, at one point, one of the mobile operators even sent SMS advertisements to their subscribers urging them to access content from WapKid.com As an industry, we are bleeding and desperately in need of government support to stop this organized piracy that is benefiting local and international organization at the expense of our content and therefore killing and local development of content. As we seek your assistance, we are also doing something on our part. We will be meeting next week Wednesday 3rd October 3pm at Panafric as a music industry (Record labels, Kenya Copyright Board and Music Copyright Society of Kenya) to discuss and work out strategies that can help us especially in creating a clear licensing framework. We will also be announcing an Anti-Piracy Campaign called "iCareforMusic" whose aim is to educate the consumer on the benefits of getting music from licensed partners. We believe that either the government or the courts can issue an order blocking WAPKID.COM, MP3RAID.COM and any other website offering local music from being accessed and this is fairly easy at the ISP level. Before we take to the court route, we wish to seek a diplomatic route first. If we can stop this organized piracy, investing in a song would be worth it for the Artist, the Record Label and/or the music publisher. And in overall, KRA would collect tax from all of us. Everybody wins! Who knows, it would be even worth having a music studio at Konza City. Bwana PS, how can you assist our music industry? Kind regards Bernard Kioko Chief Executive Officer, Bernsoft

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GSMA: Calls will remain high between African countries
by Grace Githaiga 02 May '14

02 May '14

GSMA: Calls will remain high between African countries By Rebecca Wanjiku, Computerworld Kenya 29 Sep, 2011 The cost of telephone calls between African countries is likely to remain high and international call volumes will drop with the introduction of taxes, according to a report from the GSM Association. Senegal, Ghana, Congo Brazaville and Gabon have introduced taxes on incoming international calls, leading to higher costs for users and reduced revenue and call volumes for mobile operators. The taxes are also likely to reduce foreign direct investments because the costs of operating businesses such as call centers will probably go up. "The tax takes the form of an imposed fixed price that operators must charge for international inbound termination, of which the government takes a set amount," said the report, issued on the sidelines of the U.N. Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi. A private party measures international inbound minutes terminated by operators and bills them accordingly, it said. While the taxes are different in the four countries, the affect on the operators has been the same. In Senegal, call prices rose by 50 percent. In Ghana, prices rose by 58 percent while inbound traffic fell by 12 percent in the six months after the tax was introduced. In Congo Brazaville, the price of inbound calls rose by 111 percent while the volume fell by 36 percent. In Gabon, prices rose by 82 percent when the tax was introduced in August 2011. The report questioned the benefit of the tax on economies, given that half the money collected is shared with the third-party company that monitors the calls. "The main objective of this taxation is to raise revenues for governments, in this case by taxing users calling from abroad into the country, however, the government transfers approximately 50 percent of the revenue from the tax to the external call monitoring party," the report said. "This leakage should be taken into account when assessing the effectiveness and net benefit of this tax." The report projects that other African countries are likely to reciprocate by raising the cost of inbound calls. In Congo Brazaville, an operator reported that an operator in another African country raised call termination charges by 30 percent. while in Senegal, an operator reported that nine operators in other African countries raised rates by 23 to 80 percent, making the call costs very high. The GSMA further noted that many operators are not making profits because the cost of other services and maintaining rural telecoms infrastructure is high. In supporting its case to remove telecommunication taxes, the GSMA released another report that highlights the benefits that Kenya has gained since it zero-rated mobile handsets in June 2009. This year, the mobile communications industry will contribute US$300 million to the GDP and a further $100 million from intangible benefits to Kenyan consumers. The industry also employs 250,000 people in Kenya. "Since June 2009 when the tax was removed, handset purchases have increased by more than 200 percent and penetration rates have increased substantially from 50 percent to 70 percent, this successful policy confirms that consumption taxes can have a significant impact on consumer behavior in Kenya," said the report. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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USA to Switch off the POT
by James Kulubi 06 Dec '13

06 Dec '13

You may be interested in the story below which state that FCC is working on draft rules to phase out the Plain Old Telephone (POT) network. You will be surprise that over 100 Americans are still using POTS. Below the story you will see that there are over 500 comments and that most people who have commented hate cellular 2G/3G/4G and Obamacare. -------------------------- US eyes phase-out of old telephone network The Federal Communications Commission is working toward drafting rules in January to formalize the IP transition -- switching communications systems to Internet protocol. And while FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler hails the technological advance, he has also spoken of maintaining the "set of values" that was used to ensure America's universal phone service. Click Here to read more ....http://news.yahoo.com/us-eyes-phase-old-telephone-network-023742404.html James Kulubi

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Community frequencies
by robert yawe 05 Dec '13

05 Dec '13

Hi Listers, I recently met a group of Russian developers who have a GSM base station that sells at a tenth of the mainstream ones as it is based on open source technology. The product could have a massive impact on many of Kenya's far-flung communities as it would allow them to set up community based communication networks especially where the ARPU is too low for the commercial operators to venture. For this to work we need to provide a license free GSM frequency such as the 2.5 ghz that is used for data networks, do you know if there is such a provision in the CCK regulations? 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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Postal Corporation Closing Outlets - regurgitated
by robert yawe 05 Dec '13

05 Dec '13

Hi, Yesterday PCK launched their payment platform which allows me to regurgitate a post, below, that I did in 2010 when I started my public campaign to be appointed the PMG. At the launch a clear statement was made on how the government will use the PCK infrastructure to deliver its services to the public a position that was many a times reiterated by Dr. Kate Getao the ICT Secretary, her strategy unlike many of the others seems like it will come to pass. The PASHA, Digital Village and most of the other initiatives have all fallen by the wayside and the one that was ever going to be sustainable has emerged victorious, which raises the question of what has changed in the last 100 days? 1. Dr. Ndemo is no longer in charge of the Information ministry (even though the former minister Hon. Pogisho was prominent at the PCK launch) 2. Mr. Paul Kukubo left the KICT Board 3. KICT Board to be placed under the e-Government docket 4. A digital focused President has taken up the reigns 5. A realisation by those in government that PCK is more than stamps Regards ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> To: Kictanet Mail list <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 11 June 2010, 10:54 Subject: Postal Corporation Closing Outlets Hi, It is with shock that I read about the closing of some of the post offices around the country by Postal Corporation. This is an indication of a management that has no vision or ambition maybe as a result of using the corporation as a retirement centre. With us trying to achieve universal access, http://www.cck.go.ke/services/universal_access/downloads/FinalUAreport.pdf, shutting down post offices is a step in the wrong direction. It is unfortunate that we have heard no reaction to this issue from the ministry of information, CCK or even Kenya ICTBoard. It is time Postal corporation was run by someone who understands the transitioning of the role of the postal corporation in the digital age, to me they are the perfect platform for rolling out digital villages, outsorucing service and e-commerce. This will avoid the appointment of executives who are more interested in the supply of fuel, tyres and insurance as opposed to moving the organisations to new heights. Implementation of e-mail to mail systems would reduce the costs of transport incurred by PCK which makes up over 60% of their operational costs. Unfortunately most of those who have been appointed to the post of post master general have no appreciation of the role of the postal services in the development of the nation. Do not listen to the myopic stories about the death of the postal service because of e-mail, facebok and twitter as you and I know that a physical item can never be delivered electronically. I believe the appointment of the next post master general and by extension the chief executive of the Kenya ICTBoard and CCK need to include vetting and recommendations from the private sector with clearly defined performance indicators. 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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Fwd: Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants
by Gilda Odera 03 Dec '13

03 Dec '13

Regards, Gilda Odera Begin forwarded message: > From: Gilda Odera <godera(a)skyweb.co.ke> > Date: April 10, 2013 12:02:14 PM GMT+03:00 > To: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants > > Listers, > > My recommendation is that this project should start from Form 1. Reasons: > > 1. We need to generate interest and start building that capacity base ASAP. Waiting for the standard ones to finish school is way too long. > 2. Given the tight budgets the country is currently facing in implementing the constitution, it is wiser to work with less numbers yet still achieve the desired outcome as things settle down over the next five years. > 3. Once successful in high schools, the project can be rolled to primary schools. By then, results of giving the high school students laptops will be evident and there should be sufficient budgets to roll both. > > In my view, capacity building is urgent in the ICT industry and therefore this noble idea should prioritise those who are bound to start innovating and harnessing their skills- which really are high school students. > My two cents. > > Regards, > > Gilda Odera > > On Apr 10, 2013, at 9:55 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > >> Another reason why the laptop project is the future >> >> http://pandodaily.com/2013/04/05/ten-websites-that-teach-coding-and-a-bunch… >> >> regards >> >> >> Robert Yawe >> KAY System Technologies Ltd >> Phoenix House, 6th Floor >> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 >> Kenya >> >> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 >> From: Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> >> To: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk >> Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> Sent: Wednesday, 10 April 2013, 8:40 >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants >> >> >> @Yawe, >> >> I was on travel (not to SA :-) but caught up with our two new Principals. Great speeches. But if there's someone already in the new Presidents kitchen cabinet plse pass the following news. Just drop the laptop business or at least modify it because of the following reasons. >> >> 1. Curriculum. >> Ok. So the kids have laptops next year. What to do with them? Play games, watch porn? In other words do we have an IT curriculum for these youngsters or we believe they will automatically become Bill Gates once we throw gadgets at them.? >> >> 2. IT Teachers. >> Assuming we cobble together some curriculum before next year. How soon can we get out primary teachers upto speed on the same? Do we have a ToT program in place. ToT= Training of Trainers for the non-academics. >> >> 3. Examinations. >> It is known that Kenyans learn ONLY when it is examinable. Indeed teachers make space in their timetables if they know the unit is examinable. Otherwise you can as well do your IT lessons at home as your hobby since the lesson will NOT be scheduled at the expense of say Mathematics which is examinable. So is the KNEC ready with this exam? >> >> 4. Security/Theft. >> If folks can still IEBC laptops from secure strongrooms, what about laptops hanging either in staffrooms or on standard 1 pupils? What about a poor parent who opts to trade in the laptop in favour of cash to use for other purposes? This is not far fetched since even the largely successful Wezesha Laptop initiative were University students got subsidized Laptops and quite a number sold them off at market price. >> >> 5. Maintenance\Disposal program. >> Usually laptops are rarely maintained. Just dump them after 3-4yrs. So we need to think efficient disposal mechanism for 1million+ gadgets across rural and urban Kenya. Worse still those Kids will now be in standard 4 and so our buget for laptops will double -both for Sdt1s and the Std4s. >> >> But I have a simple solution for our new digital President. Just traget Form1s and perharps forget Laptops and adopt Networked >> PCs. The ecosytem described above is more mature to take on this great idea. Our Primary schools will just drain this initiative with little returns to the taxpayer. >> >> walu. >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> On Wed, Apr 10, 2013 7:56 AM AST (Arabian) robert yawe wrote: >> >> >Hi, >> > >> >I like the confirmation by the President - sworn and his deputy on the issue of laptops for class 1 students from next year, it is commendable and quite easily achievable but as ICT experts are laptops the ideal items or would low power touchscreen tablets be more practical and appropriate? However .com that the two principles are I suspect that they might not be up to speed on devices. >> > >> >Here again for the umpteenth time the opportunity for us to become relevant presents itself, shall we take action or sit back to carry out a forensic analysis when only 80% of the students get the devices? >> > >> >Regards >> > >> >PS. A new dispensation, a new dedication and new vigor >> > >> > >> > >> >Robert Yawe >> >KAY System Technologies Ltd >> >Phoenix House, 6th Floor >> >P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 >> >Kenya >> > >> > >> >Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/godera%40skyweb.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.

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Digital TV Migration
by robert yawe 02 Dec '13

02 Dec '13

Finally a simple advert that even I can understand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wcLTnVXDcU 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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Invitation to stakeholder workshops on broadband internet and the tourism and tea sectors
by Mwololo Waema Tim 30 Nov '13

30 Nov '13

Dear Listers, Attached is an invitation for stakeholder workshops on the impact of broadband internet on the value chains in the Tourism and Tea sectors, in case any lister is interested. Kind regards, Tim Mwololo Waema

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