October 2015 - KICTANet

Fwd: Freedom on the Net 2015 Report Launch
by Mose Karanja 14 Oct '15

14 Oct '15

The Freedom House Internet Freedom report will be released two weeks from now. Our very own Grace Githaiga will be Hanging Out with the launch team. You can stream it live using the link provided. Moses ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Freedom House <fhevents(a)freedomhouse.org> Date: 13 October 2015 at 20:48 Subject: Freedom on the Net 2015 Report Launch Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=i%2FBKfMSKmfV1J01VIDxA1I8qOD5…> . Freedom House Events *Freedom on the Net 2015* *Wednesday, October 28, 2015 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. * Please join us for the launch of* Freedom on the Net 2015*, the latest edition of Freedom House’s annual assessment of internet access, censorship, and internet user rights in 65 countries around the world. This year’s event will highlight the advances and setbacks in internet freedom over the past year, emerging threats to digital media, and the challenges these trends pose to U.S. foreign policy. *Breakfast and registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.* <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2l%2FP4dxU6Daqwxl3Il1TwI8qOD5…> *Google Washington, D.C. 25 Massachusetts Ave, NW Suite 900 Washington, DC 20001* *CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE* <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=nePkvi0lWjF2JDWV4HRBK%2Fp55ns…> *Program* *Introductory Remarks *The Honorable Brian Schatz (D-HI) United States Senate Ross LaJeunesse Global Head of Free Expression & International Relations, Google Daniel Calingaert Executive Vice President, Freedom House Sanja Kelly *Freedom on the Net* Project Director, Freedom House *Panelists *Chinmayi Arun Research Director, Centre for Communication Governance National Law University, Dehli Eileen Donahoe Director of Global Affairs, Human Rights Watch Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council Gady Epstein Media Editor, *The Economist * *Google Hangout Participants* Grace Githaiga Associate, Kenya ICT Action Network Tetyana Lokot Contributing Editor for RuNet Echo <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CXWdbSomfR5upLasEcqFJI8qOD5Hq…> Ukraine Special thank you to Google for sponsoring the launch of *Freedom on the Net 2015.* Follow on Twitter <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=PXm5x1CiJlVWs4zMW0wMeY8qOD5Hq…> Friend on Facebook <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=qa7eU3emw4Y%2FlxYitbBwfI8qOD5…> fhevents(a)freedomhouse.org *Our mailing address is:* 1850 M Street NW, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20036 unsubscribe from this list <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DZzByMBO059cpj8YBpV7So8qOD5Hq…> update subscription preferences <http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mUB7g%2FEyIQz6nZ8LUUhX1I8qOD5…> [image: empowered by Salsa] <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email> -- Mose Karanja +254 724 162536 | @Mose_Karanja <https://twitter.com/Mose_Karanja> PGP: 0x1529552F <https://twitter.com/Mose_Karanja>

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] NYT: Data Transfer Pact Between U.S. and Europe Is Ruled Invalid
by Barrack Otieno 12 Oct '15

12 Oct '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Joly MacFie <joly(a)punkcast.com> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2015 13:46:23 -0400 Subject: [Internet Policy] NYT: Data Transfer Pact Between U.S. and Europe Is Ruled Invalid To: "internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org" <InternetPolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/technology/european-union-us-data-collect… Europe’s highest court on Tuesday struck down an international agreement that allowed companies to move people’s digital data between the European Union and the United States, leaving the international operations of companies like Google and Facebook in a sort of legal limbo. The ruling, by the European Court of Justice, said the so-called safe harbor agreement was flawed because it allowed American government authorities to gain routine access to Europeans’ online information. The court said leaks from Edward J. Snowden, the former contractor for the National Security Agency, made it clear that American intelligence agencies had almost unfettered access to the data, infringing on Europeans’ rights to privacy. The court said data protection regulators in each of the European Union’s 28 countries should have oversight over how companies collect and use online information of their countries’ citizens. Many European countries have widely varying stances towards privacy. Data protection advocates hailed the ruling. Industry executives and trade groups, though, said the decision left a huge amount of uncertainty for big companies. They called on the European Commission to complete a new safe agreement with the United States, a deal that has been negotiated for more than two years. Some European officials and many of the big technology companies, including Facebook and Microsoft, tried to play down the impact of the ruling, saying side agreements with the European Union should allow the companies to continue moving data across borders. But some of Europe’s national privacy watchdogs are expected to make it hard for large companies like Facebook to transfer Europeans’ information overseas under the current data arrangements. And the ruling appeared to leave smaller companies with fewer legal resources vulnerable to potential privacy violations. “We can’t assume that anything is now safe,” Brian Hengesbaugh, a privacy lawyer with Baker & McKenzie in Chicago who helped to negotiate the original safe harbor agreement. “The ruling is so sweepingly broad that any mechanism used to transfer data from Europe could be under threat.” At issue is the sort of personal data that people create when they post something on Facebook or other social media; when they do web searches on Google; or when they order products or buy movies from Amazon or Apple. Such data is hugely valuable to companies, which use it in a broad range of ways, including tailoring advertisements to individuals and promoting products or services based on users’ online activities. The data-transfer ruling does not apply solely to tech companies. It also affects any organization with international operations, such as when a company has employees in more than one region and needs to transfer payroll information or allow workers to manage their employee benefits online. Frans Timmermans, the first vice president for the European Commission, which will be charged with carrying out the ruling, tried to ease the concerns of companies on Tuesday. He said businesses could still move European data to the United States through other existing treaties. He added that the European Commission would work with national privacy regulators to ensure that the court’s decision was carried out in a uniform fashion across the entire region. “Citizens need robust safeguards,” said Mr. Timmermans. “And companies need certainty.” But it was unclear how bulletproof those treaties would be under the new ruling, which cannot be appealed and went into effect immediately. Europe’s privacy watchdogs, for example, remain divided over how to police American tech companies. France and Germany, where companies like Facebook and Google have huge numbers of users and have already been subject to other privacy rulings, are among the countries that have sought more aggressive protections for their citizens’ personal data. Britain and Ireland, among others, have been supportive of Safe Harbor, and many large American tech companies have set up overseas headquarters in Ireland. “For those who are willing to take on big companies, this ruling will have empowered them to act,” said Ot van Daalen, a Dutch privacy lawyer at Project Moore, who has been a vocal advocate for stricter data protection rules. The safe harbor agreement has been in place since 2000, enabling American tech companies to compile data generated by their European clients in web searches, social media posts and other online activities. Under the deal, more than 4,000 European and American companies had been expected to treat the information moved outside the European Union with the same privacy protections the data had inside the region. The United States government had lobbied aggressively in Brussels in recent months to keep the agreement in place. The United States and the European Union have worked for roughly two years on a new safe harbor agreement. The court’s ruling now puts pressure on negotiators to complete an agreement, but it may also complicate matters. Any new deal had already been expected to give Europeans greater say over how their online information is collected, transferred and managed by tech companies. But the talks have stalled over what type of access to European data American intelligence agencies should be given, according to several people with direct knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. In addition, legal experts said that even if a new deal is reached, the court’s decision would would still give the national privacy regulators some say over the transfer of data. Penny Pritzker, the American secretary of commerce, said she was disappointed about the European court’s decision, adding she would work with the European Commission to finalize the new safe harbor agreement.In its ruling, the European court noted that the region’s 500 million citizens did not have the right to bring legal cases in United States courts if they believed their privacy had been infringed by American companies or by the United States government. A bill to provide this legal recourse is being debated in Congress, though analysts said it was unlikely to become law before the American elections next year. The legal ruling “puts at risk the thriving transatlantic digital economy,” she said in a statement on Tuesday. The lengthy negotiations have highlighted the different approaches to online data protection. In the United States, privacy is viewed as a consumer protection issue; in Europe, privacy is almost on a par with such fundamental rights as freedom of expression. Last year, Europe’s top court ruled that anyone with connections to the region could ask search engines like Google to remove links about themselves from online results. European campaigners said this so-called right to be forgotten ruling would help protect people’s online privacy, while many in the United States said the decision would curtail online freedom of speech. Those differences became more pronounced after Mr. Snowden revealed how American and British intelligence agencies had seemingly unfettered access to people’s online activities. “The United States safe harbor scheme thus enables interference, by United States public authorities, with the fundamental rights of persons,” the judges said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to access to European data by American intelligence agencies. The case reviewed by the European Court of Justice related to a complaint brought by Max Schrems, a 27-year-old Austrian graduate student, who argued that Europeans’ online data was misused when Facebook was said to have cooperated with the N.S.A.’s Prism program. That program is reported to have given the American agency significant access to data collected by several American tech companies. Facebook denies that the United States government had unlimited access to its users’ data. Mr. Snowden on Tuesday, after the court ruling, posted a message on Twitter praising Mr. Schrems: ‘‘Congratulations, @maxschrems. You’ve changed the world for the better.’’ In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Schrems, who is pursuing a separate civil class-action lawsuit against Facebook in an Austrian court, praised the decision. “Governments and businesses cannot simply ignore our fundamental right to privacy,” he said, “but must abide by the law and enforce it.” -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast -------------------------------------------------------------- - -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/

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Re: [kictanet] court ends Konza city land trials
by Barrack Otieno 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Edith, The Court cases were stumbling blocks, my hope is their dismissal paves way for next steps in the project. Looking at what has become of the Sameer Business Park, i am confident Konza can actually be a reality sooner than later. Regards On 10/9/15, Edith Ofwona <eofwona(a)idrc.ca> wrote: > Barrack, > > What progress has been made in Konza? Everything has gone quiet! > > White elephant? Or I'm wrong. Any updates? > > Edith > _______________ > Edith Ofwona > Senior Program Specialist > Agriculture and Environment > International Development Research Centre|Centre de recherches pour le > développement international > Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa | Bureau Régional de l'Afrique > Subsaharienne > Physical Address: 3rd Floor, Eaton Place, United Nations Crescent, Gigiri > +254-20-2713161/0 | Fax: +254-20-2711063|Ext: 3406 > eofwona(a)idrc.ca |eofwona(a)crdi.ca |www.idrc.ca |www.crdi.ca > > @IDRC_CRDI > Subscribe | Abonnement IDRC Bulletin Bulletin du CRDI > > > -----Original Message----- > From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca@lists.kictanet.or.ke] > On Behalf Of Barrack Otieno via kictanet > Sent: October-09-15 12:39 PM > To: Edith Ofwona > Cc: Barrack Otieno > Subject: Re: [kictanet] court ends Konza city land trials > > This is good, it paves way for further developement. I remember the words of > former President Mwai Kibaki during the launch of Konza that it will be > similar to the Free Primary Education Program which was billed to be an > non-starter but proved critics wrong. > > Best Regards > > On 10/9/15, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > wrote: >> http://mobile.nation.co.ke/news/Reprieve-for-Ndemo-Muthama-as-court-st >> ops-Konza-trial/-/1950946/2903536/-/format/xhtml/-/rx2mbkz/-/index.htm >> l >> >> It was a big win for nine individuals yesterday when the High Court >> stopped their prosecution over alleged theft of Sh179 million in the >> Konza City land deal. >> >> Judge George Odunga trashed the prosecution of National Police >> Commission member Ronald Leposo Musengi, Machakos Senator Johnson >> Muthama and former Information Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo. >> >> The others were the former directors of the Malili Ranch Company >> Limited, who have been accused of stealing over Sh179 million from >> Malili Ranch Shareholders. >> >> Judge Odunga prohibited Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko >> from trying the individuals. >> >> Mr Musengi, Mr Muthama, Dr Ndemo and six others had been charged with >> theft of the millions from the shareholders of the private company >> which sold the land to the government at Sh1 billion. >> >> In his judgement, the judge said the trial of the Malili Techno City >> land deal suspects was an abuse of the criminal justice process >> > > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno > +254721325277 > +254-20-2498789 > Skype: barrack.otieno > http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/ > > _______________________________________________ > 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/eadera%40idrc.ca > > 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. > -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/

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court ends Konza city land trials
by Mwendwa Kivuva 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

http://mobile.nation.co.ke/news/Reprieve-for-Ndemo-Muthama-as-court-stops-K… It was a big win for nine individuals yesterday when the High Court stopped their prosecution over alleged theft of Sh179 million in the Konza City land deal. Judge George Odunga trashed the prosecution of National Police Commission member Ronald Leposo Musengi, Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama and former Information Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo. The others were the former directors of the Malili Ranch Company Limited, who have been accused of stealing over Sh179 million from Malili Ranch Shareholders. Judge Odunga prohibited Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko from trying the individuals. Mr Musengi, Mr Muthama, Dr Ndemo and six others had been charged with theft of the millions from the shareholders of the private company which sold the land to the government at Sh1 billion. In his judgement, the judge said the trial of the Malili Techno City land deal suspects was an abuse of the criminal justice process

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Kenya to help local investors raise funds to settle at Konza
by Mwendwa Kivuva 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

http://mobile.nation.co.ke/business/Govt-to-help-locals-invest-at-Konza-Cit… Investors interested in setting up at the Konza City have been asked to submit bids for development of 24 parcels of land, as government pledges support for locals. Speaking at the Konza investor briefing, ICT Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said interested local investors who face financial shortfalls would get government support. “Together with the National Treasury, I am working on a Public Private Partnership framework that will see government source for funds to support local investors,” said Dr Matiang’i. The Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) will rely on Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to attract investors who will construct commercial, residential, educational and public amenities within the demarcated land. *DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS* Land will be leased out to investors for a period of 99 years. Interested companies are expected to have strong financial muscle, a well-defined construction plan with timelines to start development by April 2016 and complete it by end of the year.

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] An Indian view of zero-rating
by Barrack Otieno 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Richard Hill <rhill(a)hill-a.ch> Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2015 08:01:27 +0200 Subject: [Internet Policy] An Indian view of zero-rating To: internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org I found that the article referenced below gives a balanced and thoughtful account of the debate regarding zero-rating: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/access-at-the-cost-of-net-neutrality/ar ticle7735242.ece Best, Richard _______________________________________________ To manage your ISOC subscriptions or unsubscribe, please log into the ISOC Member Portal: https://portal.isoc.org/ Then choose Interests & Subscriptions from the My Account menu. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/

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Kenya lags behind in setting interoperability standards in mobile money
by Ali Hussein 09 Oct '15

09 Oct '15

Listers This may be of interest. Interesting read on how Kenya continues to lag behind its East African neighbors in the development of the mobile money space and freedom to share money seamlessly through networks despite having been the outright global leader in the innovation of mobile money! Airtel, Tigo in interoperable mobile money pilot http://www.biztechafrica.com/article/airtel-tigo-interoperable-mobile-money… How Tanzania Established Mobile Money Interoperability http://www.cgap.org/blog/how-tanzania-established-mobile-money-interoperabi… 04 March 2015 Tanzania's mobile money industry is flourishing, and experts have been watching closely<http://www.cgap.org/blog/tanzania-ready-interoperability-mobile-money> to see if the possibility of interoperability could become a reality. After industry partners agreed in September 2014 on a new set of standards governing person-to-person payments across multiple networks, it's now evident that interoperability is here to stay. In general, mobile money interoperability has seen great strides in a very short time, with five markets - Tanzania, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - now offering this as an option for customers and agents. Nigeria also mandated interoperability in 2012<http://www.cenbank.org/out/2012/ccd/timeline%20for%20interoperability%20&%2…>, but this hasn't come to fruition just yet. All of these markets have followed different approaches. Indonesia's and Tanzania's initiatives were primarily industry-led, whereas Nigeria has followed a regulatory model. In Pakistan, ATM switches 1LINK and MNET, the technical infrastructure that facilitates transaction processing, were involved from the beginning. In Tanzania and Indonesia, providers have connected bilaterally through custom APIs. It is still too early to determine the success of these interventions and only time will tell if new models and standards will emerge. How did Tanzania do it? As a key entrant to the "Mobile Money Interoperability Club" it is worth discussing the Tanzania experience, as it offers some insights for markets and operators wishing to embark on similar initiatives. 1. An industry-led process The process towards interoperability in Tanzania started several years ago and has benefitted from the involvement of many partners. The latest round of negotiations that produced the payment-to-payment operating rules was facilitated by IFC and funded by the Bill & Melina Gates Foundation and FSDT. The Bank of Tanzania provided a supportive regulatory environment for engagement. Importantly however, the bulk of the content came directly from the industry. A very clear process was defined at the beginning and based on this a project plan and a team of experts from the payments and mobile industries was assembled. Through frequent meetings, debate, negotiation and eventually consensus, the industry has successfully put together a set of standards that will govern how person-to-person payments will be handled across networks. 2. Common business standards It is often thought that interoperability is a technology challenge and that a "switch" is the solution. However, a switch would merely be a technical solution that facilitates transactions based on a set of pre-agreed rules or standards. Without these rules and standards, in the card industry often referred to as a 'scheme', no transactions can be made through the technical switch. Therefore in Tanzania, the industry opted to develop the common operating standards first. Establishing these standards involved regular meetings to define and record membership and participation criteria, clearing and settlement principles, handling of disputes, principles for intra-party compensation (or interchange) and interparty risk. Now that the standards are in place, what next? There are currently no regulatory mandates in place in Tanzania forcing anyone in the market to implement the new standards. Each company can choose to opt-in to the new standards according to whether it makes business sense for them to do so. So far, four mobile money operators have opted in - Tigo, Airtel, Zantel, Vodacom - through bilateral API connections. Encouragingly, Tigo presented at the GSMA MMU meetings and believes from initial indications that it has been the right decision for its business. This is good news. Card schemes have proved that once the first players start, then the rest will follow. We believe the same holds for mobile money. Ultimately, interoperability offers great benefits to mobile money operators, regulators and customers alike, and should serve to advance financial inclusion. I'm curious. What is stopping us moving forward with interoperability? Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi Sent from my iPad

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MPs take on Matiang’i over Bill
by Grace Githaiga 08 Oct '15

08 Oct '15

MPs on Thursday accused Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i of drafting a separate Bill on access to information to replace one generated in Parliament.Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee Chairman Njoroge Baiya said the Information CS had been invited by the Energy Committee to discuss the Bill but he declined, saying the ministry was working on its own version. http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/MPs-take-on-Matiangi-over-Bill/-/1064…

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CA orders fresh allowances audit as Matiang'i declines to intervene
by Grace Githaiga 08 Oct '15

08 Oct '15

The report stated that last year, staff at CA made 421 trips both local and overseas to attend conferences, field visits, training and workshops, most of which were unaccounted for.Trouble has however persisted at the CA board even as an Airtel letter to CA revealed that Mr Wilbert Choge had attempted to seek a bribe.BRIBE ALLEGATIONAirtel CEO Adil El Youssefi in the letter says that Choge openly solicited a bribe to influence the board not to push Airtel to pay Sh2.7 billion for renewal of its license.Mr Choge together with his colleagues Mr Ken Nyaundi, Ms Grace Munjuri, Prof Levi Obonyo, Ms Hellen Kinoti, Ms Beatrice Opee and Mr Peter Mutie are purportedly in office against a court order that disbanded the entire board in May.The board has been cited for contempt in a case that could see the entire board stripped off their duties again, stalling the regulator’s activities. http://www.nation.co.ke/business/Matiang-i-declines-to-intervene-in-CA-cris…

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I&M suspends online card transactions
by Mark Kipyegon 07 Oct '15

07 Oct '15

Is it a viable solution to suspend the service to paying customers? The risk cited in the article is not a new thing in that particular industry. -- keybase.io/kipyegonmark On 7 Oct 2015, at 09:41, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > > > Listers > > Interesting story about the pitfalls of ECommerce payments. > > http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate-News/I-M-Bank-suspends-online-… > > As one of the few acquirers (The others are Barclays and KCB, soon to be followed by Chase Bank) this doesn't auger well for online card payments in the country. > > Fortunately for us we have other payment gateways we can use. > > I'm curious to know what impact this will have on eCommerce in the country. Anyone can share insights? > >>

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