June 2019 - KICTANet

Raising money for your startup
by Eric Osiakwan 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Sent from my iPhone

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Information Controls Cocktail
by Robert Muthuri 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear Listers, First, apologies, I've just been alerted my email from earlier in the week may not have been delivered here. CIPIT is holding a cocktail tomorrow afternoon - program attached - to reflect on the question: what have we learnt from 3 years of information controls research? We will share the key learnings and recommendations from the related project and hope to have a lively discussion with you ranging from online censorship and digital rights to Cambridge Analytica and elections security. As always, we very much look forward to welcoming you to Strathmore. Kindly register so we can cater for you in the best way possible: https://bit.ly/2YSHlJ8 [image: InformationControl-01.png] Best, Robert.

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Babusi Nyoni TownHall Meetings Tour , 5 days, 6 Towns Across Kenya
by alfred＠kenya.ai 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear Listers, Ai Kenya in partnership with Majadiliano is proud to bring you a series of town hall meetings across 6 different locations: Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Miwani, Nairobi and Mombasa. Our first guest is a brilliant self-taught Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovator & speaker from the Netherlands. He has never been to University. He is a high school graduate who schooled and grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Babusi Nyoni, a 31 year old Zimbabwean and a self-taught emerging technology pundit will be sharing how he began his journey leaving Zimbabwe as an economic refugee, entering South Africa, where he lived for 5 years before moving to the Netherlands. In 2016 he created what Forbes magazine described as "the world's first Artificial intelligent football commentator" for the UEFA Champions League final. In the same year, he created a prototype for the prediction of human displacement in Africa using artificial intelligence & thereafter worked with UNHCR to actualize a pilot project in the same field. He founded the Ulwazi Accelerator in 2018 to equip young Zimbabweans with the skills needed to contribute to the global digital economy. In 2019 he created an app for the early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease & presented his findings at Oxford University on the Skoll Foundation stage. Babusi has a strong passion for fresh new ideas that will change the lives of those around him and is a firm believer that AI is shaping the technological zeitgeist worldwide. Join us for an informative session as Babusi shares on his innovation journey and the work he has done in the artificial intelligence space. Event Venues are as follows: Kisumu, 3rd June - University of Nairobi Auditorium Kakamega, 3rd June - Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) , MCU hall Siaya, 4th June - Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Miwani, 5th June - Nyakoko High school Nairobi, 6th June - Daystar University Mombasa 7th June - Swahili Pot Hub To be a part of the event(s), ensure you REGISTER FOR YOUR TICKET(s) on http://bit.ly/majadiliano Full event details and schedules can be obtained on the same link Kind regards, Alfred Ongere Team lead, Founder www.kenya.ai <http://bit.ly/AIKPODYTB> Watch Ai Kenya Podcast | <http://bit.ly/2vRuV7Y> World Ai Show Nairobi 2019 Keynote

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Grant Funding: £50,000 - £500,000 / Mobile Innovation Fund
by Philip Adar 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear listers, I found this interesting and felt to share. GSMA is promoting innovation in use of mobile technology to address humanitarian challenges, with a focus on developing countries – particularly in Sub Saharan Africa. Grant Funding: £50,000 - £500,000 More details in the link: Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation Fund <https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/mobile-for-humanitarian-innovatio…> Kindly, please feel free to share within your networks Kind regards, -- Philip Adar

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Re: [kictanet] Vacancy announcements for Article 19 Eastern Africa
by Ephraim Percy Kenyanito 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

*Dear All,* *Please find below links to job openings at the Article 19 Eastern Africa. Kindly circulate widely through your networks. You can copy the link to your browser in order to access the vacancy notice.* *SPO - Civic Space:*https://article.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=ba671488-… *SPO - Media and Protection:*https://article.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=ca54… *Best regards,* *Ephraim *

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Huawei interview on China-Africa Podcast
by Adam Lane 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

For anyone with 50 minutes to spare and interested to listen to this podcast interview I did... Eric and Cobus do go for the fairly tough questions. https://chinaafricaproject.com/podcast-china-africa-huawei-adam-lane/ [AUDIO] Like it or Not, Huawei is the Indispensable Tech Company in Africa [EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode was recorded before the United States government announced that it would blacklist Huawei and blocked the company from using Google's Android operating system and other apps.] It is hard to overstate Huawei's singular importance in the development of Africa's information technology sector. Over the past ten years the company, often armed with state-backed loans from China, has built significant portions of Africa's IT infrastructure, everything from networking to broadband connectivity to new cloud data centers in places like Egypt and South Africa. 70% of all 4G networks across the continent were reportedly built by Huawei. But while Huawei's presence in Africa is pervasive it's also controversial. Allegations that Huawei was involved in Chinese spying efforts against the African Union prompt similar questions like those being raised by the United States who challenge the company's independence from both the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government. "The U.S. is going to have to be strategic about how they approach this challenge. You can't just blunder in and say, 'It's us or them.' China does provide things that the continent needs." - Joshua Meservey, Heritage Foundation senior analyst<https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/19/for-africa-chinese-built-internet-is-b…> Although African stakeholders contend that security and privacy concerns surrounding Huawei are important, most do not believe they are paramount issues. Instead, access to affordable, high-quality telecommunications infrastructure is much more important. But now that the United States is closing in on the company, blocking Huawei from using the Android operating system, African telecom operators are likely starting to worry about what happens if Washington similarly blacklists Huawei's use of components that are used in all that networking gear now running their phone and data networks. If Huawei is forced out of those markets, it could be cataclysmic for African telcos who would find it difficult, if not impossible, to switch to American, Korean or European vendors. The bottom line is that African telecommunications operators now rely on Huawei gear, making the Chinese company truly indispensable in the operation of their networks. Huawei, like almost every Chinese company, is notoriously averse to interacting with the media and rarely grants extended, on the record interviews with no pre-conditions. So, it was a bit of a surprise when Adam Lane, senior public affairs director for Huawei Kenya, offered to appear on the podcast. He joins Eric & Cobus for a wide-ranging discussion on all aspects of the company's operations in Africa and what the mood is like inside the firm. Show Notes: * IT Web Africa: Safaricom describes Huawei issue as 'worrying'<http://www.itwebafrica.com/kenya/245917-safaricom-describes-huawei-issue-as…> by Vincent Matinde * Daily Nation: What Huawei restriction means for Kenya and Africa<https://www.nation.co.ke/news/What-Huawei-restriction-means-for-Kenya-/1056…> by Aggrey Mutambo * Business Insider South Africa: If you own a Huawei phone in South Africa, here is everything you need to know about the Google crisis<https://www.businessinsider.co.za/huawei-news-in-south-africa-what-is-happe…> by Phillip de Wet * Foreign Policy: For Africa, Chinese-Built Internet Is Better Than No Internet<https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/19/for-africa-chinese-built-internet-is-b…> at All by Amy Mackinnon About Adam Lane:<https://www.africahealthbusiness.com/speakers/adam-lane/> At Huawei since 2014, and based in Nairobi since 2016, Adam is currently responsible for working with governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the media and other stakeholders with a focus on the Kenya and East Africa region. Adam helps these groups understand how to use ICT for Development in their strategies, policies and programs; as well as developing partnerships and cross-sector collaboration with various actors in the ICT ecosystem including social enterprises. Adam has a strong focus on digital health in the region and is also actively engaging with those in the Internet of Things space. Previously, Adam was based in Huawei's HQ as a Director for Corporate Sustainable Development responsible for Huawei's global flagship project to bridge the digital divide as well as thought leadership on the digital divide. In 2015 after an extensive research effort around the world, Adam published Huawei's white paper on Digital Enablement summarizing the challenges and solutions to bridging the digital divide (www.huawei.com/minisite/digital-enablement) He then set-up a new digital divide project related to e-health in Kenya building on the findings from this white paper working with a Kenyan social enterprise and helping them scale up their e-health project.

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(no subject)
by DANIEL MECHA 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Ttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyytr

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Facebook plans to launch 'GlobalCoin' currency in 2020 - BBC News
by Timothy- Coach- Oriedo 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48383460

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Google has revoked Huawei's Android license
by Kelvin Kariuki 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear Listers, I hope this email finds you well, this is the current trending topic, I'd like to here your views on this topic from a Policy Perspective. Are we overrelying on Global Techs? What are the possible repercussions if they pull out on us? Should Global Techs be declared Dominant to balance the market and reduce the risks of a failure? Feel free to add more questions. Looking forward to your views on this. -- Best Regards, Kelvin Kariuki Assistant Lecturer Multimedia University of Kenya Faculty of Computing and Information Technology Twitter Handle: @teacherkaris Alt email: kkariuki(a)mmu.ac.ke Mobile: +2547 29 385 557 The Lord is my Shepherd

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[Leadership & Corporate Governance] Succession Planning - Lessons from Jack Ma
by Patrick A. M. Maina 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear Listers, In a letter to Alibaba’s customers and shareholders (see link #1), Jack Ma announced his successor and mapped his own exit as CEO. A few excerpts: "This transition demonstrates that Alibaba has stepped up to the next level of corporate governance from a company that relies on individuals, to one built on systems of organizational excellence and a culture of talent development. A sustainable Alibaba would have to be built on sound governance, culture-centric philosophy, and consistency in developing talent. No company can rely solely on its founders. Of all people, I should know that. Because of physical limits on one's ability and energy, no one can shoulder the responsibilities of chairman and CEO forever. We asked ourselves this question 10 years ago - how could Alibaba achieve sustainable growth after Jack Ma leaves the company? We believed the only way to solve the problem of corporate leadership succession was to develop a system of governance based on a unique culture and mechanisms for developing consistent talent and successors. For the last 10 years, we kept working on these ingredients.” DISCUSSION: Visionary leaders develop other leaders because they see the company's vision and mission as bigger than themselves (see link #3). Jack Ma's star is even brighter because he allowed his juniors to shine. Do you agree that the presence (or absence) of succession planing can be an indicator of leadership caliber? How does private sector Africa fare when it comes to succession planning and local talent development? Good day. Links: 1. Jack Ma's Succession letter to customers and shareholders https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Alibaba-s-Jack-Ma-reveals-succes… 2. Alibaba profits jump under Jack Ma's successor https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/15/alibaba-2019-annual-earnings/ 3. Deloitte: How to overcome the succession planning paradox https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/topics/leadership/effective-leader… Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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