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Re: [kictanet] BarCamp '08 - this Saturday 21 June 2008
by James Muendo 17 Jun '08

17 Jun '08

kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. BarCamp '08 - this Saturday 21 June 2008 (Riyaz Bachani) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:33:37 +0300 > From: Riyaz Bachani <riyaz(a)wananchi.com> > Subject: [kictanet] BarCamp '08 - this Saturday 21 June 2008 > To: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: <22EEA1D5-A0E8-4ECD-9534-DFC7431D563D(a)wananchi.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed > > When: Saturday, June 21 > Time: 10am - 5pm (of course, this goes later, and I would stick > around for any evening fun and conversation...) > Where: Jacaranda Hotel > > [UPDATE: venue was officially changed to the Jacaranda Hotel in > Westlands, sorry for any confusion. We will NOT be meeting at the 680 > any longer.] This is thanks to kind sponsorship by Google. > > Barcamp Nairobi '08 is an unconference made up of of technical > professionals, Internet enthusiasts, bloggers, designers and other > clever people in the Nairobi area who wish to share and learn in an > open environment. This is all very informal. > > Attendees don't just watch a set list of speakers. They give their > own talks. Podcasting. Web standards. Microformats. Gum stick > computers. Physical security. Robotics. Evolutionary algorithms. It > can be anything. This event is not just for stuffy developer types - > one of the best barcamp presentations ever given was about sandwiches. > > BARCAMP IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT > > It's all FREE thanks to ... > > Sponsors > - Ushahidi.com - the first global crowdsourcing platform for crisis. > Made in Kenya ! These guys are going places having just won the > NetSquared Challenge. > - Google > - StrategicLee > - Wananchi > - BugLabs - kit to hack on > - O'Reilly - schwag > - Yahoo - schwag > > More details on the wiki > http://barcamp.pbwiki.com/BarcampNairobi08 > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > End of kictanet Digest, Vol 13, Issue 31 > **************************************** > > Hi Barcamp, You are bringing the announcement really late after you have closed the period through which you can register.Is there a way one can be included?I would love to attend the Barcamp.Any help on these will be appreciated. Reagrds, James Muendo.

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BarCamp '08 - this Saturday 21 June 2008
by Riyaz Bachani 17 Jun '08

17 Jun '08

When: Saturday, June 21 Time: 10am - 5pm (of course, this goes later, and I would stick around for any evening fun and conversation...) Where: Jacaranda Hotel [UPDATE: venue was officially changed to the Jacaranda Hotel in Westlands, sorry for any confusion. We will NOT be meeting at the 680 any longer.] This is thanks to kind sponsorship by Google. Barcamp Nairobi '08 is an unconference made up of of technical professionals, Internet enthusiasts, bloggers, designers and other clever people in the Nairobi area who wish to share and learn in an open environment. This is all very informal. Attendees don't just watch a set list of speakers. They give their own talks. Podcasting. Web standards. Microformats. Gum stick computers. Physical security. Robotics. Evolutionary algorithms. It can be anything. This event is not just for stuffy developer types - one of the best barcamp presentations ever given was about sandwiches. BARCAMP IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT It's all FREE thanks to ... Sponsors - Ushahidi.com - the first global crowdsourcing platform for crisis. Made in Kenya ! These guys are going places having just won the NetSquared Challenge. - Google - StrategicLee - Wananchi - BugLabs - kit to hack on - O'Reilly - schwag - Yahoo - schwag More details on the wiki http://barcamp.pbwiki.com/BarcampNairobi08

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Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 17 Jun '08

17 Jun '08

Asante, Brother Shem insinuated in his contribution. Ndemo. ------Original Message------ From: Monica Kerretts-Makau To: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke To: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Cc: New Vision List Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Sent: Jun 16, 2008 6:14 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' Mr. Ndemo, Great, I do have the summary version and its good, but am sure you are not referring to my posting, but, if so, there was no insinuation simply a matter of statement to the entire discussions that had been going on- kindly refer to the entire discussion flow on the topic. Cheers Monica On 17/6/08 12:09 AM, "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: > Ms. Kerrets_ Makau, > Our draft master plan is ready. Most of you have a summary version which we > have used so effectively. We should get it to stakeholders in the next few > weeks. It is not correct to insintuate that we are working without a plan. > > Ndemo. > Sent from my BlackBerry® > > -----Original Message----- > From: Monica Kerretts-Makau <mkmakau(a)yahoo.co.uk> > > Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:06:07 > To: <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > Cc: New Vision List<newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com>; KICTAnet ICT Policy > Discussions<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' > > >_______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > .............................. ³As we look ahead into the future, Leaders will be those who empower others² Bill Gates E-environment cost saving: Please print this email and or any attachment only if you have to. ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world" Sent from my BlackBerry®

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East Africa gets action plan for Sub-Regional NEPAD Secretariat
by Lucy Kimani 17 Jun '08

17 Jun '08

  East Africa gets action plan for Sub-Regional NEPAD Secretariat * By Ronnie Ojwang. research officer, NEPAD Kenya Secretariat Representatives from Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) attended a Sub-Regional Expert Group workshop in Mombasa, Kenya, on 28-29 April 2008 convened by the NEPAD Kenya Secretariat. The objective of the meeting was to define the procedures for establishing and running the NEPAD Eastern Africa Sub-Regional Secretariat. The meeting was led by consultant John Rocha, a senior project manager with the NEPAD Business Foundation in South Africa, who took the participants through the process of developing an action plan for the NEPAD Eastern Africa Coordinating Secretariat. At the end of the two-day workshop, a draft action plan was developed for the next three years and is currently being fine-tuned by the stakeholders who participated in the workshop. The Mombasa workshop had its origins back in 2003 when the Heads of State and Government Summit in Kampala, Uganda, laid down the need to establish a regional NEPAD coordination mechanism that would work in conjunction with the NEPAD Steering Committee and the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC). In view of the multiple memberships of countries in the Regional Economic Communities, the Heads of State recommended that as an interim measure Kenya be the regional coordinator of NEPAD activities in Eastern Africa. The NEPAD Kenya Secretariat was given the mandate to perform the following duties: Convening regular meetings of NEPAD Eastern Africa representatives to harmonise NEPAD programmes in Eastern African countries; Facilitating frequent sharing of information and experiences among the participating countries; Organising regional forums to bring together stakeholders around the various NEPAD themes; Coordinating activities with the NEPAD Secretariat in South Africa. Accelerating NEPAD flagship projects NEPAD Kenya, with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Eastern Africa Sub-Regional Office, hosted an experts meeting on 27-29 November 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together representatives from NEPAD/APRM national focal points, national infrastructure specialists, Regional Economic Communities and key partners, UNECA and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The main objective of the Nairobi meeting was to provide an interactive forum for discussion and exchange of ideas on how to accelerate and fast-track the implementation of NEPAD flagship projects in the sub-region. The other specific objective was to look at the mechanism for renewing the mandate given to the NEPAD Kenya Secretariat to synchronise and coordinate the implementation of NEPAD programmes and projects in the Eastern Africa Sub-Region. The following key issues were discussed: Definition of a medium-term strategy for moving forward the NEPAD agenda in the Eastern Africa Region, Modalities for an appropriate and effective operational structure for the NEPAD Eastern Africa Office that would cater for the 15 countries in the region, Discussions of issues of resource mobilisation for both project implementation and effective operationalisation of the NEPAD Eastern Africa Coordinating Office. The experts group meeting also considered the various relationships and roles between national governments, RECs and the NEPAD Regional Coordinating Office, in adopting a number of crucial resolutions to mainstream the member states in the management and coordination of the NEPAD Eastern Africa Regional Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Sub-regional experts workshop in Mombasa Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda were the three countries given the assignment by the previous Nairobi meeting in 2006 to develop the background and requirements for the establishment of the NEPAD Eastern Africa Secretariat. The NEPAD Kenya Secretariat therefore convened a meeting of the representatives from these three countries, together with the Rwanda Ambassador to Kenya, and representatives from the Regional Economic Communities on 28-29 April 2008 in Mombasa. This meeting was scheduled to take place earlier, but due to the APRM Kenya Needs Assessment process and the post-election crisis that gripped Kenya, the meeting had to be postponed. Kenya APRM goes to the people for their input * By Ronnie Ojwang. research officer, NEPAD Kenya Secretariat The NEPAD Kenya Secretariat has carried out an African Peer Review Mechanism rapid diagnostic assessment ahead of its 2nd annual country progress report that is to be presented at the APR Forum during the 11th African Union Summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, on 24 June - 1 July 2008. Breaking from the tradition of holding country-wide provincial forums, the Kenya Secretariat used focus group discussions in various districts around the country. Forty participants were interviewed from each district with each group consisting of men and women of various age groups, including the elderly and young people. The aim was to draw divergent views on a range of issues. The participants came from various interest groups in society -- faith-based organisations, local opinion leaders, provincial administration, private sector, youth and women's groups and civil society. Discussions were centred on critical issues identified in the country review report of May 2006 and which were seen as needing urgent attention by the Government. Those issues included: Managing diversity in nation building; Implementation gaps; Poverty and wealth distribution; Land; Corruption; Constitutional reforms; Gender inequality; Youth unemployment; and Transformative leadership. In the process of undertaking the APRM rapid diagnostic assessment in the districts, the main aim was to create an approach where the people recommended measures which the Government could employ as possible and realistic interventions on these issues. The whole participatory approach in influencing the governance and public policy process was critical during the assessment.  

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Official Lauch - KENIC IPv6 Workshop and Africa 6Deploy chapter
by Vincent Ngundi 16 Jun '08

16 Jun '08

Dear ICT Actors, Please note that the KENIC IPv6 workshop is scheduled to start on Tuesday the 17th of June 2008 at the Sarova Panafric hotel. The workshop will run until the 20th of June 2008. The honorable Minister for Information and Communications is expected to officially launch both the IPv6 workshop and Africa's chapter of the 6Deploy project. The official launch is scheduled to take place at the Sarova Panafric hotel on Tuesday the 17th of June 2008 at 9:00am. Kindly consider this our formal invitation to you to attend this all important event. As an ICT actor, your presence is of utmost value and importance. About the 6Deploy Project The 6Deploy project is a global initiative funded by the European Union to support initiatives that promote the awareness and deployment of IPv6, the Next Generation Internet. Kenya, arising from its vibrant Internet and ICT community, has been honored by Africa's Internet community by being selected as the venue for launching the Next Generation Internet in Africa, through the formal launch of the Africa chapter of the global 6Deploy project Kind Regards, ----------- Vincent Ngundi Administrative Manager KENIC - The Kenya Network Information Center http://www.kenic.or.ke vincent(a)kenic.or.ke [T] +254 20 4450057/8 [C] +254 20 2398036 [M] +254 733 790073 [F] +254 20 4450087 "dot KE for Every Name in Kenya!"

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Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers
by Tim Rick 16 Jun '08

16 Jun '08

Dr. Shem, That insight on Rwanda being transparent in the way they conduct their ICT is more than fascinating.I believe you were there for how long 3 years(more or less).How much time do we need to reach there as Kenyans?We have all the resources that we need to get us going.I also would love to participate as a local entrepreneur to driving Kenya into the digital age.These is where we are failing as a country.We are outsourcing heavily to other companies while the local guys we are left with little to scramble.I wish the government would be more dedicated to the local guys and support them. Regards, > > >> On 13/6/08 2:11 PM, "Shem Ochuodho" <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >> > >>> Victor, I wouldn't have responded to this, save for the record. I am > not > >>> sure which Rwandan 5-star hotel you are talking about (as they are not > >>> many), but whatever the case, you and I seem to be talking about 2 > different > >>> Rwanda's. And btw, 300km of fiber for Rwanda is not the same thing as > 300km > >>> for Kenya, not that Kenya's laid and functional national fiber is > >>> significantly much higher! Even with the fact that it would be unfair > to > >>> compare Rwanda's ICT status with Kenya's (given the countries' > histories, > >>> sizes, populations, and economies), one cannot deny the fact that > Rwanda is > >>> a miracle story, largely due to leadership and vision. And it is not > only > >>> limited to ICT: look at governance, gender, security (Kigali is one of > the > >>> safest of the 40+ African cities am familiar with), > cleanliness/environment, > >>> good roads, etc. This is not to say Rwanda does not have its flip side; > of > >>> course it does, e.g. democracy and private sector are still nascent, > limited > >>> human resource base, etc. Back to ICT: neither you nor I would be the > best > >>> judge on whether Rwanda or Kenya is doing better in ICT. But last > year's > >>> UNCTAD's Global ICT Diffusion Index put Rwanda at per with (if not > ahead of) > >>> Kenya. If we are talking implementation, sample this:- 1. Rwanda was > the > >>> 1st Sub-Saharan Africa's country to link its two largest cities by > fiber 2. > >>> Rwanda's Cabinet sessions are e-ready (a good number of ministers > prepare > >>> their own power point presentations) 3. Rwanda is the only country I > know of > >>> where within 24 hrs of a Cabinet meeting, decisions are available on > the web > >>> (Official Govt website - talk of transparency!) 4. Rwanda's > e-Parliament is > >>> being used by NEPAD as a model for Africa - Internet-ready/WiFi/WiBro > at > >>> every point of 'Parliament's' precinct (both Senate and Chamber of > Deputies) > >>> 5. Rwanda was the first African country where e-Schools was > simultaneously > >>> launched in all the 6 urban-rural schools with live webcast 6. Nearly > 80% > >>> Govt offices in Kigali have fiber-to-office 7. About 10 local/district > >>> headquarter sites already have functional video-conferencing facilities > >>> connected to Kigali 8. Rwanda was first Sub-Saharan Africa to establish > an > >>> ICT/TechnoPark (already with over a dozen active > >>> clients/innovators/companies) 9. Rwanda is the only African country I > know > >>> of whose IFMIS (Treasury/Ministry of Finance System) is anchored on a > >>> locally developed software, by a Rwandan company (talk of supporting > local > >>> private sector) 10. Telemedicine Network: several major hospitals are > >>> already connected 11. With Rwanda's Karisimbi 'Earth Satellite Station' > >>> linked to a Transponder in Stockholm, in October 2006 Rwanda was able > to > >>> negotiate with Intelsat bandwidth rates down from US$ 4,500 per Mbps a > month > >>> (which is what everybody pays - some countries pay as high as $6,000) > to > >>> $1,300. COMESA/ADB have now adopted the facility for use for regional > >>> air-traffic control and surveillance. 12. On the e-legislation front, > Rwanda > >>> was one of the first Africa's countries to evolve an IPR Law, and its > >>> e-Transactions Law (like ours) is under consideration. .... I could go > on > >>> and on with the list. If these don't constitute 'achievements', then I > don't > >>> know what does. Btw, several African countries I know of are borrowing > one > >>> leaf or the other from the Rwandan 'humble' experience (including its > >>> plans). But then again, is it fair for Kenya to compare with Rwanda? > >>> Shouldn't we have done much better than we have? I recall a saying that > 'one > >>> thing's their mother is the best cook in the world until you taste > another > >>> woman's dish'. Of course am not saying we have done nothing/little; my > >>> contention is that there are strategic things we could and should do to > make > >>> an even greater leap. Best rgrds, Shem > >>> > > > > > > .............................. > ?As we look ahead into the future, Leaders will be those who empower > others? > Bill Gates > E-environment cost saving: Please print this email and or any attachment > only if you have to. > >

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INVITATION - The Role of Public Private Partnerships in e-Government
by Harry Hare 15 Jun '08

15 Jun '08

Dear Colleagues, Walu did a good job in getting us to talk about PPPs in ICT for Development. I would like to invite you to go slightly deeper to a specific area of interest which is e-Government - PPPs in e-Government. Private sector participation in e-Government can range from conventional procurement (an example would be purchasing software for an e-Government application) to full privatization of a particular service or product. For those who've visited India, eSeva would be a good example. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) fall in between these two extremes of the continuum of private sector participation. Whereas in conventional procurement, the responsibility for operations and risks fall entirely on the Government, public-private partnerships involve public ownership of assets and the delivery of services through various contractual arrangements with the private sector involving varying levels of risk transfer to the private sector. These contractual arrangements can include service contracts, management contracts, DBO (Design, Build, Operate) contracts, BTO (Build, Transfer, Operate) and full concession contracts. The key benefits of these diverse PPP models are that they transfer risk to the private sector, which is generally better equipped to handle risk, they enhance government accountability, they support entrepreneurship and local enterprise development, and they leverage private finance. The result is often faster deployment of better services. It is from this background that African eDevelopment Resource Centre together with the e-Development Thematic Group of the World Bank are hosting a Video Conference on PPPs in e-Government on June 25th 2008 from 4.30pm at the World Bank offices in Nairobi. The Video Conference will involve about 10 countries with speakers from both developing and developed countries. Using case studies, the speakers will draw out key lessons from PPPs in e-Government, discussing the challenges faced, solutions developed, as well as general recommendations for designing and implementing successful PPPs. Some of the key issues that the speakers will address include: 1) Is private sector delivery in conflict with public interest? 2) Are there any limits to outsourcing service delivery to the private sector? 3) What are the most successful examples of PPPs in e-Government? Is there a solid evidence of positive impact? 4) Can these be easily replicated in other countries? 5) What should governments do to ensure success of PPP approaches in e-Government? 6) What kind of procurement system reforms may be necessary? 7) What changes to legal framework may be necessary? 8) Which business models have proven most successful to motivate both parties and produce best results? Participation to the VC is free, but you will need to register to participate. Should you want to participate, please send your request to joyce(a)africanedevelopment.org not later than mid-day Monday 23rd June 2008. Space is limited and shall be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Kindest Regards Harry Hare African eDevelopment Resource Centre eDevelopment House 604 Limuru Road, Old Muthaiga PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Cel +254 725 650044 Land +254 20 3741646/7 <http://www.africanedevelopment.org> www.africanedevelopment.org June/July 2008 Training Opportunities VSAT Feild Eng. 18-20 June Supply Chain Management 24-27 June Fibre Optic Technician 1-4 July Knowledge Management 8-11July Space is limited Book Now! P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

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[Fwd: METRO 2030 - CONSULTATIVE SUMMIT FOR THE NAIROBI METROPOLITAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY]
by alice 15 Jun '08

15 Jun '08

Hi All This may be relevant to most. esp. with the discussions on side view mirrors :-) , google's recent Kenya maps and many other initiatives that may contribute to Nairobi Metro 2030 Draft Strategy best alice -------- Original Message -------- Subject: METRO 2030 - CONSULTATIVE SUMMIT FOR THE NAIROBI METROPOLITAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:17:41 +0300 From: The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) <newsletter(a)kara.or.ke> Reply-To: newsletter(a)kara.or.ke (The KARA Newsletter) To: <alice(a)apc.org> CC: Metropolitan Strategy <Metrostrategy(a)kippra.or.ke> *FROM : * Permanent Secretary Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development * * *To: * KARA (Nairobi Chapter) Members ** ** Ref No: MONMED/4/1(27) Date: 12^th June, 2008 *_RE: METRO 2030 – CONSULTATIVE SUMMIT FOR THE NAIROBI METROPOLITAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY _* The newly created Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development has finalized the Metro 2030 Draft Strategy to guide development within the Metropolitan region covering Nairobi and 13 other neighbouring Local Authorities. We are now in the process of consultation with stakeholders, amongst which are Resident’s associations in the region. You are therefore invited for the above summit to be held on the 17^th June 2008, at 9.00 am at Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Ruaraka Nairobi. The Chief Guest will be Hon. James Orengo, MP, Minister for Lands. A copy of the Executive Summary of the strategy is attached for ease of reference. Please attend. *P. O. Sika, OGW* *_PERMANENT SECRETARY_* *_ _* CC: The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Lands Ardhi House, *_NAIROBI_**_._*

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Re: [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by Shem Ochuodho 13 Jun '08

13 Jun '08

Daktari,   Many thanks for sharing additional examples of the practical challenges our entrepreneurs face. Would be nice to find a catalogue of those impediments, and even more importantly, the interventions (if any) being undertaken to stem them.   Best rgrds, Shem --- On Wed, 6/11/08, R. O. Marwanga <rom105(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: R. O. Marwanga <rom105(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: {Disarmed} [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke, NewVisionKenya(a)yahoogroups.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke>, "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com> Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 2:01 PM Shem & others: Good to see this dabate on ICT and encouraging to see Dr. Ndemo participating. I just have two comments regarding entrepreurship in Kenya and the govt's role. a) First, as an entrepreneur myself and as one interested in developing entrepreurship in Kenya, my experience has been both positive and negative in the past several months. First, Kenya is excellent in terms of availability of human resources. The attitude towards taking risk is somewhat positive and there are some efforts, albeit disjointed, towards creating an environment for risk-taking. Howeever, on the gov't side both central and local, I find the attitude towards entrepreneurship negative, almost hostile despite all the pronouncements to the contrary. A comparison here will show why: I have been running a consulting firm in the US since 1998 and all that time, I have never seen a local govt official or IRS come to knock on my door about taxes or anything like that. Besides the initial registration fees which is minimal, I simply declare to IRS and pay taxes if any, each quarter. But in Kenya, I set up my office last October and since then City Council Askaris & people from KRA have come to my office demanding one thing or another! I have had to pay exhobitant fees for which I cannot see what I get back, for example KSH 20K annual City license fee! I get similar horror stories all the time from my students in an Executive MBA class at Strathmore, many of whom run their own businesses. There is clearly a need for change of attitude on the govt side towards promoting entrepreneurship which I find lacking right now.  b) Second, it is my opinion that a gov't has the role of both helping to create capacity and also participating in the creation and use of capacity, particularly in capital intensive areas like ICT. For example the US gov't creates capacity, helps others to create capacity and is one of the biggest consumers of the capacity created. Hope this is the direction Kenya is moving.   Thanks   R. O. Marwanga                 --- On Wed, 6/11/08, Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@ yahoo.com> wrote: From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@ yahoo.com> Subject: Re: {Disarmed} [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: bitange@jambo. co.ke Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists. kictanet. or.ke>, "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya@ yahoogroups. com> Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 10:49 AM Bw PS, Once again allow me to say it is commendable to see you being 'responsive' online. On ICT development, I don't think what we are complaining of is 'inaction'; No. There are lots of good 'projects' happening. Our/My concern is that they are not coherent, or rather there is no overarching 'comprehensive' or 'integrated' plan portraying the 'bigger picture' than individual projects or initiatives do. Examples of African countries with such comprehensive Masterplans include Rwanda, Tunisia and Mozambique. If we have (such) a master plan, I am not aware, and I would be more than delighted to see it. Otherwise, good strategies like that for the BPO's, the E-Govt Strategy, etc, should only be sub-components of the 'Masterplan' . As for lacking entrepreneurs, am not sure I entirely agree, either. Once again allow me to contend that Kenya has got some of the most 'enterprising' human resources. What they lack are opportunities and an enabling environment. I know some strides have been made, but we still have a long way to go. Just for instance, Tanzania gives up to 15% advantage to local firms when they bid for Govt projects (or so am told). Unless Kenyan rules have changed, I don't think such a provision exists. But that's just one area for improving the environment. There are several others, some specific to ICT, others of a more general nature. Developing a 'Masterplan' would create an opportunity for sufficient engagement with diverse 'Stakeholders' (including 'Professionals' and 'Entrepreneurs' ) that would unearth more comprehensively areas of improvement that the ICT private sector requires to fly. Finally, I don't think Govt can run away from building, creating and utilizing capacity. Of course it doesn't do it alone; it does it in collaboration with other players. But it is incumbent, as a starting point, upon Govt to come up with a comprehensive 'Human Capacity Development and Utilization Plan'. And rumour has it one could be in the offing; if that is true, that would be great. If the rumour is not true, then something needs to be done about it. My 2 cents worth. Warmest rgrds, Shem --- On Wed, 6/11/08, bitange@jambo. co.ke <bitange@jambo. co.ke> wrote: From: bitange@jambo. co.ke <bitange@jambo. co.ke> Subject: Re: {Disarmed} [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: shemochuodho@ yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists. kictanet. or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 8:07 AM Dear Shem/Lucy, Reading the write up here, I concluded that you are really behind on what is happening in the ICT landscape that I cannot do justice by using a balckberry to respond. However, in summary there are focused strategies to grow our sector. 2006 a bpo strategy that has given rise to part of vision 2030. Aggressive ICT infrastructure development. Complete legal and regulatory framework that is waiting for Parliament to do their part. Centers of excellency to build capacity created. Many more projects being implemented by th ICT Board and yes there is a master plan. What we neen now are entrepreneurs. Although government can help build capacity, it cannot create them. This requires both role models and ability to take risk. We must also remove the negative attitude whereby we approach all issues from a negative angle. Asante. Ndemo Sent from my BlackBerry® Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@ yahoo.com> wrote: An edited version of the article below appeared in today's edition of the Standard.   Rgrds, Shem   ------ Where is the Voice of the Kenyan ICT Professional? -----   __._,_.___ Visit Your Group Yahoo! News Kevin Sites Get coverage of world crises. Get in Shape on Yahoo! Groups Find a buddy and lose weight. Learn to live a full life with these healthy living groups on Yahoo! . __,_._,___ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by Marilyn M. Kamuru 13 Jun '08

13 Jun '08

I would like to echo Marwanga's comments especially as regards government as a consumer of entrepreneurial services/products. I am particularly interested in government as a client of local entrepreneurs especially domestic BPO companies. Dr. Ndemo we really need a champion for entrepreneurs especially in the domestic BPO sector. There is urgent need for more action on the government front. As entrepreneurs we are not looking for hand outs, we need both an enabling environment as well as availability of local government work. Many of us in the domestic BPO sector have been trying to get ministries and govt. departments to outsource work e.g: back office processing, digitization, archiving or data storage (Sheria House couldn't use help?) and at every turn they create impediments to outsourcing these functions from confidentiality, to legal impediments (real and perceived). Many of these services are either not adequately performed in-house or not even performed at all. There have been few if any true local outsourcing opportunities available with the government. Sometimes, such as with the recent immigration registration tender the scope of work is so large that it becomes in essence an international opportunity, when in reality much of the ongoing work e.g. digitization or data conversion would be better suited to local companies. It would be helpful to know if, within the Goverment, there is an internal policy or preference for ongoing outsourcing BPO opportunities? And in addition providing guidance on what laws/regulations allow and prohibit govt. ministries/department to outsource. If not, perhaps this is something that Ministries would find helpful (not sure which office it would emanate from) since then Ministries would have some additional comfort that their decision to outsource BPO functions is not contrary to law and is consistent with the government's overall strategy in areas such as eGovernment as well as support of entrepreneurship. We really need the government to lead the way by opening itself up to the benefits of outsourcing utilizing local companies thereby sustaining entrepreneurship. Thanks, Marilyn

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