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Feedback on the 2016 ICT POLICY - REMINDER No. 7
by Ali Hussein 18 Jan '17

18 Jan '17

Bwana PS Kyalo The above refers. Could you kindly update us on the way forward regarding the 2016 ICT Policy? We would like to know how the community can help further and when the Policy will be become a 'live' document so we can be able to delve into it and extract the gems that lie therein. We would also like to know how the multi-stakeholder engagement benefited the development of the Policy, what was added, removed and the criteria used to do so. Of course we are also keen to see the final document. Thank you and looking forward to your response. Regards Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "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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WhatsApp doesn't have a backdoor. Discuss (20 marks)
by Paul Korir 17 Jan '17

17 Jan '17

https://whispersystems.org/blog/there-is-no-whatsapp-backdoor/ <https://whispersystems.org/blog/there-is-no-whatsapp-backdoor/> Dr. Paul Korir, PhD +44 7780 283 183 Ordnung muß sein

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ICANN Next-gen Call for Applications
by Bonface Witaba 17 Jan '17

17 Jan '17

Hello Listers, This may be of interest to some of you. https://www.icann.org/development-and-public-responsibility/nextgen Regards Bonface Witaba Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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Open Access Publications
by Phares Kariuki 16 Jan '17

16 Jan '17

http://www.nature.com/news/gates-foundation-research-can-t-be-published-in-… Interesting development -- Phares

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Re: [kictanet] CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of Online Comms
by Moses Karanja 15 Jan '17

15 Jan '17

Open Whispers response to The Guardian article, maintaining it is not a backdoor: The only question it might be reasonable to ask is whether these safety number change notifications should be "blocking" or "non-blocking." In other words, when a contact's key changes, should WhatsApp require the user to manually verify the new key before continuing, or should WhatsApp display an advisory notification and continue without blocking the user. https://whispersystems.org/blog/there-is-no-whatsapp-backdoor/ Moses On 13/01/2017 21:43, 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 > https://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. Re: (no subject) (McTim) > 2. Re: (no subject) (Keith Andere) > 3. Re: CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of > Online Comms (Mutemi wa Kiama) > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet -- Moses Karanja www.moseskaranja.com/blog

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Data Protection and Privacy: Kenya’s communications authority to monitor private talk and texts during poll
by June Tessy 14 Jan '17

14 Jan '17

Listers, And I quote, 'We have spent Sh1.1 billion on a spectrum monitoring system that will help us monitor unauthorised broadcasts coming from rural areas of the country," he said. "We have also spent around Sh600 million on a social media monitoring system and Sh400 million on a device management system that will help us closely monitor mobile phones and the activities around them," said Wangusi Read more at: < https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000229727/communications-authority…> as well as < http://www.techweez.com/2017/01/13/ca-social-media-monitoring-election-repo… > Kind Regards, June Tessy LinkedIn Profile <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/juneokal>

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KISERO: Kenya’s corruption tsars have perfected looting through Ifmis - Daily Nation
by Ali Hussein 14 Jan '17

14 Jan '17

Listers Related to to the discussion of 'reigning in' quacks in the ICT Sector how do you explain the fiasco that is IFMIS? Except from the article:- In theory, the Ifmis system we have is based on Oracle E-Business Suite, an accounting package developed by Oracle of the USA. In reality, what is in place is a product of conspiracies between crafty government officials and local rent-seeking software merchants. Through highly inflated and ill-conceived customisation and re-engineering projects, the merchants have colluded with public officials to create a mongrel of the original Oracle E-Business Suite. This is the system at the heart of corruption in the public sector. http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Kenya-corruption-tsars-have-perfected-… So if we were to talk this discussion a step further:- 1. The customization of an Oracle E-Business Suite cannot be done by a 'quack' who isn't a Certified Oracle Software Engineer. 2. The customization must be approved by the client and mapped with the business processes mutually agreed by the vendor and the customer. In this case the government. A pig is a pig even if you apply lipstick on it. Let's call this what it is - Corruption. Period. Perpetuated in this case by the client and using qualified IT Professionals. We in the industry must call out the ones who collude to fleece this country instead of chasing a red herring in the name of 'quacks'! Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "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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Re: [kictanet] Data Protection and Privacy: Kenya?s communications authority to monitor private talk and texts during poll
by Mark Kipyegon 14 Jan '17

14 Jan '17

In the context of Kenya's historical struggles with civil and press freedoms, proposing a surveillance state sounds like a bad idea. On 13 Jan 2017, at 21:55, K Machuhi via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Putting Mbwa Kali (fierce dog) on the gate does not mean there is any dog. But you wouldn't take the risk. On the other hand, a careless tweet or post could light up damaging fires. I am all for CA to put deterrence measures against incitement and fake news.

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(no subject)
by Paul Korir 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

If my understanding is correct no one should be able to snoop on WhatsApp (end-to-end encryption). With kind regards, Paul K Korir, PhD Ordnung muß sein > On 13 Jan 2017, at 18:49, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > > Re: [kictanet] Data Protection and Privacy: Kenya?s > communications authority to monitor private talk and texts during poll

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CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of Online Comms
by Nanjira Sambuli 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

I have serialised the interesting developments on the matter here: https://twitter.com/ninanjira/status/819809470544953344 <https://twitter.com/ninanjira/status/819809470544953344> Interesting to note the amount of money invested in ‘online monitoring’ systems. PS: Even WhatsApp isn’t the safe haven we imagined it to be! Regards, Nanjira www.nanjira.com <http://www.nanjira.com/>

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Re: [kictanet] CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of Online Comms
by Moses Karanja 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

Security is not an absolute. No tool will give you that. However, what the security community considers a threshold for any product is transparency and disclosure of vulnerabilities. This allows an iterated security path. What worries me about today's Guardian article on WhatsApp is not that there is a crypto blindspot but that the security researcher claims to have informed WhatsApp security team back in April 2016 (responsible disclosure) but the parent company, Facebook, did not consider patching it a priority: "Boelter reported the backdoor vulnerability to Facebook in April 2016, but was told that Facebook was aware of the issue, that it was “expected behaviour” and wasn’t being actively worked on. The Guardian has verified the backdoor still exists." That is my real concern. On 13/01/2017 19:00, 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 > https://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. Re: CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of > Online Comms (Nanjira Sambuli) > 2. Re: CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of > Online Comms (Keith Andere) > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet -- Moses Karanja www.moseskaranja.com/blog

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Re: [kictanet] CA Speaks to Internet Shutdowns and "Monitoring" of Online Comms
by Keith Andere 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

Alex, Its actually possible to snoop past the encrypted whatsapp messages. Please read below. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-backdoor-allows… Regards, Keith @AndereKE Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. On 13 Jan 2017 6:36 pm, "alex watila via kictanet" < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: WhatsApp has end to end encryption. how will they Access the communication? On 13 Jan 2017 16:36, Nanjira Sambuli via kictanet < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: I have serialised the interesting developments on the matter here: https://twitter.com/ninanjira/status/819809470544953344 <https://twitter.com/ninanjira/status/819809470544953344> Interesting to note the amount of money invested in ‘online monitoring’ systems. PS: Even WhatsApp isn’t the safe haven we imagined it to be! Regards, Nanjira www.nanjira.com <http://www.nanjira.com/> _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/options/kictanet/kephand%40gmail.com 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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Kenya’s communications authority to monitor private talk and texts during poll
by Grace Githaiga 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

Kenya’s communications authority to monitor private talk and texts during poll Read more at: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000229727/communications-authority… Best regards Githaiga, Grace

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When China Calls In Its Debts (Forbes Article)...
by Michael Bullut 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

Greetings Team, Will this be the fate of some our infrastructure projects? Here's the *article.* <http://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2016/07/31/china-to-sri-lanka-we-wa…> Warm regards, Michael Bullut. --- *Cell:* *+254 723 393 114.**Skype Name:* *Michael Bullut.* *Twitter:* * @Kipsang <http://twitter.com/Kipsang/>* *Blog: http://www.kipsang.com/ <http://www.kipsang.com/>* *E-mail:* *main(a)kipsang.com <main(a)kipsang.com>* *---*

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KENYA POWER'S HUGE APPETITE FOR DEBT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER
by Ali Hussein 12 Jan '17

12 Jan '17

Listers My attention has been drawn to this article in today's nation. I will not dwell on the financial side of this story at the risk of boring people on this list. My attention was rather drawn to a part of the story which has interesting implications on the National Broadband Strategy which was launched a few years ago with much fanfare during Hon. Matiangi's tenure. To quote the article:- *The question is pertinent because I just recently came across a copy of a memorandum of understanding between the Chinese company ZTE and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum which the parties have signed to finance and build a national grid fibre access on Kenya Power’s transmission and distribution network.* Kenya Power's fibre ambitions <http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Kenya-Power-s-huge-appetite-for-debt-i…> I'm curious. 1. Does this new network compliment the NOFBI? 2. What is the business plan for this new network? 3. Does anyone have any details on this project? 4. Is the MOICT coordinating this with the Energy Ministry? Regards *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.

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Fwd: [AFRI-Discuss] Welcome to ICANN At-Large! Kenyan ICT Action Network
by Alice Munyua 11 Jan '17

11 Jan '17

Congratulations! Begin forwarded message: > From: ICANN At-Large Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> > Date: 10 January 2017 at 06:52:11 EAT > To: "lizorembo(a)kictanet.or.ke" <lizorembo(a)kictanet.or.ke>, "lordmwesh(a)gmail.com" <lordmwesh(a)gmail.com> > Cc: Afri-Discuss <afri-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org>, "alac-internal(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org" <alac-internal(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org> > Subject: [AFRI-Discuss] Welcome to ICANN At-Large! Kenyan ICT Action Network > > Dear Liz and Mwendwa, > > ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is pleased to inform you that has been certified as an At-Large Structure (ALS). The ALAC greatly appreciates your group's interest in involving individual users in Kenyan ICT Action Network and ICANN and looks forward to working with you and your colleagues. > > The ALAC is eager to promote a productive working relationship between your organization, other ALSes, and the ALAC (and ICANN in general), and your input on how we can make this a success would be greatly appreciated. > > It¹s very important to keep the members of your organization informed (about significant news from ICANN and information on ICANN policy-development efforts) and engaged in activities of interest. Here are a few of the tools members of At-Large find useful: > > The At-Large wiki space is where you can find most of the relevant information: > > The At-Large introductory page help you navigate through the wiki contents. This is where you can find the latest announcements, and subscribe to the At-Large Google calendar at the bottom of the page. This will ensure you never miss a meeting! > > From any chosen page in the At-Large wiki, you can find your bearings easily by navigating via the purple box at the top left hand corner of the page. It is very convenient to be able to consult the latest At-Large Policy Development Activity , find out more about the Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs), and about At-Large Working Groups . For the most up to date information about At-Large meetings during ICANN Public meetings, it is worth bookmarking this wiki page! > > Regional wiki webpages also have been created to distribute information (including in local languages) on activities, events and issues of particular interest to people in each region. These are maintained by the community. They are: > > African Region: http://www.afralo.org > Asia/Australia/Pacific Region: http://www.apralo.org > European Region: http://www.euralo.org > Latin America/Caribbean Region: http://www.lacralo.org > North American Region: http://www.naralo.org > > At-Large Mailing Lists. There are many At-Large email lists, for each region, you can sign up to them and manage your subscriptions at: > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo . The primary and secondary points of contact you have identified in the application form will automatically be added to your region's list just for accredited ALSes to discuss regional issues and to the mailing list for Staff announcements > (only Staff can post messages to that list); you are invited to join others as you wish. > > ALAC website. The ALAC website is a good source for ICANN news and information of interest to individual Internet users. We encourage you to provide your members with a link. The ALAC relies on volunteers to translate information into multiple languages. Translations of documents on the website are welcome and should be sent to At-Large staff. > > ICANN website: The ICANN website is where all announcements are posted, and where you can find practical information about ICANN Public meetings . > > Skype chat: At-Large community members and staff use Skype group chats extensively. A group chat exists for most Working Groups and RALOs. So please don¹t hesitate to send At-Large Staff your Skype ID and we¹ll gladly add you to the relevant chats. Please click here if you don¹t have a Skype account. It¹s free and staff are available to help if you run into any trouble. > > Facebook: The At-Large community has its own Facebook page . It¹s useful to keep up with announcements and helpful information > > Twitter: Members of At-Large tweet extensively and are particularly active during ICANN Public meetings. Follow At-Large on Twitter ! > > We will forward the At-Large Beginners’ guide shortly, as it is in the process of being updated. In the meantime, please refer to [any recent recording of a welcome event] . You may also like to refer to (RALO Outreach Strategic Plan] for further engagement opportunities. > > We look forward to working with you and your organization's members to advance individual Internet users' interests within ICANN. If you have any questions, or need additional information, please contact us at staff(a)atlarge.icann.org. > > Sincerely, > > The At-Large Advisory Committee > > http://www.atlarge.icann.org > staff(a)atlarge.icann.org > > > _______________________________________________ > AFRI-Discuss mailing list > AFRI-Discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/afri-discuss > > Homepage for the region: http://www.afralo.org > > Posting guidelines to ensure machine translations of emails sent to this list are more accurate: http://www.funredes.org/mistica/english/emec/method_emec/presentation.html#…

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Re: [kictanet] Africa Internet Summit and Africa Network Operators Group 21 May - 2 June 2017 , Nairobi Kenya - Reminder Register
by Barrack Otieno 11 Jan '17

11 Jan '17

Listers, Please find below the Announcement for AfNOG 2017 to be held in Nairobi - KENYA, from 21st May - 2 June 2017. Africa Top Level Domains Organization will organize a train the trainers Programme for ccTLD operators during the summit. In conjunction with the local registry and other stakeholders we will also have special sessions for registrars and resellers to build their capacity in the Domain Name Business. Please note Deadline for receipt of Applications is 21 January, 2017. Register as soon as possible Best Regards Barrack Otieno AFTLD Secretariat AIS 2017 - AfNOG ANNOUNCEMENT - ENGLISH Africa Internet Summit (AIS) : Workshop & Meetings 21st May – 2nd June 2017 Africa Internet Summit (AIS) Secretariat announces AfNOG’s program at The Africa Internet Summit scheduled to be held in Nairobi, KENYA from 21st May to 2nd June 2017. AIS is the pinnacle multi-stakeholder event combining, workshops, conferences and networking for the internet Industry. The annual summit attracts internationally renowned Instructors, Experts and Speakers to share the latest innovations and Best practices in the Internet industry. This is the place where the African Technical Institutions and Af* such as AfNOG, AFRINIC, AfREN, AfricaCERT, AfTLD , ISOC Africa, AfrICANN, AfGWG etc meet. Meeting the needs of the Africa Internet Community AIS aims at meeting the ever-changing needs of the ICT Industry and includes the core IP Engineering as well as integrating the real world use and impact of IP Technologies. Sessions include technical and business aspects of the Internet : ie Capacity Building, Infrastructure, Security, Policy, Content & Names, Internet Numbers and Research. About the Entire Event Event Calendar include the following: AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology (offering advanced training in a week-long hands-on workshop) Several one /two full-day Advanced AfNOG Tutorials AfricaCERT Workshop & Forums AFRINIC Trainings AfREN Forum AfTLD – Train the Trainers Workshop and Member Meeting ISOC Africa Sessions ICANN Africa Day A one-day AfNOG Plenary Session A three-day AFRINIC Plenary Session. In addition, several side meetings and workshops were hosted in collaboration with other organizations. Who Attends? A broad range of ICT Industry leaders and technical experts including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Network Engineers who wish to acquire the necessary skills in ICT, Government, Regulators, Telecommunication companies and ICT vendors. It is a good opportunity for networking among peers and businesses. Why Attend? The AIS addresses the current and future needs of operators in the ICT Industry It is focused on popular and emerging ICT Industries such as Cyber Security, Mobile Networking among other. It features discussions on a wide range of issues of the Internet including the current and newest trends in ICT. Industry experts will be participating in conference sessions from thought-provoking and visionary keynote presentations to interactive panel sessions, all addressing the most pressing topics Local Host The Local Hosts for the Event are TESPOK Venue & Hotel This will be announced soon. Time Table Workshop & Tutorials Event Date(s) Unix Boot Camp 21 May 2017 (Sunday) Networking Boot Camp 21 May 2017 (Sunday) AfNOG Workshop 22 - 26 May 2017 (Monday - Friday) AfricaCERT Workshop 22 - 26 May 2017 (Monday - Friday) AfTLD - Train the Trainers Workshop and Members Meeting 22 - 26 May 2017 (Monday - Friday) AFRINIC Trainings 27 - 29 May 2017 (Saturday - Monday) AfNOG Tutorials 28 - 29 May 2017 (Sunday - Monday) ISOC Africa Sessions 28 May 2017 (Sunday) Conference Event Date(s) Opening Session 29 May 2017 (Monday at 5 pm) AfREN Meeting / AAF 29 May 2017 (Monday) AfNOG-18 Conference 30 May 2017 (Tuesday) AFRINIC-26 Conference 31 May - 2 June, 2017 (Wednesday - Friday) About AfNOG AfNOG (See http://www.afnog.org/) is a forum for cooperation and the exchange of technical information between operators of Internet-connected networks in Africa. AfNOG aims at building a community of engineers helping each other operate Internet Infrastructure in Africa, and on the Global Internet as well as promote the discussion of issues relating to implementation of new networks that require community cooperation. AfNOG has since year 2000 organized their annual Event in a different African country each year. “While AfNOG fuels the rapid growth of the Internet in Africa with trained technical capacity, our content has been determined by the needs of the community. In so doing AfNOG’s output training capacity has multiplied in the past decade and the community flourished” AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology The AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology aims to offer advanced training to people who are in the process of developing and enhancing an Internet-connected network with regional and international connectivity. The target audience includes senior and mid-level technical staff of commercial Internet service providers (ISPs), academic networks, government networks, or NGO networks. This workshop builds on the experience of previous AfNOG workshops held annually from 2000 to 2016 in seventeen different African countries, and also the Internet Society's INET workshops, held annually from 1993 to 2000 at eight locations around the world. The workshop's Instructors are an international team with many years of experience in operating large networks and teaching about network operations. The workshop is divided into six parallel tracks: ( 5 English & 1 French Tracks) SS-E Scalable Internet Services (in English), focused on the design and operation of email, web, and other Internet services, in ways that can scale to handle large numbers of end users. SI-E - Scalable Network Infrastructure (in English), focused on the design and operation of networks using routers and switches, in ways that can scale to handle large numbers of interconnected sites. NM – E, Network Monitoring & Management (English) NM-F, Network Monitoring & Management (en francais), similar to track NM-E, but given in French. AR –E, Advanced Routing Techniques (English) CT- E, CERT Training (English) Workshop application information is at : English: http://www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_en.php French: http://www.afnog.org/applications/online_application_fr.php **Workshop Deadline – January 21, 2017 ** About AFRINIC AFRINIC (See http://www.afrinic.net/) AFRINIC has been set up to serve the African community by providing professional and efficient management of Internet Number Resources, supporting Internet technology usage and development, and promoting a participative and multi-stakeholder approach to Internet self governance. AFRINIC is a non-government, not-for-profit, membership based organization, based in Mauritius. Trainings and capacity building are a central part of AFRINIC’s activities and our objective is to build competence within our region in IPv6 implementation and associated technologies required to use our resources effectively and to increase awareness within the service region on how Internet is governed and the roles organisations have in this environment. AFRINIC organizes two Public Policy meetings every year (see http://www.afrinic.net/meeting) AfricaCERT AfricaCERT will hold a 6 day Workshop & Tutorial on CERT from 22nd – 27th May 2017 in Kenya. AfricaCERT is the African forum of computer incident response teams, and aims to propose solutions to Challenges for a better health in the Af* Internet Ecosystem. The objectives of AfricaCERT include, but are not restricted to : Assisting African countries in establishing CSIRTs; Strengthening the relationships amongst CSIRTs in Africa and with other stakeholders all over the World; Fostering and supporting education and outreach programs in ICT Security; Encouraging information sharing in ICT Security; Promoting good practices and experiences sharing among members to develop a comprehensive framework for cybersecurity including better addressing of legal and regulatory issues; Assisting African CSIRTS in improving Cyber readiness and enhancing the resilience of ICT Infrastructure; Promoting Collaborative Technology Research, Development and Innovation in the ICT security field. Please visit www.africacert.org for further information. AfTLD – Train the Trainers Course and Members Meeting www.aftld.org Africa Top Level Domains Organization will be conducting a a train the trainers workshop as well as have its members meetinh from 22nd to 26th May 2017. ISOC AFRICA ISOC Africa will be holding sessions/tutorials on Internet Governance, etc. on 28th May 2017. Further information will be provided shortly. AfNOG Tutorials AfNOG will offer 1 to 2 full-day(s) tutorials on advanced topics. Tutorials take place in a classroom-style environment, and may include a hands-on practical component. Tutorials are non-commercial in nature, and most are technically oriented. They are intended to offer advanced training on technology already deployed or soon to be deployed on networking and related services provisioning for ISP operations. Additional information about AfNOG 2017 Tutorials will be available here shortly: http://www.afnog.org/afnog2017/tutorial/ AfREN The Africa Research and Education Networking (AfREN) will be holding a one day meeting on 29th May 2017. AfREN is the annual forum on African research and education networking. As one of the Af* organizations, the AfREN forum is part of the annual Africa Internet Summit (AIS) and was convened since 2007 by the Research and Education Networking Unit (RENU) of the Association of African Universities in collaboration with AfNOG & AFRINIC. The forum is a platform for discussions on issues of interest to the research and education networking (REN) community such as collaboration, advocacy and coordination of activities in Africa. Sharing of experience and best practices as well as presentation of innovative networking technologies are also regularly addressed at AfREN. The sponsorship of campus network managers to attend the annual AfNOG training workshops has also become an integral part of AfREN. Since 2012, with the formation of regional RENs covering all the countries of Africa, there is a traditional session on updates from the UbuntuNet Alliance (Eastern and Southern Africa), WACREN (West and Central Africa) and ASREN (Arab countries, including North Africa). Typical AfREN participants include among others, campus and research and education network practitioners, REN operators, telecom operators, regulators, policy makers and international partners. Additional information on AfREN 2017 will be provided shortly. AfNOG-18 Meeting The 17th AfNOG meeting will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on 30th May 2017. AfNOG conferences provide a forum for the coordination and dissemination of technical information related to backbone/enterprise networking technologies and operational practices. The meetings are informal, with an emphasis on relevance to current and future African backbone engineering practices. The AfNOG 2017 conference in Tunisia drew over 500 participants, mainly consisting of network engineering staff from lnternet Service providers, Telecommunication Companies, Government, Research and Education community, Civil Society. Additional information and the Conference schedule will be available here shortly: http://www.afnog.org/afnog2017/conference/ AFRINIC-26 Public Policy Meeting The AFRINIC-24 Public Policy meeting will be held in Nairobi, Kenya for three days from 31st to 2nd June, 2017. AFRINIC Meetings are open to everyone and provide an excellent opportunity to take part in Internet policy discussions. These policies, which describe how Internet Number Resources should be managed and distributed, are developed by the community. The meeting will include tutorials, presentations, update on the various working groups and the AFRINIC Public Policy Meeting. The three day meeting will be preceded by a two-day IPv6 training and one day training in Internet Number Resource Management. The meeting will focus on the IPv6 protocol and its deployment, especially in Africa and the issue of the exhaustion of the IPv4 pool of address space. Further information will be available at http://www.afrinic.net/en/community/afrinic-events. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Enforcing the Right to Info Law through Tech
by Nanjira Sambuli 11 Jan '17

11 Jan '17

Here’s how Article19 East Africa and mySociety envision such to work in Kenya: https://www.mysociety.org/2017/01/09/why-we-believe-a-digital-foi-tool-can-… <https://www.mysociety.org/2017/01/09/why-we-believe-a-digital-foi-tool-can-…> Regards, Nanjira

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An interesting blockchain development
by Tony White 10 Jan '17

10 Jan '17

This is an interesting development, which they say will be open-sourced at some stage. http://www.coindesk.com/swedens-blockchain-land-registry-begin-testing-marc… "A public-private effort in Sweden to record land titles on a blockchain is set to begin public testing this March." Cheers, Tony -- Tony White

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Fwd: 10 Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017
by Barrack Otieno 10 Jan '17

10 Jan '17

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Eric Mugendi - iAfrikan.com" <newsletter(a)iafrikan.com> Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2017 19:56:53 +0000 Subject: 10 Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017 To: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com View the iAfrikan Weekly Digest in your browser (http://www.iafrikan.com/iafrikan-weekly-digest-edition-142-9-january-2017-t…) http://www.iafrikan.com/2014/05/14/convergence-partners-brandon-doyle/ Edition 142 Monday, 09 January 2017 >From the Editor-at-Large Ngithemba ukuthi ningene kahle kunyaka omusha Afrika! (https://whitezulu.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/uncibijane/) 2016 was a pretty big year for tech in Afrika, and we covered a lot of the goings on on the continent- the ups and downs, openings and closings, starts and ends. We had a look back at some of our biggest stories (http://www.iafrikan.com/iafrikan-weekly-digest-edition-141-most-popular-art…) as read by you, as well as our writers' picks (http://www.iafrikan.com/iafrikan-weekly-digest-edition-140-19-december-2016…) . As we start the new year, there are a number of things we are looking forward to. First of all, 2017 will see elections in a number of countries. Tech powerhouses Kenya and Rwanda will have elections in August, and we are keen to see how tech will be applied in those polls, especially given developments elsewhere on the continent in the past year. We are also likely to see the growing adoption of the blockchain, as the technology gets increasingly divorced from bitcoin and finds applications in smart contracts, digital identity management and distributed cloud storage. 2017 will also likely see the growing adoption of drones and other means to overcome the continent's logistical challenges, the continued emergence of African fintech startups, We're also going to have the Annual African Roundup later in January, where we look back at the year that was, and chart our way forward into the future of tech on the continent. What do you think the (near) future holds for African tech? What are you looking forward to? What would you like to see more of in 2017? Talk to us at newsletter(a)iafrikan.com (mailto:[email protected]?subject=What%20I%27m%20looking%20forward%20to%20in%202017) Eric Mugendi // Editor-at-Large ** Ten Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------ Here's a brief list of the things we are looking forward to in 2017: Our Annual Tech Round-Up Yup. What better way to start things off than by looking back at how far we've come over the past year? We will be having the iAfrikan Annual Roundup on January 26 at Metta's flagship new space in Nairobi (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/05/metta-nairobis-flagship-space-for-entrep…) . On the agenda is a series of panel discussions covering topics such as tech education, journalism, policy and governance, and startups. (More details to follow this week) Bitcoin and Blockchain With bitcoin closing 2016 at US$1000, the cryptocurrency has found adopters in the midst of cash crises in India and Venezuela. Blockchain, which is the ledger system that powers bitcoin, shows promise, especially for smart contracts and record-keeping. We are likely to see innovative uses of these technologies in the coming year. South Africa's Reserve Bank shared a smart contract (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/11/02/south-african-reserve-bank-circulates-fi…) on the Ethereum blockchain, and Senegal launched a bitcoin-based digital currency (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/11/24/senegal-to-introduce-a-new-blockchain-ba…) , and we are likely to see similar moves in 2017 as the technology becomes more mainstream. Drones One of the biggest challenges in getting things safely and quickly from one point to another on the continent is the lack of supporting infrastructure - transport links in the form of roads and railways. In 2016, we saw the application of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to deliver medical supplies and other small packages in Rwanda (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/16/rwandas-pioneering-drone-delivery-servic…) and Madagascar (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/31/with-7-out-of-10-residents-living-in-rem…) , and the establishment of a humanitarian air corridor dedicated to drones (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/16/the-worlds-first-dedicated-humanitarian-…) in Malawi. We are likely to see further trials with this technology in 2017, accompanied by increased investment in supporting infrastructure as one way of overcoming these challenges. Elections There will be a number of polls in the coming year, among them Angola's legislative election, Kenya's general election and Rwanda's presidential election, all in August. The past year saw election-related internet shutdowns in Uganda and The Gambia (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/01/gambia-becomes-the-latest-afrikan-countr…) , and already there has been much discussion (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/03/making-sense-of-kenyas-digital-election-…) over plans to introduce a manual backup for the technology that will be used to run Kenya's poll. Ghana's 2016 general election (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/12/14/ghanas-peaceful-and-digital-elections/) was significant because it saw the successful use of technology to transmit results. The Electoral Commission even developed an app for this, making the results instantly available as soon as they were published. The coming year is likely to see a repeat of these paradoxes - the blocking of internet access, and the use of technology to transmit results after polls are done. Fintech The African financial technology space saw much promise in 2016, with a number of high-profile fundraising rounds by startups such as Paystack (https://techpoint.ng/2016/12/19/paystack-raises-1-3m-seed-investment/) and BitPesa (http://disrupt-africa.com/2016/03/kenyas-bitcoin-startup-bitpesa-raises-fun…) . Going into 2017, we are likely to see more funding going into the sector, as investors put money into startups fixing up the payments ecosystem. Governance and Technology As e-government initiatives take hold in Africa, an increasing number of essential services are being delivered online. We're keeping an eye on these, and the difference they are making in our everyday lives. One place where they can make a difference is in easing the interaction between citizens and their governments (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/03/lessons-from-tanzanias-digitization-of-p…) , making it easier to access services such as registration of businesses, acquiring essential documents, and keeping the authorities accountable. Hubs A report published in 2016 stated that the number of tech hubs in Africa had doubled (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/08/19/did-afrikas-tech-hubs-really-double-in-n…) , and we asked if this was really the case. There have been a number of closures as some hubs found it hard to keep up with the 'everything is free' model, and the lack of proper growth models has brought this statistic into question. Going forward, we are seeing spaces like Nairobi's iHub adopt a more commercial approach in order to stay open and provide a much-needed service to the tech ecosystem. 2017 will likely see more spaces adopt this commercial approach, as funding patterns change and startups have to work harder to earn their keep. Information Security One of our biggest stories last year was about a breach (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/19/a-burundian-hacker-was-able-to-get-the-d…) in (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/19/a-burundian-hacker-was-able-to-get-the-d…) a bank's security (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/19/a-burundian-hacker-was-able-to-get-the-d…) that exposed customer data. As more and more of our information finds its way online, we are seeing instances of data loss and other similar breaches. It is clear that we need to take information security much more seriously in 2017. Mobile More Africans are using mobile phones now than ever before, and innovators are finding new and innovative ways to use the technology, from virtual post office boxes (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/07/18/you-can-now-use-your-mobile-phone-number…) in Kenya to hyperlocal weather forecasts (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/07/25/this-hyperlocal-weather-forecast-service…) for farmers in West Africa and more. 2017 will likely see more innovations along this line, with the technology expected to further change how we consume news, information and entertainment content. Mobile tech continues to make an impact on the lives of Africans everywhere, and 2017 will likely see the trend continue. Startups On a panel discussion at the Kenya round of the Seedstars World startup competition, I hosted a panel discussion on the future of African startups (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/17/seedstars-nairobi-panel/) . One of the talking points was where startups could most likely thrive, and the main areas where this could happen are in agriculture, energy, technology and logistics, where significant gaps exist that tech could potentially solve. Going forward, a number of startups are trying to solve these problems, which we have featured at some length. As we meet and talk to these startups, one thing is clear, despite the challenges that keep getting in their way, they are determined to solve some of the continent's most pervasive problems, be it a need for creativity and innovation (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/11/14/meet-jean-claude-bastos-de-morais-whose-…) , collaborative brilliance (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/10/31/meet-takunda-chingonzoh-whose-belief-in-…) , or opportunities to showcase their work (http://www.iafrikan.com/2016/07/03/innovations-made-by-africans-for-african…) . We're looking forward to finding and talking about more innovations and startups in 2017. ** News ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/09/no-more-fake-news-to-sway-your-views-as-… * Nokia Is Back In The Smartphone Business, With A 5.5 Inch Device Running Android 7 Nougat (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/08/nokia-is-back-officially-unveil-the-noki…) * Some Of The Most Exciting Announcements From CES 2017 So Far (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/05/some-of-the-most-exciting-announcements-…) * After A Successful Launch In Rwanda, Zipline's Drones Will Now Trial Medical Deliveries In Tanzania (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/06/after-a-successful-launch-in-rwanda-zipl…) * Kenya's Internet Is Largely Free From Censorship, A Five-Month Study On Access And Online Activity Has Shown (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/04/kenyas-internet-is-largely-free-from-cen…) * SEACOM's Internet Insights Reveal That Video Dominates Data Traffic In South Africa (http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/01/05/video-dominates-data-traffic-volumes-in-…) Tweet - This Week's iAfrikan Weekly Digest Edition 142 by Eric Mugendi - "🔟 Things We're Looking Forward To In 2017 (https://twitter.com/home?status=This%20week%27s%20iAfrikan%20Weekly%20Diges…) http://www.twitter.com/iafrikan http://www.iafrikan.com https://www.facebook.com/iafrikan http://instagram.com/iafrikan ============================================================ Copyright © 2017 iAfrikan Digital (Pty) Ltd, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail as you had previously indicated interest in Technology in Africa related matters. Our mailing address is: iAfrikan Digital (Pty) Ltd 4th Floor, The Main Change 20 Kruger Street, Maboneng Johannesburg, Gauteng 2000 South Africa Want to change how you receive these emails? You can ** update your preferences (http://iafrikan.us5.list-manage.com/profile?u=b5c77b5d9fe8557cd2e26f469&id=…) or ** unsubscribe from this list (http://iafrikan.us5.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=b5c77b5d9fe8557cd2e26f46…) Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm… -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Re: [kictanet] kictanet ICANN ALS
by Bonface Witaba 10 Jan '17

10 Jan '17

Happy New Year Listers, Congratulations KICTANET team on this great achievement. Kind regards Bonface Witaba Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Tue, 10 Jan, 2017 at 10:50, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke<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 https://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. Re: Fwd: [AFRI-Discuss] Welcome to ICANN At-Large! Kenyan ICT Action Network (Barrack Otieno) 2. Re: KISERO: Kenya?s corruption tsars have perfected looting through Ifmis - Daily Nation (Odhiambo Washington) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2017 10:08:18 +0300 From: Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com> To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: [AFRI-Discuss] Welcome to ICANN At-Large! Kenyan ICT Action Network Message-ID: <CAKX6dsGF0+bHDTYx7M71j4JrR0SVG_nowGzD3Qt9TJSCFnnhLg(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Congratulations KictaNET? On Jan 10, 2017 9:24 AM, "Alice Munyua via kictanet" < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Congratulations! > > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From:* ICANN At-Large Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> > *Date:* 10 January 2017 at 06:52:11 EAT > *To:* "lizorembo(a)kictanet.or.ke" <lizorembo(a)kictanet.or.ke>, " > lordmwesh(a)gmail.com" <lordmwesh(a)gmail.com> > *Cc:* Afri-Discuss <afri-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org>, " > alac-internal(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org" <alac-internal@atlarge-lists. > icann.org> > *Subject:* *[AFRI-Discuss] Welcome to ICANN At-Large! Kenyan ICT Action > Network* > > Dear Liz and Mwendwa, > > > > ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is pleased to inform you that > has been certified as an At-Large Structure (ALS). The ALAC greatly > appreciates your group's interest in involving individual users in Kenyan > ICT Action Network and ICANN and looks forward to working with you and your > colleagues. > > > > The ALAC is eager to promote a productive working relationship between > your organization, other ALSes, and the ALAC (and ICANN in general), and > your input on how we can make this a success would be greatly appreciated. > > > > It?s very important to keep the members of your organization informed > (about significant news from ICANN and information on ICANN > policy-development efforts) and engaged in activities of interest. Here are > a few of the tools members of At-Large find useful: > > > > The At-Large wiki space is where you can find most of the relevant > information: > > > > The At-Large introductory page > <https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=2265510> help > you navigate through the wiki contents. This is where you can find the > latest announcements, and subscribe to the At-Large Google calendar > <https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/Calendar> at the bottom of > the page. This will ensure you never miss a meeting! > > > > From any chosen page in the At-Large wiki, you can find your bearings > easily by navigating via the purple box at the top left hand corner of the > page. It is very convenient to be able to consult the latest At-Large > Policy Development Activity <https://community.icann.org/x/bwFO> , find > out more about the Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs) > <https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/Regional+At-Large+Organisations>, > and about At-Large Working Groups > <https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/At-Large+Working+Groups> . For > the most up to date information about At-Large meetings during ICANN Public > meetings, it is worth bookmarking this wiki page > <https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/ICANN+Meetings>! > > > > *Regional wiki webpages* also have been created to distribute information > (including in local languages) on activities, events and issues of > particular interest to people in each region. These are maintained by the > community. They are: > > > > African Region: http://www.afralo.org > > Asia/Australia/Pacific Region: http://www.apralo.org > > European Region: http://www.euralo.org > > Latin America/Caribbean Region: http://www.lacralo.org > > North American Region: http://www.naralo.org > > > > *At-Large Mailing Lists.* There are many At-Large email lists, for each > region, you can sign up to them and manage your subscriptions at: > > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo . The primary and > secondary points of contact you have identified in the application form > will automatically be added to your region's list just for accredited ALSes > to discuss regional issues and to the mailing list for Staff announcements > > (only Staff can post messages to that list); you are invited to join > others as you wish. > > > > *ALAC website*. The ALAC website <http://www.atlarge.icann.org/> is a > good source for ICANN news and information of interest to individual > Internet users. We encourage you to provide your members with a link. The > ALAC relies on volunteers to translate information into multiple languages. > Translations of documents on the website are welcome and should be sent to > At-Large staff. <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> > > > > *ICANN website:* The ICANN website <https://www.icann.org/> is where all > announcements <https://www.icann.org/news> are posted, and where you can > find practical information about ICANN Public meetings > <http://meetings.icann.org/> . > > > > *Skype chat*: At-Large community members and staff use Skype group chats > extensively. A group chat exists for most Working Groups and RALOs. So > please don?t hesitate to send At-Large Staff your Skype ID and we?ll gladly > add you to the relevant chats. Please click here > <http://www.skype.com/en/> if you don?t have a Skype account. It?s free > and staff are available to help if you run into any trouble. > > > > *Facebook*: The At-Large community has its own Facebook page > <https://www.facebook.com/icann.atlarge?fref=ts> . It?s useful to keep up > with announcements and helpful information > > > > *Twitter*: Members of At-Large tweet extensively and are particularly > active during ICANN Public meetings. Follow At-Large on Twitter > <https://twitter.com/ICANNAtLarge?lang=fr%3E>* !* > > > > We will forward the At-Large Beginners? guide shortly, as it is in the > process of being updated. In the meantime, please refer to [any recent > recording of a welcome event] . You may also like to refer to (RALO > Outreach Strategic Plan] for further engagement opportunities. > > > > We look forward to working with you and your organization's members to > advance individual Internet users' interests within ICANN. If you have any > questions, or need additional information, please contact us at > staff(a)atlarge.icann.org. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > The At-Large Advisory Committee > > > > http://www.atlarge.icann.org > > staff(a)atlarge.icann.org > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > AFRI-Discuss mailing list > AFRI-Discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/afri-discuss > > Homepage for the region: http://www.afralo.org > > Posting guidelines to ensure machine translations of emails sent to this > list are more accurate: http://www.funredes.org/ > mistica/english/emec/method_emec/presentation.html#anexo1 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/otieno.barrack%40gmail.com > > 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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Internet or splinternet? - Al Jazeera English
by Ali Hussein 10 Jan '17

10 Jan '17

Listers An interesting piece on Internet Governance. Who owns the internet? The answer is no one and everyone. The internet is a network of networks. Each of the separate networks belongs to different companies and organisations, and they rely on physical servers in different countries with varying laws and regulations. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/08/internet-splinternet-16081… Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "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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Singapore eases obsession with exam grades
by Tony White 09 Jan '17

09 Jan '17

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but I don't know any other. Feel free to re-post elsewhere, perhaps more appropriate ;) http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-singapore-education-idUKKBN14S0XT "Singapore's global rankings in maths and science have made its schools the envy of the developed world, but a new push to drive grassroots innovation is prompting local teachers to do the previously unthinkable: go easier on the exams." Cheers, Tony -- Tony White

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State audit finds serious loopholes in Ifmis system
by S.M. Muraya 09 Jan '17

09 Jan '17

Would a Data Protection Act not cause public officials to focus more on digitizing + securing of digital systems? As it is now, decent IT professionals are given a very hard time when seeking to procure and secure automated processes. http://www.nation.co.ke/news/State-audit-finds-serious-loopholes-in-Ifmis-s… State audit finds serious loopholes in Ifmis system SUNDAY JANUARY 8 2017 - The audit report on the effectiveness of Ifmis reveals negligence on basic system security procedures and lack of data safeguards that makes the system easy to manipulate by fraudsters seeking to steal from the public purse. - Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said counties had been plunged into a financial crisis due to the hitch that affected payment of salaries and processing of urgent payments to suppliers and other service providers. - The Ifmis department cannot even monitor existence and sustenance of threats to Ifmis security. By EDWIN OKOTH More by this Author <http://www.nation.co.ke/authors/1959272-2557524-format-xhtml-view-asAuthor-…> The government’s main financial management system is marred by technology loopholes, making it prone to abuse and possible loss of public funds, an official audit has revealed. An inquiry report by the Auditor- General reveals that the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis) has numerous control weaknesses that badly expose it to fraud and misuse, with unidentified users capable of logging in remotely while others have multiple identities in the government’s main financial nerve centre. The audit report on the effectiveness of Ifmis that was released in November reveals negligence on basic system security procedures and lack of data safeguards that makes the system easy to manipulate by fraudsters seeking to steal from the public purse. “Good practice requires that passwords must be reset at least every 90 days. At the time of the audit, the configuration in Ifmis relating to password expiration indicated the expiry period is set to ‘none’, which means the passwords never expire. This is a potential loophole that can be exploited and hence lead to unauthorised persons gaining entry to sensitive government data as well as carrying out fraudulent activities,” Auditor-General Edward Ouko writes in the report. Ifmis — the nerve centre of finance that is meant to enhance efficiency in planning, budgeting, procurement, expenditure and reporting in the national and county governments — also runs on a poor network architecture badly impacting its up time and causing financial inconveniences. This is especially noted in counties where network downtime ranges anywhere between two and four days. Just last month, the system broke down, delaying payment and plunging thousands of public servants and suppliers into a crisis ahead of the Christmas holidays. Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya — who is the chairman of the Council of Governors (CoG) Finance, Planning and Economic Affairs Committee — said counties had been plunged into a financial crisis due to the hitch that affected payment of salaries and processing of urgent payments to suppliers and other service providers. CREATE MORE USER IDS “On behalf of the CoG, I regret to bring to the attention of the county government suppliers, staff and creditors the malfunction of the Ifmis used in processing payments across the counties,” he said. The audit points out that those behind the system, which relies heavily on the overall network infrastructure of the government, failed to study and establish the network specifications required to meet Ifmis standard operations before its launch hence the frequent failures. So exposed is the system that one can create more than one User ID. This can lead to misuse of such additional User ID freely in committing fraud. The audit reveals that almost 50 users had more than one User ID leaving little accountability on the users. The system also lacks a trackable approval process in the creation of new User IDs, meaning it is possible to create ghost IDs and carry out transactions including remotely without being noticed. In fact, a list of authorised personnel provided with remote access was not available for audit review meaning their identities remained anonymous. There was no practice of approving the remote login requests; which means even those not authorised would log in remotely. Remote transactions were largely blamed for the theft at the Ministry of Devolution which saw the loss of more than Sh1.6 billion in the infamous National Youth Service (NYS) scandal. Vendors were also duplicated in the system with a review of the supplier master data showing the existence of almost 50 cases of duplication of the same vendor, meaning the vendor may as well have been paid 50 times. “Presence of active duplicate supplier master records increases the possibility of potential duplicate payments, misuse of bank account information, reconciliation issues among others,” the audit states. Former NYS Director-General Adan Harakhe <http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Harakhe-Noor-to-face-charges-over-illegal-proc…>claimed his password was stolen and used in the fraudulent transactions. Entries were allegedly made into Ifmis using Mr Harakhe’s password and username, in which zeroes were added to figures, converting them into hundreds of millions of shillings. For instance, an audit of the cost of a road in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, by the Ministry of Public Works, indicated that it cost Sh78 million, but three companies owned by one of the key suspects, Ms Josephine Kabura, were paid Sh791 million, with investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) indicating zeroes were added to inflate the figures. EXPOSING FINANCIAL DATA The system, which cost the tax payer more Sh11 billion to set up and re-engineer, is left to run without security policies, standards and procedures covering various aspects of security control, badly exposing government financial data, the auditor found. This means the Ifmis department cannot even monitor existence and sustenance of threats to Ifmis security. The auditor also found that the data transmitted through the system in plain text without encryption was largely compromised and prone to interception and security breach. Basic quality assurance such as the hardware acquisition was not verified with end user equipment such as personal computers, printers, flatbed scanners and uninterrupted power supply units procured without need assessment and analysis substantiating the hardware configuration required to support the system. Other basics, including the physical security practices at the data centre, were neglected with malfunctional CCTV cameras, untested smoke detectors and fire suppression systems (for two years) and no maintenance contract for the data centre equipment had been renewed. This means there would not be an assured prompt maintenance should the system develop hitches. One of the two available UPS systems was not in working condition while the computers were left prone to virus attacks, the auditor states. “There was no evidence for regular anti-virus installation and regular signature updates. In the absence of an effective anti-virus management, the servers, PCs, laptops, computer networks and other technology equipment were at the risk of virus attack,” the auditor pointed out, exposing deep negligence on the country’s core financial management tool. POOR BACK-UP SYSTEMS The data stored in the system had poor back-up systems threatening to throw government financial processes into disarray should any disruptive events strike. It was found that the government did not have a business continuity plan and a disaster recovery plan in place. For a sensitive system like Ifmis, there was no disaster recovery site in operation while Business Continuity Plans or Disaster Recovery drills were not carried out. A dedicated emergency response team in the event of disaster was yet to be identified, according to the auditor. Another serious security breach was found in the Assets Register. It only had listed servers, desktops, laptops and network equipment (routers, switches, modems). “However, important information regarding IT assets such as asset ID, location of the asset, the person to whom the asset is allocated and warranty period particulars were not recorded. Also, details on software and hardware licences were not captured in the asset register for tracking and control purposes. In the absence of a formal accounting of software installations, unauthorised installations and use may go unnoticed,” the auditor writes. A poor assets register means one could easily install another equipment and take away crucial data for a long time without being noticed, an indication of how badly the system is exposed to fraud. Ifmis, whose conception started in 1998, was expected to have different modules comprising accounting, revenue management and asset management, among others, developed as well as the establishment of interfaces with the Central Bank of Kenya payment information system, Kenya Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Labour for the payroll and human resource management modules. The entire network is managed by three entities – two being government departments and a third party entity. Ifmis department provides and manages the network connectivity within the Treasury premises. The network infrastructure from Treasury (data centre) to various ministries, departments and agencies is managed by Government Information Technology Services/Information and Communication Technology Authority, through the infrastructure provided under the Government Communication Core Network. Further, network is extended to all 47 counties by Telkom Kenya who manages the end user connectivity through wireless connectivity.

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Re: [kictanet] Your phone landing in the wrong hands could get you six months in jail
by Victor Kapiyo 06 Jan '17

06 Jan '17

Whereas users are not blameless for non-registration of Sim cards, I think a higher burden must be placed on the MNOs to ensure only registered Sim cards are in use on their networks and more so, since they are the greatest beneficiaries of use of such Sim cards. The CA should ensure that other than issuing these notices, users are provided with a mechanism for ascertaining the registration status of their Sim cards and to correct the same information, considering they don't keep the information. This can be a simple SMS number that confirms the status of registration or a web interface. The MNOs likewise can ensure their systems don't connect unregistered Sims. And as such I agree with Washington that MNOs should be surcharged for the continued operation of unregistered Sims, if their profits are anything to go by. Victor On 6 Jan 2017 16:16, "Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) via kictanet" < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Thank you Wash. There are roles for different stakeholders, not just the consumer. In addition to GG's questions another is the implied shifting of the burden of ensuring the origin, registration and safe use of SIM cards entirely to the consumer, to whom to the notice is addressed. And to echo Mildred, the realities of reporting lost items to the Police, let alone a SIM card should be known to the Regulator. The Regulator should be facilitating more consumer friendly mechanisms for reporting and recovery of lost/stolen SIM cards. Here is a copy of the notice. 2017-01-06 15:47 GMT+03:00 Mildred Achoch <mildandred(a)gmail.com>: > Thank you Grace. > > “In case you lose of your SIM card, report to the nearest police station > and demand an abstract." > > My question is: could this reporting process be digitalized? Probably, > hundreds, if not thousands, of SIM cards are lost every day all over the > country. The option of reporting lost SIM cards via sms or online would be > very welcomed. > > Regards, > Mildred Achoch. > > Check out the Rock 'n' roll film festival, Kenya TV Channel! > http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com > > > > On Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 1:38 PM, Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > >> Listers, >> >> " The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Friday issued the stern >> warning, saying every Kenyan is responsible for any use of their mobile >> number in making calls, sending and receiving text messages as well as any >> financial transactions. >> >> The regulator says all Kenyans must only use registered SIM cards to >> transact business as they may be culpable in the event that their number is >> used in the commission of a crime." >> >> Full story here: >> >> http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Six-month-jail-term-for-K >> enyans-whose-phones-are-used-in-crime/539546-3508084-k51vwl/index.html >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/m >> ailman/options/kictanet/mildandred%40gmail.com >> >> 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. >> > > -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu <http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu> PGP ID : 0x33A3450F _______________________________________________ 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/vkapiyo%40gmail.com 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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