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Re: [kictanet] My take: IG Discussion 2009, Day 10 of 10 - ePayment Systems and Regulation
by Barrack Otieno 10 May '09

10 May '09

On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:27 PM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Victor i disagree with your position. Security is a very complicated area > and requires a multistakeholder approach, there has to be a clearly defined > system made up of state and non state actors. The much Dr Ndemo Ndemo can do > is to Facilitate, in any case his work is to implement policies (I may be > wrong). We have very skilled personell in and out of governmnet, what is > failing us is our inability to tap into their knowledge. We can only do this > through institutions > > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:20 PM, Victor Gathara <v-gathara(a)dfid.gov.uk>wrote: > >> Imoh, Ministry of Info and Comms should take the lead in legislation >> affecting the ICT sector and have an overall management role in it. I >> think some sort of IT security czar is required (or already exists) and >> may rightly sit in the CCK. The ministry should up its communication >> strategy even now to alert all on where we are regarding ICT security. >> All seems unclear because we (or maybe I) am unaware of what >> laws/structures are in place in government to address this issue. >> >> Over to you Dr Ndemo! >> >> Victor >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: kictanet-bounces+v-gathara=dfid.gov.uk(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+v-gathara <kictanet-bounces%2Bv-gathara>= >> dfid.gov.uk(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke] On >> Behalf Of John Walubengo >> Sent: 08 May 2009 08:27 >> To: Victor Gathara >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009,Day 10 of 10 - ePayment >> Systems and Regulation >> >> >> Thanx Mwende for your 4day moderation on Security issues. Ofcourse more >> credit to the contributors whose insights am sure are being digested by >> stakeholders...feel free to make belated contributions. >> >> Today I want to introduce the second last theme before Mwende takes us >> through the Closure and Way forward on Monday 11th May 2009. Basically, >> we want to review the various "hybrid" electronic payments systems and >> their corresponding legal and regulatory frameworks. >> >> Hybrid electronic payment system exclude the traditional banking systmes >> which do have time-tested and proven legal/ regulatory frameworks. >> Typically they refer to emerging e-Payment systems that have been best >> exemplified by the MPESA/Zap phenomena. Such systems cut accross >> multiple industries (Banking, Telecommunication and IT) and present a >> huge challenge in terms of regulation/legislation. >> >> In developed economies, such systems have multiple >> legislation/regulation that demands that the entities involved in such >> ePayment services abide by strict Data Protection Acts which protect the >> customer data/privacy as well as other eLegislation (eCrime, >> eTransaction) that provides deterrence and assurance mechanism. >> >> In layman terms, consider an MPESA/ZAP User who sends value of 30,000Ksh >> from their mobile phone account to the parents upcountry when the >> following happens: >> 1. Disaster strikes and the electronic records are lost (whose >> liable?-it happened in 9/11, Tsunami, etc) 2. The Parents claim that >> they didnt recieve the money or worse still the sender claim they never >> send the money (non-repudiation issues) 3. An eCrime suspect is charged >> with altering ePayments records at the source (inside job/judicial >> issues) >> >> In general, do we have frameworks to protect consumers and businesses >> against such risks above and do we have investigative and judicial >> capacity to administer e-Crime related justice? What role should the >> Regulator (CCK), Banking (CBK), Police and Judiciary (NOT) have in these >> frameworks? >> >> Lets try and give views within today (1day)... >> >> walu. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: v-gathara(a)dfid.gov.uk Unsubscribe or change >> your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/v-gathara%40dfid.go >> v.uk >> >> ________________________________________________________________________ >> This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Star. The service is >> powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive anti-virus >> service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: >> http://www.star.net.uk >> ________________________________________________________________________ >> >> DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the British >> Government's fight against world poverty. Find out more about the major >> global poverty challenges and get the facts on what DFID is doing to fight >> them: http://www.dfid.gov.uk >> ______________________________________________________________________ >> >> This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Peapod. The >> service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive >> anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: >> http://www.peapod.co.uk/cleanmail >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… >> > > > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno > ISSEN CONSULTING > Tel: > +254721325277 > +254733206359 > http://projectdiscovery.or.ke > To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility > as a free man. > Alan Paton, South Africa > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254733206359 http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 10 May '09

10 May '09

Alex - I am NOT against competition. It is good for the industry. The problem is how such competition is introduced. Yes, KENIC has had a monopoly over the .KE namespace, but at least it is(was?) a Multistakeholder Partnership in its legal formation. If this partnership was NOT exercised adequately for the benefit of the community it should be fixed rather than move the rights of the .KE namespace to with due respect -just one of the stakeholders (Govt/Regulator), however strong they are. The idea and law specifying that the regulator is ONLY going to regulate the 2nd level domain is to me mischievious /grey area and I shared the same feelings at the KENIC AGM. This is because the money/action/activities of ICT lie at the 2nd level! Claiming that the regulation is not touching the top level .KE but the lower level is similar to and I quote one of the members "telling a parent that you wont regulate him/her but his/her kids will be totally under 3rd party control". walu. --- On Fri, 5/8/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 10:55 PM > Walu, > > Thank you for the info although I find it bordering on > alarmist;) > > I deliberately boycotted today's Kenic AGM because, > among others, > kenic folks decided they will not post to this list minutes > of last > year's AGM resolutions, such as, constitutional change > made to allow > an a certain individual's term of office to be extended > beyond what > the constitution allowed. There are a couple of complaints > I > restrained myself from posting onlist. > > Background: > > During last year's AGM the said "Internet > Community" for the second > (or third?) year running repeatedly complained about > kenic's failure > to lower .ke domain prices as frustrating .ke domains > growth. > Registrars we later hurriedly called to a meeting at the > Grand Hotel > and we were asked to volunteer ourselves to a committee > that would > look into domain price issue. To the best of my knowledge > information > and belief no such meeting has ever been called, to-date. > > At today's 10,133 domain numbers statistics ( CO.KE 9, > 465 NE.KE 14, > OR.KE 654) > see:<http://www.kenic.or.ke/statistics.html> kenic > annual > domains selling income exceeds kenya shillings 20 million > every year - > while Internet consumers continue screaming "lower > domain prices!" to > seemingly deaf ears and half-hearted Kenyan domain space > (.ke) > administrator. > > They fail to see the bigger picture. By lowering domain > prices they > would have very many more being able to afford local > domain. > > Lets face it, shillings 20 million is not kidogo money > without > necessarily dwelling on the fact that many of their staff > are interns > ( Aren't permanent staff only 4?) I suppose Board > members do not draw > salaries? Again, really whom does the Kenic Board answer > to/ i.e.holds > them accountable? Only to themselves with ceremonial AGMs? > > The Law: > > Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 states: > > Section 83F: Licence for country code top-level domain > > "The Commission [CCK] may, upon application in the > prescribed manner > and subject to such conditions as it may deem necessary, > grant > licences under this section authorizing a person to > administer a > sub-domain in the country top-level domain" > > What's wrong with CCK granting licenses to, for example > 3 or 4 (legal) > persons to compete in offering the best-priced domains to > Kenyans > consumers? > > Conclusion: > > Kenic attracted the competition which perhaps might have > been avoided > if they had listened to the "Internet Community" > cries over the year. > I note that you refer to kenic as "partnership." > Licence conditions > could include all others be representative partnerships and > PPP > 'problem' solved;) What I am trying to say is that > kenic should not > be viewed as the only PPP model possible.. ICANN does not > break > national laws and in any case, note how many registries > exist in the > US itself. Our market has matured and we need competition > in the > domain space area also, Yes/No? > > My take is kenic's honeymoon ended when the law opened > domain pricing > competition space that should lower prices- good for > consumers but bad > for old kenic 'monopoly era' ;) > > In other words, we do not have a crisis so let us not make > one up. > > Regards, > > Alex > --- > References > 1. Boosting numbers in .ke domain names > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9451&Item…> > > 2. Kenyans to enjoy reduced charges for acquiring Internet > domains > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8270&Item…> > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:12 PM, John Walubengo > <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > Apologies for cross-posting: > > > > It took a KENIC (KEnya Network Information Center, > www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for the Kenyan > Internet community to digest the implication of the a Kenyan > ICT Legislation passed more than five months ago. The law > which included sections that touched on the Media, IT, > Telecommunication and Postal Services has faced stiff > resistance from the Media fraternity while the Internet > Community kept a low if not a dead profile. > > > > > > > > It was at the KENIC general meeting held today in > Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled with the > implication of the IT section on the operation of the .KE > namespace. The law specifies that all second level .KE > internet domain names must be licensed by the country's > converged Regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya. > The law requires that all Registries - those who manage > the internet domains - must apply for a license by the 2nd > of June 2009. > > > > > > > > KENIC, a public-private-partnership has under the > ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace including the > 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, xyz.OR.KE, etc. > From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission from the > Regulator to continue managing these sub-domains. In an > effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board requested the > community to support a resolution that a new legal entity > (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in order to apply > for the license from the Regulator as well as compete with > other potential entities that are set to fight in that > space. > > > > > > > > The proposals opened up heated discussions with some > members wondering if KENIC was ceding its hard-won rights > & control over the .KE namespace to an exclusive and > single entity. The current governance structure for KENIC > provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership over the whole > .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, Private > Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board Representation that is > wholly accountable to Internet Users during Annual General > Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes part of this > mandate and places it under one or two of these Stakeholders > that is the Regulator/Govt. > > > > > > > > Members wondered about the criteria that would be used > by the Regulator to award the management licenses to various > competitors. Others wondered about the potential conflict > between the local legislation and the ICANN policies given > that KENIC has currently been operating under ICANN policies > but now has to take cognizance of the local law. For > example, if the Regulator granted a license to someone else > to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT the local > internet community for one reason or the other instructed > the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the delegation > from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet other members > wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would cannibalize > their existing markets and services. > > > > > > > > It has taken five months of silence but clearly, the > Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to understand > and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT law that had > previously been hijacked and labeled "Media law" > at the expense of IT practitioners. It will be interesting > to see how this plays out before and after the 2nd of June > 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers must be licensed > by the Regulator. > > > > > > > > walu > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > ke-internetusers mailing list > > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >

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Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 09 May '09

09 May '09

Apologies for cross-posting: It took a KENIC (KEnya Network Information Center, www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for the Kenyan Internet community to digest the implication of the a Kenyan ICT Legislation passed more than five months ago. The law which included sections that touched on the Media, IT, Telecommunication and Postal Services has faced stiff resistance from the Media fraternity while the Internet Community kept a low if not a dead profile. It was at the KENIC general meeting held today in Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled with the implication of the IT section on the operation of the .KE namespace. The law specifies that all second level .KE internet domain names must be licensed by the country's converged Regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya. The law requires that all Registries - those who manage the internet domains - must apply for a license by the 2nd of June 2009. KENIC, a public-private-partnership has under the ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace including the 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, xyz.OR.KE, etc. From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission from the Regulator to continue managing these sub-domains. In an effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board requested the community to support a resolution that a new legal entity (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in order to apply for the license from the Regulator as well as compete with other potential entities that are set to fight in that space. The proposals opened up heated discussions with some members wondering if KENIC was ceding its hard-won rights & control over the .KE namespace to an exclusive and single entity. The current governance structure for KENIC provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership over the whole .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, Private Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board Representation that is wholly accountable to Internet Users during Annual General Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes part of this mandate and places it under one or two of these Stakeholders that is the Regulator/Govt. Members wondered about the criteria that would be used by the Regulator to award the management licenses to various competitors. Others wondered about the potential conflict between the local legislation and the ICANN policies given that KENIC has currently been operating under ICANN policies but now has to take cognizance of the local law. For example, if the Regulator granted a license to someone else to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT the local internet community for one reason or the other instructed the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the delegation from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet other members wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would cannibalize their existing markets and services. It has taken five months of silence but clearly, the Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to understand and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT law that had previously been hijacked and labeled "Media law" at the expense of IT practitioners. It will be interesting to see how this plays out before and after the 2nd of June 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers must be licensed by the Regulator. walu

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 10 of 10 - ePayment Systems and Regulation
by Barrack Otieno 08 May '09

08 May '09

On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:17 PM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Walu, i am reliably informed that m-pesa was designed as a microfinance > solution. Before we were caught by the m-pesa bug there was something called > Sokotele which was a bit cumbersome because it involved queuing in a banking > hall (KREP/CELTEL). The fact that these money transfer solutions rely on > traditional banking system for the so called Trust accounts gives me the > impression that the e-payment solutions are just a means to an end (the > money stored in the bank). In this regard i propose that the Kenya Bankeres > Association and the Communication Commision of Kenya should establish > frameworks from a banking perspective as well as a technology perspective to > manage security concerns. Some of those mpesa vibandas are unsecure yet they > contain a significant amount of float. The other fact is that a good number > of users from rural areas are technologically challenged and vulnerable to > con men and women. I chose KBA because it is an umbrella for stakeholders in > the banking sector and CCK the regulator for the technology sector > > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 8:27 AM, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >> >> Thanx Mwende for your 4day moderation on Security issues. Ofcourse more >> credit to the contributors whose insights am sure are being digested by >> stakeholders...feel free to make belated contributions. >> >> Today I want to introduce the second last theme before Mwende takes us >> through the Closure and Way forward on Monday 11th May 2009. Basically, we >> want to review the various "hybrid" electronic payments systems and their >> corresponding legal and regulatory frameworks. >> >> Hybrid electronic payment system exclude the traditional banking systmes >> which do have time-tested and proven legal/ regulatory frameworks. Typically >> they refer to emerging e-Payment systems that have been best exemplified by >> the MPESA/Zap phenomena. Such systems cut accross multiple industries >> (Banking, Telecommunication and IT) and present a huge challenge in terms of >> regulation/legislation. >> >> In developed economies, such systems have multiple legislation/regulation >> that demands that the entities involved in such ePayment services abide by >> strict Data Protection Acts which protect the customer data/privacy as well >> as other eLegislation (eCrime, eTransaction) that provides deterrence and >> assurance mechanism. >> >> In layman terms, consider an MPESA/ZAP User who sends value of 30,000Ksh >> from their mobile phone account to the parents upcountry when the following >> happens: >> 1. Disaster strikes and the electronic records are lost (whose liable?-it >> happened in 9/11, Tsunami, etc) >> 2. The Parents claim that they didnt recieve the money or worse still the >> sender claim they never send the money (non-repudiation issues) >> 3. An eCrime suspect is charged with altering ePayments records at the >> source (inside job/judicial issues) >> >> In general, do we have frameworks to protect consumers and businesses >> against such risks above and do we have investigative and judicial capacity >> to administer e-Crime related justice? What role should the Regulator (CCK), >> Banking (CBK), Police and Judiciary (NOT) have in these frameworks? >> >> Lets try and give views within today (1day)... >> >> walu. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… >> > > > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno > ISSEN CONSULTING > Tel: > +254721325277 > +254733206359 > http://projectdiscovery.or.ke > To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility > as a free man. > Alan Paton, South Africa > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254733206359 http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Project Director, Nairobi, Kenya
by Moses Kemibaro 07 May '09

07 May '09

A friend forwarded me the following position for Nairobi. Kindly send resumes to the email address at the bottom --- POSITION: Project Director, Nairobi, Kenya REPORTS TO: Senior HMIS Manager, DC PROJECT SUMMARY: PEPFAR has called for immediate, comprehensive and evidence based action to turn the tide of global HIV/AIDS. One specific goal is to strengthen and expand Strategic Information (SI) activities through: The development, implementation and support for innovative HMIS and public health informatics systems for better information flow from health facilities to the national level. Collaboration with the Ministries of Health, CDC and other partners to develop a national HMIS strategy that enable integration of health related systems in the lab, pharmacy and clinics. Capacity building for Government of Kenya GOK/MOH and other local institutions on the three key components of SI, namely Disease Surveillance, M&E and Informatics/HMIS. Futures Group has developed several HMIS applications to support collection and tracking data across our various local partners. These databases support the President’s Emergency Plan indicators, National Ministry of Health (NMOH) indicators, and specific Program and Clinical indicators. These databases directly support AIDSRelief field officers and are essential to provide high quality care and treatment regimens, ensure drug durability, track progress, and provide accurate reporting to both the NMOH and US Government POSITION SUMMARY: This position is a blend of business analysis and programming activities and responsibilities. The Project director will be responsible for a team that has the following objectives: Support the development of a draft five-year national HMIS strategy with the leadership of Ministry of Health and GOK to include a plan for enabling integration of health related information systems. establishing a framework for the integration of key national electronic sub-systems which include a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Pharmacy systems Demonstration of interoperability between three subsystems in at least one geographical location (district or province), based on sound messaging standards and publish a data dictionary that will also allow various EMRs to exchange information Assist NASCOP and the Division of HMIS to develop and implement an HMIS/Informatics strategy giving major consideration to innovative technologies such as hand-held devices, GIS, the Internet, GSM/CDMA networks, biometric devices, to improve data capture and management. Data storage, security and privacy as well as access policies should be among the key areas. This will require an evaluation of existing systems and prioritization of implementation. The project director will interact with a wide array of stakeholders at the national and local levels to support collecting of requirements. He/she will be required to work closely with the development team to develop and maintain the Data warehouse around these requirements. As new requirements are requested, the candidate will work with subject matter experts and write the business specifications. The candidate will work closely with the field team to make sure that business specifications are being implemented as per the specifications. It is anticipated for the programmer/BA to be involved in train-the- trainer (ToT) activities; providing training support via web, online and virtual teleconference calls. Responsibilities include participating in weekly teleconference calls and emails; maintaining issue tracking of bugs; fixed and closed out; applying updated business rules; validation rules; reporting status and progress of continued developments; enhancement or modifications. It is expected for the project director to document software code and resolve software issues associated with installation and operation of the application as it expands to meet requirements of other countries. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Experience in one or more IT domain(s) with demonstrated programming skills and software development process Extensive use of requirements gathering techniques such as interviews, creating storyboards, flow diagrams, and documentation Programming skills, knowledge of software project management principles, understanding business rules and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team Programming background with solid software development, database design and implementation experience; strong computer programming skills. Experience in maintaining MsAccess and SQL databases; understanding other programmers coding structures Experience developing web or internet applications Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or equivalent 2-4 years minimum working experience in a development environment Project management skills ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Has extensive experience in developing and managing informatics solutions (in the health sector) including experience in web and database technologies e.g. aspx and sql server respectively Has experience in managing grants (with USG) and can work in a multi- sectoral environment Has experience in monitoring technical innovative solutions following the USG ADS548R guidelines in Africa Has proven experience in leadership of informatics solutions and grants management especially in Africa Responsible for managing staff and deliverables for all TOs and coordinating with the Project Officer Reviewing current HMIS operations in Kenya and analyzing Kenya HMIS needs in measurable deliverables With the technical monitor and the contracts department of Futures group, the project director will coordinate outsourcing/subcontracting specialized functions relating to the project and managing small grants awarded herein Coordinate phased piloting of the HMIS system in select provinces before full roll-out In implementation, the project manager will ensure project deliverables are delivered within scope, quality, cost (budget) and time constraints and project is within corporate and regulatory limits Coordinate communications/linkages internal and external to the project including with CDC, MOH, NACC and NASCOP and other relevant parties Responsible for supporting HMIS Strategy. Monitoring and controlling all project activities including measuring the current project activities, monitoring the project variables including cost and effort against the project plan and performance baseline and identifying corrective actions to circumvent issues and risks Financial analysis of the costs and budgets including outsourced services on a regular basis to be shared with Futures administration* Ensuring constant support of end users, correction of errors and in- time updates of the HMIS solutions based on both need and schedule Coordinate closing efforts ensuring sustainability and proper handing over to local partner (CHAK) on project completion SKILLS Project Management Visual Studio, Microsoft .NET, MsAccess, SQL, SQL Server, MySQL Creating, analyzing backend database structures and tables in Access or SQL Generating MsAccess and SQL queries for reporting; The ability to work well as part of multi-disciplinary team; skilled in trouble shooting and problem solving Verbal and writing skills are required to produce user manuals, training materials, programming specifications, email correspondence and documentation related to programming; training experience preferred International experience (Africa) preferred and commitment to work in a team environment required Excellent communication skills ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Equipment to be used: General office equipment: Computers Physical demands: N/A International travel – up to 30% SEND RESUME TO: IWanyeki(a)futuresgroup.com

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How texting and GoogleMaps helped Kenyans survive crisis
by Edith Adera 07 May '09

07 May '09

This might be of interest....wonder how this could be used to keep our politicians on Track on Agenda 4! http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/523 This is a cool short talk on TED Talks. At TEDU 2009, Erik Hersman presents the remarkable story of Ushahidi, a GoogleMap mashup that allowed Kenyans to report and track violence via cell phone texts following the 2008 elections, and has evolved to continue saving lives in other countries.

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INVITATION TO THE 2009 KENIC AGM
by Vincent Ngundi 07 May '09

07 May '09

<reminder: AGM is tomorrow> The KENIC board is pleased to invite you to the sixth KENIC Open Public Forum to be held on Friday 8th of May 2009 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel from 0800hrs. The forum will be a focal point for bottom-up discussions of the KENIC policies and developments. Thereafter, the same venue will host KENIC's fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which you are invited to witness. Details of the AGM are available on the KENIC website http://www.kenic.or.ke. We look forward to your participation at the events. Kind Regards, Vincent Ngundi For: Chairman, KENIC -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 8 of 10 - National Cybersecurity strategies
by mwende njiraini 07 May '09

07 May '09

Good morning, Today we have the opportunity of discussing the last aspect of cybersecurity: Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs)/Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT). CSIRTs/CERTs are responsible for preparing for, detecting, managing and responding to cybersecurity incidents as well as creating consumer awareness. Global cybersecurity is said to be ‘as strong as the weakest link’. Developing countries particularly in Africa have not sufficiently addressed cybersecurity issues. While some countries have initiated efforts to develop cybersecurity capabilities through the establishment of National CSIRTs/CERTs, the CERT-TCC in Tunisia is the only active national CERT in Africa (http://www.ansi.tn/en/about_cert-tcc.htm) In establishing a National CERT/CSIRT… - What structure could be adopted? - What services should be offered? - What elements could be considered to establish trust in this institution thereby encouraging organizations with critical information infrastructure (CII) such as government agencies, banks, educational institutions, water and power companies, etc, to share of cybersecurity incidents? Kind regards Mwende *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are the author’s own*

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 7 of 10 - Data and Infrastructure Security
by mwende njiraini 07 May '09

07 May '09

Good morning! Today we continue our discussions on cybersecurity specifically data and infrastructure security. It now not uncommon to hear about cyber terrorism, cyber crime, cyber attacks, Information Warfare, etc. Recent examples of cyber attacks in Estonia and Georgia show that the Internet offers an inexpensive and easy weapon of modern warfare. Fortunately, we as a country may not have yet experienced critical security threats possibly because majority of users/organizations have access to ‘less than broadband speeds’ thus providing no incentive for meaningful exploits. This presents a situation where low usage and poor connectivity has acted as our “security”. However, with the growing use of the Internet, encouraged by the availability broadband connections locally, nationally (Fibre optic national project, operator networks) and internationally (TEAMS, SEACOM), the number of incidences of online security breaches are set to increase. Thank you Harry Delano (email 29th April) for raising the following important questions for our discussion today. - What is our level of cybersecurity preparedness (as government, operator, service providers, private sector organizations and educational institutions)? - Have we made an assessment of our cybersecurity preparedness levels, to date, particularly with the impending landing of international submarine fibre optic cable? - What is needed to protect our data and infrastructure from increased threats and at what cost? Regards Mwende

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 8 of 10 - National Cybersecurity strategies
by mwende njiraini 06 May '09

06 May '09

Good morning! Today we continue to build on previous discussions on cybersecurity, with a view of seeking your contributions in the development a national cyber-security strategy. The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2009 ( http://www.communication.go.ke/media.asp?id=775) contains the following provisions with regard to cybersecurity: - Unauthorized access to computer data, - Access with intent to commit offences - Unauthorized access to and interception of computer service, - Unauthorized modification of computer material, - Damaging or denying access to computer system, - Unauthorized disclosure of password, - Unlawful possession of devices and data, - Electronic fraud, - Tampering with computer source documents, - Publishing of obscene information in electronic form, - Publication for fraudulent purpose and - Unauthorized access to protected systems Harry Delano (email 29th April) “Are our cybersecurity regulations (law) up to the task, to protect us...?” In answering this question we may wish to consider the issue of jurisdiction, the ability of the judicial system to make a ruling with regards to a crime committed through the internet by extra-territorial elements and secondly the role of arbitration as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism (http://www.ciarbkenya.org/) Kind regards Mwende *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (apart from those quoted/referenced) are the author’s own*

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10
by mwende njiraini 06 May '09

06 May '09

Good morning, The focus of our discussion this week is on cybersecurity and trust. We will seek to address privacy and data security issues. Like many other Kenyans, we frequently register to use various online services provided by the government and businesses. The registration process requires that we provide personal information including physical, postal address, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc. The younger generation and the young-at-heart are readily sharing “personally identifiable information” including photos and events through social networking sites including facebook, youtube, myspace, flickr, twitter, etc. Personal information collected and made available in the public domain such as the electoral register, telephone directory can be combined with information for example from supermarkets loyalty cards to create valuable market information to track individual preferences and purchase profiles. This information may unfortunately be subject to abuse and theft. Consequently, ‘trust’ in policies and the security measures that the government and businesses establish to protect user information is therefore an essential element for the success of e-transactions (both e-government and e-commerce) - How can we create a cyber security culture in Kenya? What is the role of the educators, peers and parents in digital literacy with respect to privacy and security? - Does the current legal environment provide for the protection of privacy on the internet? How can we establish a balance between security and right to privacy? Looking forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Mwende References 1. Protecting your Privacy on the Internet: http://privacy.gov.au/internet/internet_privacy/index.html#2 2. Privacy Policies: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf, http://twitter.com/privacy 3. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12 4. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Protecting Your Privacy on the Internet: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_13_e.cfm 5. Privacy illustrations: http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/illustrations/index_e.cfm 6. http://www.diplomacy.edu/ISL/IG/ *Disclaimer: Views expressed here are the author’s own*

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10
by Harry Delano 05 May '09

05 May '09

John, thanks a lot, for your moderation last week. Since you have thrown the challenge, I will take it up. As you can see, am still right up until now (0300Hrs) checking out the postings. Indeed I dove right into the cyber security discussion at the very onset of your discussion on the much anticipated under sea Fibre Cable, last week. Why so..? Having witnessed the exponential growth in the Information and Communications Technology sector in this country for the last over 10 years, especially from the advent of Internet and later the mobile technology, I believe in the next few months we stand at the doorstep of another very important milestone in this sector, that promises to revolutionize virtually all sectors of our economy - The Undersea optic Fibre. But, just as we stand to gain more on it's good side (benefits that cannot be enumerated), we need to prepare ourselves, and put properly co-ordinated measures in place to mitigate the challenges that will come with this connectivity - Cyber Security. I strongly believe with the landing of this cable - Service Providers, Government, Institutions, and other Data banks urgently need to work on their cyber security capacities that will take care of any imminent threats that are about to land, in hot pursuit. I will reproduce my last posting, just incase. However,it is important to emphasize that we will significantly open up our local 'cyber space' given the Super fast connectivity to the outside. While we stand to derive a lot of expanded cruising room on this Super highway at super speeds, blended threats, in the form of possible cyber based crimes including Network security breaches (hacking),identity thefts, Data Thefts, Denial of service (DOS)cyber attacks, cyber espionage activities and others will come hurtling along, albeit much faster this time. Simply put in another way - with the marine fibre in place, picture your typical smart hacker sitting across the room, with the capability to access your pc and data in a matter of less than 50 msec, and before you could spell H-A-C-K-E-R, he will be off with your valuable personal or organizational information if you are not secured. As I argued last week, presently our slower Internety connectivity to the outside via Satellite Technology, and our congested international bandwidth effectively frustrates many would be hackers and other cyber crime activities. By this, I mean our cyber security capacities have not been really challenged enough, and tested possibly to the limit, to enable us assess our capabilities - our strengths and weaknesses. So we could be enjoying some unparalleled peace now, but it might be shortlived. Having observed the local cyber space over a period of time now, I can safely conclude that we are yet to witness much locally generated cyber crime activity or the capacity to do so. It's for this very reason that we have to a expect with certainity an estimated 90% - 95 % of this cyber traffic to emanate from outside. With End user systems that are poorly secured, or not secured at all - this exposure is likely to spell a disaster-in-waiting, especially for the most sensitive of our institutions, and other organizations. As we continue to embrace technology, a number of our key national infrastructure and installations are already getting online, but could also pose a major target in a cyber attack intended to sabotage provision of badly needed services.Let's ensure proper inbuilt security, with an eye on any future challenges that need to be dealt with. The ministry under whose portfolio ICT lies, will be key in formulating policy & other security standards for all arms of government that need to be reviewed from time to time in order to keep up to the ever mutating challenges in this arena. Efforts geared towards establishing a national Cyberspace security strategy would be needed, and of course there is a wide array of expertise and talent in the private sector that could be drafted up to help with the establishment, enforcement and monitoring of compliance with the various Cyber Security standards and benchmarks. I'm sure, we are prepared are we to act. Are we...? Harry Delano, 2404207 Securing Networks ******************* -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: Monday, May 04, 2009 9:52 PM To: Harry Delano Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 24, Issue 9 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. Re: IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10-Security (John Walubengo) 2. Re: IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 (Evans Kahuthu) 3. Re: IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 (Judy Okite) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 04:36:37 -0700 (PDT) From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10-Security To: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <512644.447.qm(a)web57805.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 mmhh, very quiet on the list...where are those guys Harry and Evans who had jumped onto security last week ;-): walu. --- On Mon, 5/4/09, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Date: Monday, May 4, 2009, 9:59 AM > Good morning, > > > > The focus of our discussion this week is on cybersecurity and trust. > We will seek to address privacy and data security issues. > > > > Like many other Kenyans, we frequently register to use various online > services provided by the government and businesses. The registration > process requires that we provide personal information including > physical, postal address, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc. > The younger generation and the young-at-heart are readily sharing > ?personally identifiable information? including photos and events > through social networking sites including facebook, youtube, myspace, > flickr, twitter, etc. > > > > Personal information collected and made available in the public domain > such as the electoral register, telephone directory can be combined > with information for example from supermarkets loyalty cards to > create valuable market information to track individual preferences > and purchase profiles. > This information may unfortunately be subject to abuse and theft. > Consequently, ?trust? in policies and the security measures that the > government and businesses establish to protect user information is > therefore an essential element for the success of e-transactions (both > e-government and e-commerce) > > > > - How can we create a cyber security culture in Kenya? > What is the role > of the educators, peers and parents in digital literacy with > respect to > privacy and security? > - Does the current legal environment provide for the protection of > privacy on the internet? How can we establish a balance between > security > and right to privacy? > > Looking forward to hearing from you. > > > > Kind regards > > Mwende > > > > References > > 1. Protecting your Privacy on the Internet: > http://privacy.gov.au/internet/internet_privacy/index.html#2 > > 2. Privacy Policies: > http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf, > http://twitter.com/privacy > > 3. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human > Rights : > http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12 > > 4. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: > Protecting Your Privacy > on the Internet: > http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_13_e.cfm > > 5. Privacy illustrations: > http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/illustrations/index_e.cfm > > 6. http://www.diplomacy.edu/ISL/IG/ > > > > *Disclaimer: Views expressed here are the author?s own* > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: jwalu(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your > options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 08:53:30 -0700 From: Evans Kahuthu <ifani.kinos(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 To: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <184bd1560905040853r4858aba4l752d280fdffeed87(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" The purpose of Information Security/Cybersecurity is to protect an organizations's valuable resources, such as information, hardware and software. Through the selection and application of appropriate safeguards, Information Security helps the organization's mission by protectiing its physical and financial resources, reputation, legal position, employees, and other tangible and intangible assets. The issue of cybersecurity/Information security simply comes down to three things: 1) Confidentiality, 2) Integrity and Availability. Information Security management/cybersecurity entails the identification of an organisation's information assets and developemt, documentation, and implementation of policies, standards, procedures and guidelines, which ensure their Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. Unfortunately, cybersecurity is sometimes viewed as hindering the mission of the organisation by impossing poorly selected bothersome rules and procedures on users, managers and systems. On the contrary, if well implemented, Cybersecurity rules and procedures can support the overall organisational mission. In the case of Kenya, the way to create a culture of cybersecurity is through management tools such as data classification, security awareness traininig, risk assesment and risk analysis in order to identify threats, classify assets, and rate their vulnerabilities so that effective security controls can be implemented. Regards, Evans On Sun, May 3, 2009 at 10:59 PM, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Good morning, > > > > The focus of our discussion this week is on cybersecurity and trust. > We will seek to address privacy and data security issues. > > > > Like many other Kenyans, we frequently register to use various online > services provided by the government and businesses. The registration > process requires that we provide personal information including > physical, postal address, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc. > The younger generation and the young-at-heart are readily sharing > ?personally identifiable information? including photos and events > through social networking sites including facebook, youtube, myspace, > flickr, twitter, etc. > > > > Personal information collected and made available in the public domain > such as the electoral register, telephone directory can be combined > with information for example from supermarkets loyalty cards to > create valuable market information to track individual preferences and purchase profiles. > This information may unfortunately be subject to abuse and theft. > Consequently, ?trust? in policies and the security measures that the > government and businesses establish to protect user information is > therefore an essential element for the success of e-transactions (both > e-government and e-commerce) > > > > - How can we create a cyber security culture in Kenya? What is the role > of the educators, peers and parents in digital literacy with respect to > privacy and security? > - Does the current legal environment provide for the protection of > privacy on the internet? How can we establish a balance between security > and right to privacy? > > Looking forward to hearing from you. > > > > Kind regards > > Mwende > > > > References > > 1. Protecting your Privacy on the Internet: > http://privacy.gov.au/internet/internet_privacy/index.html#2 > > 2. Privacy Policies: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf, > http://twitter.com/privacy > > 3. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : > http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12 > > 4. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Protecting Your > Privacy on the Internet: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_13_e.cfm > > 5. Privacy illustrations: > http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/illustrations/index_e.cfm > > 6. http://www.diplomacy.edu/ISL/IG/ > > > > *Disclaimer: Views expressed here are the author?s own* > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: ifani.kinos(a)gmail.com Unsubscribe or change > your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ifani.kinos%40gma > il.com > >

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FW: Google Groups: You've been added to BIDII AFRIKA
by Patrick Mburu 04 May '09

04 May '09

Good morning, Should such type of notification be allowed? I assume that I am not the only who didn't subscribe to this mail-list? Or perhaps am missing something....? Best regards, Patrick M. Mburu Director IT& Co-Founder Advanced Technical Solutions -Africa Tel/Fax: +254203577894 Mob: +254737185675 +254728273959 Email:[email protected] Website: www.ats-africa.com -----Original Message----- From: noreply(a)googlegroups.com [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 10:17 PM To: patrick.mburu(a)ats-africa.com Subject: Google Groups: You've been added to BIDII AFRIKA mike mikeoketch(a)gmail.com has added you to the BIDII AFRIKA group with this message: welcome to bidii afrika Here is the group's description: Welcome to BIDII AFRIKA group. This is a group which is surely interested in promoting the understanding of issues ranging from politics, religion, culture and career between young Africans. Send us your business stories and ideas to bidiiafrika(a)googlegroups.com. ----------------------- Google Groups Information ---------------------- The owner of the group has set your subscription type as "Email", meaning that you'll receive a copy of every message posted to the group as they are posted. Visit this group on the web by using this URL: http://groups.google.com/group/bidiiafrika?hl=en You can unsubscribe from this group using the following URL: http://groups.google.com/group/bidiiafrika/unsub?u=GsP1lggAAACCRB2FPb3Iwu9ym XrliAup&hl=en -------------------- Information About This Message -------------------- If you feel that this message is abuse, please inform the Google Groups staff by using the URL below. http://groups.google.com/groups/abuse?direct=YQAAAAAANMZOAAAAAAyo62kAAAAABt_ Bbg&hl=en

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INVITATION TO THE 2009 KENIC AGM
by Vincent Ngundi 04 May '09

04 May '09

<reminder> The KENIC board is pleased to invite you to the sixth KENIC Open Public Forum to be held on Friday 8th of May 2009 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel from 0800hrs. The forum will be a focal point for bottom-up discussions of the KENIC policies and developments. Thereafter, the same venue will host KENIC's fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which you are invited to witness. Details of the AGM are available on the KENIC website http://www.kenic.or.ke. We look forward to your participation at the events. Kind Regards, Vincent Ngundi For: Chairman, KENIC -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 5 of 10- Criticical Internet Resources, IXPs and NOFB
by Shem Ochuodho 01 May '09

01 May '09

Nd. Michuki writes: I cant wait for Kenya pipeline, Kenya Railways and others take the same approach. The more cable we have the lower the access costs. KPC was actually granted an interim license in 2004! Rgrds, Shem Shem J. Ochuodho, MSc (Eng), PhD, LLD (Hon) Senior Advisor Ministry of Telecom & Postal Services Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), Juba Kenya Community Abroad (KCA) 2007 Excellence Award Winner AfricaOnline 2005 Industry Pioneer Award Recipient Father of Internet in Kenya (2000 - CSK) Cell: +249-955-021-040/+256-477-232025/+254-734-137371 Skype: shem.ochuodho --- On Fri, 5/1/09, Michuki Mwangi <michuki(a)swiftkenya.com> wrote: From: Michuki Mwangi <michuki(a)swiftkenya.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 5 of 10- Criticical Internet Resources, IXPs and NOFB To: "Shem Ochuodho" <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Friday, May 1, 2009, 1:47 PM Hi Walu, et al, The KIXP has had a great impact in Internet scene in Kenya. There are currently 27 peering members with aggregate traffic during peak times averaging 45mbps. Question: is this optimal? I would say that this is not optimal utilization in view of the overall total transit (whats not passing at KIXP) capacity in Kenya. Therefore as you rightfully put it the greater percentage of our traffic is International Whats its use then?; Well for a start, this year i have to make my annual returns online and its pretty fast from my home connection. The Safaricom IPO had similar experiences. Most importantly is the ability to create a stable local internet infrastructure. It means that life can go on, should the satellites and cables go down (and they will). Whats missing; There are some missing items, as mentioned in previous emails which are dependencies. 1) With increased penetration (no of subscribers) we are bound to see this reaching 100mbs and higher - hence more affordable access for non-corporate users and more residential users online. 2) local content hosting - It means we need more collo facilities built. This will also attract CDNs who are keen to do edge caching and require reliable hosting services. It also means that theres a market opportunity for collo hosting services which is yet to be tapped - see my previous emails. 3) E-government - you will be surprised to note that KRA has more traffic at the KIXP than some well known service providers. It therefore means that we need more e-government traffic 4) This leads to the next point of creativity on relevant content. E-government content is one, we need alot more of Free SMS website (its a pity sasanet collapsed it had considerable traffic at the KIXP. E-learning is something that would attract home users to get online off-peak hours. Basically e-commerce as it were. On this point, i find it interesting that, we have skipped web content and moved directly to mobile content. It may require that we make steps to engineer mobile content solutions to work for the web too. on NFOB; The Government approach must be appreciated. I was also glad to hear that now KPLC has been issued with the license to sell the extra capacity on its fiber infrastructure. Can we have more of this please. I cant wait for Kenya pipeline, Kenya Railways and others take the same approach. The more cable we have the lower the access costs. Can Kenya power, TKL and city/municipal councils lease out sections of their poles to fiber/cable infrastructure builders please. If we dont cease the opportunities to build the last mile in respect to telco's concerns the we cannot achieve complete access. If there alot of fiber on the ground - it will not really matter who runs it; the person who runs it will be the one who can raise the highest revenue for the investor in a highly competitive market space. All sorts of models will come up and interesting ones too. Walu, its not possible for such an infrastructure to replace an IXP. Even if dark fiber was dirt cheap, its a logistical nightmare and financially unrealistic to maintain close to 30 connections to each provider you want to exchange (peer) traffic with. Buts its financially viable to have one connection to a single location where you connect to everyone via a layer 2 switch. In this case, you only pay for the half of your circuit to the IXP location and manage one link like everyone else. Regards, Michuki. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/shemochuodho%40yahoo.c…

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FW: Mad About Maddo
by Patrick Mburu 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Good evening, Thought you all may enjoy this :-)! Cheers & Happy Laby Day weekend! Patrick _____ From: Gogreen Support [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 5:33 AM To: info(a)gogreen.co.ke Subject: Mad About Maddo mail drop

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Looking for a Senior Application Developer.
by Moses Kemibaro 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Do you love to write code? Want to work smarter, not harder? Do you thrive in an work environment that enables you to work on exciting and challenging projects, day in and day out? Do you like to change the status quo and create value that has long- term impact and rewards? If you answered yes to any of these questions then we need to talk. The majority of our client development work is with Open Source such as PHP, Python, AJAX, Javascript, CSS and MySQL. We are looking for a talented, proven senior web application developer to join our team. The skills previously listed are highly desirable, but there's always something to be said for talent, potential, and attitude, so if you happen to be a developer with more expertise in other languages (.NET, Ruby, etc.) and are open to adding Python, PHP, AJAX, etc. to your arsenal, we want to hear from you. We are looking for the following qualities in a candidate: > Interested in learning and have a creative mind that enjoys the challenges of application development > Gets excited about clean code but knows that ugly code is out there and dealing with it is an necessity sometimes > Enjoys client interaction and problem solving, in a passionate way. > Knows the tools of your trade > Wants to raise the skill level of the whole team, not just themselves > Has the ability to play well with others - we will be welcoming you into our team > Has the ability to work independently - coding, testing, gathering requirements, and communicating with clients > Knows the value of a great user experience when it comes to building applications > Accepts the fact that mistakes will be made and that every experience is an opportunity to get better and improve the working processes within the agency > Appreciates that meetings are necessary but detests unnecessarily long or unproductive ones. You can't wait to leave a meeting and go back to writing code! > Knows that open, honest and productive communication is key to project success > Believes that working less hours smarter is better than working more hours harder > Knows that perfection may not be possible but aiming for excellence is realistic > Wants a full-time position in a growing company Are you an application developer who is savvy enough to deal with an intensively customer service oriented digital agency? We are that company. We consistently deliver for not only long lived and well-maintained clients, but also our new projects. They range from Flash intensive brand micro-sites with a major focus on user experience, to ordinary database driven content management systems such as Joomla and Typo3. We also work on unconventional projects with interesting and occasionally not so interesting features thrown in the mix. We will build anything that creates value and pass up those projects that are too cumbersome, outrageous or simply unsustainable. On any given day you could be part of a large team building a cutting edge web site or you may be "solo" coding feature enhancements or fixes for a client's online forms. We thrive in a results oriented environment because our team is treated well and our clients are treated even better. What we need from you: > Provable, quantifiable expertise as an application developer (code samples and/or project descriptions) > Provable experience working on web application projects (work history) > Salary expectations. What we don’t need from you: > We don't enjoy reading lists - especially not a list of the 50 technologies you know. If your resume doesn't make it clear that you have focus on a specific web technology(s) then you're just wasting both of our time sending us your CV - and nobody enjoys having their time wasted. > If you are looking to ladder climb and want to play politics this is also not the place for you. You are happy to work and are ready to address and solve problems as they arise. We do not pretend to know everything and mistakes are likely in every endeavor. Where you will work: We have a great office in one of Nairobi's quieter suburbs near the city centre with lots of windows and a very open floor plan. We dress down most of the time, but are always at our best in front of clients. We are professional and the management team is very hands on and engaged with the work that is done. We try very hard not to require more hours that are required of anyone and we strive to work 8.30 to 5.00 pm every day with a one hour lunch break. That said, we're flexible and recognize that we all have lives outside of the office - and we also know that sometimes, especially when deadlines demand it, normal working hours just won't get the job done. When it doesn't, we act accordingly - and we show our appreciation when people step-up. We use our leave days and so will you, for your sanity and ours. If think that your that special talent we may be looking for, kindly send us your CV on jobs(a)dotsavvyafrica.com

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Kaspersky Internet Security...
by Mike Bullut 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Greetings, Does anyone know where I can get a genuine copy of Kaspersky Internet Security & at what price? Please contact me off the list. Thank you... Kind regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 43
by Harry Delano 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

Re: IG Discussions- Day 3 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables - Cyber Security (Harry Delano) Fellow discussants, One thing to also note with regard to the much anticipated Fibre landing is how to content with the security challenges that will accompany this 'Super Highway" So apart from the other topics, that have been covered so well,allow me to introduce a new angle and momentarily tackle 'The Security challenges posed by this noble venture' -Cyber Security. It is one thing to deal with a stream flowing through your garden, harmlessly but productively watering it, and quite another dealing with a 'flood gate' suddenly let loose on your land, and which you have had little or no time to prepare yourself to handle. Indeed as much as this would be a Top Tier connectivity, right now , truth be told - most of the service providers leave tackling security to end users who in most cases are ill equipped to deal with internetwork borne threats. Networks are badly exposed, including sensitive data, copywright material, and organizational information that would make it a field day for identity thieves, and who knows? - a possible cyber attack on our different national wide infrastructure when they go online. Blended threats propagate much faster on faster connections. Currently,a standard round trip time of about 800-1300 msec, for most Tier 1 & 2 Service providers wears off the patience of most hackers presently prowling the net, which is a good thing for us, but not for long as these Marine links lands in within the next few months. With this in mind, how prepared are we on this front..? And by that I mean, the Government, the Service providers, the Private stake holders, including the Educational institutions. Have we made an assessment of our cyber security levels, to date? Are our sensitive Data Centres secure..., or will they be overly exposed when this time comes? And at what cost will we upgrade these systems..? With increasing E-commerce activities, and other online transactions are we 'foolproof? Are our cybersecurity regulations up to the task, to protect us...? Certainly, we need to take the necessary measures,- a systematic approach and prepare ourselves to deal With these challenges as the Threat environment is certainly set to shift for us, especially as a country on the move in Communication Technology. The good news is, it is an undertaking to look forward to with a lot of expectation, and we need to position ourselves to reap the maximum benefits that will accrue thereof. If you would ask me the score for this - Our Cybersecurity preparedness to handle, the onset of the Marine Fibre = 1 Harry Delano. Integrated Networks and Data Systems. -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:00 PM To: Harry Delano Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 43 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. A wider audiance (robert yawe) 2. Re: IG Discussions- Day 3 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables (John Walubengo) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:56:59 +0000 (GMT) From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Subject: [kictanet] A wider audiance To: Kictanet Mail list <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <796042.73588.qm(a)web27801.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hi, I have been been contributing articles to a new IT magazine called CIO (chief information officer), as you may be aware there currently isn't any good and regular ICT local magazine and this magazine aims to fill this gap. The magazine is in its 3rd issue please get a copy and read my articles as well as others which are well thought through and cover local ICT issues. Due to space issues some of my articles have needed to be shortened, if you need to read the entire unsensored version please send me an email. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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FW: COURSE: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management
by Edith Adera 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

This might be of interest. I can testify - it's a great course for anyone in the ICT sector interested in in-depth knowledge on ICT policy and regulation. Edith ________________________________ From: link-info-bounces(a)lists.wits.ac.za [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charley Lewis Sent: 29 April 2009 16:31 To: link-info(a)lists.wits.ac.za Cc: Tennyson Mashiloane Subject: LINK CENTRE: COURSE: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management This course commences in just over two weeks from now, and is already over 50% full. If you (or a colleague) are keen to attend, please register as soon as possible - your paid-up registration confirms your place. Please circulate this message to anyone you know who may be interested. ================================================== Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management ================================================== [cid:[email protected]] This course commences in May 2009. The Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is offered by the LINK Centre, School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand - Southern Africa's leading research and training body in the field of information and communications technology policy, regulation and management. It provides an essential background to understanding regulatory and policy issues and challenges in the rapidly changing telecommunications and broadcasting sectors. Spread over three week-long sessions between May and July 2009, skilled and experienced staff at the LINK Centre, School of Public & Development Management, University of Witwatersrand, supported by an extensive panel of guest lecturers, each an expert in their field, will help you get to grips with the landscape in the ICT sector. Significance The course is designed to unpack the constantly evolving issues and challenges inherent in South Africa's fast changing and dynamic ICT sector. These changes - driven by rapidly developing technologies, by the evolving legal and regulatory environment and by the emergence of new markets, services and applications - give rise to increased demands for training and information. The advent of convergence and globalisation intensifies the ongoing challenges faced by professionals in the sector to remain abreast of both local developments and international trends and practices. Who should attend? Decision-makers and senior policy-makers in the Department of Communications, ICASA and USAASA, managers and regulatory staff in industry (including service providers, new and established operators, and suppliers), bidders for new ECNS and ECS licences, broadcasters and signal distributors, lawyers, consultants, journalists, union officials and NGOs involved in the sector. Objectives By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to: * grasp how key information and communications technologies operate, and the policy implications of these technologies; * assess current market trends in the ICT sector, both globally and nationally; * demonstrate an understanding of ICT sector reform and its implications for national policy and regulation, including the impact of globalisation and convergence; * explain the approaches to ICT sector policy and regulation adopted nationally, regionally and globally; * demonstrate an understanding of the policy and regulatory environment for the telecommunications and broadcasting industries in South Africa; * critically compare the South African ICT environment with international models and best practice benchmarks; * describe the structure and process of policy formulation, regulatory oversight and licensing procedures in South Africa. Content Overview A Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is awarded to candidates who attend the following three modules (120 hours) and who successfully complete the required individual and syndicate assignments. A certificate of attendance is awarded to participants who attend all three modules, but who do not complete the required assessment. Module 1: ICT Technologies and Markets * The evolution of basic telecommunications technologies: the PSTN and its underlying technologies; * Wireless communications: fixed & mobile wireless, WLL, GSM, 3G, CDMA, satellite, WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, mobile broadband; * Spectrum, its planning and management, and the assignment of frequency; * Numbering and numbering plans, number portability, carrier pre-select, eNum; * Signal distribution, and broadcasting technologies; * Internet, VoIP, VANS & the NGN; * Telecommunications market trends, developments & drivers; * Broadcasting market trends, developments and drivers, and the migration to digital broadcasting; * Internet and broadband market trends, developments and drivers; * Convergence, multimedia, the NGN & the future of communications. Module 2: International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments * Globalisation, the knowledge economy and the information age; * Global trends in regulatory reform: liberalisation, privatisation, regulation in a converging environment; * Global e-governance: structures, institutions and global obligations (ITU, WTO, WIPO, GATS, ICANN); * Regional developments in telecommunications regulation: SATCC, CRASA, ATU, NEPAD; * National responses to the global information economy: e-commerce in South Africa; * ICT and labour; * ICT and gender; * Information and communications technologies and development (the digital divide, ISAD, GK, dotForce, UN ICT TT, WSIS, ICT4D); * Universal access and universal service. Module 3: Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation * The SA Constitution and administrative law; * ICT sector regulation: rationales, principles, approaches and practices; * Competition law, and the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in SA; * ICT sector reform in SA: overview; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for telecommunications in SA: institutions, structure, processes and issues; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for broadcasting in SA: institutions, structure, processes and issues; * Interconnection, facilities leasing and essential facilities: principles, law and regulation; * Licensing: the objectives, typology, procedures, content and monitoring of licences; * Pricing and tariff regulation; * Quality of service and consumer protection. About LINK The LINK Centre is the leading public policy, regulation and management educational body in the area of information and communication in Southern Africa. LINK focuses on capacity building in the public sector and development arenas through quality training, applied research and consultancy services necessary to maximise the benefits of the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy. Methodology An interactive and intensive teaching methodology is used, comprised of several learning methods, including lectures, syndicate work, case studies, structured learning group discussions and presentations from local and international experts in the field. In this way participants will develop a strong practical focus directly applicable to their own organisations. The course is evaluated via one individual and two syndicate assignments. Syndicate assignments are professionally presented to the group and external examiners drawn from government, industry or academia. Schedule 2009 TPRM 2009 is a block release course divided into three modules, each running for one week per month. Participants may attend individual modules as stand-alone executive courses. Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation & Management Module Title Dates Module 1 ICT Technologies and Markets 18 - 22 May, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 2 International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments 22 - 26 June, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 3 Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation 20 - 24 July, 08:30 - 17:00 Fees R 18 500 (plus VAT) per participant for the full three-week course. Any individual modules may be taken on its own as an 'executive course' (for which a certificate of attendance is issued) at a fee of R 8 000 (plus VAT) per participant. A small fee discount is available for bulk enrolments. Venue All lectures are held at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management campus, 2 St David's Place, Parktown. Lectures run daily from 08:30 to 17:00 with breaks for lunch and teas. Convenor Charley Lewis + 27 11 717-3784 or charley.lewis(a)wits.ac.za Information The course web page is available at http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html. Registration can be done online, using the course code WE/TPRMGM/07/01, via http://www.wits.ac.za/enterprise/courses/register.html. Contact Tennyson Mashiloane + 27 11 717-4595 or via Tennyson.Mashiloane(a)wits.ac.za for more information or to enrol. - - - ends - - - Charley Lewis Senior Lecturer, LINK Centre Tel: + 27 11-717-3784 Fax: + 27 86-529-5562 /+ 27 11-717-3910 Mobile: + 27 83-539-5242 Post (personal): Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120, SOUTH AFRICA Skype: charley.lewis URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House, School of Public & Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place, Parktown, 2193, SOUTH AFRICA ==> Master of Management in ICT Policy & Regulation: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html<blocked::http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html> ==> Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation & Management: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html [cid:[email protected]] This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.

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Kenya IG Discussions Day 3 of 10
by alice＠apc.org 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

How many listers are on Face book? As we discuss intrenet governance, i wish to share this article on Face book by Jonathan Zitrain, which brings up issues of privacy, data protection, etc best alice ------------------------------------------------- http://www.opendemocracy.net/node/47778 E Pluribus Facebook Jonathan Zittrain Facebook boasts more than 200 million active users, with an astounding 100 million logging in at least once per day. Its prominence is not just in numbers of users. Its what they do: many share intimate and sensitive details about themselves. That not only means that the service is susceptible to privacy panics (both real and imagined) on a regular basis. It means that, as with other social networks, people vest their identities in their profiles. If an account is disabled because of alleged misuse such as spamming the hurt can transcend the effort needed to create a new account. Even small changes, such as in the way the newsfeed works, elicit heartfelt reactions from people who think of their pages as well their pages. We saw this phenomenon at work when in mid-February Facebook posted a set of what its management seems to have thought were minor changes to its terms of service the kind of things that just wouldnt matter to its users. Instead a privacy panic ensued, reinforcing larger worries about Facebooks power. Founder Mark Zuckerberg responded quickly in plainspeak rather than legalese and I credit his view that the changes in terms of service really werent meant to be a stealthy way of doing surprising new things with users information. But he used the occasion to offer an analogy: More than 175 million people use Facebook. If it were a country, it would be the sixth most populated country in the world. Our terms arent just a document that protect our rights; its the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world. This encourages Facebook users not to simply view themselves as users but as citizens. Citizens of Facebook. The consumer/vendor relationship governed by contract and fair trade law is different from that of citizen/government. Citizens identify with something larger than themselves if ones country is attacked, it can feel like a personal attack in a way that a fellow bank customers account theft does not feel like a personal invasion. (Today we are all Bank of Americans doesnt leap to the lips.) And in non-authoritarian systems, citizens have a voice in the affairs of state distinct from the metaphorical vote a consumer makes with his or her feet or that a shareholder makes in a quaint proxy proceeding. Facebook has followed through with the analogy. In a rather unusual move it has published Facebook governance documents, opened them to public comment in a manner intentionally reminiscent of American administrative agencies notice-and-comment periods, enlisted law students to help process the responses, and now is putting a revised set of documents up for a vote. This isnt meant to be a one-off deal. Instead, there is a Facebook Principles document translated into multiple languages that expresses commitments to such things as open platforms and standards, free flow of information, universal availability of the service and its contents regardless of ones country, and freedom to control ones own data, including removing (or extracting) it from Facebook. The Statement of Rights and Responsibilities has a most unusual section on amendments usually the boilerplate piece of a terms of service that says that the vendor has the right to change the terms whenever it wants so long as it alerts users to the change. This one says: If more than 7,000 users comment on the proposed change, we will also give you the opportunity to participate in a vote in which you will be provided alternatives. The vote shall be binding on us if more than 30% of all active registered users as of the date of the notice vote. To be sure, these two sentences have loopholes suitable for a truck (and a missing verb which presumably is supposed to be a quorum requirement 30% of all active registered users voting for a vote to be binding). 30 million users voting on anything (especially since it requires adding a new Facebook voting app) is a high threshold. More important, theres no effort to identify what the alternatives will be. The current vote on the principles themselves simply asks users: Which documents should govern the Facebook Site? Choices: The proposed documents: Revised Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Facebook Principles 4/16/09 (These documents reflect comments from users and experts received during the 30-day comment period.) Existing documents: The current Terms of Use 9/23/08 (This document was developed entirely by Facebook and does not reflect any third-party outside comments.) It calls to mind the age-old trick of asking the children whether theyd like to wear their red or green pajamas to bed with no choice about when bedtime actually is. Facebook still holds the quill and frames the choice. But the fact is that most companies wouldnt dream of going as far as Facebook just has, because the kinds of public pressures that create privacy crises can also be elicited when cynical choices are presented. Facebook has intentionally placed itself in a new zone, borrowing elements of .org and .gov to inform how a .com is run. Coming from .edu myself, Im disappointed that something initially as academically-related as Facebook a social networking site for university communities wasnt begun and nurtured under university auspices, naturally incorporating public interest values. So Facebook draws from the public and public interest sphere, a simultaneously bold and modest step towards acknowledging that our new networked technologies deeply affect our lives in ways not always captured or best shaped by the typical template of consumer and seller. So Ive become voter number 167,476 in the poll. (Yes, they say results will be audited by an outside firm.) Im not expecting to add another passport to my drawer, but Im heartened at the prospect that the amazing engine of private enterprise may find creative ways to tap into and reinforce our civic instincts. -------------------------

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A wider audiance
by robert yawe 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

Hi, I have been been contributing articles to a new IT magazine called CIO (chief information officer), as you may be aware there currently isn't any good and regular ICT local magazine and this magazine aims to fill this gap. The magazine is in its 3rd issue please get a copy and read my articles as well as others which are well thought through and cover local ICT issues. Due to space issues some of my articles have needed to be shortened, if you need to read the entire unsensored version please send me an email. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Antivirus Poll...
by Mike Bullut 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

Hey guys, I hope your week is fairing on well. I'm doing an unofficial *antivirus poll<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/antivirus-poll/> * on my *blog <http://kipsang.wordpress.com/>* & I'd like to know which product offers the best security for your PC/laptop. Looking forward to your vote! Warm regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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INVITATION TO THE 2009 KENIC AGM
by Vincent Ngundi 27 Apr '09

27 Apr '09

The KENIC board is pleased to invite you to the sixth KENIC Open Public Forum to be held on Friday 8th of May 2009 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel from 0800hrs. The forum will be a focal point for bottom-up discussions of the KENIC policies and developments. Thereafter, the same venue will host KENIC's fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which you are invited to witness. Details of the AGM are available on the KENIC website http://www.kenic.or.ke. We look forward to your participation at the events. Kind Regards, Vincent Ngundi For: Chairman, KENIC -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Fw: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy?
by alice＠apc.org 23 Apr '09

23 Apr '09

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya -----Original Message----- From: Abi <abi.jagun(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:39:41 To: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants<fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org> Subject: Re: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy? Dear All I am finding out a lot more information about EASSy since making the post and will likely update the initial analysis that was conducted in 2006/7. I just want to provide more clarification on two main issues: - my conclusions about the KDN/FLAG - the source of my optimism about EASSy All the information that I used for this analysis (and update) was available (at that time) in the public domain and whilst I did try to take bias into consideration I think I can point to a few news reports/press releases that MADE me rather optimistic about EASSy. The first set are about the FLAG cable; they seem to suggest that where possible this project and the partners involved would prefer to merge with an existing project than "go it alone" - of course this is just my opinion: 1. Various articles reported the signing of an agreement between KDN and Flag. See for example the Balancing Act articles on the Fibre-for-Africa site - http://fibreforafrica.net/main.shtml?x=5038604&als[MYALIAS6]=KDN%20pips%20E… 2. "VSNL, East African Cable may merge links" - http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-154161796.html - published in October 2006 talks about discussions between VSNL and EASSy to merge their respective undersea cables linking India and Africa to Europe. 3. There are also articles that cite KDN's investment in TEAMS as well as the company becoming a part of EASSy [see for example http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=824 and 4. "VSNL Announces Construction of $250 Million Express TGN Eurasia Cable System" - http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=561&fArticleId=4903656 - reports on a cable being built by VSNL that will link Mumbai to Paris, London and Madrid via Egypt. The cable is being built in partnership with SEACOM and Telecom Egypt. Looking at the SEACOM route [http://www.seacom.mu/intro.html] it is clear where such a cable would connect with the SEACOM a more recent addition to all this is: 5. "KDN new partner to inject Sh1.4bn for expansion" - http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6232&Item… - which provides information on KDN's investment strategy; it has no mention of its agreement with FLAG. But perhaps there is information out there to the contrary and I would be interested in having access to these. The second set of articles informed my understanding of the financial position of EASSy. Based on these the impression I got was that the financing for the cable had reached an advanced stage and this led to my optimism that it will indeed be completed. These include a news item by Rwanda News Agency (RNA) -http://allafrica.com/stories/200803171222.html - It states: "The construction of the cable has been made possible by the project developers, who secured all the necessary financing, officials from the EASSY Project Secretariat in Nairobi-Kenya say." Also relevant is an entry on the WIOCC website that states: "Two-thirds of the submarine survey work is now complete, with only the southern leg remaining" - see http://www.wiocc.net/news.html I guess this will likely bring up discussions about whether or not there is demand for all these cables; but perhaps that is another discussion thread entirely. Thanks to everyone that has responsed so far. Abi 2009/4/22 Abi <abi.jagun(a)gmail.com>: > Dear All > > I use EASSy as a case study for a course I teach on and recently came up > with the following summary of where the project currently stands. The > "update" was put together to complement a stakeholder analysis that was done > by APC late 2006/early 2007 and which can be downloaded here: > http://www.apc.org/apps/img_upload/f22c64f43b568608639b68dbdd91d89a/Updated… > > I would appreciate any comments on this. > > > Abi > > >> >> > > -----Original Message----- >> > > From: fibre-for-africa-bounces(a)lists.apc.org [mailto:fibre-for-africa- >> > > bounces(a)lists.apc.org] On Behalf Of wakabi(a)cipesa.org >> > > Sent: 26 March 2009 01:43 >> > > To: eric(a)afrispa.org; APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop >> > > Participants >> > > Subject: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy? >> > > >> > > What's up EASSy? >> > > >> > > It's been a few quiet months at the EASSy stable, but word is now out >> > > on >> > > where this initiative has gotten to. And the word doesn't seem to good >> > > for >> > > EASSy enthusiasts. Once a front-runner in the so-called race to land >> > > fibre >> > > at the eastern coast of Africa, EASSy has conceded it is seriously >> > > trailing SEACOM (which appears comfortably perched in the driver's >> > > seat) >> > > and TEAMS (which is following in, albeit not too closely). >> > > >> > > According to a report in Kenya's Daily Nation, EASSy now expects to >> > > get >> > > operational around June 2010 (we add: 8 years after visionaries >> > > initially >> > > conceived it and got down to putting it together). Quoting Chris Wood, >> > > CEO >> > > of West Indian ocean cable Co. Ltd., the SPV for EASSy, the report >> > > says >> > > indicates EASSy will leverage on a "competitive long-term business >> > > plan >> > > to >> > > reduce the coast of bandwidth for coastal and land-locked countries". >> > > Besides, Wood claims his cable will have the biggest capacity of them >> > > all. >> > > Details: >> > > http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/smartcompany/-/1226/549886/- >> > > /srb1j8z/-/index.html >> > > >> > > SEACOM, meanwhile, announced this week it would go commercial in July >> > > this >> > > year - although the cable would be ready in June. Monthly charges for >> > > bulk purchases would be around US$100-US$200 per Mbps. They said >> > > demand >> > > is >> > > so high they will offer bandwidth at lower prices than their earlier >> > > biz >> > > plan forecast; talked about profitability reaching lots earlier than >> > > initially anticipated; and said carriers in the region would actually >> > > be >> > > better off accessing more than one cable. Nice. >> > > >> > > But some are wondering: Now that the cables are coming, what are we >> > > gonna >> > > do with that bandwidth? Possibilities are vast, plans probably much >> > > less. >> > > It appears in Kenya, there's both thinking and action. 1) This week, >> > > an >> > > education minister has spoken about interesting e-learning plans whose >> > > implementation later this year he said would be enabled by the >> > > availability of the cable. 2) Kenya Data Networks, one of those >> > > gleefully >> > > signing onto the SEACOM offering, has said they will reduce their >> > > costs >> > > from next month. 3) At the end of last year the Kenya ICT Board >> > > unveiled a >> > > US$4.1m kitty for developers of local content.... >> > > >> > > For some of the other countries, there doesn't appear to be as much >> > > cooking as in Kenya. Or may be someone just isn't telling us yet. >> > > >> > > Wakabi >> > > >> > >_______________________________________________ >> > > Fibre-for-africa mailing list >> > > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org >> > > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa >> > >> >_______________________________________________ >> > Fibre-for-africa mailing list >> > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org >> > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa >> >>_______________________________________________ >> Fibre-for-africa mailing list >> Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org >> http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa > > _______________________________________________ Fibre-for-africa mailing list Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa

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