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ICT Master Plan debate
by Wainaina Mungai 20 Jun '08

20 Jun '08

>From submissions so far; 1. There is a draft Master plan with a summary in circulation. 2. There is a general feeling that ICT projects are being implemented in a disjointed manner. 3. The Ministry of Info&Comm. under Dr. Ndemo's leadership, has made commendable progress in the ICT arena. 4. Alot of work remains to be done, including the finalisation of a comprehensive Master Plan through a consultative process and honest positions by all stakeholders. 5. The failure of Parliament to pass ICT-related Bills should be a concern for all stakeholders (esp. the Media who had complaints about the cross-ownership clause) and not an opportunity to shoot the messenger. 6. We have come a long way from the days of fighting (with policymakers/govt) for an National ICT Policy and must now shift gears to a complemetary approach. That is the respectful way to go about this debate as alluded to by Lucy. 7. Now, could the Ministry/PS kindly circulate electronic versions of draft documents for a more informed discussion on this list? That should put some flesh on this skeleton we have so far overworked. Good day, Wainaina -- Made in Kenya Network P. O. Box 72031 - 00200 Nairobi. Kenya Tel: +254-20-3590451 Cel: +254-722-811171 Cel: +254-735-370840 www.madeinkenya.org www.bungesms.com www.pamonet.org

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Re: [kictanet] Kenya's new registry system
by tyrus＠icsit.jkuat.ac.ke 19 Jun '08

19 Jun '08

Wesley, I totally agree with you on this point. Its one thing to set up a system where you will have citizens access their details and its another entirely different thing to ensure its security is not compromised. Even as these guys come up with this revolutionary system, am sure they have security in mind and even more importantly have taken the necessary steps to ensuring that its not compromised. What I always have qualms with as you are well aware of in skunkworks, is the reluctance by the developers or system operators to provide room for Independent Penetration Testing. Granted this is not a panacea for hack-proofing the system but will make the system devoid of common vulnerabilities like what we saw in the ipo website. In America, identity theft has occurred even on their secure servers alike but if you look at the frequency, its relatively low since tests are carried out on the system very often and when loop holes are discovered relevant authorities are informed. Its a very novel idea the Government is pursuing but even as we speak there are notable Govt bodies whose IT infrastructure's security is very sketchy. If there was a dedicated body in the ICT Board to dedicatedly look into security issues regarding IT growth and implementation, I guess there would be standards set even when putting a very basic implementation like a web-site. Regards, "fyodor"

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FW: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] ICT BACKBONE: A solution in search of a problem or is it just a white elephant?
by Harry Hare 19 Jun '08

19 Jun '08

Dear Colleagues, As we await our own FON, there could be some lessons from this experience. One year after the commissioning of the government funded terrestrial fibre optic network in Tanzania, the network has remained relatively idle. Some basic business fundamentals could have been ignored or assumed. Read on. Harry From: eThinkTankTz(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Rama Mwikalo Sent: 17 June 2008 00:36 To: ethinktanktz(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] ICT BACKBONE: A solution in search of a problem or is it just a white elephant? National ICT Optical Fiber Backbone: Is this a solution in search of a problem or just a white elephant? It is a sad indictment of the current state of the ICT backbone infrastructure when a newly commissioned ultra-modern optical fiber system is sitting idle with absolutely no customers; zero. This may sound like an exaggeration but it is not a very big one! Apart from the standard internal and management traffic required to keep the system chugging and humming along, there are practically no paying customers to speak of on the system. The old adage, some may say myth, that says “if you build it, they will come” was probably taken too literally by the companies that decided to invest their hard-earned T-shillings in the ICT optical fiber infrastructure. The system has been idle ever since it was officially commissioned little over a year ago, according to Charles Makakala – a member and regular contributor to the Tanzania e-Think Tank online discussion group. All we can say is that whatever business plan was used to justify this investment, it was not a plan for spiking the ball on the 20 yard - to use an American football metaphor. By all accounts, what has been implemented is an ultra-modern state of the art transmission system based on the latest high capacity DWDM (Dense Wave Division Multiplexing) fiber optics technology. According to Mr Makakala, the system has been deployed across nine regional traffic hubs including some smaller towns, and it has an estimated transport capacity of nearly 4 Gigabit per second. Just so we all know, this represents enough bandwidth to carry up to 400 times the current voice traffic generated by all major mobile phone operators namely, Vodacom, Celtel, Tigo and Zantel. It would have been hilarious if it weren’t downright cruel for these well-meaning folks to have invested so much to achieve so little. This is undoubtedly an important national venture and the service is desperately needed for the development of our country, so what went wrong? No one could have expected – not by any stretch of imagination – that in a country that still requires more ICT investment – not less – there would be a glut of data transmission bandwidth sitting idle and begging for customers but there are no takers. In the meantime, Tanzanians of all shapes and stripes are burdened with one of the highest and out-of-reach telecommunication service tariffs in Africa. Needless to say, there is a huge disconnect; it makes very little sense and clearly deserves a detailed examination and analysis. Considering the way things have turned out, perhaps we should begin by speculating or asking what was the business plan that was used to justify the implementation the optical fiber infrastructure that has been deployed and commissioned? Who were the targeted customers and were they consulted to determine what it would take to get them on board as paying customers? These are basic market research questions… If the ICT backbone was built hoping “customers will come”, well we should not be surprised now that the chickens are coming home to roost and the outcome is so dramatically different from the investors expectations not to mention prayers. Some of the basic and fundamental market research and analysis questions that should have been asked are: § Who are likely to be the major customers for the optical fiber super-highway and where are they geographically located? § What are they planning to use the optical fiber bandwidth for? § How much aggregate bandwidth is need and, more importantly, where is that bandwidth needed? § What special interfaces are needed by the customers? § What kind of problems are these “potential customers” currently experiencing that the optical fiber infrastructure would be ideally suited to solve? § How much are they expecting and willing to pay for the bandwidth in order to subscribe to the new service? § What other competing technologies are available and how much are they paying today? We can delve a little deeper into some of these questions a little later to try to come up with possible answers that may be helpful feedback into the next ICT infrastructure project whether privately or publicly funded. As a way of illustrations, I am planning to use broadband internet access, mobile phone and triple-play which are considered to be the “killer applications” (to employ an overused term) for the national fiber infrastructure. I will also say a few words about the appropriateness (or lack thereof) of assigning the management of a government funded ICT optical fiber backbone to TTCL. Since I am not employed by any of these companies I can afford not to take sides in the proverbial “mwamba ngoma” tradition. I get chills down my spine when I hear that the mobile phone companies are among the targeted customers for this government funded initiative in which TTCL is the designated operator. Last time I checked, TTCL was still competing against the very customers it is supposed to serve! God help us should, in the unlikely event, the system encounter a catastrophic failure, a possibility that cannot be ruled out; would TTCL be expected to give top priority to its own mobile phone customers over its competitors or are they likely to be fair and even-handed? And so we bear witness to the specter of the least successful mobile phone service provider trying to bail out its more successful competitors! It takes two leaps of faith to believe that TTCL will be even-handed and quite frankly, I am not at all surprised why the targeted customers appear to be dragging their feet. The business model needs to be revisited. And as I said earlier, I intend to address this issue and others in a follow up contribution. Rama Mwikalo Technology Consultant Silicon Valley, California, USA (512) 947-7668 __._,_.___ Messages <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/message/12519;_ylc=X3oDMTM2M2Jxb…> in this topic (1) <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxaGluNTQ5BF9TAz…> Reply (via web post) | Start <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlNGdpOTllBF9TAz…> a new topic Messages <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/messages;_ylc=X3oDMTJlZWg3cnRjBF…> | Files <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/files;_ylc=X3oDMTJmMDV1dmwzBF9TA…> | Photos <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/photos;_ylc=X3oDMTJlb3Iwb3YzBF9T…> | Links <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/links;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbDQ1dDRkBF9TA…> | Database <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/database;_ylc=X3oDMTJjazhsczJlBF…> | Polls <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/polls;_ylc=X3oDMTJmdnNxamJyBF9TA…> | Members <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJlNWdhYm0yBF9…> | Calendar <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eThinkTankTz/calendar;_ylc=X3oDMTJkNDlsZ2s4BF…> Anyone who would like to join eThinkTankTz is welcome to do so by sending a blank email to: eThinkTankTz-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com MARKETPLACE _____ You <http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=13r3ednhb/M=624381.12730922.13032918.10835568/D…> rock! 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[NewVisionKenya] Re: Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by aki 19 Jun '08

19 Jun '08

If I may add a comment regarding Kenya technology and evolution. Corrections are welcome. Very briefly : In general terms, we have to understand that the Technology liberation ( liberalization ) just started very recently eg less than 6-8 years ago. In reality lack of liberalization and other factors were responsible for the backwardness of modernization of systems and ICT culture. I believe as a country we are still in infancy and slowly crawling out of that shell. In less than 6-8 years, we have seen tremendous growth in the technology sectors with a pro-IT development, pro-competitve approach by its players and planners. While the approach towards unified goals may seem different, it is important that we give a chance to the current visions and plans to achieve long term goals. Kenya has the talent, resources and we should push very hard to ensure the visions are implemented beyond discussions. My hope is that within the next 10 years or so, we will be a technology/infrastructure/systems achievement and an icon to others. With Rgds, Aki.

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Kenya Budget Brief
by alice wanjira 18 Jun '08

18 Jun '08

Dear all FYI Kenya budget brief best alice

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Kenya Budget Brief
by alice wanjira 18 Jun '08

18 Jun '08

Dear all Attached budget brief prepared by Githongo and Company ( Acountants and Auditors) for * *

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Re: [kictanet] ICT Master Plan debate
by Owino Magana 18 Jun '08

18 Jun '08

We are making headway! The case for better coordinated implementation strikes me as strong. I propose that in addition to making the masterplan readily available, PS Ndemo, seize the moment n lead a stakeholder review and finalization of the national masterplan. Given the experience of finalizing the National ICT policy in 2005 & the e-Gov Strategy in 2004 we, the ICT stakeholders, are clearly equal to the task. To provide focus, I further propose that the said masterplan review be guided by and aligned to the recently launched 1st Mid Term Plan of Vision 2030, to enable it support our overarching Vision 2030 dream Certainly there is no shortage of human capital with requisite experience and expertise in delivering on similar assignments for Kenya and other countries. Let's harness it! O - M Sent from my iPhone On Jun 17, 2008, at 9:23 PM, "Joshua Goldstein" <joshgoldstein(a)google.com> wrote: I would definitely like to see this as well. On Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 10:55 AM, Wainaina Mungai <wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org> wrote: >From submissions so far; 1. There is a draft Master plan with a summary in circulation. 2. There is a general feeling that ICT projects are being implemented in a disjointed manner. 3. The Ministry of Info&Comm. under Dr. Ndemo's leadership, has made commendable progress in the ICT arena. 4. Alot of work remains to be done, including the finalisation of a comprehensive Master Plan through a consultative process and honest positions by all stakeholders. 5. The failure of Parliament to pass ICT-related Bills should be a concern for all stakeholders (esp. the Media who had complaints about the cross-ownership clause) and not an opportunity to shoot the messenger. 6. We have come a long way from the days of fighting (with policymakers/govt) for an National ICT Policy and must now shift gears to a complemetary approach. That is the respectful way to go about this debate as alluded to by Lucy. 7. Now, could the Ministry/PS kindly circulate electronic versions of draft documents for a more informed discussion on this list? That should put some flesh on this skeleton we have so far overworked. Good day, Wainaina -- Made in Kenya Network P. O. Box 72031 - 00200 Nairobi. Kenya Tel: +254-20-3590451 Cel: +254-722-811171 Cel: +254-735-370840 www.madeinkenya.org www.bungesms.com www.pamonet.org _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: joshgoldstein(a)google.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/joshgoldstein%40google… -- Josh Goldstein Research Intern Office of the Head of Global Public Policy Google, Inc. +1.650.214.3493 _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: omaganake(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/omaganake%40yahoo.com

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Kenya govt to subsidize domain names, free spectrum
by Rebecca Wanjiku 18 Jun '08

18 Jun '08

http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/06/17/kenya-hosts-euafrinic-tr… Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/

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Re: [kictanet] [NewVisionKenya] Re: Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by Lucy Kimani 17 Jun '08

17 Jun '08

Bw Ngotwa:   I think it would help if we listened to each other instead of talking past each other.  I believe bw Ndemo already clarified that there is a Master Plan and in fact a summary is in circulation as confirmed by Monica, and dissemination to the wider public will be done in the next couple of weeks.   Why dont we wait until we all have a copy of the Master Plan, study it and then give constructive feedback.   I personally attended some expos, workshops and seminars while I was in Kenya so the ICT conversation has been going on for a while, and I think this is where the problem is, the wrong assumptions are being made, and I think I see where this is getting personal, when people begin to rubbish other's hard work, then you cant blame them if they go on the offensive!  Lets respect each other's efforts, and if one has constructive feedback/ideas just present them as such, and leave out the innuendos etc.   Nobody has a monopoly on ideas, and Kenya will be better off if all stakeholders are working together towards the same goal.   LK --- On Tue, 6/17/08, ngotwa <ngotwa(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: ngotwa <ngotwa(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [NewVisionKenya] Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: NewVisionKenya(a)yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 10:07 AM --- In NewVisionKenya@ yahoogroups. com, Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@ ...> wrote: I have been following the interesting debate on the issue of the way ICT is being planned and implemented in Kenya. I think what Shem was trying to point out was that there are several commendable projects going on within the country but appear not to be clear on how they tie up on the whole plan/Master plan. He also inquired on whether a comprehensive Consultative process has been carried out between and among the ICT Professionals and Stakeholders. I think Shem strongly believed that not enough consultations have been done especially on the whole issue of Vision 2030in order for the Citizens to fully own the Vision and the attendant activities. Initially the debate was healthy between Lucy and Shem but degenerated almost into personal attacks.The PS was trying to clear some of the issues but I think because of the mode of communication he ended up not shedding enough light. Whereas he talked of the existence of the Country's ICT master plan, he did not explain to what extent the projects cover the preparedness for the Vision 2030 or the Master Plan. What we are aware is that even before the Vision 2030 was launched, there were several ICT projects going on and what I personally expected from the debate was to point out the mileage we have so far gone and the gaps remaining in meeting the demands of 2030 and probably the Strategies required in order to fill those gaps. I was privileged last year to have taken part in the preparation of the e-Transactions Bill as driven by the e-Gov Secretariat, but my impression was that the Ministry of Information was not keen on the issue and instead was driving another combined Bill-Kenya Communications Act which was rejected by the 9th Parliament. What this points out is a disharmony within Government institutions. And that is why when Shem talks about enough Consultation and Master Plan it is to ensure a smooth implementation in which every arm of Government knows its role on every aspect of the implementation. As of now, despite what the PS is saying it is obvious that the whole process of ICT Projects Implementation appears haphazard with several groups involved and appear uncoordinated. This is my sincere observation and probably we should avoid going personal on these pubic issues/debates. Rogers Ngotwa > Bw PS, > &nbsp; > To reduce the discussion to the level of pointing fingers would not be of any help. I would rather we focus on the principle, rather than individualize it. Of course many examples abound - not just in ICT. However, I truly don't see of what&nbsp;value it would be to name names. > &nbsp; > As for the plan, if you are working on one, that's commendable as&nbsp;I believe it is the way to go. > &nbsp; > Best rgrds, > Shem > > --- On Mon, 6/16/08, bitange@... bitange@... wrote: > > From: bitange@... bitange@... > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' > To: shemochuodho@ ... > Cc: "New Vision List" newvisionkenya@ yahoogroups. com, "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" kictanet@... > Date: Monday, June 16, 2008, 5:16 PM > > Brother, > It seems that you have been a way for too long. We have worked well in this > industry. If there are specific cases where you had to know someone, please > let us know. Blanket condemnation will not build this country. > > Ndemo > > Sent from my BlackBerry® > __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (2) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar MARKETPLACE Blockbuster is giving away a FREE trial of - Blockbuster Total Access. Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity  1 New MembersVisit Your Group Yahoo! News Kevin Sites Get coverage of world crises. Yahoo! Groups Familyographer Zone Join a group and share your pictures. 10 Day Club on Yahoo! Groups Share the benefits of a high fiber diet. . __,_._,___

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

17 Jun '08

James, The signup was only for the free sponsored t-shirts (we'd sent an earlier announcement to the list last week). Feel free to still attend - this is a very open forum/conference. Entry is still open. Hi Barcamp, You are bringing the announcement really late after you have closed the period through which you can register.Is there a way one can be included?I would love to attend the Barcamp.Any help on these will be appreciated. Reagrds, James Muendo.

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

17 Jun '08

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

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

17 Jun '08

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

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

17 Jun '08

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

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

17 Jun '08

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

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

16 Jun '08

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

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

16 Jun '08

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

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

15 Jun '08

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

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

15 Jun '08

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

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

13 Jun '08

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

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

13 Jun '08

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

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Re: [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowl edge Worke rs'
by wainaina.mungai＠gmail.com 13 Jun '08

13 Jun '08

Great analogy Doc, I believe we have a quick-wins operational answer (ICT Board) to the strategy question (Master Plan). The thread by Fatma also reminds us of the need to work with what we have to "get it done"...or as Prof. Nyong'o would put it, chew as we walk up the stairs ;-) Wainaina - original message - Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowl edge Workers' From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Date: 12/06/2008 14:26 Bw Wainana,   I remember something like 'failing to plan, is planning to fail'. That does not mean there are no 'quick-wins' which can be implemented even as the plan is being drawn. As my software technology professor/teacher used to say: 'don't do it right the first time, but do it'. But of course he pre-supposed that if it was a large-scale software being developed, a prior 'plan' even to 'do it first time' had been drawn.   Rgrds, Shem --- On Thu, 6/12/08, wainaina.mungai(a)gmail.com <wainaina.mungai(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: wainaina.mungai(a)gmail.com <wainaina.mungai(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] {Disarmed} Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowl edge Workers' To: shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com Cc: kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008, 3:56 AM Shem, can we have an over-arching coordinated approach to implementation without first taking a break to Master Plan? Could we change things mid-way implementation instead of going back to the planning stage again? Kenya has been planning and analysing for so long that many of us just want to see action. Paul, why wouldn't the ICT Board act as a coordination centre or a central reference point for ICT projects in Kenya? As you market ICTs, let all ICT projects (by Civil society, Private sector, government, PPP etc) be documented, easily accessed and referenced so that we encourage partnerships or complementary projects. I believe this would allow us to focus on Action/Implementation and let "The Kenyan Approach" be a learning-by-doing model. For instance, www.BungeSMS.com would be happy to find more partners from a central projects database of ICT/mgovernment projects. We are talking to a few and would be glad to complement others with a similar vision. All this can be done - in practice - rather than as per a generic umbrella plan. Regards Wainaina - original message - Subject: Re: [kictanet] {Disarmed} Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowledge Workers' From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Date: 11/06/2008 21:33 Hi Paul, &nbsp; Please don't repeat the same mistake that was made with Vision 2030. From experience, involve 'people' (otherwise called 'stakeholders') from day 1. When Rwanda's first plan (NICI I: 2000-2005) was drawn, that mistake was made. NICI II (2006-2010) was prepared differently. Rather than assemble a few experts and prepare a draft, work with the stakeholders to develop the draft. You can still have a few experts to 'guide' or 'inform' the process, but for heaven's sake please let the process be stakeholder-owned from day one. &nbsp; As for the 'marketing' element, my understanding was that the person concerned did not mean to imply that it is not important - but that it should not be the core function. &nbsp; Best rgrds, Shem __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Change of Contacts
by Harry Hare 13 Jun '08

13 Jun '08

Dear All, Please take note that we (African eDevelopment Resource Centre) have moved offices to eDevelopment House, 604 Limuru Road, near the Belgian Embassy. Our new numbers are +254 (020) 3741646/7. Kindest Regards Harry African eDevelopment Resource Centre eDevelopment House 604 Limuru Road, Old Muthaiga PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Cel +254 725 650044 Land +254 20 3741646/7 <http://www.africanedevelopment.org> www.africanedevelopment.org June/July 2008 Training Opportunities VSAT Feild Eng. 18-20 June Supply Chain Management 24-27 June Fibre Optic Technician 1-4 July Knowledge Management 8-11July Space is limited Book Now! P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

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Re: [kictanet] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by Shem Ochuodho 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

Joseph,   Apologies for a late acknowledgement of your mail.   Well put. I guess the greatest desire for people like Nyong'o, Juma, etc, is to see those dear things they espouse done - not necessarily by them, but done nonetheless. Let's hope that some of the actions being floated in these spaces will some day (sooner or later) see the light of day.   Best rgrds, Shem --- On Tue, 6/10/08, joseph ngome <ngomejp(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: From: joseph ngome <ngomejp(a)yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com>, kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke, kaziafrika(a)googlegroups.com Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 7:10 AM Dear Dr. Ochuodho,   I have read your stuff on the ICT titled: " Where is the Voice of the Kenyan ICT Professional?"and found it more informative and enriching. It really shows our shortcomings as a country in the modern society. In a nutshell, it exposes alot in our bedrooms.   One thing that I must appreciate is the reaction from the PS  Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Bitange Ndemo.To me, his action by bothering to respond to  stakeholders' sentiments indicates that somebody may be caring in one way or another.   I would like to remind you of a story I was told that I am still not sure whether it is real or not. That Prof. Peter Anyang Nyongo crafted a vision for one of the Asian countries (either Malasia of Indonesia) and he is so much averred personality in that country such that one of the streets in that country's city is named after him.   However, as we are launching  our vision for 2030 Prof.Nyongo, who is special in some countries is a backbencher in his home country. So the biblical say that a messiah is never recognised in his home, village, country etc  is true?.   That is exactly the fate of Prof. Calestous Juma, Dr David Otuoma, Eng. John Kamau and Dr. Shem Ochuodho, The list is endless!       Best Regards,     Joseph         JOSEPH P. NGOME Coordinator, Health & Environment Media Network (HEMNet) P.O BOX 1896-40100 Kisumu, KENYA. Telephone-254-57-2023007 Cell phone-254-733-902-531, 254-710-143-948. Email: ngomejp(a)yahoo.co.uk --- On Sun, 8/6/08, Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com>, kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Date: Sunday, 8 June, 2008, 9:33 AM Lucy,   That's precisely the problem: we are not distinguishing 'Professionals' from 'Stakeholders'. We are all 'Medical Stakeholders', but we are certainly not all 'Medical Professionals'. ... I am reactivating my Kictanet account, just in case.   Bw PS, glad to see you active online. But we need not be defensive on this. I am up to date with the sites you mention. I think our main problem at present is neither a policy nor strategy; they may require updating, but those you/the Govt already has. What is needed most urgently is a comprehensive implementation plan/blueprint/master plan. There are a whole lot of good projects being implemented, but they appear haphazard. They are not part of a 'bigger whole'. A senior official of one of the major ICT associations who might for whatever reason prefers anonymity contends: 'we are busy marketing ICT''.   It would be unfortunate to sweep some of these issues under the carpet.   Back to my original posting: I think there are fundamental issues raised, that would be nice to address (just to mention a few):-   1. Has Vision 2030 been sufficiently debated by Kenyans for it to be launched? 2. Was 51% sale of Telkom Kenya justified under the circumstances? 3. Does Kenya consider its unique 'human capital' a competitive advantage, and if so, are we considering developing a 'Human Capacity Development & Utilization Plan'? 4. Are we working towards 'Professionalizing' ICT?   Best rgrds, Shem  --- On Sat, 6/7/08, Lucy Kimani <LKIMANI(a)YAHOO.COM> wrote: From: Lucy Kimani <LKIMANI(a)YAHOO.COM> Subject: Re: [shemochuodhoforparliament2007] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: shemochuodhoforparliament2007(a)yahoogroups.com, "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com> Date: Saturday, June 7, 2008, 11:28 AM Shem,   The ICT community is very active and far from being "voiceless" I was sure I had seen your contribution on kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists. kictanet. or.ke http://lists. kictanet. or.ke/mailman/ listinfo/ kictanet if not, I suggest you get onto the list because thats where all the ICT Professionals/ Stakeholders discuss everything ICT Sample discussion,, ,, ------------ --------- ------- Original Message ------------ --------- ------- Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fibre Optic From:    bitange@jambo. co.ke Date:    Wed, November 28, 2007 9:28 am Cc:      "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists. kictanet. or.ke> ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------- Dear Yawe, I am sorry for assuming that you were aware of the National Optic Fibre Broadband network that is being built by Sagem, Huaweii and ZTE.  The project will be finished by August next year.  The Digital Village project will benefit from this network that is to link all District HQs.  The netwotk shall be run by the operators and hopefully take control of it if they see a business case in it.  Otherwise this was basically the Government wide area network.  We are now hoping that operators would come up with the last mile solutions. Phase two of our plans is to partner with the private sector to build data centers and disaster recovery centers.  This will ensure cheaper local hosting capability.  The biggest challenge is going to be local content. On the Government side, by June next year we should have tons of content online.  We need to pass the Freedom of Information Bill for the public to benefit from most of GoK data. We shall still need the international Fibre optic for research to both ends, that is, the rest of the world and our own research.  We cannot develop on a cocoon. I hope I have responded to your questions.  If you are not satisfied, please let me know. Asante sana. Bitange Ndemo. Shem, you have a lot of catching up to do my friend, so here are some good starting point:   http://www.informat ion.go.ke/   For Kenya's National Policy please see: http://www.informat ion.go.ke/ docs/ICT% 20Policy. pdf   Hey we even have a strategy: http://www.informat ion.go.ke/ docs/Kenya% 20ICT%20Strategy .pdf   Actually, there were a couple of ICT bills already tabled last year, and what was in fact missing was the Ministry of Finance to complete the picture by amending the "Banking" Act which is way out dated and doesnt recognize electronic transactions hence the lack of a "Payment" Gateway -- Great opportunity for anyone ready to go as soon as they amend the Banking Act!  So I dont understand why the Accountant Bill when the Banking act is the one that needs immediate attention!  Until there is E-Commerce in full swing in Kenya, Kenyans will still look at the internet as a luxury and not a necessity limiting the subscriber base to just a few while it should be for everybody!   There is also the Kenya ICT Board actively involved in selling Kenya as the next Call Center/BPO Outsourcing Centre   http://www.ict. go.ke/inner. php?cat=news Also, David Otwuoma is now in Kenya and actively involved in the ICT arena Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@ yahoo.com> wrote: An edited version of the article below appeared in today's edition of the Standard.   Rgrds, Shem   ------ Where is the Voice of the Kenyan ICT Professional? -----   WHERE IS THE VOICE OF THE KENYAN ICT PROFESSIONAL? I am a worried man; worried for my country! That the world has become a global village is no longer a myth; it is a reality. The once alluded to ‘knowledge economy’ is at last here with us. It is not any wonder that Google is today one of the world’s most sought after company; neither is it that in Kenya, the ‘communications’ sector is one of the fastest growing, even in the midst of a global recession. That information and communications technology (ICT) will from henceforth drive world economies is already abundantly clear. Kenya – and Africa, generally - is not being left behind either. Yet I am very concerned with the conspicuous muteness of the Kenyan ICT expert. I was delighted to read that the Finance Minister, himself a Professional Accountant, was presenting before Parliament an “Accountants’ Bill”. Lucky them! But who will stand up for the ‘Informaticians’ ? That the Government of Kenya has identified the Knowledge Economy and ICTs in particular as a pillar for our strategic socio-economic growth could not be more evident than it is in the Draft Vision 2030. ICT has been identified therein as one of the six priority focus sectors for Kenya’s transition to mid-income status. Yet without a clear strategy to develop, harness and utilize the ICT human capital, this prioritization remains a mere fallacy. If nobody in Government is going to stick their necks out for the profession, then where are the professionals themselves? Is it any wonder that this is perhaps the only profession where anyone and everyone can be ‘an expert’ overnight? In a local Internet discussion group recently someone queried whether it was possible for anyone to be ‘a professional accountant’ without being ‘qualified’. The discussion emerged from an earlier posting calling upon ‘a qualified, professional accountant’. The query was understandably raised by a Medical Practitioner, coming from a profession where one cannot be ‘an expert’ without being ‘qualified and professional’ . Why is it that in ICT, one can be an expert without being ‘qualified’? And what constitutes qualification? If this is the sector to drive our future and competitiveness, is it not time we did something about it? That Safaricom, only an eight-year old company, has become the most profitable company in East Africa should not surprise anyone. The sale of Government’s shares in the company is now behind us, the controversies with it notwithstanding. But then again why did the Government have to do it? And for me, Mobitelea wasn’t even the greatest problem with the IPO. There was an equally, if not more fundamental concern. As the Americans would say, ‘why fix it if it ain’t broken?’. I happen to be a firm believer in competition, liberalization and commercialization – only cautiously so for privatization. Privatization in the telecom sector in Africa has not presented a glossy picture. One only needs to look at the cases of the botched initial privatization of incumbents in Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana and the Gambia – just to mention a few. Yet during the Safaricom IPO saga, I only heard the voices of the politicians. Where were the voices of the professionals? As if that was not enough, we one day wake up in 2008 to learn that a whooping 51% (controlling majority) of Telkom Kenya has been sold! And an estimated 18,000-strong workforce has been reduced to 3,000. Why did we have to do this? If it was to raise capital, why do we read in the papers that Treasury is still being asked to plough more resources into Telkom? Often, one reason given for staff retrenchment is better reward for those who remain behind. One would have thought that by reducing the workforce from 18,000 to 3,000, at the very least those who survive would get a minimum of a 200% pay increase. We are now told the Union had to struggle just to get a 20% increment. Did we first analyze the likely impacts of some of these actions, and mitigate sufficiently against them? What an innovative way to stem unemployment and reduce poverty! If the Americans or Chinese owned anything close to 51% stake in France Telecom, I would not be half as worried. Some countries love their subjects – not so much Kenya. Yet if there is anything Kenya beats most other African countries, it is her enviable human capital. It is not surprising that our own Prof. Calestous Juma is today a pillar for Science & Technology Policy in the developing world. Neither was I surprised while in the US mid last year that one Prof. Wilson Endege was reputed to ‘have cracked the DNA code’, whatever that means! And while on a visit to Brussels as part of a Parliamentary Committee touring nuclear reactor plants, at one stage the tour was suspended to allow a UN Inspector – one David Otwoma (based in Vienna, Austria) to inspect the facility! Equally, one would have been forgiven for marvelling on realization that once when a major national microwave backbone system broke down, and after several experts from some developed countries had failed to fix it, one Engr. John Kamau was brought in from the US to fix it. Similarly, it is not unusual to work into Doha Airport, Qatar, and find that the string of a dozen or so ‘black’ people serving on the check-in counters for a leading global airline (not KQ, in this case) are all Kenyan! The list is endless. In spite of this competitive advantage, I am stunned that we do not have a Human Capacity Development Plan. Human capital should be considered Kenya’s gold and oil, since we do not have either! Some African countries long recognized the importance of human capital, and have fairly comprehensive national human capacity development plans. One even has a whole, unique Ministry of Capacity Building. Unless we can nurture, harness and harvest to the best abilities of all our professionals and actors in the knowledge economy – accountants, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, informaticians, agriculturalists, economists, interpreters, etc – our competitiveness is doomed. Microsoft calls it ‘Unlimited Potential’: we must ask ourselves to what extent are we using and getting the most out of our ‘knowledge workers’? From experiences from other emerging economies, they alone can be the propeller for Kenya’s accession to mid-income economy status. However, to give credit where it is due, am delighted that Kenya which since independence has ridden like a rudderless ship, is at last launching a ‘National Vision – Vision 2030’.  Vision, more than anything else, spells out the virtues we espouse, and points to the horizon where we would want to be in the years to come. If you asked me, I would rate the Vision evenly with the Constitution; some may even argue that it is more important than the Constitution. I now gather we are about to launch the Vision – yet I don’t believe Kenyans have adequately debated it. A Vision needs to be owned by the people. Walking along the down-streets of some of the smaller Rwandan towns, it is not unusual to see a small kiosk labelled ‘Vision 2020’. What it means is that the Vision is engraved in the hearts and souls of the people. Why are we rushing to launch a Vision that Kenyans do not own? In the hope that I would find at least something going right with the ‘king sector’, I picked a newspaper the other day, and noticed an advert for a major Government ICT/automation project. I enquired with a friend whose company I thought quite fitted the bill if they had applied. What struck me most – and still bothers me a lot – was his stark reply: ‘I no longer bid for government tenders. From day one, it is already known who the tender is meant for.’ That worries me a lot – especially for the sector in whose our future and the future of our children will so heavily depend. For a moment I asked: ‘you mean as a society we have decayed so much?’. When ‘professionals’ lose so much faith in a system, then something is terribly wrong! Yet like almost everywhere else, the single most major consumer of ICT services and products is Government. How then do we expect our nascent ICT companies and professionals to thrive – and drive the sector that we expect to deliver us to Jerusalem? I must say that there are a few interesting and laudable things that the Government is doing on the ICT scene. However, they are few and far between. Besides, even in those, the voice of the ICT professional is drowned. Pray, tell me! When did the rain start beating the ICT profession? Dr Shem Ochuodho, Advisor on ICT Private Sector Development, Ethiopia, and Former Member of Parliament   --- end article --- Visit Your Group Yahoo! Finance It's Now Personal Guides, news, advice & more. Real Food Group Share recipes, restaurant ratings and favorite meals. 10 Day Club on Yahoo! Groups Share the benefits of a high fiber diet. . __,_._,___ Sent from Yahoo! Mail. 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1 0

Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers'
by Shem Ochuodho 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

  Sorry for cross-posts. --- On Sun, 6/8/08, Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Sunday, June 8, 2008, 5:04 AM Lucy,   That's precisely the problem: we are not distinguishing 'Professionals' from 'Stakeholders'. We are all 'Medical Stakeholders', but we are certainly not all 'Medical Professionals'. ... I am reactivating my Kictanet account, just in case.   Bw PS, glad to see you active online. But we need not be defensive on this. I am up to date with the sites you mention. I think our main problem at present is neither a policy nor strategy; they may require updating, but those you/the Govt already has. What is needed most urgently is a comprehensive implementation plan/blueprint/master plan. There are a whole lot of good projects being implemented, but they appear haphazard. They are not part of a 'coherent bigger whole'. A senior official of one of the major ICT associations who might for whatever reason prefer anonymity contends: 'we are busy marketing ICT''.   It would be unfortunate to sweep some of these issues under the carpet.   Back to my original posting: I think there are fundamental issues raised, that would be nice to address (just to mention a few):-   1. Has Vision 2030 been sufficiently debated by Kenyans for it to be launched? 2. Was 51% sale of Telkom Kenya justified under the circumstances? 3. Does Kenya consider its unique 'human capital' a competitive advantage, and if so, are we considering developing a 'Human Capacity Development & Utilization Plan'? 4. Are we working towards 'Professionalizing' ICT?   Best rgrds,Shem  --- On Sat, 6/7/08, Lucy Kimani <LKIMANI(a)YAHOO.COM> wrote: From: Lucy Kimani <LKIMANI(a)YAHOO.COM> Subject: [NewVisionKenya] Re: [shemochuodhoforparliament2007] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' To: shemochuodhoforparliament2007(a)yahoogroups.com, "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com> Date: Saturday, June 7, 2008, 11:28 AM Shem,   The ICT community is very active and far from being "voiceless" I was sure I had seen your contribution on kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists. kictanet. or.ke http://lists. kictanet. or.ke/mailman/ listinfo/ kictanet if not, I suggest you get onto the list because thats where all the ICT Professionals/ Stakeholders discuss everything ICT Sample discussion,, ,, ------------ --------- ------- Original Message ------------ --------- ------- Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fibre Optic From:    bitange@jambo. co.ke Date:    Wed, November 28, 2007 9:28 am Cc:      "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists. kictanet. or.ke> ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------- Dear Yawe, I am sorry for assuming that you were aware of the National Optic Fibre Broadband network that is being built by Sagem, Huaweii and ZTE.  The project will be finished by August next year.  The Digital Village project will benefit from this network that is to link all District HQs.  The netwotk shall be run by the operators and hopefully take control of it if they see a business case in it.  Otherwise this was basically the Government wide area network.  We are now hoping that operators would come up with the last mile solutions. Phase two of our plans is to partner with the private sector to build data centers and disaster recovery centers.  This will ensure cheaper local hosting capability.  The biggest challenge is going to be local content. On the Government side, by June next year we should have tons of content online.  We need to pass the Freedom of Information Bill for the public to benefit from most of GoK data. We shall still need the international Fibre optic for research to both ends, that is, the rest of the world and our own research.  We cannot develop on a cocoon. I hope I have responded to your questions.  If you are not satisfied, please let me know. Asante sana. Bitange Ndemo. Shem, you have a lot of catching up to do my friend, so here are some good starting point:   http://www.informat ion.go.ke/   For Kenya's National Policy please see: http://www.informat ion.go.ke/ docs/ICT% 20Policy. pdf   Hey we even have a strategy: http://www.informat ion.go.ke/ docs/Kenya% 20ICT%20Strategy .pdf   Actually, there were a couple of ICT bills already tabled last year, and what was in fact missing was the Ministry of Finance to complete the picture by amending the "Banking" Act which is way out dated and doesnt recognize electronic transactions hence the lack of a "Payment" Gateway -- Great opportunity for anyone ready to go as soon as they amend the Banking Act!  So I dont understand why the Accountant Bill when the Banking act is the one that needs immediate attention!  Until there is E-Commerce in full swing in Kenya, Kenyans will still look at the internet as a luxury and not a necessity limiting the subscriber base to just a few while it should be for everybody!   There is also the Kenya ICT Board actively involved in selling Kenya as the next Call Center/BPO Outsourcing Centre   http://www.ict. go.ke/inner. php?cat=news Also, David Otwuoma is now in Kenya and actively involved in the ICT arena Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@ yahoo.com> wrote: An edited version of the article below appeared in today's edition of the Standard.   Rgrds, Shem   ------ Where is the Voice of the Kenyan ICT Professional? -----   WHERE IS THE VOICE OF THE KENYAN ICT PROFESSIONAL? I am a worried man; worried for my country! That the world has become a global village is no longer a myth; it is a reality. The once alluded to ‘knowledge economy’ is at last here with us. It is not any wonder that Google is today one of the world’s most sought after company; neither is it that in Kenya, the ‘communications’ sector is one of the fastest growing, even in the midst of a global recession. That information and communications technology (ICT) will from henceforth drive world economies is already abundantly clear. Kenya – and Africa, generally - is not being left behind either. Yet I am very concerned with the conspicuous muteness of the Kenyan ICT expert. I was delighted to read that the Finance Minister, himself a Professional Accountant, was presenting before Parliament an “Accountants’ Bill”. Lucky them! But who will stand up for the ‘Informaticians’ ? That the Government of Kenya has identified the Knowledge Economy and ICTs in particular as a pillar for our strategic socio-economic growth could not be more evident than it is in the Draft Vision 2030. ICT has been identified therein as one of the six priority focus sectors for Kenya’s transition to mid-income status. Yet without a clear strategy to develop, harness and utilize the ICT human capital, this prioritization remains a mere fallacy. If nobody in Government is going to stick their necks out for the profession, then where are the professionals themselves? Is it any wonder that this is perhaps the only profession where anyone and everyone can be ‘an expert’ overnight? In a local Internet discussion group recently someone queried whether it was possible for anyone to be ‘a professional accountant’ without being ‘qualified’. The discussion emerged from an earlier posting calling upon ‘a qualified, professional accountant’. The query was understandably raised by a Medical Practitioner, coming from a profession where one cannot be ‘an expert’ without being ‘qualified and professional’ . Why is it that in ICT, one can be an expert without being ‘qualified’? And what constitutes qualification? If this is the sector to drive our future and competitiveness, is it not time we did something about it? That Safaricom, only an eight-year old company, has become the most profitable company in East Africa should not surprise anyone. The sale of Government’s shares in the company is now behind us, the controversies with it notwithstanding. But then again why did the Government have to do it? And for me, Mobitelea wasn’t even the greatest problem with the IPO. There was an equally, if not more fundamental concern. As the Americans would say, ‘why fix it if it ain’t broken?’. I happen to be a firm believer in competition, liberalization and commercialization – only cautiously so for privatization. Privatization in the telecom sector in Africa has not presented a glossy picture. One only needs to look at the cases of the botched initial privatization of incumbents in Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana and the Gambia – just to mention a few. Yet during the Safaricom IPO saga, I only heard the voices of the politicians. Where were the voices of the professionals? As if that was not enough, we one day wake up in 2008 to learn that a whooping 51% (controlling majority) of Telkom Kenya has been sold! And an estimated 18,000-strong workforce has been reduced to 3,000. Why did we have to do this? If it was to raise capital, why do we read in the papers that Treasury is still being asked to plough more resources into Telkom? Often, one reason given for staff retrenchment is better reward for those who remain behind. One would have thought that by reducing the workforce from 18,000 to 3,000, at the very least those who survive would get a minimum of a 200% pay increase. We are now told the Union had to struggle just to get a 20% increment. Did we first analyze the likely impacts of some of these actions, and mitigate sufficiently against them? What an innovative way to stem unemployment and reduce poverty! If the Americans or Chinese owned anything close to 51% stake in France Telecom, I would not be half as worried. Some countries love their subjects – not so much Kenya. Yet if there is anything Kenya beats most other African countries, it is her enviable human capital. It is not surprising that our own Prof. Calestous Juma is today a pillar for Science & Technology Policy in the developing world. Neither was I surprised while in the US mid last year that one Prof. Wilson Endege was reputed to ‘have cracked the DNA code’, whatever that means! And while on a visit to Brussels as part of a Parliamentary Committee touring nuclear reactor plants, at one stage the tour was suspended to allow a UN Inspector – one David Otwoma (based in Vienna, Austria) to inspect the facility! Equally, one would have been forgiven for marvelling on realization that once when a major national microwave backbone system broke down, and after several experts from some developed countries had failed to fix it, one Engr. John Kamau was brought in from the US to fix it. Similarly, it is not unusual to work into Doha Airport, Qatar, and find that the string of a dozen or so ‘black’ people serving on the check-in counters for a leading global airline (not KQ, in this case) are all Kenyan! The list is endless. In spite of this competitive advantage, I am stunned that we do not have a Human Capacity Development Plan. Human capital should be considered Kenya’s gold and oil, since we do not have either! Some African countries long recognized the importance of human capital, and have fairly comprehensive national human capacity development plans. One even has a whole, unique Ministry of Capacity Building. Unless we can nurture, harness and harvest to the best abilities of all our professionals and actors in the knowledge economy – accountants, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, informaticians, agriculturalists, economists, interpreters, etc – our competitiveness is doomed. Microsoft calls it ‘Unlimited Potential’: we must ask ourselves to what extent are we using and getting the most out of our ‘knowledge workers’? From experiences from other emerging economies, they alone can be the propeller for Kenya’s accession to mid-income economy status. However, to give credit where it is due, am delighted that Kenya which since independence has ridden like a rudderless ship, is at last launching a ‘National Vision – Vision 2030’.  Vision, more than anything else, spells out the virtues we espouse, and points to the horizon where we would want to be in the years to come. If you asked me, I would rate the Vision evenly with the Constitution; some may even argue that it is more important than the Constitution. I now gather we are about to launch the Vision – yet I don’t believe Kenyans have adequately debated it. A Vision needs to be owned by the people. Walking along the down-streets of some of the smaller Rwandan towns, it is not unusual to see a small kiosk labelled ‘Vision 2020’. What it means is that the Vision is engraved in the hearts and souls of the people. Why are we rushing to launch a Vision that Kenyans do not own? In the hope that I would find at least something going right with the ‘king sector’, I picked a newspaper the other day, and noticed an advert for a major Government ICT/automation project. I enquired with a friend whose company I thought quite fitted the bill if they had applied. What struck me most – and still bothers me a lot – was his stark reply: ‘I no longer bid for government tenders. From day one, it is already known who the tender is meant for.’ That worries me a lot – especially for the sector in whose our future and the future of our children will so heavily depend. For a moment I asked: ‘you mean as a society we have decayed so much?’. When ‘professionals’ lose so much faith in a system, then something is terribly wrong! Yet like almost everywhere else, the single most major consumer of ICT services and products is Government. How then do we expect our nascent ICT companies and professionals to thrive – and drive the sector that we expect to deliver us to Jerusalem? I must say that there are a few interesting and laudable things that the Government is doing on the ICT scene. However, they are few and far between. Besides, even in those, the voice of the ICT professional is drowned. Pray, tell me! When did the rain start beating the ICT profession? Dr Shem Ochuodho, Advisor on ICT Private Sector Development, Ethiopia, and Former Member of Parliament   --- end article --- Visit Your Group Yahoo! News Kevin Sites Get coverage of world crises. Special K Group on Yahoo! Groups Join the challenge and lose weight. Best of Y! Groups Check it out and nominate your group to be featured. . __,_._,___

4 6

Re: [kictanet] {Disarmed} Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowl edge Workers'
by wainaina.mungai＠gmail.com 12 Jun '08

12 Jun '08

Shem, can we have an over-arching coordinated approach to implementation without first taking a break to Master Plan? Could we change things mid-way implementation instead of going back to the planning stage again? Kenya has been planning and analysing for so long that many of us just want to see action. Paul, why wouldn't the ICT Board act as a coordination centre or a central reference point for ICT projects in Kenya? As you market ICTs, let all ICT projects (by Civil society, Private sector, government, PPP etc) be documented, easily accessed and referenced so that we encourage partnerships or complementary projects. I believe this would allow us to focus on Action/Implementation and let "The Kenyan Approach" be a learning-by-doing model. For instance, www.BungeSMS.com would be happy to find more partners from a central projects database of ICT/mgovernment projects. We are talking to a few and would be glad to complement others with a similar vision. All this can be done - in practice - rather than as per a generic umbrella plan. Regards Wainaina - original message - Subject: Re: [kictanet] {Disarmed} Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowledge Workers' From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Date: 11/06/2008 21:33 Hi Paul,   Please don't repeat the same mistake that was made with Vision 2030. From experience, involve 'people' (otherwise called 'stakeholders') from day 1. When Rwanda's first plan (NICI I: 2000-2005) was drawn, that mistake was made. NICI II (2006-2010) was prepared differently. Rather than assemble a few experts and prepare a draft, work with the stakeholders to develop the draft. You can still have a few experts to 'guide' or 'inform' the process, but for heaven's sake please let the process be stakeholder-owned from day one.   As for the 'marketing' element, my understanding was that the person concerned did not mean to imply that it is not important - but that it should not be the core function.   Best rgrds, Shem --- On Wed, 6/11/08, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke> wrote: From: Paul Kukubo <pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] {Disarmed} Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless'Knowledge Workers' To: shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com Cc: "New Vision List" <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com>, "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 12:37 PM Shem The ICT board will very soon subjecting the draft strategic plan to stakeholder review. This might be one intervention point and your direct participation as a key player in the ICT space will be highly appreciated. ICT as a sector and as an enabler of other sector. One comment you did make in an ealier post is worth revisiting. The issue of marketing ICTs. (You did indicate that you were quoting someone). The board sees marketing of ICTs as one very important activity. This debate we are having here is being widened through the ICT board's Public Panels and Open Forums. Soon we will be going country wide listening to people as they express what they understand about ICT and exposing them to ICT opportunities. There are different audiences/markets for our programs. The most interesting task for us has been how to spread ICTs to the mass market and still retain our relevance among hardcore ICT stakeholders (those like yourself whose counsel we seek). Most Kenyans are not yet part of this debate. This is the divide our programs seek to bridge. Paul Kukubo Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Celtel Kenya -----Original Message----- From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:49:49 To:[email protected] Cc:New Vision List <newvisionkenya(a)yahoogroups.com>,KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] {Disarmed} Fw: Re: [NewVisionKenya] Voiceless 'Knowledge Workers' Bw PS,   Once again allow me to say it is commendable to see you being 'responsive' online.   On ICT development, I don't think what we are complaining of is 'inaction'; No. There are lots of good 'projects' happening. Our/My concern is that they are not coherent, or rather there is no overarching 'comprehensive' or 'integrated' plan portraying the 'bigger picture' than individual projects or initiatives do. Examples of African countries with such comprehensive Masterplans include Rwanda, Tunisia and Mozambique. If we have (such) a master plan, I am not aware, and I would be more than delighted to see it. Otherwise, good strategies like that for the BPO's, the E-Govt Strategy, etc, should only be sub-components of the 'Masterplan'.   As for lacking entrepreneurs, am not sure I entirely agree, either. Once again allow me to contend that Kenya has got some of the most 'enterprising' human resources. What they lack are opportunities and an enabling environment. I know some strides have been made, but we still have a long way to go. Just for instance, Tanzania gives up to 15% advantage to local firms when they bid for Govt projects (or so am told). Unless Kenyan rules have changed, I don't think such a provision exists. But that's just one area for improving the environment. There are several others, some specific to ICT, others of a more general nature. Developing a 'Masterplan' would create an opportunity for sufficient engagement with diverse 'Stakeholders' (including 'Professionals' and 'Entrepreneurs') that would unearth more comprehensively areas of improvement that the ICT private sector requires to fly.   Finally, I don't think Govt can run away from building, creating and utilizing capacity. Of course it doesn't do it alone; it does it in collaboration with other players. But it is incumbent, as a starting point, upon Govt to come up with a comprehensive 'Human Capacity Development and Utilization Plan'. And rumour has it one could be in the offing; if that is true, that would be great. If the rumour is not true, then something needs to be done about it.   My 2 cents worth.   Warmest rgrds, Shem _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya…

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