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Kenya to issue infrastructure licenses
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Apr '08

23 Apr '08

Kenya to issue infrastructure licenses Faced with rising infrastructure costs, the Kenyan government is set to issue licenses to companies dedicated to building telecom infrastructure. Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication, said the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) will issue the licenses in six months. The move is expected to lower the infrastructure costs for telecom operators. The government will also unveil new guidelines on sharing such facilities, including transmission systems and cables. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/04/22/kenya-issue-infrastructure-l… Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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Microsoft denies threatening to withdraw funding
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Apr '08

23 Apr '08

Microsoft denies threatening to withdraw funding Microsoft East Africa has dismissed allegations that it threatened to withdraw funding to Kenya if the government did not vote "yes" on OOXML. Louis Otieno, Microsoft general manager in East and Southern Africa denied the allegations, saying that Microsoft EA acted appropriately. "We've acted appropriately in all instances. And we are grateful that the National Body members engaged in this process collaboratively and constructively," Otieno said. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/04/21/microsoft-denies-threatening… Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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Government to use technology to deal with violent youth
by Rebecca Wanjiku 22 Apr '08

22 Apr '08

Government to use technology to deal with violent youth The Kenyan government has developed a plan to use technology to tackle the problem of recruitment of young people into the illegal Mungiki sect. The sect members paralyzed the public transport system in Kenya from April 14 to 17, demanding the release of their jailed leader, Maina Njenga. The sect recruits young men who do not make it to high school. The youths recruited into the violent movement are usually considered societal rejects because they cannot get employment apart from manual jobs. The sect recruits them and provides daily stipends. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/04/21/government-use-technology-de… Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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Kenyan techies to monitor quality of service by ISPs
by Rebecca Wanjiku 22 Apr '08

22 Apr '08

Kenyan techies to monitor quality of service by ISPs Kenya's technology experts are developing a community Web site to monitor quality of service by ISPs. According to Michuki Mwangi, one of the leaders in the project, it will be Kenya's largest technology-related online community-based initiative, where all members are expected to come up with a solution that will make the project work better. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/04/21/kenyan-techies-monitor-quali… Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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KCSE
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Dear All, My earlier e-mail to Aduda has elisted direct questions as to how the programing error could have occured. Usually errors such as the one explained by the Minister occur during Data Mining. Researchers generally define data mining (sometimes called data or knowledge discovery) as the process of analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information - information that can be used to increase revenue, cuts costs, or both. Data mining software is one of a number of analytical tools for analyzing data. It allows users to analyze data from many different dimensions or angles, categorize it, and summarize the relationships identified. Technically, data mining is the process of finding correlations or patterns among dozens of fields in large relational databases like KCSE. Data does not automatically become information unless it is mined properly. Ndemo ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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KenBlogs...
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 20 Apr '08

20 Apr '08

Greetings, I hope this reaches you in the best of health & highest of spirits. I'd like to introduce all to a mailing list I created for Kenyan Bloggers: KenBlogs (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ken-blogs/) I firmly believe this is a field which can be developed into a leading division in the Information Technology industry. I'm an amateur blogger & my blog is called The 411... (http://kipsang.wordpress.com/) Check it out & feel free to leave a comment... My dream is to create a large virtual community that can be felt both locally & globally. Looking forward to all of you joining! Kind regards,Michael.---"The computer programmer...is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver...No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops."Joseph Weizenbaum,Computer Power & Human Reason.--- _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!

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FW: LINK CENTRE: TPRM 2008: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation & Management - places filling up fast
by Edith Adera 18 Apr '08

18 Apr '08

This may be of interest - it's an excellent course. _____ From: link-info-bounces(a)lists.wits.ac.za [mailto:link-info-bounces@lists.wits.ac.za] On Behalf Of Charley Lewis Sent: 18 April 2008 10:53 To: link-info(a)lists.wits.ac.za Cc: Tennyson Mashiloane Subject: LINK CENTRE: TPRM 2008: Certificate in Telecomms Policy,Regulation & Management - places filling up fast I believe this course is filling up rapidly. Register today, or pass this information on to others who you know can benefit from the course. Your registration and payment secures your place on this valuable programme. ================================================== Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management ================================================== The Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is offered by the LINK Centre, School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand - Southern Africa's leading research and training body in the field of information and communications technology policy, regulation and management. It provides an essential background to the understanding the regulatory and policy issues and challenges in the rapidly changing telecommunications and broadcasting sector. Spread over three week-long sessions between May and July 2008, skilled and experienced staff at the LINK Centre, School of Public & Development Management, University of Witwatersrand, supported by an extensive panel of guest lecturers, each an expert in their field, will help you map the telecommunications landscape. Significance The course is designed to address the constantly evolving issues and concerns inherent in the dynamic and fast-paced nature of the telecommunications sector in South Africa. These changes - driven by rapidly developing technologies, by the evolving legal and regulatory environment and by the emergence of new markets, services and applications - give rise to increased demands for training and information. The advent of convergence and globalisation intensifies the ongoing challenge on people in these sectors to remain informed of local developments and international trends and practices. Who should attend? Decision-makers and senior policy-makers in the Department of Communications, ICASA and the USA, managers and regulatory staff in industry (manufacturers, service providers and fixed and mobile operators), bidders for PSTN licences, broadcasters, lawyers, consultants, journalists, union officials and NGOs involved in the sector. Objectives By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to: * demonstrate an understanding of the policy and regulatory environment for the telecommunications and broadcasting industries in South Africa; * demonstrate an understanding of information and communications technologies and the policy implications of these technologies; * describe the structure and process of policy formulation, regulatory oversight and licensing procedures in South Africa; * critically compare the South African telecommunications environment with international models and best practice benchmarks; * explain the approaches to telecommunications policy and regulation adopted in SADC, Africa and globally; * demonstrate an understanding of telecommunications reform and its implications for South Africa; * understand the essential drivers of reform locally and internationally, including the impact of globalisation and convergence. Content Overview A Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is awarded to candidates who attend the following three modules (120 hours) and who successfully complete the required individual and syndicate assignments. Module 1: ICT Technologies and Markets * Basic concepts of telecommunications networks: the PSTN and its underlying technologies, digitisation, transmission, switching; * Wireless communications: WLL, satellite, mobile wireless, GSM, 3G; * Call traffic and its implications; * Spectrum, its planning and management, and the assignment of frequency; * Numbering and numbering plans, number portability, carrier pre-select, eNum; * The telecommunications market in SA: status, performance and trends; * Signal distribution, and broadcasting technologies; * The broadcasting market and the impact of digital broadcasting; * The Internet, VoIP, VANS and VPNs; * Convergence, broadband, multimedia and the future. Module 2: International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments * Globalisation and the information age; * Global trends in regulatory reform: liberalisation, privatisation, regulation in a converging environment; * Global e-governance: structures, institutions and global obligations (ITU, WTO, GATS, ICANN); * Regional developments in telecommunications regulation: SATCC, CRASA, ATU, NEPAD; * National responses to the global information economy: e-commerce in South Africa; * ICT and labour; * ICT and gender; * Information and communications technologies and development (the digital divide, ISAD, GK, dotForce, UN ICT TT, WSIS); * Universal access and universal service. Module 3: Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation * The SA Constitution and administrative law; * Telecommunications sector regulation: rationales, principles and practices; * Competition law, and the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in SA; * ICT sector reform in SA: overview; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for telecommunications in SA: agencies, structure and procedures; * Policy and legislative reform, the regulatory and licensing framework for broadcasting in SA; * Interconnection and facilities sharing: principles, law and regulation; * Licensing: the objectives, typology, procedures, content and monitoring of licences; * Pricing and tariffs; * Quality of service and consumer protection. About LINK The LINK Centre is the leading public policy, regulation and management educational body in the area of information and communication in Southern Africa. LINK focuses on capacity building in the public sector and development arenas through quality training, applied research and consultancy services necessary to maximise the benefits of the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy. Methodology An interactive and intensive teaching methodology is used, comprised of several learning methods, including lectures, syndicate work, case studies, structured learning group discussions and presentations from local and international experts in the field. In this way participants will develop a strong practical focus directly applicable to their own organisations. The course is evaluated via one individual and two syndicate assignments. Syndicate assignments are professionally presented to the group and external examiners drawn from government, industry or academia. Schedule 2008 TPRM 2008 is a block release course divided into three modules, each running for one week per month. Participants may attend individual modules as stand-alone executive courses. Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation & Management Module Title Dates Module 1 ICT Technologies and Markets 12 - 16 May, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 2 International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments 23 - 27 June, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 3 Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation 21 - 25 July, 08:30 - 17:00 Fees R 17 250 (plus VAT) per participant for the full three-week course. Individual modules may be taken on their own as executive courses (for which a certificate of attendance is issued) at a fee of R 7 500 (plus VAT) per participant. A small fee discount is available for bulk enrolments. Venue All lectures are held at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management campus, 2 St David's Place, Parktown. Lectures run daily from 08:30 to 17:00 with breaks for lunch and teas. Convenor Charley Lewis + 27 + 11 + 717-3784 or charley.lewis(a)wits.ac.za Information The course web page is available at <http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html> http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html. Registration can be done online, using the course code WE/TPRMGM/07/01, via <http://www.wits.ac.za/enterprise/courses/register.html> http://www.wits.ac.za/enterprise/courses/register.html. Contact Tennyson Mashiloane + 27 + 11 + 717-4595 or via Tennyson.Mashiloane(a)wits.ac.za for more information or to enrol. - - - ends - - - Charley Lewis Senior Lecturer, LINK Centre Tel: + 27 11-717-3784 Fax: + 27 11-717-3910 Mobile: + 27 83-539-5242 Post (personal): Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120, SOUTH AFRICA Skype: charley.lewis URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House, School of Public & Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place, Parktown, 2193, SOUTH AFRICA ==> Master of Management in ICT Policy & Regulation: <blocked::http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html> http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html ==> Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation & Management: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary. This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.

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animated indicators: how we were then, how we are now...
by saidimu apale 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

[My apologies for cross-posting.] http://www.gapminder.org/world A useful site loaded with statistical and historical data about the development of the countries of the world. A few things to try out: - visually compare growth trends between Africa and the rest of the world, in particular S.E Asia - narrow down to Kenya's stats: visualize growth/shrinkage trends for some key indicators: for this list, probably: income per person, urban pop. as a % of total pop., female labour force, mobile phone + internet per 100 people, primary school completion of boys + girls etc etc - play around with the X- and Y- axes, plot the data against each other, and against time. Then correlate with significant events in Kenya's history. What stood out for me (caveat: I'm no economist/statistician) 1) the number of medical doctors per 1,000 people has pretty much stayed constant since independence 2) where are the youth in Kenya? (the number of children and elderly per 100 is still quite high. Compare with Japan's figures - they have the opposite problem). 3) (female labor force as a % of total) vs (income per person): female workforce has been declining while income p.p has been more or less the same. 4) ... a lot more for your slicing and dicing. Regards, saidi

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Telecoms firms grapple with talent search
by wesley kiriinya 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

Read: http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6886&Item… The last line says: "...Networking, customer support, security, database application development, and programming skills are the high demand areas..." The KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions probably contains senior management/CEOs of Telecoms companies. Is the above article true? If it is there's good talent at the Skunkworks mail list. For guys in Skunkworks: >From previous posts, we have talked a lot about these stuff. I feel there should be some sort of bridge between these 2 mail lists. If the article is true and managers in kictanet lists are looking for talent, well the skunkworks list seems to have skilled, passionate and talented people. It is very likely true there is competition for talent. I've talked to the CEO of Meltwater Group (an international group of companies), and the former head of IBM and they are very talent focused. Meltwater group has started an institution called MEST (Meltwater Enterprenueral School of Technology) in Ghana. They get talented guys in Ghana, train them and provide to them whatever they need (food, transport, monthly stipend, etc). What I saw there was excellent, and that's building the future! What is Kenya waiting for?

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Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Telecoms firms grapple with talent search
by wesley kiriinya 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

I think it's simple how these 2 parties can be linked together. The companies can host techie meetings in their premises. Skunkworks already has weekly meetings thanks to Riyaz, Mugambi and the team's great efforts (A round of applause). The companies can invite people to come and give free seminars and training camps to techies. If it's too expensive the companies can collaborate. In the example about MEST in my original post, they even go further to bring CEOs and other heads of international companies to train/talk these guys in Ghana every quater of the year. If that article is true and CEOs can't sleep at night coz of talent and talent is 3rd on the list of $afcom's worries then it's relatively easy to fix this. Talent doesn't grow on trees, it's natured! On the other hand if both parties aren't committed to this then CEOs can brace themselves for longer nights and techies will struggle harder to polish their skills and outsource them to foreign companies. Alex Gakuru <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> wrote: This is partly why I planned the business (kictanet), skunkworks and CS for next month. Unfortunately, the guys who responded wanted attendance sponsorship despite it not being a donor-driven meeting. Please suggest to me how technical persons and business could be linked better in a self-sustaining manner. Thxs On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:13 AM, Josiah Mugambi <jmugambi(a)gmail.com> wrote: I think the argument that the article is attempting to bring out is that there's not enough talent to match the demand. That said, I agree with Wesley's suggestion of bridging the 'two lists' together - there's such a wealth of talent and skill on the skunkworks list. On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 11:55 PM, Paul Roy <roykoikai(a)gmail.com> wrote: Guys nothing compares to talent, youve got it or you simply dont have it...the only sad part is that our employers dont know how to do a talent search they think the best papers are the most talented...pole sana! Let them look at how global software giants hire and they will never complain about luck of talent in this market. BTW: global software companies come to africa to source for talent guess what, kenya dominates the list. cheers! On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 7:31 PM, Athar Ahmad Bhatti <atharab(a)gmail.com> wrote: Hi It is an interesting article. The dilemma is as good as putting the cart before the horse and expecting things to work out. How many of these firms have a CIO/CTO ? Most Kenyan businesses have an IT Manager reporting to an Accountant or Finance person. I do not know the case with the mentioned companies. Technology is the bridge between a company's Strategic Objectives and their Operational implemention on the ground. If you want to retain staff give them a career plan and have the good manners of living up to promises. How many of us have heard the story,"We will start you on "x" and then later on after probation give "y". Many don' even get confirmation letters. HR is a rubber stamp. It all boils down to integrity. I would feel its not too much to say that the overall integrity of a company is determined by the retention of its staff.... Athar On 4/15/08, wesley kiriinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: I can't blame those who try to do a lot and end up becoming a jack of trades and a master of none. I think people feel insecure about jobs. There's not enough info out there about jobs e.g: 1. What are the job statistics in Kenya? I think the bureau of statistics has them but are they made public well? 2. Which areas have future potential and how many people are likely to be absorbed? 3. What is the growth and direction in current industries so that Kenyans can arm themselves with the specific skills and tools? The education system sadly encourages this lack of specialization. Why should I do English and Kiswahili as a must? They are both languages and they follow the same structure. To be a specialist I think one has to UNDERSTAND the subject matter and not cram as what the education system makes students do. Understanding requires a lot more effort and time! I think if one tries to quickly train someone in order to take up a job that requires certain skills then it will be expensive. Training and experience is a gradual process, and thus can be cheaper in the long run. If a company takes someone at 20 years s/he will not have a lot of experience but the company can gradually train and when that person is 30 then they have a lot more experience. It surely beats getting a 29 year old who has been jobless from the time they were 20 and train them quickly. How much does CCNA and all these other certifications cost? I'm sure it ain't cheap and I don't think someone would just do them with little chance of getting a job, it might be a wasted investment. If companies want skilled people they should be ready to train and treat them well. Because this doesn't seem to be happening as it should employees are insecure, and companies loose skilled people. In the long run both parties suffer. Ochieng Maxwell <maxwell(a)barua.co.ke> wrote: ashok+skunkworks(a)parliaments.info wrote: >On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 3:02 PM, Gituma Nturibi wrote: > > >>there is no shortage of the skilled manpower just people with the >> requisite experience as training new personnel costs a lot, >> >> > >I think this question of there being a shortage / no shortage depends on what >kind of skills you are looking for. > >Sometime ago i had repeatedly posted for an open vacancy in our organization >and gotten a very low response. > > the problem is Kenyans almost try and do everything just to land a job and in the process being good at nothing and therefore the shortage of skills, the few who are there getting them is another story. Maxwell >ashok > > >_______________________________________________ >skunkworks mailing list >skunkworks(a)my.co.ke >http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks >Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com >Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke > > > > _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke between 0000-00-00 and 9999-99-99 _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke -- "Change is slow and gradual. It requires hardwork, a bit of luck, a fair amount of self-sacrifice and a lot of patience." Roy. _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke -- Josiah Mugambi +254 738 504418 Blog: http://blog.josiahmugambi.com _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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