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Obama administration joins critics of U.S. nonprofit group that oversees Internet
by alice＠apc.org 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR201102280… Obama administration joins critics of U.S. nonprofit group that oversees Internet By Ian Shapira Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, February 28, 2011; 10:39 PM The California nonprofit organization that operates the Internet's levers has always been a target for such global heavies as Russia and China that prefer the United Nations to be in charge of the Web. But these days, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is fending off attacks from a seemingly unlikely source: the Obama administration. Concerned about the growing movement to cede oversight to the U.N., the U.S. government, which helped create ICANN in 1998, has been reprimanding the nonprofit group to give foreign nations more say over the Web's operations. The battle has come at a sensitive time for ICANN, which this month is meeting with foreign governments as it pulls off the biggest expansion ever of Web suffixes - including .gay, .muslim and .nazi. Also this fall, the nonprofit organization is seeking to hold on to its federal contract to oversee the Web's master database of addresses - a sweeping power that governments fear could be used to shut down foreign domains that the United States finds unsavory. "There's a deeper question of how the world is reacting to a small company - even a nonprofit - completely in charge of a key part of the Internet. Is that acceptable? There's no 100 percent comfortable solution here," said Steve Crocker, ICANN's vice chairman, who lives in Bethesda and is the chief executive of Shinkuro, a technology company. With some Middle East countries shutting down the Internet within their borders to curb uprisings, the question of who runs the Web is increasingly figuring into global foreign policy debates. Some fear that governments such as those of Libya or Iran could more easily crush rebellions if they gained more control over the Internet's inner workings. ICANN quietly wields vast influence over the Web, a power unfamiliar to many Americans and elected officials. Based in an off-campus University of South California building, the company has more than 100 employees and is led by a chief executive and a board of directors comprised of private sector executives and technology experts. ICANN's core function: Decide which Web addresses get seen on the Internet. ad_icon In Washington, ICANN remains somewhat mysterious to elected officials, according to Nao Matsukata, a senior policy adviser to the Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse, a grass-roots organization in Washington. Matsukata's main problem, he said, is trying to explain what ICANN is to people on Capitol Hill. His group has met with more than 50 members of Congress. "Sometimes, when we're in meetings on the Hill, they're just nodding their heads," said Matsukata, a former trade official in the George W. Bush administration. "Very few people understand where all these decisions are coming from, and that this is something that impacts us every day of our lives. Someone is determining what is allowed, what is not allowed, and someone is profiting from these things." The tiny nonprofit group can be especially provocative for a trade press that covers its every move, and for a rival U.N. agency, the International Telecommunications Union. When the ITU, a 145-year-old agency of nearly 200 nations and territories, held its annual meeting in October in Mexico, a Syrian emissary representing Arab states raged against ICANN as if it were an enemy nation. "Do not surrender to the ICANN!" Nabil Kisrawi yelled during one of the conference's sessions, according to a story in the Register, an online publication on Internet governance. "There is even a representative of the ICANN in this room!" Kisrawi said. (Kisrawi recently died.) Other nations have been mobilizing against ICANN. China, which monitors dissident activity on the Web, has been leading a campaign among dozens of developing nations to lobby the U.N. for oversight over ICANN, according to former and current ICANN officials. And a coalition of former Soviet states led by a Russian minister has been pushing the U.N. to obtain veto power over ICANN. Some countries also worry that the new wave of Web suffixes might be too controversial and that others might require companies to spend vast sums to protect their online brands and trademarks. (Who gets .merck? The U.S. drug company? Or the German drug company with the same name?)

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Local versus International
by robert yawe 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

Where should we be placing our emphasis in relation to link reliability and access speed, on the local or international circuit? Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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CCK - courier (UPS) double charging?
by Francis Hook 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

If a courier, UPS, charges for import documentation costs in addition to shipping costs, at the source, should their local office also raise charges for an IDF? I find this a rather extortionate way of doing business and wondering if CCK has a role to play or if it can intervene? Or perhaps my understanding of the 'documentation' costs is wanting? Any advice appreciated. -- Francis Hook +254 733 504561

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Posta; a sleeping giant
by Matunda Nyanchama 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

Robert, A few years ago I emceed the launch of PostaPay in the Diaspora; we were all excited and remarked how we would reclaim "our lunch" being eaten by others like Western Union, MoneyGram, etc. Years later we would learn of mismanagement and accusations of embezzlement from gains from this business line! We were astounded; and Western Union, MoneyGram and co continue to eat our lunch! Postal corporations world over are remaking themselves in the face of falling volumes of paper-based items - letters, ads, company reports, bills, statements, etc. Electronic Bill Payment and Presentment (EBPP) offers huge opportunities; this PCK is aware of; I am hoping they can take it up, especially with the growth of ICT infrastructure and smartening of mobile devices! Add mobile money, combine with payment platforms such as M-pesa and you are home clean, and relevant for the times. Agency Banking is another not fully exploited area that PCK could capitalize on; I cannot imagine another corporation with a larger branch network than PCK. But as the Kiswahili saying goes "ukiona vyalea, vimeundwa", nothing comes without clear planning, strategy, leadership, execution. Jumapili njema. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you. ________________________________ From: "kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> To: mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Sent: Sun, February 27, 2011 4:00:00 AM Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 45, Issue 165 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. Posta; a sleeping giant (robert yawe) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2011 11:35:44 +0000 (GMT) From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> To: Kictanet Mail list <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: [kictanet] Posta; a sleeping giant Message-ID: <622799.66783.qm(a)web27805.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hi, Finally seems that I am not the only one who believes that Postal Corporation has many more years in it, the IBM Corps are coming in to provide free consultancy services. As we were busy relegating Postal to the annals of technology other have made the move to take the plunge to revive the sleeping giant. http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000029740&cid=456& There is more to posta than just snail mail. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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DAY 10: The Name "The Independent Communications Commission of Kenya"
by Catherine Adeya 28 Feb '11

28 Feb '11

Dear Listers, Today is the final day on the discussions on the Independent Communications Commission of Kenya Bill 2010. I think it would be worthwhile to revisit a concern Mr Wangusi raised on the first day.He was concerned that in the new Constitution -- specifically in Chapter 15, Clause 248 (1&2) which establishes Commissions in this country -- the ICCK name does not appear to be among those listed. So is this title in contravention of the Constitution and should we suggest another name like “Communications Regulatory Authority of Kenya” or something like that. We would appreciate your thoughts. Best Wishes, Nyaki

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Is there a govt. media policy?
by Wamuyu Gatheru 28 Feb '11

28 Feb '11

CNN is this week showing a documentary on the treatment of Kenya's mentally ill. Its being shown on the World's Untold Stories series and clips also being shown on various other CNN programmes. CNN journalist David Mackenzie and his crew are shown on 'Best of Backstory' locked in Ward 7 of Mathari Hospital by the hospital's administrator. They had govt permission to film but apparently things changed when they filmed a dead body lying next to one of the patients. David and his team call all sorts of high offices and in the end a call from the Prime Minister sets them free. Does govt have a media policy that public workers are educated on? This David saga is a really poor show for Kenya on top of the unfortunate public health story. Wamuyu -- Soko ID Co. Ltd Tel: +254 (0)721 468699 http://www.soko-id.co.ke/ Soko ID is an innovative company that supports public organisations and promotes the Kenyan heritage on the internet.

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Uganda: Telecoms Regulator Puts Breaks On Tariff Cuts
by alice＠apc.org 27 Feb '11

27 Feb '11

Uganda: Telecoms Regulator Puts Breaks On Tariff Cuts Mobile phone users may no longer enjoy dramatic call tariff cuts as the sector regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), issues new guidelines. The new Retail Tariff Guidelines for Voice Telephony Services that could become effective March 15 shall empower UCC to establish minimum rates below which players will not be allowed to offer services, even under promotions. The guidelines are intended to curb anti-competitive practices, encourage new investments (including new players), enhance tariff transparency and protect consumers. "A service provider shall not price a service in a manner that is intended to deliberately lessen the level of competition in the market," says the draft guidelines, signed by Godfrey Mutabazi, UCC's Executive Director. Under the guidelines, the regulator will also require players to notify it five days before offering any new call tariffs and to limit promotions to not more than ninety (90) days, and only once every 12 months. UCC circulated the draft guidelines last week to key industry players, asking them to respond before Feb. 18. A stakeholder meeting in the last week of February will discuss them. The guidelines come in the wake of aggressive promotional tariff cuts in the mobile phone market that have led to dramatic increase in telephone usage and subscription on one hand, and deterioration in service quality, due to network congestion and reduced capital investments. The guidelines may be bad news for mobile phone users but UCC's Communications and Consumer Affairs Manager, Fred Otunnu, says they were "triggered by concern about the consumers of the telecom services and the future of the industry". "The reduction in call rates has not been in tandem with the quality of service; this has been compromised," Otunnu said. Otunnu added that while reduced rates were good for consumers in the short-term, as they made services more affordable, current pricing trends in the retail voice market distort the spending habits of low income users who (unknowingly) end up spending disproportionate amounts of their income on communication, to the detriment of other essential needs. He added that UCC, as the regulator, had to ensure that service providers remained profitable, for investments to continue. The new guidelines target aggressive companies like Warid Telecom that have shaken up the sector with unprecedented tariff cuts and highly popular promotions like Pakalast, Kawa, Pepeya and Berako. Under Pakalast, subscribers load airtime worth Shs 1,500 and call for 24 hours Warid-to-Warid. When it was introduced, the product increased Warid network users from 700,000 to 1,000,000 per day and its subscribers grew to two million. It also dramatically raised the company's market presence, putting it at par with older players like MTN, UTL and Zain (now Airtel). To avoid losing customers, competitors adopted similar tactics, dropping the Ugandan market to its lowest call rates since the entry of mobile telephony. Warid has led tariff cuts in the market since September when it cut rates to Shs 5 per second, and then to Shs 3, forcing MTN, UTL and Airtel to adopt similar cuts. In its latest promotion - Kawa - the company has further dropped Warid-to-Warid call rates to Ushs 1 for 4 seconds, enabling subscribers to talk for 30 minutes at Shs 500. By last week, reactions of Telecom companies ranged from cautious to positive. Warid's Chief Executive Officer, Madur Taneja, said "all the issues raised in the guidelines are pertinent and will be most important in shaping the future of the telecom industry." MTN Chief Executive Officer, Themba Khumalo, told the media at the height of the price war last year that "price reduction will benefit the end-users, but it must be done without losing value and when the operators can afford it." "Regulators have to manage the situation before it goes out of control," Khumalo said. Khumalo told Reuters at the time that with five major companies, Uganda's telecom industry was small and overcrowded. However, Taneja disagrees. Taneja told The Independent that with a 32 percent penetration, the telecom industry needs more players. UCC's Otunnu is of Taneja's view, but he says price competition must be guided. Low access to telephones means the players are suffering low business volumes yet some of them have been investing massively. In 2009 for example, MTN borrowed US$100 million from local commercial banks, to be repaid based on the company's revenues from service sales, key of which is sale of airtime. Industry sources say that with the Shs 3 per second, 180 per minute tariff, the telecoms earnings boom has ended. With interconnection fees at Shs 131 (72 percent of the total call cost) and VAT accounting for 30%, companies say they have been making losses, especially on cross-network calls. MTN financial data shows its average revenue per user (ARPU) declines to US$6 for the quarter ended Dec 2010, compared with an average of US$8 and US$10 for 2008 and 2007 respectively. As revenue from voice - the industry's traditional cash cow - decelerated, competition has shifted to the data market with investments in 3G broadband networks and data. UCC estimates the industry's annual revenues will grow by 25 to 30 percent over the next five years, propelled by expansion of data services. UCC is not the first to come up with similar guidelines. Kenya gazetted the Fair Competition and Equality of Treatment Regulations 2009 and the Kenya Communications Tariffs Regulations 2009 to curb abuse of competition by market leaders. UCC has also been enforcing the Fair Competition Regulation as well as the Tariff and Accounting Regulation 2005, which are currently undergoing revision. source The Independent

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Posta; a sleeping giant
by robert yawe 26 Feb '11

26 Feb '11

Hi, Finally seems that I am not the only one who believes that Postal Corporation has many more years in it, the IBM Corps are coming in to provide free consultancy services. As we were busy relegating Postal to the annals of technology other have made the move to take the plunge to revive the sleeping giant. http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000029740&cid=456& There is more to posta than just snail mail. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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VSAT need information
by warigia bowman 25 Feb '11

25 Feb '11

Dear technical people, esp michuki, mctim, and Jean given that Egypt, and now Libya have cut off Internet access, would it be possible to invest in VSATs in order to get some limited internet access via sattelite? Obviously, this will not help egyptian sites, but may allow access to sites based in the US? Please advise. Rigia -- Dr. Warigia Bowman Visiting Assistant Professor American University in Cairo Global Affairs and Public Policy (office)(202)2615-4346 (cell) (201)05590948 warigia(a)aucegypt.edu

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Ongoing IGF Consultations in Geneva
by Joe Kiragu 25 Feb '11

25 Feb '11

Dear Listers, In addition to McTim's Comments on the extension on IGF mandate, I would like to inform you that Kenya is hosting the 6th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Nairobi latter this year. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information and Communication, Dr. Bitange Ndemo constituted a National Organising Committee chaired by Ms. Alice Munyua last year. Members of this committee are drawn from the Ministry of Information and Communication, the Communication Commission of Kenya (Secretariat), Kenya Network Information Centre, Telecommunication Service Providers of Kenya, Kenya ICT Board, among others. Members of the National Organising committee led by the Chair to the National Organising Committee are currently attending an IGF consultations meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting is hosted by the United Nations IGF secretariat. Important to note is that the Chair of the Kenya IGF organizing committee , Ms. Alice Munyua has been appointed by the UN Secretary General to chair the ongoing IGF consultations in Geneva, Switzerland. We congratulate her for her appointment. More information available at the IGF website http://www.intgovforum.org Warm Regards, ...................... Joe Kiragu Ag. Chief Executive Officer Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) "Where the internet begins in Kenya" kiragu(a)kenic.or.ke > All, > > Our own Alice M is chairing todays meetings > > http://nubes.lscube.org/live?lid=27 > > -- > Cheers, > > McTim > "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A > route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel > > > > > On Fri, Dec 31, 2010 at 4:01 PM, waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> > wrote: >> Dear Colleagues - for those following the IGF, information is that the >> UN >> General Assembly has renewed the mandate for another 5 years starting >> tomorrow. The 2011 activities will kick off with open consultations in >> Geneva Feb 23-24. You will also remember that Kenya has proposed to host >> the >> 6th IGF meeting at the end of September. >> >> Kind Regards, >> Waudo >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: dogwallah(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dogwallah%40gmail.com >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: kiragu(a)kenic.or.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kiragu%40kenic.or.ke > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by KeNIC MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > > Kenya Network Information Center (KENIC) > > -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by KeNIC MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. Kenya Network Information Center (KENIC)

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Day 7: SECTION 14: STAFF TO THE COMMISSION
by Catherine Adeya 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

Dear Kictanet List Members, Muriuki, Walu, Matunda, GG, Barrack, Vitalis, Kerubo.....thank you for your contributions these last two days. I believe others are gearing up for this last week of discussions. Day 5 and 6 have had very similar summaries and as such I do not want to be repetitive. Therefore, I will keep this short. Today we begin the discussion on: SECTION 14: STAFF TO THE COMMISSION. 14(1)(a) The Commission shall appoint a Director-General. 14 (2) Shall appoint staff by ensuring equal opportunity employment practices and represents cross-section of population in Kenya Question: Your thoughts on this? Would you like to see more clarity on gender issues, people with disabilities etc. please clarify and elaborate. I look forward to reading your contributions. Best, Nyaki

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Day 9: SECTION 21: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS and SECTION 22: LEGALITY OF ACTS
by Catherine Adeya 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

Dear Listers, Only two more days to go; so please feel free to respond to any issues from Day 1-9 under the correct headers. Yesterday, we discussed the dissolution of CCK; transfer of staff; and transfer of rights, liabilities and obligations. Kerubo said it should be clear that CCK will be dissolved only when the ICCK Act is passed. Therefore, she suggests a revision to the meaning of 'effective date' in part one to read: "effective date" means the date that this Act shall be passed, which date shall be determined by the Cabinet Secretary by Gazette notice. Stanely Murage on the other hand suggested that Section 20 should have terms like "assets, and probably treaties, etc " as some may not be covered under the usual rights. Today we discuss: SECTION 21: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS SECTION 22: LEGALITY OF ACTS - In essence any legal matters before CCK would be dealt with by ICCK. Question: Any issues with this? Best Wishes, Nyaki

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IGF Mandate Renewed
by waudo siganga 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

Dear Colleagues - for those following the IGF, information is that the UN General Assembly has renewed the mandate for another 5 years starting tomorrow. The 2011 activities will kick off with open consultations in Geneva Feb 23-24. You will also remember that Kenya has proposed to host the 6th IGF meeting at the end of September. Kind Regards, Waudo

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Project Management and ITIL Foundation Training
by Mr. Lawi 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

Hello good people, Some time in January there was a thread about PM training and many people expressed interest in signing up for a certification course. I also promised to get back to the group on the said PM training schedule for the year. The company is called Prometrics Associates Kenya. Below is the forwarded introduction letter the company sent to me: RE: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ITIL FOUNDATION TRAINING We write to introduce our training and consulting firm Procept Associates with presence in Canada, Nigeria and now Kenya. Procept has formally entered the East African market this year looking to elevate the regions training and consulting experience. Procept is recognized as a market leader in its core capability areas within its geographies of operation. We have previously delivered courses in Kenya (under local partnership arrangements) to delegates from K-Rep Bank and Sofgen, and in Nigeria to delegates from Central Bank of Kenya. Procept is running a 3-day Project Management Essentials course from March 7-9, and ITIL Foundation V3 course, from March 14-16, 2011. The course brochures for these two courses as well as the Instructor Biography are attached. To promote this first public offering in Nairobi, Procept is offering one free space for every 3 fully paid candidates from your organization - this excludes exam fees. Kindly complete the attached Registration Form, and forward via email to Ms Jane Njeru at info(a)proceptkenya.com or call her on +254 722 958 637 for further enquiries. Yours truly, Sola Oduko Website www.procept.com Premier Training and Strategic Consulting in PM, BA, IT Service Management and Business Continuity Management Encl: Course Brochures, Registration Forms and Biography of Instructor.

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Safaricom – A Modest Proposal (Was Re: Price Control in the Telecom Market in Kenya?)
by McTim 24 Feb '11

24 Feb '11

All, Steve Song is, as usual, on point in this article: http://manypossibilities.net/2011/02/safaricom-a-modest-proposal/ Whiteafrican has just blogged about it as well. http://whiteafrican.com/2011/02/21/phone-and-internet-mesh-for-african-vill… I have been on the Village Telco dev list for a while, if anyone is interested, ping me offlist. -- Cheers, McTim "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel

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Mobile money transfers on con hit list
by Grace Githaiga 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Listers, I do not intend to divert you from the ICCK debate, but this is a commercial break. Please see this just just incase you missed it. The article points out that ther are no specific laws in Kenya to deal with such crime. Quite worrying. Mobile money transfers on con hit list. http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/money/Mobile+money+transfers+on+con+hit+li… And now, back the the ICCK debate. Rgds Grace ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth and rule the World!

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Re: [kictanet] Day 4: Consitutions and Appointment of Commissioners to the Commission
by stanley_murage＠yahoo.com 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

I strongly support the inclusion of Information Technology as one of the key experience fields /professions from which Commissioners may be selected. S.K.Murage Sent from my HTC ----- Reply message ----- From: "Walubengo J" <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Date: Wed, Feb 23, 2011 11:06 Subject: [kictanet] Day 4: Consitutions and Appointment of Commissioners to the Commission To: <stanley_murage(a)yahoo.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> On appointments of Commissioners, it says on Pg5, that they should: (ii) possess suitable qualifications, expertise and experience in the fields of, amongst others, broadcasting telecommunications , law, , media, and economics, or any other related expertise or qualifications. I know we cannot fit in ALL the relevant professions but methinks leaving out IT (Information Technology) would be quit a loud gap considering this commission is supposed a converged commission that put together Media, IT and Telecoms. walu. --- On Thu, 2/17/11, Catherine Adeya <elizaslider(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Catherine Adeya <elizaslider(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 4: Consitutions and Appointment of Commissioners to the Commission To: "Walubengo J" <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 1:44 PM Thanks Walu, I will try and respond to what I can and hope others with more expertise can chip in. Are you suggesting that WHO gets appointed is not as critical as the representative structure of the Commissioners? I do not want to deliberate more on that without taking sides as I also have an opinion and may understand where you are coming from. Yes this new Draft Bill does outline the representative structure of the persons to be appointed to the Commission in Section 5(3) b. ii Persons who....."possess suitable qualifications, expertise and experience in the fields of, amongst others, broadcasting, telecommunications, law, media and economics, or any other related expertise or qualifications" (I have ignored some of the obvious editorial errors which are mostly punctuation and an Editor can sweep through this). We will discuss terms of Office tomorrow but suffice it to say that the Chairperson will hold Office for 5 years and a Commissioner for 2 terms. Lets revisit this kesho. [AN ASIDE: Walu, you are my friend...and I know you like reading....si you read this Bill please...it is in the Ministry website http://www.information.go.ke/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid… and it will answer a number of your queries. It is not very long:-)))]. Best Regards, Nyaki From: Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> To: Catherine Adeya <elizaslider(a)yahoo.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thu, February 17, 2011 11:08:57 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 4: Consitutions and Appointment of Commissioners to the Commission Nyaki,

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Re: [kictanet] Day 8: SECTION 18: DISSOLUTION OF CCK; SECTION 19: TRANSFER OF STAFF
by stanley_murage＠yahoo.com 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Would be good to include under Section 20 terms like "assets, and probably treaties, etc ", as some may not be covered under rights, ie ITU and similar organizations which recognize countries. Stanley Murage ----- Reply message ----- From: "Catherine Adeya" <elizaslider(a)yahoo.com> Date: Wed, Feb 23, 2011 14:26 Subject: [kictanet] Day 8: SECTION 18: DISSOLUTION OF CCK; SECTION 19: TRANSFER OF STAFF To: <stanley_murage(a)yahoo.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Thanks Kerubo..... ________________________________ From: k..k. ombati <kaykerubo(a)gmail.com> To: Catherine Adeya <elizaslider(a)yahoo.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wed, February 23, 2011 11:34:16 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 8: SECTION 18: DISSOLUTION OF CCK; SECTION 19: TRANSFER OF STAFF hey listers, i think they should revise the meaning of 'effective date' in part one to read something like: "effective date" means the date that this Act shall come into force,which date shall be determined by the Cabinet Secretary by notice in the Gazette' so that it is clear that CCK becomes dissolved once the ICCK Act comes into force On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 4:49 AM, Catherine Adeya <elizaslider(a)yahoo.com> wrote: Dear Kictanet Members, > > >Day 7 was a relatively quiet day with only one substantive contribution from >Mike Theuri on Section 14(2) where he suggested that there could be a number of >approaches but should comply with existing law or also adopt an internal policy >or both, he recommended that is should read: > >The Commission shall establish and adhere to an equal employment opportunity >policy and/or shall comply with equal employment opportunity laws that prohibit >among other practices, discrimination in the consideration of employment on the >basis of colour, race, national or geographic origin, physical or mental >handicap, gender, sex, ethnicity, religion, marital status, age for the purposes >of employment. The Commission shall make reasonable accommodations for qualified >staff members or employment candidates who may have a physical or mental >handicap that would be a hindrance to job performance in the absence of >these accommodations to allow them to carry out their respective employment >duties. > >The other contributions were more of ‘asides’. Today we move to Day 8 on: > >SECTION 18: DISSOLUTION OF CCK >SECTION 19: TRANSFER OF STAFF >SECTION 20: TRANSFER OF RIGHTS, LIABILITIES, OBLIGATIONS > > >SECTION 18: >18 (1) The CCK hereby dissolved with effect from the effective date. >18(2)(a) CCK Board to stay in Office until before first meeting of the >Commission. > > >Question: Is this straightforward or are there any comments? > > >SECTION 19: >- All staff will be transferred to the Commission but their remuneration will >not be significantly different if I understand it correctly. > > >SECTION 20: TRANSFER OF LIABILITIES ETC. >- Essentially everything that CCK owns will be transferred to ICCK…makes sense >huh? > > We only have two more days for this discussion...kindly send in any opinions >you may have. > > >Best Wishes, > > >Nyaki > > >_______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >http://lists.kictanet.or..ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >This message was sent to: kaykerubo(a)gmail.com >Unsubscribe or change your options at >http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kaykerubo%40gmail.com > >

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Wezesha Laptop Campaign abused
by Harry Karanja 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

The Wezesha Laptop Campaign was a noble initiative to give students the chance to acquire laptops at subsidized rates. It is therefore saddening when I heard from several students that the vouchers worth KES. 10,000 are being re-sold at between KES. 2,500 and KES. 3,000. This is down to two factors: 1. the failure by well meaning students to acquire the vouchers within the registration period 2. the infiltration of the initiative by businessmen who use student proxies to buy the laptops at the subsidized rates and later resell them at a profit It is therefore very likely that a number of the 15,000 plus laptops will find their way back into the market and not benefit the intended recipients. How can the next initiative be structured to meet these challenges? Regards, Harry Karanja n Director n SoftLaw Limited n Genius Executive Centre n 15th Floor View Park Towers n Utalii Lane n Nairobi CBD n Tel: +254 20 342 225

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Day 8: SECTION 18: DISSOLUTION OF CCK; SECTION 19: TRANSFER OF STAFF
by Catherine Adeya 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Dear Kictanet Members, Day 7 was a relatively quiet day with only one substantive contribution from Mike Theuri on Section 14(2) where he suggested that there could be a number of approaches but should comply with existing law or also adopt an internal policy or both, he recommended that is should read: The Commission shall establish and adhere to an equal employment opportunity policy and/or shall comply with equal employment opportunity laws that prohibit among other practices, discrimination in the consideration of employment on the basis of colour, race, national or geographic origin, physical or mental handicap, gender, sex, ethnicity, religion, marital status, age for the purposes of employment. The Commission shall make reasonable accommodations for qualified staff members or employment candidates who may have a physical or mental handicap that would be a hindrance to job performance in the absence of these accommodations to allow them to carry out their respective employment duties. The other contributions were more of ‘asides’. Today we move to Day 8 on: SECTION 18: DISSOLUTION OF CCK SECTION 19: TRANSFER OF STAFF SECTION 20: TRANSFER OF RIGHTS, LIABILITIES, OBLIGATIONS SECTION 18: 18 (1) The CCK hereby dissolved with effect from the effective date. 18(2)(a) CCK Board to stay in Office until before first meeting of the Commission. Question: Is this straightforward or are there any comments? SECTION 19: - All staff will be transferred to the Commission but their remuneration will not be significantly different if I understand it correctly. SECTION 20: TRANSFER OF LIABILITIES ETC. - Essentially everything that CCK owns will be transferred to ICCK…makes sense huh? We only have two more days for this discussion...kindly send in any opinions you may have. Best Wishes, Nyaki

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Day 4: Consitutions and Appointment of Commissioners to the Commission
by Catherine Adeya 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Listers, As we continue our debate on the draft 'Independent Communications Commission of Kenya Billl 2010' we recall how yesterday, we opened the discussion on the functions of the Commission where the key issue is that the ICCK will have to perform duties imposed on it by the former Commission. We did not have many contributions and I should not give my viewpoint too much but in this case indulge me. I believe the word ‘imposed’ must go. The other contribution was by Waudo mainly concerned with whether the ICCK will continue in its policy formulation function or whether it will be clear that it is meant to implement policy. He argued that since ICCK will take over whatever CCK has been doing then how does one deal with the aspect of being “independent of control by government” when in essence CCK votes at the ITU based on instructions from the Government of Kenya. If you want to continue anything on the Day 3 discussions kindly do so under the relevant header…contributions are still welcome. Today is Day 4 and we move to: SECTION 5: CONSTITUTION AND APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE COMMISSION SECTION 6: DISQUALIFICATION SECTION 5: The Commission consists of 7 Commissioners appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission (PSC). Process: 1. Minister consults with PSC within 7 days of commencement of the Act ad declares vacancies and request for applications. 2. Application to be forwarded to PSC within 14 days of notice (by a qualified person or person/organization/group proposing qualified person) 3. PSC interviews and shortlists 2 people qualified for Chairperson and 9 people for members 4. Within 7 days President appoints Chairperson and members. Question: Is this process fluid enough? Key issue I would also like you to consider: pg. 5, Section 5 (No. 3) about the type of person to be appointed, in a nutshell: - Committed to fairness, freedom of expression, etc. - Represents a large cross-section of the population I am particularly interested in No. 3 (ii) [which requires serious editing anyway, I have done a little of it below though still wordy]: (ii) Possess suitable qualifications, expertise and experience in the fields of, amongst others, broadcasting, telecommunications, law, media and economics; and any other related expertise. Question: What are your thoughts on the kind of Commissioners needed? Do you think there should be a little more here about the calibre of a Chairperson? Where do gender issues come in? Or rather gender balance as this is still a problem in many of these appointments in Kenya. SECTION 6: Disqualification: There is a whole list of reasons on pg. 6, Section 6 on people who cannot be appointed to the commission. It includes: - is not a Citizen of the Republic (I think this should be simply Kenya) - is a public servant or holder of any other remunerated position under the State - is an employee or employee of any party, movement..etc. - has been convicted of any criminal charges… Question: Read through and see if they are satisfactory? One that is not clear and in my view needs serious editing is: 6. (1) f. A person may not be appointed as a Commissioner if he or she or his or her business partner or associate holds an office in or with, or is employed by, any person or body, whether corporate or unincorporated, which has an interest contemplated in paragraph (f): HELP! I am supposed to be a moderator, but who understands this or can make it simpler but clearer. It definitely needs to change. Best Regards, Nyaki

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Is Safaricom disintegrating
by robert yawe 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Hi listers,ea Its not a good idea to type multiple emails at the same time, I sent out the right email with the wrong heading. Here is the correct posting for the subject header I have had an interesting 2 or so weeks dealing with the post Micheal Joseph Safaricom. During his reign MJ took an interest in what was being said about the company, at least on this list which I strongly believe is representative of the tech savvy population. Why do I use a strong word like disintegrate well because before Safaricom went on its acquisition spree I had a single contact number to report all my issues with Safaricom but today I have over 5 numbers that I need to call to get a semblance of assistance, of the 5 or so numbers only one is toll free the others are chargeable calls. Sometime back I raised this issue, that is yet to be resolved, in relation to my WiMax connection which is a service offered by Safaricom Business whose customer support number is 0722-002222. In addition the number is only operational between 8:30am and 5:30 pm, but this might be an indication of when I have expected to have problems with the service. Reminds me of my first boss who once told me that I was dis-organised by falling sick in the middle of the week. I can remember a time when calling 999 got you access to all emergency services does the demise of this single contact actually have something to do with Safaricom not being able to provide a single number for customer care? The situation gets worse every day, I requested Safaricom to deliver my WiMax post paid invoice together with that for our post paid voice lines, I was shocked to be informed that this is not possible as the two services, read organisations are separate and therefore my request could not be honoured. Here I quote the response from Safaricom Business "The billing for the Wimax account is done separately from the other post paid accounts hence, the two cannot be merged" More recently my WiMax antennae was pointed to a new base station but after working for 2 days it needed to be re-pointed to the original base station because the person who made the change did not complete the internal paper work. Yesterday I had another interesting experience when my 3G devices where unable to access my servers hosted right here in the country yet I could reach international sites. I reported the issue to Safaricom Business support line at about 8:30 am after which the circus begun, I received calls from no less than 5 different people all requiring me to repeat my problem, I would have expected it was captured during my initial call? After 6 hours of trying to convince me that the problem was localised to me, I had tested the connection using 3 different 3G devices, they finally confirmed that they where having an issue on their network. At one point one of the engineers, Safaricom does not employ technicians, asks the URL I am saying I cannot reach then tells me that from where she it it accessible. I would have expected that Safaricom would have a test bench to simulate some of this issues. They need to be able to also categorise clients based on a predetermined skill level. It is so painful going through the switch off modem. ping DNS steps that I have recently relegated the 1st level of support calling to my 13 year old son. My experiences with Safaricom since I took up addition services from them namely fixed wireless (WiMax) and domain hosting the number of telephone numbers for Safaricom support have gone from 2 (voice & mpesa) to 15. This is just 3 short of the ones I have for Telkom/Orange which range from the numbers of the line plant staff (those who carry ladders or sit in the road side cabinets), the 3 support numbers (100, 121 & 122). A few numbers each for the Network Operations Center, Kenstream, ADSL, broadband, Jambonet and EvDo just to be able to effectively support my clients who are on the various services. To put an icing on the cake I at one time had to have the Managing Directors on speed dial from Cheserem to Kirui, the Orange fellows are not as accessible which might explain the organisations lackluster performance. Safaricom is becoming what KP&TC and Telkom were as a monopoly big, blotted and unresponsive, it is my sincere hope that we shall not get to the bottom of that precipice as if we do it will mean that the time has come for some of us to go and breed egg laying chickens, which might actually be to the benefit of the industry. If there is still someone out there from Safaricom listening this is the wrong time for the organisation to be disintegrating if you expect to provide a complete suite of products and services. As solution providers we had started filling like we had a partner who would work with us to deliver leading edge solutions well we shall continue to hope and pray that that day will come, soon. Regards PS. If private sector has a problem with offering a single point of contact can we really expect it of the government? Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Composition of CSTD Working Group on the IGF
by waudo siganga 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Dear Colleagues, For those following the IGF process, UNCTAD has announced the composition of the Working Group on improvements to the IGF [1]http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=5813&lang=1 Dr. Jimson Olufuye from WITSA will be representing the Africa business community in the Group. On another note the IGF secretariat is reminding all to send in proposals regarding the program for Nairobi. Please do something, unless we want to have a big meeting in Nairobi with no program. We need comments on the format and content of the program. Contributions can be sent to the IGF mailbox at [2]igf(a)unog.ch, the deadline for submission is 7 February 2011. Kind Regards, Waudo References 1. http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=5813&lang=1 2. file://localhost/mail/?MLS=MR-**f4103020u70770*;MSS=;SMB-CF=4103020;SMR-PT=;SMR-UM=f4103020u70770;UDm=119;Ust=22b35bb4!b53341a5;MSignal=MC-FN*U-1*igf%40unog.ch

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Re: [kictanet] Is Safaricom disintegrating
by robert yawe 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

Hi listers,ea Its not a good idea to type multiple emails at the same time, I sent out the right email with the wrong heading. Here is the correct posting for the subject header I have had an interesting 2 or so weeks dealing with the post Micheal Joseph Safaricom. During his reign MJ took an interest in what was being said about the company, at least on this list which I strongly believe is representative of the tech savvy population. Why do I use a strong word like disintegrate well because before Safaricom went on its acquisition spree I had a single contact number to report all my issues with Safaricom but today I have over 5 numbers that I need to call to get a semblance of assistance, of the 5 or so numbers only one is toll free the others are chargeable calls. Sometime back I raised this issue, that is yet to be resolved, in relation to my WiMax connection which is a service offered by Safaricom Business whose customer support number is 0722-002222. In addition the number is only operational between 8:30am and 5:30 pm, but this might be an indication of when I have expected to have problems with the service. Reminds me of my first boss who once told me that I was dis-organised by falling sick in the middle of the week. I can remember a time when calling 999 got you access to all emergency services does the demise of this single contact actually have something to do with Safaricom not being able to provide a single number for customer care? The situation gets worse every day, I requested Safaricom to deliver my WiMax post paid invoice together with that for our post paid voice lines, I was shocked to be informed that this is not possible as the two services, read organisations are separate and therefore my request could not be honoured. Here I quote the response from Safaricom Business "The billing for the Wimax account is done separately from the other post paid accounts hence, the two cannot be merged" More recently my WiMax antennae was pointed to a new base station but after working for 2 days it needed to be re-pointed to the original base station because the person who made the change did not complete the internal paper work. Yesterday I had another interesting experience when my 3G devices where unable to access my servers hosted right here in the country yet I could reach international sites. I reported the issue to Safaricom Business support line at about 8:30 am after which the circus begun, I received calls from no less than 5 different people all requiring me to repeat my problem, I would have expected it was captured during my initial call? After 6 hours of trying to convince me that the problem was localised to me, I had tested the connection using 3 different 3G devices, they finally confirmed that they where having an issue on their network. At one point one of the engineers, Safaricom does not employ technicians, asks the URL I am saying I cannot reach then tells me that from where she it it accessible. I would have expected that Safaricom would have a test bench to simulate some of this issues. They need to be able to also categorise clients based on a predetermined skill level. It is so painful going through the switch off modem. ping DNS steps that I have recently relegated the 1st level of support calling to my 13 year old son. My experiences with Safaricom since I took up addition services from them namely fixed wireless (WiMax) and domain hosting the number of telephone numbers for Safaricom support have gone from 2 (voice & mpesa) to 15. This is just 3 short of the ones I have for Telkom/Orange which range from the numbers of the line plant staff (those who carry ladders or sit in the road side cabinets), the 3 support numbers (100, 121 & 122). A few numbers each for the Network Operations Center, Kenstream, ADSL, broadband, Jambonet and EvDo just to be able to effectively support my clients who are on the various services. To put an icing on the cake I at one time had to have the Managing Directors on speed dial from Cheserem to Kirui, the Orange fellows are not as accessible which might explain the organisations lackluster performance. Safaricom is becoming what KP&TC and Telkom were as a monopoly big, blotted and unresponsive, it is my sincere hope that we shall not get to the bottom of that precipice as if we do it will mean that the time has come for some of us to go and breed egg laying chickens, which might actually be to the benefit of the industry. If there is still someone out there from Safaricom listening this is the wrong time for the organisation to be disintegrating if you expect to provide a complete suite of products and services. As solution providers we had started filling like we had a partner who would work with us to deliver leading edge solutions well we shall continue to hope and pray that that day will come, soon. Regards PS. If private sector has a problem with offering a single point of contact can we really expect it of the government? Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Re: [kictanet] Poverty & Education: e-discussion
by Mwololo Tim 23 Feb '11

23 Feb '11

For anyone who might be interested. Rgds. tm On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 2:00 AM, Kathleen Diga <kathleen.diga(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Dear friends, > > > I'm helping with this event and could really really use all your support > through FB messages/tweets/blogs. As a fan of technology and > youth/scholar issues, I hope you all can be involved in an United Nations > event in which School of Development Studies (University of KwaZulu-Natal) > is involved and would be pleased to have your participation. UKZN has been > nominated by United Nations Academic Impact for the next two years as one of > ten global hubs to help take forward the governing principle on 'Addressing > Poverty' and Youth. > > > Due to your strong networks and hopefully your interests in Poverty and > Education in the South, we at the School encourage you to contribute to the > e-Discussions (via Facebook!) on Poverty and Education for the week of 2-8 > Mar 2011. We would also be grateful if you could forward this invitation to > other interested networks that you might know, or to others that you think > would have an interest in this topic. > > > > FACEBOOK URL: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/ImpactUN > > > > Basically it is a discussion about issues such as: should there be free > access to tertiary education, what kinds of education incentives ought to be > available by gov't including vocational training, what are strategies to > reverse brain drain (young nationals emigrating abroad) and how can we > ensure local talents are employed. > > > Thanks again for your interest and your help! Let us know what you think > of the UNAI discussion. > > Best regards, > > Kathleen > > > ----------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by * > MailScanner* <http://www.mailscanner.info/>, and is believed t o be clean. > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI IS ISO CERTIFIED > > The University of Nairobi is committed to providing quality services to all > its clients. The University will monitor and review its quality performance > from time to time through an effective implementation of the Quality > Management System based on ISO 9001:2008 standard. > > University of Nairobi Website: http://www.uonbi.ac.ke/ > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >

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