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Personal invitation from Nancy Bosire
by Nancy Bosire 13 Apr '09

13 Apr '09

Personal invitation from Nancy Bosire

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Sabotage suspected in Silicon Valley fiber outage
by Harry Hare 11 Apr '09

11 Apr '09

Hello all, I have noticed some of the optical fibre cable being buried around Nairobi is less than 4 feet under, is there a standard depth that providers should adhere to. Having the cable too shallow could give saboteurs something to do and have serious ramifications on everything that depends on these networks....Lets learn from stories like these deep cables and secure manholes, at least. Harry +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sabotage suspected in Silicon Valley fiber outage By Paul Boutin The Industry Standard SAN FRANCISCO (04/09/2009) - Forget Twitter downtime. This is serious: Around 2 A.M. local time on Thursday, a fiber optic cable running ten feet beneath a Silicon Valley roadway was damaged, possibly as deliberate sabotage. A surprising number of services ranging from broadband Internet to mobile phones, were knocked out. Repairs are still in progress, with no schedule for completion. The cable is owned by AT&T but leased to Verizon. The San Jose Mercury News reports: It appears somebody opened a manhole in South San Jose, climbed down 8 to 10 feet and cut four or five fiber-optic cables. The outage is affecting cell phones, land lines and Internet access for Verizon customers in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin and Santa Cruz County. "Verizon is completely down; other carriers are intermittent at best," said a spokesman for Santa Clara County. There is no timetable for the service to return. Service is also affected in South San Jose around Monterey Road and Bailey Avenue. ATM machines may also be affected. Police say they believe the line was deliberately cut, as were several other cables in the area. Why would someone sabotage a vital telecommunications link? The Merc alludes to a union contract with AT&T that expired last weekend, but no formal accusations have been made. African eDevelopment Resource Centre eDevelopment House : : 604 Limuru Road Old Muthaiga : : P O Box 49475 00100 Nairobi : : Kenya T +254 20 3741646/7 : : C +254 725 650044 Training : : Research: :Consultancy: : Publishing

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Fwd: Adbusters Wins a Legal Victory
by Wainaina Mungai 11 Apr '09

11 Apr '09

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Adbusters Magazine <jammers(a)lists.adbusters.org> Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:13:42 -0700 Subject: Adbusters Wins a Legal Victory To: 56509 <wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org> ADBUSTERS WINS A LEGAL VICTORY AGAINST CANADA'S MEDIA GIANTS, LEGAL ACTION IN THE US MAY BE NEXT After 15 years of legal tussling to bring democracy to the public airwaves, Adbusters has finally scored a great victory. The Supreme Court of British Columbia has granted us an appeal in our landmark case against Canada's CBC and Canwest Global, giving us the go-ahead to set a precedent and establish some public rights over the airwaves (check out the judges¹ ruling here <http://adbusters.org/files/pdf/adbusters_courtappeal_20090403.pdf>). People are spending an unparalleled 8.5 hours per day in front of screens and even with the influx of new screen formats cell phones, computers, kindle TV is still dominant. It¹s the most powerful social communications medium of our time. And yet it is a place where commercial imperatives rule and dissenting voices are routinely censored. Adbusters¹ attempts to purchase airtime from major commercial broadcasters for its socially-minded public service spots <http://www.adbusters.org/abtv/censored_tv_spots.html> have been repeatedly denied over the years. The airwaves are public property just like city sidewalks or parks. They are a public space where freedom of speech must prevail. This is an inspiring idea for media activists and could pave the way for further legal victories down the road not only on the TV airwaves, but in cyberspace as well. Not surprisingly, none of Canwest¹s 13 daily newspapers or 23 TV channels covered the appeal court ruling. The silence has been deafening. Canadians citizens should be aware that the largest media conglomerate in our country is censoring the news to suit its own interests. Here¹s who did cover the story: CBC Radio <http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/latestshow.html> (after April 9, the link changes to <http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20090408.shtml>, the Globe and Mail <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090406.wads0406/BNStory /National/>, the Georgia Straight <http://www.straight.com/article-212819/bcs-highest-court-rules-adbusters-med ia-foundation-can-sue-cbc-and-global-tv> and the Tyee http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Media/2009/04/07/Adbusters-win-appeal/. CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, MTV and the Food Channel have also repeatedly refused to sell us airtime over the past 15 years and we would like to launch a freedom of speech legal action in the US. If you know an American lawyer who may be interested in being part of our legal team then let us know, email kono(a)adbusters.org. The endgame will be a series of lawsuits around the world forcing the half a dozen media megacorporations controlling the bulk of news and entertainment flows around the planet to return some control back to the public. Email kono(a)adbusters.org if you want to talk strategy or contribute to our legal war chest. -- Sent from my mobile device --- http://www.bungesms.com http://www.madeinkenya.org

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Financial Crisis biting Kenya too Ouch.....Zain cuts 141 staff in Kenya
by alice 10 Apr '09

10 Apr '09

Zain cuts 141 staff in Kenya and looks at job cuts elsewhere in Africa Zain has cut 141 staff in Kenya as part of a group restructuring designed to help it weather the effects of the global economic downturn. It has also cut staff in Nigeria earlier in the year. Zain`s CEO for Africa Chris Gabriel announced the job cuts in Nairobi last Monday, but added it was too early to work out what the programme would cost or save Zain. Studies would be carried out in other countries to determine whether job cuts were required, he explained. However, Gabriel said the new business model would push the company into becoming a top 10 global mobile operator by 2011 with 110 million customers and over $6 billion in revenue. ``It is a very difficult decision to take, but it is all about creating efficiency by changing the way we operate,`` he told a press conference in Nairobi. Zain`s new business model, which is expected to inject a new lease of life in the company’s operations, involves downsizing, centralizing and merging certain key functions and outsourcing non-core functions. The strategy has been dubbed the `modular business model` is based on a successful implementation in Zain Saudi Arabia last year. The Kenya layoffs which targeted finance, sales, information technology, customer service and technical operations departments, come after the company`s ARPU went down to US$4 even before the full impact of the two new market entrants (Essar and Orange) have been felt. (Source: IPP Media)

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Balancing Act: Satcom 09: Africa’s satellite providers find themselves looking at a less rosy future
by alice 10 Apr '09

10 Apr '09

Satcom 09: Africa’s satellite providers find themselves looking at a less rosy future Satcom is the African satellite industry’s annual get-together and this year’s was held this week. On the second day of the conference the West African Cable System announced the signing of an over-subscribed fundraising. And this is only one of half a dozen international fibre projects that will be built. At the conference itself, new satellite entrants announced services that were both innovative and cheaper. Russell Southwood looks at how all this will change things for a regional satellite industry that has more or less been the main provider of bandwidth for the continent. Guns to the left of them, guns to the right of them, it was not a comfortable conference for the more traditional satellite operators and resellers. On the one side, there was the ever-present story of the imminent arrival of much, much cheaper international fibre capacity. So although there are a number of new satellite launches (including Intelsat’s New Dawn) that in any other year would have held people’s attention, the spotlight kept drifting back towards the impact of the new fibre. As if that was not distracting enough for those wanting to get their message across, a number of new entrants were offering some combination of innovation and price drops. O3B, which launches its constellation of satellites in 2010, was offering carrier grade satellite capacity with low latency at fibre or near fibre prices. On a much smaller scale, Asia Broadcast Satellite was pitching satellite capacity for just above 03B’s prices for delivery in 2011. Based broadly on the US Wild Blue model, Yahsat was promoting its satellite broadband service YahClick for US$350 per site (FOB) at US$30 a month upwards for the user. And as Tata’s Head of Africa – Global Data Solutions said with a broad smile on his face:”It’s all good.” Intelsat’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel Phil Spector might respond that neither 03B nor Yahsat had operational satellites but somehow the blow intended failed to make much impact. Indeed the traditional satellite operators seemed strangely passive. Improvements in modulation or compression? That’s up to the manufacturers. (To be fair, Intelsat’s Regional VP Flavien Babachi mentioned putting a router on a satellite and we await the results of that with interest.) Any plans to provide keener pricing? That will only happen if there’s a glut in the market and that’s unlikely. Why no new satellite broadband services? Our operator customers aren’t asking for them. They will not be able to stick to this script over the next five years: something has got to change. Cheaper fibre and satellite prices will mean that operators and resellers will take their business elsewhere. Part of this is the natural transition that occurs when fibre arrives and national backbones begin to connect demand to the new international fibres. 90% of demand in most countries is found in their urban centres and these will soon be connected to landing stations. The process of doing this will by itself create a series of inter-country fibre connections. Both those with satellite and fibre were at pains to point out that they were complementary (which they are) but the scale of transition about to occur made this seem simply like an act of good manners that did not quite ring true. So what’s the upside for the traditional satellite operators faced with this transition? * Despite the economic downturn, there will continued above-average overall growth in bandwidth demand at least up until 2013. So some of the effects of the transition to fibre will be blurred by everyone wanting more of everything. * Fibre is new to Africa and some countries neither have the capacity to run it effectively nor is it always safe and secure. Ethiopia’s link to Sudan is a case in point which means that ETC is still a large purchaser of satellite bandwidth. Nevertheless the opening of the new route through Djibouti should improve matters. One operator was reporting that new fibre customers were signing up for 25% of their capacity on satellite as redundancy to cover these kinds of issues. 03B’s Greg Wyler made much of fibre outages in the Suez Canal. But with fibre routes up both sides of the continent, even that risk is to some degree mitigated. * According to GSMA figures, 66% of Africa’s population now has GSM coverage. This disguises a range of progress from Uganda with 90% of its population covered to countries that still have only 30-40% population coverage. Satellite cellular backhaul will continue to fill this demand but as these will be low ARPU locations, operators will be under considerable cost pressures and will look hard at all pricing. * Finally, many users have long-standing contracts (10-15 years) and it will be some time before the natural consequences of the transition are fully felt. But whilst this will be of some comfort in the short to medium term, it is not a long-term defensive position. A number of global satellite operators have significant parts of both their turnover and profitability coming from the continent: half of Intelsat’s fleet serves Africa. This is bound to change and the only question is by how much? Some snapshots of the exchanges at the conference give some idea of the shifting of the tectonic plates: * It’s pricing, stupid: Brian Herlihy, CEO of Seacom spoke about offering prices of between US$50-300 an mbps per month and whilst IRUs might add as much as 20% in interest payments, this is still much sunnier that the US$4-6,000 per mbps currently being charged for satellite. Better still, Seacom is promising this price wherever the capacity lands, whether in a coastal country or one inland. Paul Edwards, Chair of Nigeria’s largest CDMA operator Starcomms said he had been offered US$100 per mbps on one of the west coast fibres. In addition, O3B’s pricing is pitched fairly close to these numbers. The traditional satellite operators are stuck: they either have to take what’s left over or come up with something innovative technically which will improve their price offer. If they do, then it runs the risk of cannibalising existing revenues. (According to a report in an international industry paper, 03B has been in discussions with both SES New Skies and Intelsat. Read that how you will. Who’s courting who?) * Price elasticity provides massive increases: Tata’s Steven Van Der Lind described the process of transitioning customers from satellite to fibre. Three years ago, their assumption was that it would be a 1:1 replacement. As the likely fibre prices became more established, customers started asking for the equivalent of a 2:1 replacement. Recently he has signed contracts where the increase has been 10-15 times the original capacity being utilised. The arrival of fibre is also having an impact for those dealing with short-term satellite needs. Tom Omariba, Managing Director of UUNet Kenya (who have bought fibre capacity) said that they were “technology-neutral” in meeting their customers needs but increasingly it was leasing them satellite equipment. * Pushing to the edge of market: Vodacom DRC’s Alain Malanda, Head of Transmission, Data Planning and Optimisation is probably one of the candidates for satellite cellular backhaul as DRC has few roads, let alone. However, he told the conference that 50% of his national traffic was carried by microwave and fibre and 50% by satellite. And whilst he was clear that they were still pushing out coverage, they had undergone an optimisation exercise on its satellite capacity to get more for less. The DRC Government’s announcement of a fibre route to the coast and the likely connection of Lumumbashi will also eat into the 100% of international traffic currently going by satellite. Timescale: 2-3 years? * The 2010 bonus: Mashilo Boloka, Director: Broadcasting Policy at South Africa’s Department of Communications gave an update on preparations for the 2010 World Cup. He said that the fibre network between the 10 host stadiums and the International Broadcast Centre would be ready for the Confederation Cup in June 2009 and that a second teleport was being provide for outgoing links. The satellite industry has done the continent a tremendous service when no-one was thinking of building the scale of fibre now being undertaken and whatever happens, it will still be the only technology to reach widely dispersed populations. It’s also hard to believe that the global operators will not come up with some innovations to strengthen their positions. However, it’s fair to say that the industry has had its five years of feast and may be entering a period where food is in somewhat shorter supply.

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Fwd: Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model
by Odhiambo Washington 10 Apr '09

10 Apr '09

FYI So let's cross our fingers. Our prayers might be answered. Quoting verbatim another Kenyan who uses Safaricom 3G (from another tech forum): <Begin Quote> My Beef with safaricom is the way they handle the unused MB's after 30days. if you have 512mb remaining after 30days it just dissappears. I called their customer care and they said the billing system can't be changed. To me, I believe it should be like airtime top up,the more u top up,the more MB's balance u have but alas. Thats not the case,we are just being ripped off! <End Quote> Thanks, MJ for listening. We hope you can also change the billing model. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Joseph <MJoseph(a)safaricom.co.ke> Date: Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 9:36 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model To: odhiambo(a)gmail.com There is new pricing coming out soon. Take a look then and see if it is more interesting. Regards Michael Joseph CEO Safaricom Limited BlackBerry® powered by Safaricom ------------------------------ *From*: kictanet-bounces+mjoseph=safaricom.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke *To*: Michael Joseph *Cc*: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions *Sent*: Thu Apr 09 09:07:13 2009 *Subject*: Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 8:34 AM, mike oketch <mikeoketch(a)gmail.com> wrote: > John > 1GB is Ksh 2499. > > The charging model is different from Zain. Zain uses E220 Huawei Modem and > Safaricom now has upgraded to the E160 though all are HSDPA (3G) modem. Zain > charges you Ksh 3999 (4k) per month for unlimited modem while you use GPRS > in most cases and edge in very few cases. So with Zain you have very low > speeds at cheep rate whil Safaricom has high speeds but at a great expense > of around Ksh 10 per mb. > > Safaricom has the same charge for pospaid and prepaid. You will not > restrict your budget with prepaid in Safcom. I met a guy who was complaining > that Safaricom charged him close to 35,000 for internet in a month. > Safaricom was right because they charged him per MB and the guy downloaded > all the Music and Softwares using Peer to Peer systems. > > Zain is good for the patient man out there. But Safaricom is best when you > want to control your budget as well as have a fast cconnectin and you are > the only one using thee modem. Otherwise, utalipa kwa mapua > Put another way. Based on the Orange data Ad that appeared in the media yesterday, I should think it's possible to rephrase the last paragraph, viz: Zain is for the very patient man out there. Safaricom is good when you want to control your budget as well as have a fast connection, but Orange EVDO is the way to go if you are keen on good pricing as well as good speeds. -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254733744121/+254722743223 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." -- Mark Twain ------------------------------ *Note:* The information in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended only for the use of the named addressee. Emails are susceptible to alteration and their integrity cannot be guaranteed. Safaricom Limited does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this email if the same is found to have been altered or manipulated. The contents and opinions expressed in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Safaricom Limited. Safaricom Limited disclaims any liability to the fullest extent permissible by law for any consequences that may arise from the contents of this email including but not limited to personal opinions, malicious and/or defamatory information and data/codes that may compromise or damage the integrity of the recipient’s information technology systems. If you are not the intended recipient please notify the sender and immediately delete this email from your system.Unless expressly stated by a duly authorised officer of Safaricom Limited nothing contained in this email message shall be construed as being an offer to contract or an acceptance of an offer capable of constituting a contract between Safaricom Limited and any recipient(s) of this email. ------------------------------ -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254733744121/+254722743223 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." -- Mark Twain

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Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model
by John Walubengo 09 Apr '09

09 Apr '09

I am seeking to understand the above. I bought the safcom modem during their promotion in Feb09 @ 3000Ksh (free modem(had to be ;-) and access worth 3000Ksh for I think 1G of data.) After consuming less than 50% of the 1G (I use it mainly on weekends), the access was disabled and on enquiry i was informed that the 1G access was timed to be consumed within the 1mnth (4weeks). However, I was assured that the balance of access would be availed in my next purchase... I then opted to purchase the Ksh 2000 access (700Mb), given that I didnt manage to consume the previous 1G and hence saw no need to purchase the same. Furthermore, I expected current access volumes to be consolidated with the previous balance... But before I could consume 50% of the above 700MB, my 4weeks were over and access disabled. I have now purchased Ksh 1000 access (300MB) and from the trend you can predict that my access will be disabled before I consume it... Several questions arise: 1. How do I confirm that my balance of access is truly being forward and not "disappearing". 2. Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? 3. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? 4. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as compared to voice (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) walu.

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Prequalifications of Suppliers
by James Kagwe 09 Apr '09

09 Apr '09

Morning, Find attached KIPPRA's newspaper announcement for application of prequalification for provision of various services just in case you are interested.... Please do not reply to this email unless it is absolutely necessary. Best Regards, James Kagwe If you judge people, you have no time to love them ********************************************************************* Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis Bishops Garden Towers Bishops Road P.O. Box 56445 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254) 20 2719933, 2719934, 2714714, 2714715 Fax: (254) 20 2719951 Confidentiality Warning ======================= The contents of this e-mail and any accompanying documentation are confidential and any use thereof, in what ever form, by anyone other than the addressee is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify admin(a)kippra.or.ke and delete it immediately from your system. Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis accepts no responsibility for losses or damage as a result of any viruses and it is your responsibility to check attachments (if any) for viruses.

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How the Internet Got Its Rules --- RFCs' 40th anniversary
by Brian Munyao Longwe 09 Apr '09

09 Apr '09

FYI - a very refreshing read and a reminder of the power of human networking and the strength of consensus based approach. Regards, Brian ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Anne-Rachel Inné <annerachel(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 20:10:15 +0100 Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] How the Internet Got Its Rules --- RFCs' 40th anniversary To: africann(a)afrinic.net http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/opinion/07crocker.html?_r=1 How the Internet Got Its Rules By STEPHEN D. CROCKER Published: April 6, 2009 TODAY is an important date in the history of the Internet: the 40th anniversary of what is known as the Request for Comments. Outside the technical community, not many people know about the R.F.C.’s, but these humble documents shape the Internet’s inner workings and have played a significant role in its success. When the R.F.C.’s were born, there wasn’t a World Wide Web. Even by the end of 1969, there was just a rudimentary network linking four computers at four research centers: the University of California, Los Angeles; the Stanford Research Institute; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The government financed the network and the hundred or fewer computer scientists who used it. It was such a small community that we all got to know one another. A great deal of deliberation and planning had gone into the network’s underlying technology, but no one had given a lot of thought to what we would actually do with it. So, in August 1968, a handful of graduate students and staff members from the four sites began meeting intermittently, in person, to try to figure it out. (I was lucky enough to be one of the U.C.L.A. students included in these wide-ranging discussions.) It wasn’t until the next spring that we realized we should start writing down our thoughts. We thought maybe we’d put together a few temporary, informal memos on network protocols, the rules by which computers exchange information. I offered to organize our early notes. What was supposed to be a simple chore turned out to be a nerve-racking project. Our intent was only to encourage others to chime in, but I worried we might sound as though we were making official decisions or asserting authority. In my mind, I was inciting the wrath of some prestigious professor at some phantom East Coast establishment. I was actually losing sleep over the whole thing, and when I finally tackled my first memo, which dealt with basic communication between two computers, it was in the wee hours of the morning. I had to work in a bathroom so as not to disturb the friends I was staying with, who were all asleep. Still fearful of sounding presumptuous, I labeled the note a “Request for Comments.” R.F.C. 1, written 40 years ago today, left many questions unanswered, and soon became obsolete. But the R.F.C.’s themselves took root and flourished. They became the formal method of publishing Internet protocol standards, and today there are more than 5,000, all readily available online. But we started writing these notes before we had e-mail, or even before the network was really working, so we wrote our visions for the future on paper and sent them around via the postal service. We’d mail each research group one printout and they’d have to photocopy more themselves. The early R.F.C.’s ranged from grand visions to mundane details, although the latter quickly became the most common. Less important than the content of those first documents was that they were available free of charge and anyone could write one. Instead of authority-based decision-making, we relied on a process we called “rough consensus and running code.” Everyone was welcome to propose ideas, and if enough people liked it and used it, the design became a standard. After all, everyone understood there was a practical value in choosing to do the same task in the same way. For example, if we wanted to move a file from one machine to another, and if you were to design the process one way, and I was to design it another, then anyone who wanted to talk to both of us would have to employ two distinct ways of doing the same thing. So there was plenty of natural pressure to avoid such hassles. It probably helped that in those days we avoided patents and other restrictions; without any financial incentive to control the protocols, it was much easier to reach agreement. This was the ultimate in openness in technical design and that culture of open processes was essential in enabling the Internet to grow and evolve as spectacularly as it has. In fact, we probably wouldn’t have the Web without it. When CERN physicists wanted to publish a lot of information in a way that people could easily get to it and add to it, they simply built and tested their ideas. Because of the groundwork we’d laid in the R.F.C.’s, they did not have to ask permission, or make any changes to the core operations of the Internet. Others soon copied them — hundreds of thousands of computer users, then hundreds of millions, creating and sharing content and technology. That’s the Web. Put another way, we always tried to design each new protocol to be both useful in its own right and a building block available to others. We did not think of protocols as finished products, and we deliberately exposed the internal architecture to make it easy for others to gain a foothold. This was the antithesis of the attitude of the old telephone networks, which actively discouraged any additions or uses they had not sanctioned. Of course, the process for both publishing ideas and for choosing standards eventually became more formal. Our loose, unnamed meetings grew larger and semi-organized into what we called the Network Working Group. In the four decades since, that group evolved and transformed a couple of times and is now the Internet Engineering Task Force. It has some hierarchy and formality but not much, and it remains free and accessible to anyone. The R.F.C.’s have grown up, too. They really aren’t requests for comments anymore because they are published only after a lot of vetting. But the culture that was built up in the beginning has continued to play a strong role in keeping things more open than they might have been. Ideas are accepted and sorted on their merits, with as many ideas rejected by peers as are accepted. As we rebuild our economy, I do hope we keep in mind the value of openness, especially in industries that have rarely had it. Whether it’s in health care reform or energy innovation, the largest payoffs will come not from what the stimulus package pays for directly, but from the huge vistas we open up for others to explore. I was reminded of the power and vitality of the R.F.C.’s when I made my first trip to Bangalore, India, 15 years ago. I was invited to give a talk at the Indian Institute of Science, and as part of the visit I was introduced to a student who had built a fairly complex software system. Impressed, I asked where he had learned to do so much. He simply said, “I downloaded the R.F.C.’s and read them.” Stephen D. Crocker is the chief executive of a company that develops information-sharing technology. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann -- Sent from my mobile device Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: + 254 714 222 863 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model
by wesley kiriinya 08 Apr '09

08 Apr '09

How do I confirm that my balance of access is truly being forward and not "disappearing". The operator may give you the option of checking your balance similar to checking credit on phone. What does customer care say? (If you will get through 8~)) Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? I hear Zain is different. From today's advert, you have to pay a 10K refundable deposit for Zain + 3K monthly (or somthing like that). My wise grandmother once said: "Always read the terms and conditions of services from IT companies!". That advice has never let me down. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? Don't know. I've read a few complaints about post-paid services. However I was told post-paid guys are given priority in bandwidth. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as compared to voice (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) I think it's because the revenue from voice and SMS can allow 12 wks risks. I believe the higher the number of people that use data, the more flexible the terms might become. O_O --- On Wed, 4/8/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model To: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 12:33 PM I am seeking to understand the above. I bought the safcom modem during their promotion in Feb09 @ 3000Ksh (free modem(had to be ;-) and access worth 3000Ksh for I think 1G of data.) After consuming less than 50% of the 1G (I use it mainly on weekends), the access was disabled and on enquiry i was informed that the 1G access was timed to be consumed within the 1mnth (4weeks). However, I was assured that the balance of access would be availed in my next purchase... I then opted to purchase the Ksh 2000 access (700Mb), given that I didnt manage to consume the previous 1G and hence saw no need to purchase the same. Furthermore, I expected current access volumes to be consolidated with the previous balance... But before I could consume 50% of the above 700MB, my 4weeks were over and access disabled. I have now purchased Ksh 1000 access (300MB) and from the trend you can predict that my access will be disabled before I consume it... Several questions arise: 1. How do I confirm that my balance of access is truly being forward and not "disappearing". 2. Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? 3. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? 4. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as compared to voice (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) walu. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kiriinya2000%40yahoo.c…

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Fw: Re: Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model
by John Walubengo 08 Apr '09

08 Apr '09

shared - with permission. walu. --- On Wed, 4/8/09, karuoth consult <karuoth.consult(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: karuoth consult <karuoth.consult(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safcom Mobile Internet Charging Model > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 3:21 PM > 1. SMS the word 'balance' to 450. This will give you the remaining balance. > > 3. Postpaid would work the same way as you purchase the MBs > in bundles. Unless you use the kawaida internet access which > costs 8 bob per MB. > > 4. Safaricom must have changed their model as the balance > is not carried forward to the next month. I experienced this last > month. Previously they were carrying forward. > > In my opinion this model is a reap off as I do not think it > is fair to pay for what you have not used. > Ogutu > On 4/8/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > I am seeking to understand the above. I bought the > safcom modem during > > their promotion in Feb09 @ 3000Ksh (free modem(had to > be ;-) and access > > worth 3000Ksh for I think 1G of data.) > > > > After consuming less than 50% of the 1G (I use it > mainly on weekends), the > > access was disabled and on enquiry i was informed that > the 1G access was > > timed to be consumed within the 1mnth (4weeks). > However, I was assured that > > the balance of access would be availed in my next > purchase... > > > > I then opted to purchase the Ksh 2000 access (700Mb), > given that I didnt > > manage to consume the previous 1G and hence saw no > need to purchase the > > same. Furthermore, I expected current access volumes > to be consolidated > > with the previous balance... > > > > But before I could consume 50% of the above 700MB, my > 4weeks were over and > > access disabled. I have now purchased Ksh 1000 access > (300MB) and from the > > trend you can predict that my access will be disabled > before I consume it... > > > > Several questions arise: > > 1. How do I confirm that my balance of access is > truly being forward and > > not "disappearing". > > 2. Is this the same charging model @ Zain, Orange? > > 3. Would post-paid be a better deal for me? > > 4. Why should Data-access be so restrictive (4wks) as > compared to voice > > (which gives us almost 12wks grace period) > > > > walu. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: karuoth.consult(a)gmail.com > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/karuoth.consult%40gmai… > >

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Kenya IGF Review Forum
by Vincent Ngundi 08 Apr '09

08 Apr '09

Dear Members, The Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC), in conjunction with the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), invites to a half-day face-to-face public forum to review the 2008 East Africa Internet Governance Forum (EAIGF) and to set the agenda for the 2009 Kenya Internet Governance Forum (Kenya IGF) and EAIGF. The forum will be held at the Jacaranda hotel on Wednesday the 15th of April 2009 starting 09:00am and will be graced by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo. The agenda will include: * Keynote Address by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo * IGF Background * Review of the 2008 EAIGF * Setting the Agenda for the 2009 Kenya IGF and EAIGF * Way Forward Kindly confirm attendance via rsvp(a)kenic.or.ke, RE: Kenya IGF Review Forum, to facilitate logistical arrangements. Kind Regards, ----------- Vincent Ngundi Administrative Manager KENIC - The Kenya Network Information Centre 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 ³dot KE for Every Name in Kenya!² -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Internet records to be stored for a year
by alice 07 Apr '09

07 Apr '09

Internet records to be stored for a year Details of every email sent and website visited by people in Britain are to be stored for use by the state from tomorrow as part of what campaigners claim is a massive assault on privacy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/5… By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 3:20PM BST 05 Apr 2009 A European Union directive, which Britain was instrumental in devising, comes into force which will require all internet service providers to retain information on email traffic, visits to web sites and telephone calls made over the internet, for 12 months. Police and the security services will be able to access the information to combat crime and terrorism. Hundreds of public bodies and quangos, including local councils, will also be able to access the data to investigate flytipping and other less serious crimes. It was previously thought that only the large companies would be required to take part, covering 95 per cent of Britain's internet usage, but a Home Office spokesman has confirmed it will be applied "across the board" to even the smallest company. Privacy campaigners say the move to force telecoms companies to store the data is the first step towards the controversial central database at the heart of the Home Office's Intercept Modernisation Programme, which will gather far more detailed information on Britain's online activities. Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said: "I don't think people are aware of the implications of this move. It means that everything we do online or on the phone will be known to the authorities. "They are using this to produce probably the world's most comprehensive surveillance system. "This is a disgraceful example of the covert influence that Brussels has across our freedoms and liberties. The entire episode has been marked by a litany of secret dealings, vicious political games and a complete absence of transparency." Phil Noble of privacy group NO2ID, said: "This is the kind of technology that the Stasi would have dreamed of. "We are facing a co-ordinated strategy to track everyone's communications, creating a dossier on every person's relationships and transactions. "It is clearly preparatory work for the as-yet un-revealed plans for intercept modernisation." Another EU directive which requires companies to hold details of telephone records for a year has already come into force, and although internet data is held on an ad hoc basis this is the first time the industry has faced a statutory requirement to archive the material. Information held includes the details of who contacted who, and when, but does not involve the content of emails being stored. The taxpayer will reimburse internet service providers and telecoms companies for the costs associated with storing the billions of individual records. Thierry Dieu of ETNO, the European telecoms networks operators association, said: "We regret that the legislation has been put through without real consultation with the players in the market. "The UK is the only country which has decided to reimburse the cost of retaining all the data. It remains to be seen whether this will cover all the costs." A Home Office spokesman said: "It is the Government's priority to protect public safety and national security. That is why we are completing the implementation of this directive, which will bring the UK in line with our European counterparts. "Letters will go out to communication service providers telling them that it is coming into force. We are talking across the board, to all communication providers." He said communications data played a "vital part" in a wide range of criminal investigations, such as the hunt for the killer of Rhys Jones, the 11-year-old schoolboy shot dead in Liverpool in 2007, and the prevention of terrorists attacks. "Without communications data, resolving crimes such as the Rhys Jones murder would be very difficult if not impossible. "Access to communications data is governed by Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act which ensures that effective safeguards are in place and that the data can only be accessed when it is necessary and proportionate to do so," he said. A European deal on storing data was first pursued by Charles Clarke when he was home secretary in 2005. At the time, a Home Office spokesman confirmed that a major mobile phone company which had previously stored its data for just two days had agreed to retain the information for a year in exchange for £875,000 in taxpayers' money. A report compiled by ETNO in 2004 said that a large internet service provider would need to store between 20,000 and 40,000 terabytes of data - of the equivalent of 40 trillion emails - if it was required to keep all traffic data for 12 months. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Fwd: KRA has gone online...but!
by wesley kiriinya 06 Apr '09

06 Apr '09

Does anyone who needs to file tax online (or do something important on the KRA website) need to go to that URL? If so then it seems KRA has taken 2 steps forward and 1.5 steps backwards. KRA may insist that people file taxes online and since not filing them is illegal then one has to go online, but ALAS! you need to buy Windows so that you can run IE. So one either endures long qeues or buys Windows else you land in jail. (Mathematically ones chances of going to jail because of taxes have increased since one must avoid using pirated Windows O_O) I for one would like to know what feature of this Simba system ties it to IE (and probably forces any Kenyan who wants to file taxes online to buy Windows). No problem if Windows has a technology that no other OS has. If that's not the case then supporting open systems that can be purchased, maintained, used and extended (especially for government institutions that provide public (tax-paid) services) at a reasonable price is a wiser decision. X_X? --- On Sun, 4/5/09, Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] Fwd: KRA has gone online...but! To: "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009, 12:19 PM Yes Georg, I can attest to that! Such a pathetic way of telling someone thank you!!! 2009/4/5 George Githinji <georgkam(a)gmail.com> This is total crap! https://forodha.kra.go.ke/ trying accessing this URL and from latest firefox browser and it displays a message. Simba 2005 can only accessed using Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.0 and above. I can't believe it! On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 9:00 PM, Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> wrote: Dear Skunks and Skunkettes, At least we are back and right on course! The other day I went to Times Tower (Tower Wing) to apply for a VAT certificate from KRA. The lady at the reception bluntly refused to have my documents saying KRA is no longer accepting manual applications either for VAT or PIN. She further told me to log on to www.kra.go.ke/portal and I'd be able to register the details of my company, as long as it is a valid and legal entity. When I logged on to the site, which is too colourful for my 'ageing' eyes, I finally clicked on the Taxpayer Registration just under the E-registration services I entered the company's PIN number and all the details about the company were on my screen. Now, the funny part is that when I set a new password and waited for next page to open, I was told that the agent (who registered my company) does not exist on the Integrated Tax Management System of KRA. So I cannot proceed with the registration for a VAT certificate. Then I gave a shot at my PIN and interestingly, the PIN number does not exist on the ITMS of KRA again. I've tried this on a number of occasions without getting any through. (I tried using my friends PIN and his worked, though it later asked for his parent's names). Could it be that PIN certificates can be fake? And can KRA really isue fake PIN certificates? Anyone amongst you who has experienced a problem with the KRA portal? It really gets into my nerves! Mburu -- Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! -- Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks -- --------------- Sincerely George Skype: george_g2 Blog: http://biorelated.wordpress.com/ _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks -- Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks

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Kenya: Fibre optic cable almost reaches telephone house
by alice 05 Apr '09

05 Apr '09

Kenya: Fibre optic cable almost reaches telephone house 'we expect a lot of movement to take place in the month of April' Coastweek -- A timetable for the roll-out of the TEAMS (The East African Marine Systems) cable has been released by contractors, Alcatel Submarines Network Systems. According to Mr. Nzioka Waita, a TEAMS board member and Safaricom's Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, "we expect a lot of movement to take place in the month of April." Activities lined up for April include the completion of loading and commencement of the dropping of the cable, a visit to Fujairah by the TEAMS board members to inspect the equipment before the ship starts laying the cable in the sea. Waita was speaking in Mombasa yesterday after a TEAM's board of directors' inspection of the terminal equipment, housed in the equipment room and landing station room situated in Telephone House on Moi Avenue. Terminal equipment is what is necessary to light the entire length of the cable and to provide a point of connection for the submarine cable to the terrestrial infrastructure in the country. They include power feeding equipment, transmission equipment, SDH and network monitoring equipment. "We are fairly confident the equipment room is now ready to be handed over to the contractor to begin the installation of equipment for the landing station," said Waita who was accompanied by Mr. Victor Kyalo from the Kenya ICT Board, who is also seconded to TEAMS as the Acting CEO and Project Manager. The equipment is already in Kenya awaiting clearance, while the Alcatel Contractors who will do the installation are also in the country and waiting to be handed over the room. "We just want to tell everyone interested in the TEAMS project that everything is on track and we are receiving a lot of co-operation from shareholders to make sure the project happens in time and within the budget," said Waita. The US $ 130 million TEAMS project shareholding ratio includes: Safaricom, Telkom Kenya and the Government of Kenya all with 20 per cent of the shares, (KDN) Kenya Data Network with 10 per cent, Wananchi Online with five per cent; Jamii Telkom; 3.5 per cent and Access Kenya and Flashcom; 1.25 per cent. Others are Econet and Africa Fibre Net of Uganda. The Kenyan shareholders have pledged US $ 110 million (Sh8.6 billion) while the difference will be raised by Dubai Telecom Operator, Etisalat. Waita said the project has all requisite permits and approvals from (NEMA), the National Environment Management Agency which were received in November last year. coast week.... __._,_.___

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New IDRC Book: Knowledge to Policy
by Edith Adera 04 Apr '09

04 Apr '09

Colleagues, You might find this book of interest given that KICTANET mainly focusses on influencing policy and practice. The book is entitled "Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research" copublished by Sage and IDRC, and authored by Fred Carden. It's avialble in print and online at http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-135779-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html Book Brief Does research influence public policy and decision-making and, if so, how? This book is the most recent to address this question, investigating the effects of research in the field of international development. It starts from a sophisticated understanding about how research influences public policy and decision-making. It shows how research can contribute to better governance in at least three ways: by encouraging open inquiry and debate, by empowering people with the knowledge to hold governments accountable, and by enlarging the array of policy options and solutions available to the policy process. Edith

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FW: Fellowship in London and Kenya for African women
by Edith Adera 03 Apr '09

03 Apr '09

This may be of interest. Edith

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Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
by James Muendo 03 Apr '09

03 Apr '09

LinkedIn ------------ James Muendo requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn: ------------------------------------------ Benjamin, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - James View invitation from James Muendo http://www.linkedin.com/e/4_n5t6X_WQjXh2Z5g_n5tTYK1bLMphUgsD_gUY8QrOaX/blk/… ------------------------------------------ DID YOU KNOW LinkedIn can help you find the right service providers using recommendations from your trusted network? Using LinkedIn Services, you can take the risky guesswork out of selecting service providers by reading the recommendations of credible, trustworthy members of your network. http://www.linkedin.com/e/svp/inv-25/ ------ (c) 2009, LinkedIn Corporation

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Call for nomination - AfriNIC Board of Directors Election
by alice＠apc.org 02 Apr '09

02 Apr '09

** [Apologies for any duplicate mails] ** Dear Colleagues, We would like to inform you that this year, the AfriNIC Board of Directors will have the following vacant seats: a) Seat 3: The Eastern African sub-region (Primary and alternate) Mandate: 2009 to 2012 b) Seat 4: The Southern African sub-region (Primary and Alternate) Mandate: 2009 to 2012 We are pleased to invite nominations to fill in the above seats. ** Who can be nominated to seat on the Board? Anybody resident in one of the above sub-regions. Self-nomination is also possible. Nominees should have a good experience/background in the Internet Protocol environment and in a similar position (Board member or hold a senior position in an Internet related organization), be able to participate actively in all activities conferred to the Board of Directors by the AfriNIC bylaws (Section 13). The candidates should have a good comprehension of the English language. Nominations should be sent to nomination2009(a)afrinic.net <https://ssl0.ovh.net/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=nomination2009%40…> with the following details: -------- 1: Candidate Information Nominated by (full name): Nominee (Full name): Organization (or affiliation): Position: Physical address: e-mail address: Phone number: Fax number: Country of Residence: Sub-region nominated for: 2. Brief statement explaining the candidate's background and motivation (in English, and not more than 400 words): Note: Please also attach a copy of your CV. (Note: CV must be sent in English.) -------- The deadline for candidacy/nominations is Wednesday 15 April 2009 at 20:00 UTC. Afrinic bylaws: http://www.afrinic.net/corporate/bylaws.htm See also the 2009's Election Process and Policy attached. --------- Ken Lohento, on behalf of the 2009's Board Election Committee

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Following the Trail of eWaste
by Edith Adera 01 Apr '09

01 Apr '09

Colleagues, This is a must watch short video clip on eWaste damping in Africa from developed countries. What are the policy implications? Worth discussing on the list to guide Kenya's policy on electronic waste. Please check out this incredible short documentary of e-waste traveling from England to Nigeria. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/greenpeace-photo-essay…

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Fwd: Call for submissions: GAID Committee of eLeaders for Youth and ICT - Best Practices Forum
by waudo siganga 31 Mar '09

31 Mar '09

Dear all - this could be of interest to some on the list. Apologies if any cross-posting. ----- Original message ----- From: "Serge Kapto" <kapto(a)un.org> To: undisclosed-recipients: ; Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:49:24 -0400 Subject: [GAID Gender] Call for submissions: GAID Committee of eLeaders for Youth and ICT - Best Practices Forum Please disseminate widely! Call for submissions: GAID Committee of eLeaders for Youth and ICT - Best Practices Forum Working so hard and not telling the world about your project is like winking in the dark. The GAID Committee of eLeaders for Youth & ICT, in partnership with TakingITGlobal, presents an opportunity for young people to showcase their work in using ICTs for development. We believe that there are many young people doing amazing things in various corners of the world and we wish to bring them to light through a publication of best practice efforts. Sharing the stories of the work you do will also help others know that the power of one is bigger than we often assume, and we hope that your stories will inspire many people who will have access to the publication at this year's UN General Assembly in New York – and those who will read the stories online. What's next? Visit http://www.tigweb.org/resources/best/add.html to submit your best practice effort. _______________________________________________ gender mailing list gender(a)mx.un-gaid.org http://mx.un-gaid.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gender

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Protecting Critical Information Infrastructures: Something for RECs to think about?]
by alice 30 Mar '09

30 Mar '09

*Protecting Critical Information Infrastructures: Frequently Asked Questions* *What are Critical Information Infrastructures?* _*There is no globally shared definition of Critical Information Infrastructures (CII).*_ In its Green Paper on a European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection <http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2005:0576:FIN:EN:…> (EPCIP), the* *European Commission captured the concept of CII as being all* */"ICT systems that are critical infrastructures for themselves or that are essential for the operation of critical infrastructures (telecommunications, computers/software, Internet, satellites, etc.)"./ In 2008, the OECD defined CII as /"those interconnected information systems and networks, the disruption or destruction of which would have a serious impact on the health, safety, security, or economic well-being of citizens, or on the effective functioning of government or the economy"./ Despite the existing differences in national and international policy contexts, what is important is that the notion of CII is conducive to a holistic policy perspective on the secure and continuous functioning of ICT systems, services, networks and infrastructures (ICT infrastructures) of which the Internet is a very important component, due to its widespread diffusion and the process of technological convergence. *Why is action at EU level to protect these infrastructures urgently needed?* Cyber attacks have risen to an unprecedented level of sophistication. What used to be simple experiments are now turning into sophisticated activities performed for profit or political reasons. The recent large scale cyber-attacks on Estonia, Lithuania and Georgia are the most widely covered examples of a general trend. The huge number of viruses, worms and other forms of malware, the expansion of botnets^*[1] <http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/141&format=…>* and the continuous rise of spam confirms that this is a severe problem. The high dependence on CII, their cross-border interconnectedness and interdependencies with other infrastructures (e.g. energy infrastructures), as well as the vulnerabilities and threats they face raise the need to address their security and resilience in a systemic perspective as the frontline of defence against failures and attacks. Because of the transnational dimension of this issue, a more integrated and coordinated approach throughout the European Union will usefully complement and add value to the programmes which are already in place within Member States. This will also reinforce the wealth creation capabilities of the Single Market. It is clear that no single "silver bullet" solution will be able to provide all the answers, but simply leaving the situation as is will not lead to satisfactory results. It is necessary to establish the right policy framework – in particular for economic and societal drivers and incentives – on the basis of a shared responsibility and cooperation amongst all the involved stakeholders. It is vital to promote operational/ tactical cooperation in the short and medium term (until 2010-2011) as well as strategic policy discussion for long-term scenarios (2012 and beyond). The work must start now in order to prepare Europe against large-scale cyber attacks and disruptions. *How does this initiative relate to the debate around European efforts towards an increased and modernised network and information security policy?* The Commission's initiative on Critical Information Infrastructure Protection focuses on prevention, preparedness and awareness and defines a plan of immediate actions running until 2011 to strengthen the security and resilience of CII. The focus and timeframe are consistent with the debate launched at the request of the Council and the European Parliament to address the challenges and priorities for network and information security policy and the most appropriate instruments needed at EU level to tackle them beyond 2012. The work conducted and the lessons learned under the Commission's proposed action plan will be an important contribution to the more general debate on an increased and modernised European policy in this area. *Why is the Commission proposing voluntary rather than binding measures?* Ensuring the security and resilience of CII requires cooperation between public and private actors, which is largely based on trust. A non-binding approach will be more effective in steering a dialogue through which interested parties can work out the best way to cooperate and share best practices. During the consultation process prior to the launch of this initiative, Member States' and private sector representatives strongly supported the proposed initiative and confirmed the need and willingness to cooperate at EU level, as long as this remained voluntary. This does not mean that a binding approach can not be used to enhance the level of security and resilience of CII. Proposals by the European Commission to reform the Electronic Communication regulatory package – including provisions to strengthen operators’ obligations to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken, and those on mandatory security breach notification – show that binding measures are considered when it is feasible and useful. Moreover, there is not yet sufficient data on security incidents and their impact across the different sectors to define and frame additional regulatory measures in a consistent economic and public policy perspective. *What are the specific objectives of the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection initiative? * The Commission's proposal covers the following objectives: * Foster cooperation, exchange of information and transfer of good policy practices between Member States via a newly-established *European Forum*. * Develop a *public-private partnership* at the European level on security and resilience of CII to support sharing of information and dissemination of good practices between public and private stakeholders. * Enhance *incident response capability* in the EU by increasing national capacities, possibly built on National or Governmental Computer Emergency Response Teams/Computer Security Incidents Response Teams (CERTs/CSIRTs) as well as by encouraging and supporting the European cooperation between these entities with a view to facilitate the exchange of information, technical measures and good practices. * Promote the organisation of *national and European exercises for contingency planning and disaster recovery* on simulated large-scale network security incidents. * Reinforce *international cooperation* on global issues, in particular on resilience and stability of Internet. *What is the purpose and value of a European Forum for Member States? * Although there are commonalities among the challenges and the issues faced, measures and regimes to ensure the security and resilience of CII, as well as the level of expertise and preparedness, differ across Member States. Purely national approaches run the risk of producing fragmentation and inefficiency across Europe. Differences in national approaches and the lack of systematic cross-border co-operation substantially reduce the effectiveness of domestic countermeasures, /inter alia/ because, due to the interconnectedness of CII, a low level of security and resilience of CII in a country has the potential to increase vulnerabilities and risks in other ones. To overcome this situation a European effort is needed to bring added value to national policies and programmes by fostering the development of awareness and common understanding of the challenges; stimulating the adoption of shared policy objectives and priorities; reinforcing cooperation between Member States and integrating national policies in a more European and global dimension. These are the reasons why the Commission has proposed to establish a *European Forum* for Member States to share information and good policy practices on security and resilience of CII. *Why a Public-Private Partnership for Resilience (EP3R)? * Enhancing the security and the resilience of CII poses peculiar governance challenges. While Member States remain ultimately responsible for defining CII-related policies, their implementation depends on the involvement of the private sector, which owns or controls a large number of CII. On the other hand, markets do not always provide sufficient incentives for the private sector to invest in the protection of CII at the level that public authorities would normally demand. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have emerged at the national level as the reference model to address this governance challenge. However, despite the consensus that this approach would also be desirable on the EU level, European PPPs have not materialised so far. PPP at the EU level could play an important role to complement the work carried out by Member States at national level – in particular, in areas like the exchange/promotion of good policy practices and measures, the implementation of cross-border security and resilience measures for CII, the adoption of preventive measures and response strategies, etc. A Europe-wide multi-stakeholder governance framework, which may include an enhanced role of ENISA, could foster the involvement of the private sector in the definition of strategic European public policy objectives as well as operational priorities and measures. The focus would be on enhancing the security and resilience of CII and the coordination of preventive and response activities. This framework would bridge the gap between national and EU policy-making and operational reality on the ground. *What will be the remit and the form of the proposed Public-Private Partnership? * The concrete remit of this PPP might initially consist of: * Knowledge sharing to deepen the understanding and mastering of European challenges for the security and resilience of CII; * Identification and dissemination of good baseline practices and commonly agreed guidelines and standards for the security and resilience of CII. The work of this PPP should be focused on specific issues and be action-oriented. The topics discussed should have a cross-border or global dimension. In terms of form, it is proposed that the setting-up of the *European Public Private Partnership for Resilience (EP3R)* CII would follow a step-by-step approach so that, on the one hand, stakeholders would discuss and design the necessary building blocks that would best match their requirements and, on the other hand, the work on the key challenges that require this kind of approach could immediately start. The first step of this process is the *workshop on the EU policy dimension of vulnerability management and disclosure process* of 31 March 2009. *What is the role of the European Network and Information Security Agency in this initiative?* The Commission has called on the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) to play a key role in supporting this initiative by encouraging dialogue and cooperation between Member States, the private sector and other relevant players across Europe, building on the findings and results it has already contributed in this area. *How does this initiative relate to the European Programme on Critical Infrastructure Protection and other EU activities in the area of justice and home affairs? * The activities planned in today's Communication are conducted under and in parallel to the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP <http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0786:FIN:EN:…>). A key element of EPCIP is the Directive on the identification and designation of European Critical Infrastructures <http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st10/st10934.en08.pdf>, which identifies the ICT sector as a future priority sector. One element of the CIIP action plan is to further develop the criteria for identifying European Critical Infrastructures for the ICT sector which will help implement the above mentioned Directive. The proposed actions are also complementary to existing *third pillar *initiatives – e.g. fight against cyber-crime – as envisaged by the Council Framework Decision on Attacks Against Information Systems adopted in 2005 (2005/222/JHA) <http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32005F0222:EN:N…>. As the CIIP initiative focuses on prevention, preparedness and awareness to enhance the intrinsic security and resilience of CII, it does not conflict with or duplicate the efforts carried out under the third pillar, i.e. by police and judicial cooperation addressing measures to prevent, fight and prosecute criminal and terrorist activities targeting CII. *How does the Commission's action plan relate to international efforts in this area? * This initiatives takes stock and builds upon recognised international principles such as the G8 principles on CIIP <http://www.cybersecuritycooperation.org/documents/G8_CIIP_Principles.pdf>, the UN General Assembly Resolution 58/199 'Creation of a global culture of cybersecurity and the protection of critical information infrastructures' <http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/cyb/cybersecurity/docs/UN_resolution_58_199.pdf.> and the recent OECD Recommendation on the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructures <http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/1/13/40825404.pdf>. The initiative complements work conducted by NATO on cyber-security – specifically the common policy on cyber defence and the activities of the Cyber Defence Management Authority (CDMA), announced by NATO on April 2008, as well as the outputs of the NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence <http://transnet.act.nato.int/WISE/TNCC/CentresofE/CCD> (CCD-COE). NATO initiatives are mostly focused on military defence whereas the Commission's proposal works to facilitate the coordination and cooperation of public and private resources and capabilities across Member States. *Does the action plan include regulatory measures for the Internet?* The action plan does not propose any measure aimed at regulating the Internet. It proposes three complementary activities to enhance the resilience and stability of the Internet. * The Commission will launch a Europe-wide debate to define EU priorities for the long-term resiliency and stability of the Internet. * The Commission will work with Member States to define appropriate principles and guidelines for Internet resilience and stability. * The Commission, together with Member States, will develop a roadmap to promote these principles and guidelines at the global level, building upon strategic cooperation with third countries. *What is the timing envisaged by the action plan? * The different actions have different targets and timelines, running from 2009 until the end of 2011. However continuous European efforts will still be needed beyond 2011. A stock-taking exercise will already be conducted at the end of 2010 and lessons learned will be used as an input into the debate on the future of Network and Information Security beyond 2012. *How will the Commission monitor the implementation of the action plan?* The Commission identified in the impact assessment of the Communication <http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/cia_2009_en.htm> a number of indicators for achieving the objectives of the action plan. These include, the number of meetings and conferences organised at EU level with relevance to security and resilience of CII; the agreements on common terminology and procedures for the collection and dissemination of information on economic impacts of security incidents; the number of National/Governmental CERTs participating in the European Governmental CERTs Group; the number of international agreements on mutual assistance, recovery, and remedial strategies for the resilience and stability of the Internet. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/nis/strategy/activities/ciip… IP/09/494 <http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/494&format=HT…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ^*[1] <http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/141&format=…>* A group of computers, often very large, that malicious hackers have brought under their control. While most owners are oblivious to the infection, the networks of tens of thousands of computers are used to launch spam e-mail campaigns, denial-of-service attacks or online fraud schemes. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Fwd: - Call for Applicants - Online Course on Global Norms Against Terrorism
by Judy Okite 26 Mar '09

26 Mar '09

FYI, apologies for cross posting....... Kind Regards, ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vladimir Radunovic <vladar(a)diplomacy.edu> Date: Mar 25, 2009 7:55 PM Subject: - Call for Applicants - Online Course on Global Norms Against Terrorism To: IGCBP(a)diplomacy.edu [image: UNODC-Diplo-Logos] [image: spacer] * 2009 ONLINE COURSES GLOBAL NORMS AGAINST TERRORISM AT WORK: SETTING INTERNATIONAL LAW IN MOTION* The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and DiploFoundation are pleased to present two new online courses on the universal legal regime against terrorism: one for English-speaking participants, and one for French-speaking participants. Both aim to strengthen national capacities by assisting criminal justice officials and other individuals involved in counter-terrorism issues to develop the skills and knowledge required to effectively utilize the channels for international legal cooperation envisaged in 16 treaties adopted within the UN system between 1963 and 2005, and a number of binding resolutions of the Security Council. *Methodology* The courses are conducted entirely online, over a period of 6 weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments, and references in the form of hypertext entries. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to the hypertext entries, creating interaction based on the text. During the week, participants also complete additional online activities. At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week's topic. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, with a high level of interaction. The courses are delivered by staff members of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the UNODC possessing experience in criminal justice issues and extensive work experience in the provision of legal advisory services and technical assistance worldwide. *Practical Information* *Fees:* Both courses are offered free of charge as part of a capacity-building initiative on the part of UNODC. *Timetable:* The course for English-speaking participants will begin during the week starting 4 May 2009. The course for French-speaking participants will begin during the week starting 18 May 2009. Selected applicants will receive full details of the timetable before the course begins. *Who should apply:* Criminal justice officers, practicing diplomats, civil servants, and others who work in the legal areas of international cooperation in criminal matters, or are involved in legislative drafting of criminal law texts. Priority will be given to applicants from developing countries. *Requirements:* Applicants must: § hold a university degree in Law, preferably with specialization in international/criminal law issues; § have at least three years work experience as legal practitioner or governmental official. Involvement in international cooperation matters, especially in criminal matters, is an asset; § possess sufficient ability in the course language to undertake postgraduate level studies; § have unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers; § be ready to commit at least 6 hours per week to studies for the duration of the course. *How to Apply* The application deadline for the English-language course is *13 April 2009*. The application deadline for the French-language course is *20 April 2009*. Please visit the UNODC website for further information and to apply: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/terrorism/online-training-course.html ------------------------------ [image: Diplo logo] DiploFoundation <http://www.diplomacy.edu/> ------------------------------ I am using the Free version of SPAMfighter <http://www.spamfighter.com/len>. We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 26217 of my spam emails to date. The Professional version does not have this message. -- "Each of us is great insofar as we perceive and act on the infinite possibilities which lie undiscovered and unrecognized about us." James Harvey Robinson

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May be of interest: IT-outsourcing to Africa (seminar Amsterdam)
by Victor Gathara 25 Mar '09

25 Mar '09

DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the British Government's fight against world poverty. Find out more about the major global poverty challenges and get the facts on what DFID is doing to fight them: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutdfid/howwefightpoverty.asp. Subscribe to our e-bulletin: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/feedback ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Peapod. The service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: http://www.peapod.co.uk/cleanmail

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Re: [kictanet] POLE SIGANGA
by Preston Odera 24 Mar '09

24 Mar '09

Hi Siganga Pole for what has happened. Would like to reach you thru m-pesa. Confirm if your cellphone number is compliant. Preston Odera Executive Director K-Ninety East Africa Limited Kenya School for the Blind Complex Mai Mahiu Road off Langata Road P.O Box 3894-00100 Nairobi Kenya Tel +254 20 608316 Tel +254 20 3544352 Fax + 254 20 608318 Cell +254 722 771 478 Email; info(a)k-90ea.com --- On Mon, 3/23/09, waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> wrote: From: waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] POLE SIGANGA To: podera_2002(a)yahoo.com Cc: "Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 10:18 AM Thank you Charles. Yes, My Mzee passed away peacefully in his sleep on 17th. He was 89. He went to UK in 1946 and stood for UK Parliament in Cardiff, Wales (as was allowed of any citizen of the Commonwealth). His opponent was Edward Heath, who later became UK Prime Minister. Heath defeated him by less than 2000 votes! The Mzee's colleagues on the ship (there were no airlines then) to UK were Charles Njonjo, Prof. David Wassawo (first African to get a first class honours degree from Oxford) and Benedicto Kiwanuka - later PM of Uganda. All four had topped at Alliance High School and secured British Government schorlaships. On 16th September 1946 they took a historic picture on the ship (attached - with Mzee and Njonjo in the middle). Njonjo and Wassawo are still alive and active. Kiwanuka was murdered by the Amin regime in Uganda. Mzee returned to Kenya in 1953 and declined a Government job to protest the imprisonment of Kenyatta and other colleagues. Later at independence he became Director of Social Services and Housing with the Nairobi City Council until his retiremenment some 20 years ago. After which he lived a quiet life in the village. We shall rest the Mzee on Saturday in Kakamega. Thank you for your thoughts. Waudo On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:21 +0000, "charles nduati" <charlesnduati2002(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > hi Brother Waudo, > > I saw a funeral mesage in the nation lats week, and I believe it concerns > your family, so pole sana and may God sooth your souls. > > Kindly let us know of the arrangements > > Charles > > > CHARLES N. NDUATI > GENERAL MANAGER > JKUAT ENTERPRISES LTD > JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY > JUJA MAIN CAMPUS, THIKA > P. O. BOX 79324-00200 > NAIROBI, KENYA > TEL: 254-067-52420 OR 254-067-52711 FAX: 254-067-52438 > MOBILE:254-722728815 > EMIAL:[email protected],[email protected],[email protected] > www.jkuat.ac.ke > > > Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been been waiting for. - Kenyan-American Barack Obama -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: podera_2002(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/podera_2002%40yahoo.com

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