- KICTANet - KICTANet

Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?
by David Otwoma 04 Sep '09

04 Sep '09

Dear All, On Friday 18th September 2009 at KICC we (Association of Professional Societies in East Africa) shall be hosting one, (*Gareth Jones)* of the two authors of the best selling book titled "Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?" for a whole day at Kenyatta International Conference Centre. For those who want to debunk the four myths i.e. 1. *Everyone can be a leader. * 2. *Leaders deliver business results* *3. People who get to the top are leaders. 4. Leaders are great coaches. * *.....*you need not miss. See more at http://www.apsea.or.ke/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=… For leaders who are challenged when confronted by clever people it is a must so as to cure you of your !!!!!!!!!!!!! complex. (note the 5 Cs) Have a great Furahi day all. Kind regards, David -- David Otwoma, Chief Science Secretary, National Council for Science and Technology, Utalii House 9th Floor, Mobile tel: +254 722 141771, Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915, P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya email: otwomad(a)gmail.com & otwoma(a)ncst.go.ke www.ncst.go.ke

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Idea
by Rad! 03 Sep '09

03 Sep '09

Here's a thought. Most Kenyans labour under the mistaken impression that to succeed you have to do it using the one-big-deal-that-sorts-you-out-for-life. Not true. I wonder if Safaricom, Orange, Zain & Yu would consider setting up application portals -- something like the apple app store. Local developers would submit applications that would be vetted and if approved, availed on the portals for download to their customers. There would then be revenue share between developers and the telcos. Everyone wins. Jobs created. Innovation fostered. Telcos make money. Pipe dream?

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NCUC Press Release on Our Letter to ICANN
by Gakuru Alex 03 Sep '09

03 Sep '09

Dear all, As preparations for EA-IGF kicks off... I know Rod Beckstrom, the New President & CEO of ICANN listens to all Internet stakeholder thus I am inclined to believe that he will grant NCUC audience at Seoul, Korea Next month. He is conscious that the New gTLD Program - a substantial shift in the domain name system, requires very thorough consideration to ensure that all the sectors in the community participation, and all potential issues are understood and resolved before launch next year. The New gTLD are name-like, such as .coders, .network, .business, .kenya, .africa, etc. ICANN is further refining the next version of the Draft Applicant Guidebook that will explain how the New gTLD implementation will be done. I'll post a download link once it's ready. But most importantly, he is committed to the Internet community’s continuing participation to make the New gTLD Program enhance competition and choice for Internet users, broaden regional participation through the introduction of IDNs and community based TLDs, and protects the rights and interests of all. In view of the above, I am convinced that the below NCUC request will be granted a hearing. Sincerely, Alex Gakuru NCUC-Kenya, ICT Consumers Association of Kenya ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Robin Gross <robin(a)ipjustice.org> Date: Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 3:39 PM Subject: NCUC Press Release on Our Letter to ICANN To: NCUC-DISCUSS(a)listserv.syr.edu Dear All, Below is NCUC's press release regarding our letter to the ICANN Board of Directors and CEO. It is also posted to the NCUC website here. Please feel free to re-distribute it, blog it, re-post, translate, etc. the press release so we can have the widest possible distribution of our letter and the concerns it relays. Thanks, Robin NCUC Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3 September 2009 Public Interest Groups in ICANN Appeal to New President For Fairer Treatment For Civil Society The organization that represents Non-Commercial Internet Users in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) issued an open letter to the Board this week, expressing concern about the possible failure of ICANN's attempt to balance the representation of commercial and noncommercial interests. California (United States) – ICANN’s Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC), a group of 152 non-commercial organizations and individuals from 52 countries who represent the noncommercial interests of Internet users in ICANN policy development, recently appealed to ICANN's Board of Directors and CEO to meet with them in Seoul to resolve serious problems with its current plans to alter the representation of noncommercial interests in its policy making process. Specifically, NCUC’s letter expressed concern over ICANN’s adoption of a flawed charter for noncommercial users that disregarded the vast majority of public comments and concerns expressed by noncommercial Internet users. In late July 2009 ICANN’s Board decided to approve the NCSG charter drafted by ICANN staff, rather than the charter drafted by civil society in a 7-month long consensus process that included a wide variety of noncommercial interests and was submitted to ICANN’s Board by the NCUC. ICANN’s staff did not provide its board with the competing charter submitted by NCUC in order to properly inform the board’s decision. The difference between staff’s charter and civil society’s charter is stark. Staff’s charter ties council representation and resources to arbitrary and more easily manipulated constituencies, while the NCUC charter calls for stakeholder group wide elections of its noncommercial representatives and other leaders. NCUC’s charter model encourages consensus building among constituencies, while staff’s charter model encourages divisiveness and favoritism among noncommercial interests. “ICANN’s decision has resulted in significant damage to ICANN’s credibility within global civil society and has fueled further distrust towards ICANN’s decision making process,” said NCUC Chair Robin Gross. “Its treatment of noncommercial users in this instance has significantly called into question ICANN’s legitimacy to govern and its ability to protect the global public interest,” said Gross, Executive Director of digital rights group IP Justice, a NCUC member since 2004. The board’s adoption of the stakeholder group charter is part of ICANN’s ongoing effort to re-organize its Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), which currently consists of 5 commercial constituencies and 1 non-commercial constituency, the NCUC. ICANN’s GNSO is responsible for developing policy recommendations that relate to Generic Top-Level Domains (GTLDs) or those domain names that end in .com, .net, .edu, and .org. The GNSO plays an important role on Internet-related policy issues since its recommendations affect all who own or use GTLDs, including the way domain names can be registered, used, transferred, and any applicable fees and associated policies regarding the domain names. The process of changing the GNSO’s structure from 6 constituencies to 4 stakeholder groups is expected to be complete by the end of October 2009. In its letter the NCUC states that “there is a misunderstanding over non-commercial representation and participation in ICANN” and NCUC calls on ICANN to acknowledge that there has been significant growth among noncommercial participants at ICANN recently. NCUC’s membership has grown by 240% since 2008 and now includes 75 noncommercial organizations and 77 individuals. An independent study by the London School of Economics verified that NCUC has the highest number of different people on the GNSO Council of any ICANN constituency and that NCUC has the most geographical diversity among its membership with members now from 52 different countries. “NCUC represents an extremely broad range of noncommercial Internet users, including educational and academic institutions, human rights organizations, libraries, consumer groups, religious organizations, bloggers, open source software developers, development-oriented groups, arts organizations, and other noncommercial interests,” explained Dr. Milton Mueller, an Internet governance expert. Dr. Mueller, now a professor at Syracuse University School of Information Studies and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, co-founded the constituency in 2002. "Nonprofits and public interest advocacy groups have an irreplaceable role to play in a self-regulatory scheme dominated by business interests. Someone has to look out for the public interest. If we handicap noncommercial voices and divide them into competing silos they simply won't be able to participate effectively. ICANN's legitimacy and the quality of its decisions will suffer," explained Dr. Mueller. In order to dispel pervasive myths about civil society’s role in ICANN, the NCUC published a “Top 10 Myths about Civil Society Participation in ICANN,” a document that explains why much of what ICANN staff and other constituencies have claimed about noncommercial participation is untrue. For additional information on NCUC and noncommercial participation in ICANN, please contact NCUC’s Chair Robin Gross or visit NCUC’s website at http://ncdnhc.org. Contact: Robin Gross, NCUC Chair Milton Mueller, NCUC Co-Founder Tel.: +1-415-553-6261 Tel: +1-315-443-5616 Email: robin – at - ipjustice.org Email: Mueller – at – syr.edu More Info: Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC): http://ncdnhc.org NCUC’s Letter to ICANN Board of Directors and CEO: http://ncdnhc.org/profiles/blogs/ncuc-letter-to-icann-board-of NCUC’s “Top 10 Myths About Civil Society Participation in ICANN”: http://ncdnhc.org/profiles/blogs/top-10-myths-about-civil About the Noncommercial Users Constituency: The NCUC is the home for civil society organizations and individuals in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO). With real voting power in ICANN policy-making and Board selection, it develops and supports positions that favor non-commercial communication and activity on the Internet. The NCUC is open to non-commercial organizations and individuals involved in education, community networking, public policy advocacy, development, promotion of the arts, children's welfare, religion, consumer protection, scientific research, human rights and many other areas. NCUC maintains a public website at http://ncdnhc.org. ### IP JUSTICE Robin Gross, Executive Director 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451 w: http://www.ipjustice.org e: robin(a)ipjustice.org _______________________________________________ ke-internetusers mailing list ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers

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Refurbs Debate
by Tom musili 03 Sep '09

03 Sep '09

Dear All, We at Computers for Schools Kenya have been very closely following the debate on "affordable" computers - particularly with reference to refurbs. Many of the comments are informed and no doubt well intentioned, but many others have left us wringing our hands in despair! CFSK has been working for the last seven years to bring the benefits of ICT to resource-challenged educational & training institutions and community information access & resource centres. At our foundation, based on objective and empirical research, we sought to design an intervention model that would meet the needs of the client group within their resource limitations without unduly compromising quality of access or service. After reviewing several options (details of which I will not go into), we narrowed down quality refurbs from reputable sources as the way to go. Our decision was informed by the following: Intervention models in other countries. We were particularly impressed by the Computers for Schools Canada Programme and a similar programme in Colombia and Chile - all of which had achieved immense success in taking computers to educational institutions and community information centres such as libraries. Though these three were the biggest such organised interventions virtually all other countries in the West as well as the Asian Tigers had similar programmes but on a smaller scale. ALL were utilising refurbs from the corporate and related sectors that of necessity have to stay right on the cutting edge of ICT, and therefore have available functional albeit older PCs available from time to time as they upgrade. The needs of the target groups and the use to which they were going to put the computers ands related accessories they would obtain through us. We established that the refurbs we were able to obtain would meet their requirements: run Windows, run MS Office Suite, run the educational eContent available, and access the Internet where other requisite infrastructure was in place. Functionality of the equipment. CFSK was able to enter into partnerships with reputable organisations overseas that guaranteed that only quality and fully functional refurbs were imported by us. Working with these partners, we have over time revised the minimum specs for such equipment that we will accept - starting off with PIs when we started off in 2002 to our present day minimum of PIVs with at least 256MB of RAM and 20GB HDD. As part of that process, we even anticipate that from the second quarter of next year, we shall only accept TFT and not CRT monitors. Affordability, which we very deliberately put last. All listers will remember that it is only in the last four to five years that the Government has made substantive budgetary allocations for ICTs in the kinds of institutions I am talking about and very wisely too. In 2002 when we started, money for ICTs had to be raised by the institutional community from their meagre resources or from corporate and other donors. And even the allocations now being made by Government to these institutions, generous as they may be amidst all the other pressing needs, are not enough to saturate them with ICTs at the required level. Refurbs offered and still offer an affordable option that gives good value for money. To allege that refurbs constitute dumping is to be simplistic to a fault. Where the refurbs are not functional, do not meet the needs of the recipients, or are not good value for money, then that would be dumping - and it maybe that a certain amount of this is happening. But to condemn refurbs en masse, is to fail to acknowledge that this country's nascent digital revolution is as a result of these much maligned equipment - not outrageously priced brand new equipment. At CFSK we are for quality, and preferably new, computers. Admittedly, it would be lovely to provide all our institutions with ultra-modern 2.0GHz Duo Core computers with 2GB RAM and 200GB on the HDD, etc. And where they can afford them, especially with the Government's very welcome intervention in allocating resources for the purpose, we are glad to help them acquire quality brand new equipment. However, where an institution has limited resources, we must ask the questions: do they NEED the immense capacity that brand new computers at current "standard" specs provide, and should they expend limited resources on such capacity when they may in fact not need it? Being cognizant of the fact that ALL electronics, new and refurbished, ultimately become eWaste, CFSK working with both local and international partners has established and eWaste Management Centre. This Centre, through innovative disassembly, reuse, recycling and re-export is managing ICT-related eWaste in a manner that is protective of the environment and mindful of public health. Up-scaling and out-scaling initiatives such as this will ensure we are all protected from the hazards of electronic waste, including that which begun its life as brand new equipment. Eltimately, as one of the listers very wisely suggested, what is required is a level-headed consultation amongst ALL stake holders - civil society, commercial enterprises, a sampling of end users and the regulatory authorities - with a view to defining a rational policy in this area that advances rather than stunts the pivotal sector. We would be ardent participants. Thank you, Tom Musili Executive Director -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computers for Schools Kenya Semco Business Park | Unit 1, Mombasa Road | P.O. Box 48584-00100 | Nairobi , Kenya | Tel:254(0)202060919, Tel/Fax: 254 (0)20 2060920 Mobile (0)722-618788|Email:[email protected]|Website: www.cfsk.org

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Fw: NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010
by Matunda Nyanchama 02 Sep '09

02 Sep '09

FYI From: charlainev(a)ikapamedia.co.za To: charlainev(a)ikapamedia.co.za Subject: NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010 Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 08:40:51 +0200 NEPAD ICT AFRICA SUMMIT 2010 Scheduled for 9th – 11th February 2010 Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010 is a NEPAD Council and NEPAD Secretariat continental Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) event addressing a wide range of ICT issues in Africa. Building on the successes of the last three NEPAD ICT Africa Summits, NEPAD Council together with the NEPAD Secretariat and African Events Company iKapa Media and partners, will again raise flags to organize the NEPAD ICT Africa Summit, indeed making it possible for suppliers to meet ICT decision makers of the continent at one location and, furthermore to show competence by making a professional presentation in accordance with international standards. Over 2000 high level delegates and 350 exhibitors will take part in a well placed agenda which will include plenary sessions, thematic breakaway sessions and one-to-one business meetings between participants and NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010 exhibitors. Key Objectives: NEPAD ICT Africa Summit aims to mobilize the key stakeholders and actors in the ICT sector including: · Stakeholders in Information Systems: Health, Community, Government and Business Informatics · Communication and Technology systems: Broadcasters, Telecommunications, Internet, Software and Hardware NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010 aims at promoting and supporting business opportunities in the sector of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in order to encourage further growth and development in African countries. Africa needs this summit now. The successful execution of the programme will require the mobilisation of a broad spectrum of resourceful actors and stakeholders both in Africa and the rest of the world. It is going to be a wonderful experience hosting an event of such a magnitude on South African soil and we will be more than satisfied to receive your endorsement and support. Your collaboration and partnership will definitely take the ICT agenda to greater heights in terms of its focus as well as its depth.We are committed to creating platforms that bring about economic development for the continent. With such a vision, the company has been working with various stakeholders and economic development practitioners in Africa in identifying critical areas that require further engagement to fast track the continents economic development,ICT is one of these critical components. In this regard, NEPAD Council and its partners wish to invite you and members of your organization to participate in the summit and to use the opportunity to showcase your business. In addition, you can co-operate with us during NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010 in any of the following ways: Plenary session:-Participate in a plenary session of interest to your firm/agency. Sponsorship:- NEPAD ICT Africa Summit will give you an opportunity for your organization to increase your visibility/awareness by making your name and corporate logo visible to the entire target audience before, during and after the summit. Specialized trade fair & exhibition:-You have the possibility of participating at the planned specialized exhibition. This will be a unique platform for your organisation to promote your services and network with the right target group and a highly focused audience. Delegate:- You can participate as a delegate attending the summit on behalf of your respective institutions or individually. Delegates are given the opportunity to participate at one of the breakaway sessions, and contribute to various discussions. Please find the attached relevant information pertaining to the summit for your reference and to find out more about our sponsorship and participation packages please contact the undersigned. Kind regards, Charlaine van der Byl Project Manager Tel: +27 21 802 1191 Mobile: +27 73 037 8115 Fax: +27 86 564 7906 Email: charlainev(a)ikapamedia.co.za registration(a)ictafricasummit.co.za Website: www.ictafricasummit.co.za Skype: charlyvdb1

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Kenya IGF Meeting
by John K. Njoroge 02 Sep '09

02 Sep '09

Dear All@Kictanet: Yesterday, I learnt alot at the Kenya IGF meeting. As a young youth, I desire to be an IG Actor for Kenya, East Africa and Africa as a whole (if not globally). So, I thank the organizers for a well-organized meeting and a team that is really forward thinking and ready to join a Global Cause. As one of ISOC Ambassadors to the 4th IGF meeting in Egypt (representing Kenya), I salute and congratulate all of you at Kictanet and further, I encourage you to keep on keeping on and to keep up with the good work: Alice, Walubengo, Dr. Kerretts, Vincent and especially the CCK Chairman as well as our ICT MP and Chair of the Energy and ICTs Committee in Parliament. The future is bright, and the best is yet to come. Thank you very much. Kind regards -- John K. Njoroge Directorate of e-Government Office of the President Tel: 020-2227411 (Ext 22098) 0721962744/0770121699 Other Email: kabogojn(a)kenya.go.ke; john.njoroge(a)e-government.go.ke; kabogojn(a)hotmail.com

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Re: [kictanet] Internet Governance
by Jane Kagiri 02 Sep '09

02 Sep '09

Hallo, Please help me understand,when we discuss Internet Policy making in the context of Internet Governance what are we exactly refering to? Is it governance on domain names,intelectual property rights,root server management,internet security,spam or is it all the above. This is also in connection to what issues will be up for discussion at the EAIGF to be held from 7-9 September 2009? Where do I register to attend the EAIGF conference? Jane Kagiri Catritone Office Solutions

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BBC Digital Planet wants views on Africa internet
by wesley kirinya 01 Sep '09

01 Sep '09

I was listening to Digital Planet, a BBC radio program, a few minutes ago and they are inviting views from Africa about the internet (quality), fibre optic, opportunities and anything related to that. Details at www.bbcworldservice.com/digitalplanet Listen to the lattest episode, at the end of the episode. 8~)

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Invitation: 2009 EA-IGF, 7-9 September 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
by Vincent Ngundi 01 Sep '09

01 Sep '09

Dear Colleagues, The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), the Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) in collaboration with other organisations are pleased to invite you to the second East African Internet Governance Forum (EA-IGF 2009) to be held at the Jacaranda hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, from 7th to 9th September 2009. The programme and programme summary are available from the EA-IGF website: www.eaigf.or.ke. The forums theme is: Advancing the Internet Governance Debate in East Africa: ³Thinking Globally; Acting Locally². The 2009 EA-IGF is a follow up to the inaugural EA-IGF that was held in November 2008 in Nairobi, which aimed at catalysing the internet governance debate in the East African sub region. With the increased access to broadband infrastructure in the East Africa region and the continued spread of sophisticated mobile services, understanding and addressing Internet policy issues has become a priority. The national and regional EA-IGF¹s will help prepare East African stakeholders to address the opportunities, strengths and challenges that arise, as well as ensuring that they have a voice in shaping Internet policy decisions at the global level. This year¹s EAIGF therefore seeks to continue to strengthen the national and regional dialogues on Internet Governance as well as; * Increase awareness of Internet Governance issues, including but not limited to local content and cyber security; * Continue to develop capacity and skills of various stakeholders and build regional consensus IG issues; and * Begin to discuss the development of a regional East African Communication policy, among others. The outcomes of the forum will be submitted to the East Africa Regulatory, Postal and Telecommunications Organization (EARPTO), the African Parliamentary Knowledge Network (APKN), as well as, the fourth United Nations Internet Governance Forum (UNIGF) taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2009. The EA-IGF will also set the stage for the 37th Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meeting to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2010. For planning purposes, please register for the meeting at http://www.eaigf.or.ke or send an email to meeting(a)eaigf.or.ke confirming your attendance; by 2nd September 2009. 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 ################

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Yes You Can! Monopolies and Prices Commission of Kenya and CCK
by Gakuru Alex 01 Sep '09

01 Sep '09

"Unlike Mr Nyarunda he differed on the pricing issue and is asking the Monopolies and Prices Commission of Kenya to protect small business who are fearful of cartel-like practices given the small number of players controlling the cables." ... http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Company%20Industry/-/539550/647922/-/ite… Under sections 23 and 47 of the Kenya Communications Act of 1998, the Commission is required to ensure that communications services are provided throughout Kenya and that the interests of all users of these services are protected with respect to prices charged for and the quality and variety of those services among other responsibilities http://www.cck.go.ke/consumer_center/

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