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ICT practioner bill
by Julius Njiraini 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

i think with more consultation the bill is good. all other industry either self regulate themselves or are regulated by law,. these includes engineers, medics, legal etc.. its a step in the right direction, my opinion

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Re: [kictanet] [Security Forum] ict practitioners bill is back
by Collins Areba 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

To me, the bill seeks to achieve two objectives: 1) Create a walled garden around public procurements (Little one can do to private entities without messing with the bill of rights) around a certain clique of individuals. My thinking, exact same reasoning behind the Engineers Registration Board rent seeking by charging a percentage of Electricity and Fuel sold in this country, which I think is the reason Kenya stopped manufacturing even spoons and toothpicks. 2) Formal education in ICT / Computer science has proven to be redundant. Other than the papers, there is little, a Computer Science graduate might have to offer compared to a passionate Fine Arts student who happened to love programming in lots of industries considered tech companies. Let the bring on the bill, Mainstream IT will just go dark. Its one of the many disappointments CS Mucheru has birthed in the recent years.

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A Common term "global internet": China's Xi says country will not close door to global internet
by WANGARI KABIRU 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

China's Xi says country will not close door to global internet "WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday the country will not close its door to the global internet, but that cyber sovereignty is key in its vision of internet development.....“The development of China’s cyberspace is entering a fast lane...China’s doors will only become more and more open,” said Xi in the note. Cyber sovereignty is the idea that states should be permitted to manage and contain their own internet without external interference. China’s Communist Party has tightened cyber regulation in the past year, formalizing new rules that require firms to store data locally and censor tools that allow users to subvert the Great Firewall. In June, China introduced a new national cybersecurity law that requires foreign firms to store data locally and submit to data surveillance measures.""China has advocated strongly for a larger role in global internet governance under Xi. “China stands ready to develop new rules and systems of internet governance to serve all parties and counteract current imbalances,” said Wang Huning, a member of the Communist Party standing committee at the event on Sunday." A nation on a bold mission that is boldly declares! Even with the transition, and perhaps out of it, we expect more nations to demand a legitimate sit on the "Internet development table" or chisel out newer tables or both. It should not pass unnoticed that we now have a common term "global internet" meaning that this may be acceptance that there may be fragments of it or a much bigger one or an attempt by the Internet Governance ecosystem to insist that the "global internet" is the Internet.Be blessed.Regards/Wangari--- Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth". China's Xi says country will not close door to global internet | | | | | | | | | | | China's Xi says country will not close door to global internet By Cate Cadell Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday the country will not close its door to the global internet, but that... | | | | #TECHNOLOGY NEWSDECEMBER 3, 2017 / 5:54 AM / UPDATED 20 HOURS AGO China's Xi says country will not close door to global internet Cate Cadell2 MIN READ - - WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday the country will not close its door to the global internet, but that cyber sovereignty is key in its vision of internet development.Chinese magazines featuring China's President Xi Jinping on the cover are seen during the fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, December 3, 2017. REUTERS/Aly SongXi’s comments were read by Huang Kunming, head of the Chinese Communist Party’s publicity department at the country’s largest public cyber policy forum in the town of Wuzhen in eastern China.“The development of China’s cyberspace is entering a fast lane...China’s doors will only become more and more open,” said Xi in the note.Cyber sovereignty is the idea that states should be permitted to manage and contain their own internet without external interference.China’s Communist Party has tightened cyber regulation in the past year, formalizing new rules that require firms to store data locally and censor tools that allow users to subvert the Great Firewall.In June, China introduced a new national cybersecurity law that requires foreign firms to store data locally and submit to data surveillance measures.People look at Xiao Qiao robots during the fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, December 3, 2017. REUTERS/Aly SongCyber regulators say the laws are in line with international rules, and that they are designed to protect personal privacy and counter attacks on core infrastructure. Business groups say the rules unfairly target foreign firms.China has advocated strongly for a larger role in global internet governance under Xi.The conference, which is overseen by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) invited foreign executives, Apple Inc’s CEO Tim Cook and Google Inc chief Sundar Pichai as well as a Facebook Inc executive.“China stands ready to develop new rules and systems of internet governance to serve all parties and counteract current imbalances,” said Wang Huning, a member of the Communist Party standing committee at the event on Sunday.Google and Facebook are banned in China, along with Twitter Inc and most major western news outlets.Top executives from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Tencent Holdings Ltd and Baidu Inc also attended the forum.Editing by Jacqueline Wong

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Singapore vs. Israel: Who’s the better role model?
by S.M. Muraya 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

https://www.timesofisrael.com/singapore-vs-israel-whos-the-better-role-mode… *Singapore vs. Israel: Who’s the better role model?* *A leading politician and a top entrepreneur urge Israel to be more like Singapore -- while Singaporeans strive to be more like Israelis* By DAVID SHAMAH <https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/david-shamah/> | 18 July 2013, 5:42 am [image: Pictured (L. to R.) Meir Brand, CEO Google Israel; Economics Minister Naftali Bennett; Doron Avni, Google Israel government relations director; Kim il-Soo, South Korean Ambassador to Israel (Photo credit: Niv Kantor)] Pictured (L. to R.) Meir Brand, CEO Google Israel; Economics Minister Naftali Bennett; Doron Avni, Google Israel government relations director; Kim il-Soo, South Korean Ambassador to Israel (Photo credit: Niv Kantor) “The grass is always greener…” may be a banality, but it’s an appropriate one for what is turning out to be an internal debate in two countries known for their technology – Israel and Singapore. At an event in Tel Aviv Monday, both Economics Minister Naftali Bennett and Google Israel chairman Meir Brand bemoaned (or at least expressed concern) over why Israel, despite its reputation as the Start-Up Nation, was failing to “cash in” the way Asian tiger countries like Singapore have. But in conversations with the Times of Israel, it’s Israel that students, entrepreneurs, and business figures from south Asia, including Singapore, feel that their countries should emulate. “The Asians just don’t have the start-up spirit,” said Singaporean Adry Lee, who in a recent interview described himself as a serial entrepreneur. Lee’s comments were typical of those of numerous Singaporeans the Times of Israel has interviewed at several events geared to promoting Israel-Asia business relations, such as last May’s Israel-Asia Business Summit <http://www.israelasiacenter.org/>. “It’s very hard for Singaporeans to think out of the box and come up with non-traditional ideas as Israelis do,” he said. That wasn’t the feeling in Israel, or at least among the speakers — including Economics Minister Naftali Bennett and Google Israel chairman Meir Brand — at the launch of an initiative called E-nnovate Israel, <http://ennovate.withgoogle.com/home?language=en> a hub initiated by Google Israel for projects and studies to promote innovation and economic growth in Israel, with an emphasis on strengthening the country’s information infrastructure. As its first project, E-nnovate introduced on Monday a report by consulting firm Trigger-Foresight Group Deloitte — the report was funded by Google Israel — which compared the impact of Israel’s tech economy on the country’s overall economy. Israel, according to the study, is a world leader in the size of its “internet economy,” the term used to describe industries that produce “information economy” internet-related products and services (like most high-tech companies). Those companies represented 6.4% of Israel’s GDP in 2009, and will exceed 8% by 2015 — on a par with most advanced European countries, like Germany and the UK, and not far behind the US. But somehow Israel’s tech savvy has not translated into economic benefits, as it has elsewhere. The study took Singapore as a good example of how well Israel* hasn’t* done. The GDP for both countries was similar throughout the 1980s — but then Singapore’s fortunes took off, leaving Israel in the dust. Today, the Asian tiger’s GDP is about $60,000 — nearly double that of Israel. What happened? It’s not about military spending, as many believe; surprisingly, Singapore’s per capita defense spending for 2012 ($1,593) wasn’t that much less than Israel’s ($1,882); Singapore, it turns out, ranked 23rd in the world in military expenditures in 2012, compared to Israel’s 17th-place ranking. What it is about, said the report, is that Singapore has much more successfully leveraged its Internet technology to make its economy more efficient. Israel hasn’t, and that has been very bad for the economy. The report cited an analysis of productivity in Israel which said that despite Israel’s position as a high-tech country, it’s only 24th (out of 30) in the OECD in terms of productivity. “Even though Israel, in its early years, narrowed the productivity gap between itself and the OECD countries, it stagnated on par with the OECD average from the 1970s until today,” said the study. It was a future told by American economist Robert Solow, who won the Nobel Prize in 1987 for proving the close connection between economic growth and increased productivity and innovation, the study said. “However, innovation also necessitates creatively providing useful, efficient and effective solutions to non-economic problems. This is the only way to increase productivity and create growth in advanced economies.” The way to do that, the study said, was for Israel to implement Internet-efficient communications and technologies in a much wider manner. And the only way to make that happen, said Google chairman Brand, was for the government to embark on an aggressive Internet infrastructure investment campaign. “A program like this would require an investment in infrastructure, but could save the economy millions,” he said. The money could go towards direct funding for infrastructure projects, or be available for low-cost loans for organizations that wanted to upgrade their communications and network systems to make themselves more efficient. For example, said Google’s Doron Avni — who heads Google’s Middle East, Israel, and Africa government relations department — the government here could fund a project similar to one in the UK, where the National Health Service borrowed money to set up an online portal for information, appointments, and self-diagnosis for certain conditions (via apps, questionnaires, etc.) The money was given as a loan to the NHS, which paid it back in full within four years, and saved the organization 110 million euros in 2008 alone. Another example is that of the Virtual High School in Florida, a special online and in-person school that has students doing much of their work through the internet via videoconferencing with teachers, remote submission of reports and homework, and more. Costs to the state for students in such schools are $1,000 less than for students in “regular” schools. *According to entrepreneur Lee, Singaporeans ‘don’t have the chutzpah you need to buck trends… We are taught to listen to our elders’* The secret to getting this done, said Brand, is instituting an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy, as successful countries — such as Singapore, Germany, Japan, and others have. Such a policy, he said, would ensure that Israel could enjoy the economic benefits of the technology developed here, instead of just making others richer. “The likelihood that Israel will develop the next big thing in telemedicine, for example, but that the device will be used in Denmark, Singapore, and Finland – but not here – is very high,” said Brand. “In order to avoid this, Israel must learn from other countries that have developed successful ICT policies, to develop the Internet and make it into a tool that can be used in many areas.” But is Singapore the right role model for Israel? According to Singaporean entrepreneur Lee, “the government has been spending a lot of money setting up incubators and accelerators for entrepreneurs, but the program has been less successful than they hoped it would be.” While Singapore has the “form” of a start-up nation, Singaporeans “don’t have the chutzpah you need to buck trends and come up with something truly innovative. We are taught to listen to our elders,” he said, “and of course to teachers.” Whereas stories about Israeli or American tech heroes who were dropouts are not uncommon, said Lee, no Singaporean in his or her right mind would drop out of college, much less high school, for fear they would be frozen out of jobs at large corporations. It’s the same Asian mindset described by another Asian entrepreneur, Bowei Gai, in a recent interview with the Times of Israel <https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-still-tops-in-tech-says-start-up-exper…>. Describing why Israelis start-up entrepreneurs are more creative and innovative than those in China, Gai said that China — considered by many to be the most dynamic and creative economy in Asia — concentrates on what he calls “commodity innovation,” a rehashing of existing technology and methodologies that builds on widely known models. “In the end it’s about making money, and the best and easiest way to do that in a place like China is by using proven models that have been successful elsewhere. There are so many ways to make money in China using these models because there are so many people to market to, and they don’t need to innovate or invent something new to succeed. It’s much easier to go for the ‘low hanging fruit’ of commodity innovation by basically duplicating existing technology,” said Gai. But you can’t argue with the bottom line, Bennett said at the E-nnovation event Monday. Israelis may have “creative genes,” he said, “but genes alone, like a seed, cannot grow unless planted in the right kind of soil. The government’s job is to prepare that soil so that the seeds can sprout. Entrepreneurs and the private sector are racing ahead, while the government remains behind. We must invest in physical infrastructure, and develop the human infrastructure.”

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Re: [kictanet] ict practitioners bill is back
by Ali Hussein 04 Dec '17

04 Dec '17

Let me quote the article:- "CS Mucheru, who was speaking at the HPC Forum <http://www.usiu.ac.ke/hpc-forum-info> at the United States International University USIU Africa in Nairobi. According to Mucheru the electioneering period had brought up several issues which needed to be addressed especially the unsubstantiated reports of alleged IEBC hacking by the NASA team which was sent to over 200 countries and embarrassed the country because the claims were unfounded. It would not have been so if the government had credentials of such individuals said Mucheru. Mucheru’s latest stand by the CS shows the ICT Practitioners Bill 2016 originated from the ICT Ministry and was not a private members Bill taken to parliament by Leader of Majority, Aden Duale. Opposing the bill, the CS had said the bill, if enacted would hinder the growth of tech innovations and development in the country. " Let's address this issue with maturity and a sense of what's good for this country. 1) Instead of the CS issuing 'Roadside' declarations on such an important matter and reducing it a NASA/Jubilee thing shouldn't he be talking to the industry and finding the best way possible to advance the ICT Industry's skill sets? This is NOT about politics. 2) The CS should know that he needs to serve the people of Kenya. His title is CIVIL SERVANT. 3) The community should be open to engaging the government on how best to ensure we don't have 'quacks' in the industry. A more inclusive forum and discussions will go a long way is getting things right. I sincerely hope that CS Mucheru was misquoted and that he will seek wide consultations on such an important and emotive issue. Regards *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 4:57 PM, Watila Alex via kictanet < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > EricKigada: Kenya’s controversial ICT Practitioners Bill 2016 to be tabled in parliament againtechmoran.com/kenyas-controv…https://twitter.com/EricKigada/status/937… > > > Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android > <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android> > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ > mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > >

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Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 127, Issue 2
by James Kimani 02 Dec '17

02 Dec '17

Thats great.where is the school or college On Sat, Dec 2, 2017 at 5:14 PM, <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Tech Skills Boot Camp for Kids & Teens is this Mon 4th to Sun > 10th (FEM HUB) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2017 17:10:35 +0300 > From: FEM HUB <femhub.africa(a)gmail.com> > To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: [kictanet] Tech Skills Boot Camp for Kids & Teens is this Mon > 4th to Sun 10th > Message-ID: > <CAKwUnYQQVOFGjatAcTPbpRF+n_RB-3EY9cZFcp-niQ32V4Zt5g@mail. > gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Digital literacy is the new literacy and should be encouraged and nurtured > from an early age. > > Fem-Hub & RCD Africa are supporting the coding course at the above event. > > Get in touch if interested in the #Internet4D for Kids and Teens coding > session for 5 days (to create websites and go live). > Includes plenary sessions on Child Online Protection and other tech areas. > Certificates will be provided. > No prior knowledge needed. > Limited places. Personal attention. > > Monday 4th to Friday 8th. Code class. > Friday 8th - parents attend, see presentations and learn too. > In between, plenary sessions. > Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th, Exhibition. > > > Whatsapp 0728848811 > Email: programs(a)rced.org cc rcdafrica(a)gmail.com >

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Tech Skills Boot Camp for Kids & Teens is this Mon 4th to Sun 10th
by FEM HUB 02 Dec '17

02 Dec '17

Digital literacy is the new literacy and should be encouraged and nurtured from an early age. Fem-Hub & RCD Africa are supporting the coding course at the above event. Get in touch if interested in the #Internet4D for Kids and Teens coding session for 5 days (to create websites and go live). Includes plenary sessions on Child Online Protection and other tech areas. Certificates will be provided. No prior knowledge needed. Limited places. Personal attention. Monday 4th to Friday 8th. Code class. Friday 8th - parents attend, see presentations and learn too. In between, plenary sessions. Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th, Exhibition. Whatsapp 0728848811 Email: programs(a)rced.org cc rcdafrica(a)gmail.com

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Re: [kictanet] [Security Forum] MENTOR NEEDED
by Ngundi, Vincent 01 Dec '17

01 Dec '17

Splendid, to say the least. Regards, Vincent -------- Original message -------- From: Gathungu Ibrahim via Security <security(a)lists.my.co.ke> Date: 01/12/2017 20:54 (GMT+03:00) To: "Security Forum All information security discussions in Africa are done here (Hacking, Decryptions, Security management, physical security, Disastor Recovery, Security Assessments etc etc)" <security(a)lists.my.co.ke> Cc: Gathungu Ibrahim <mgathungu(a)gmail.com>, KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [Security Forum] MENTOR NEEDED Nice troll Thomas. Mwanah, feel free to reach out on chat and I will assist. I also set out my career in InfoSec because of guidance from a wide set of mentors and a hunger to learn. Couple of pointers 1. Passion from the mentee accounts for a large portion of the contribution to the relationship and the mentor just has to have the willingness to share information. 2. As Dan said, mentioned. The Africahackon community and other Cyber fora are good places for free-flowing information. Just get in touch with anyone who attends the conferences. 3. A good PC/laptop is paramount. Set up quickly, dual boot *nix and windows for ease of testing your PoC, alternatively use virtual machines or bootable disks. Download Kali which is a good foundation OS - https://www.offensive-security.com/kali-linux-vmware-virtualbox-image-downl… Youtube/google university and dumps of eBooks provide you with a lot of learning. 4. Explore! The potential in this industry presents a lot of opportunities. I chose InfoSec consulting as I learn very wide concepts and see them in action in different companies while interacting with many professionals. Have a great weekend. Hope this helps you or someone on this forum. Regards, Ibrahim Gathungu. On 1 December 2017 at 08:18, Thomas Kibui via Security <security(a)lists.my.co.ke<mailto:security@lists.my.co.ke>> wrote: What if he or she asks you to work in his shamba ? On 4 November 2017 at 13:02, Mwanah Cephas Okoth via Security <security(a)lists.my.co.ke<mailto:security@lists.my.co.ke>> wrote: Good afternoon, I am looking out for a mentor to make me a darn good info-sec guy. Then I will pay forward the assistance and mentorship and work for you for free. Am available at: 0710573580<tel:0710%20573580>. Or email: omwanaj(a)gmail.com<mailto:omwanaj@gmail.com>. Thank you. -- Okoth C. J _______________________________________________ Security mailing list Security(a)lists.my.co.ke<mailto:Security@lists.my.co.ke> http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/security _______________________________________________ Security mailing list Security(a)lists.my.co.ke<mailto:Security@lists.my.co.ke> http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/security

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.ke Premium Domain Names Landrush Auction
by Ali Hussein 30 Nov '17

30 Nov '17

Listers The above refers. Now this is what I’m talking about!! Well done team KeNIC! Let’s teach Kenyans that when it comes to real estate it’s not just about Kitengela plots. :-) Follow the link below and let the games begin! https://eacdirectory.co.ke/auction-list.php Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle Sent from my iPad

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Fintech and Privacy (Kenya & India situation)
by Mose Karanja 30 Nov '17

30 Nov '17

Privacy International has published a very important report on fintech and data privacy mainly focusing on Kenya and India. Fintech: Privacy and Identity in the New Data-intensive Financial Sector shows how everyday habits and data points are used by fintech companies to create profiles and social classes of who can get loan facilities. The amount of surveillance individuals are subjected to for the sake of ‘qualifying’ for a loan is dehumanizing, to say the least. The report features Tala, branch and M-Kopa operations to illustrate the tradeoffs Kenyans are making between Privacy and credit access. “As the examples in this chapter show, this [calls and text] is amongst the key data sources used for alternative credit scoring in Kenya. This data is being used by lenders like Tala and Branch, without the protections that might be expected for this data. There are also other concerns: the scope of what falls within the concept of financial identity. More and more aspects of people’s lives are falling within the scope of what that is; more is being observed, analysed, and affecting an individual’s financial standing. Along with that increase in scope comes an increase in power, of fintech companies themselves as well as the financial sector more generally.” (pg 32/33) Full report: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4312273-Fintech-Report-Nov-2017.html -Moses

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