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REMEMBERING GUIDO SOHNE
by emko＠internetresearch.com.gh 20 May '09

20 May '09

The Advanced Information Technology Institute Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in Information and Communication Technologies (AITI-KACE, http://www.aiti-kace.com.gh) in conjunction with the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA, http://www.fossfa.net) and friends of Guido Sohne invite you to participate in a press conference scheduled for 3:00 pm on 22nd of May 2009. The venue is the AITI-KACE premises opposite the Council of State. This will be followed by an informal get-together of the IT community sponsored by friends of Guido Sohne at Venus at 6:30 pm. The purpose of the press conference is to announce the full details of the Guido Sohne Fellowship. The Fellowship is being setup as a means to recognize the extraordinary work that Guido did for African technology. Winners of the Fellowship spots are awarded after an open competition which requires participants to develop a web application and to write an essay on the technological vision for Africa that Guido and his compatriots shared. Guido Sohne was legendary in his work of "developing information" and "writing code". His contributions range from his personal vision of our future to constructive criticism of regulatory and other technical policy frameworks. In the world of code writing Guido's work is recognised both in the Free and Open Source space as well as the proprietary space. From C to LAMP, his language proficiency is known. Experienced in the use of Operating Systems from Unix to Windows, he has played with Apache, XML, Chillispot etc. technologies. Above all these, Guido was known to have a blistering pace in delivering top quality software projects. Guido was, also, one of the pioneer founders of the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa, the premier continental open source foundation in Africa.

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[Fwd: Offcial Launch Of Economic Survey Report 2009]
by alice 20 May '09

20 May '09

Dear Comrades, Hope this finds you well. Attached, please find a press invite and a programme for the Launch of Economic Survey Report 2009 scheduled for tomorrow May 21st 2009 @ KICC Aberdares Hall. The Economic Survey Report outlines the Economic performance of various sectors of the economy, for the last five years with emphasis on the year 2008 and a synopsis of the economic outlook for the year 2009. I would encourage you to attend this occassion in person which comes only once in a year. During the official launching day, every attendee gets a free copy of the report. Thereafter the copies are available but at a cost of Sh. 1,000 per copy. It is also of interest to know how different sectors of the economy performed or are projected to perform. The Report is a valuable reference material you would not want to miss. Welcome all. With regards, Nancy Mathu Public Relations/Communications Officer

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Press release from ITU on Child Online Protection
by Brian Munyao Longwe 20 May '09

20 May '09

FYI - I will forward the guidelines tomorrow or day after. Best regards, Brian ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <pressinfo.mailb(a)itu.int> To: <cristina.bueti(a)itu.int> Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 12:19:52 +0200 Subject: Guidelines proposed for Child Online Protection (COP) initiative - Focus on children, parents, teachers, policy-makers and industry [image: International Telecommunication Union]<http://www.itu.int/net/home/index.aspx> [image: ITU] Press Release For Immediate Release [image: Contact us] Press and Public Information Service<http://www.itu.int/home/feedback/index.phtml?mail=pressinfo> Guidelines proposed for Child Online Protection (COP) initiative Focus on children, parents, teachers, policy-makers and industry * Geneva, 20 May 2009 - * Guidelines for the protection of children in cyberspace were presented as drafts for discussion on Monday, 18 May in connection with the theme for the 2009 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The draft guidelines will be reviewed at the Strategic Dialogue on Safer internet Environment for Children in Tokyo, 2-3 June. The final Guidelines on Child Online Protection will be issued at ITU T ELECOM WORLD, 5-9 October 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. Comments will be accepted until 30 June 2009. ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré asserted that "we must do everything in our power to create a healthy online environment for our children". He said he was confident that "a secure cyberspace for our children will not remain an ideal but will become a reality". Dr Touré recognized the importance of the draft guidelines prepared in close collaboration with numerous UN agencies and other organizations, including UNICRI, INTERPOL, and the European Commission. "In choosing 'Protecting Children in Cyberspace' as the theme of this year's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, ITU and its Members hope that the many activities that accompany this event around the world will mark the start of a year-long 'Call for Action' of awareness-building which targets policy makers, industry, educators, parents and children, as well as helping garner further high-level international support," said Mr Sami Al Basheer, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. The Guidelines on Child Online Protection (COP) are aimed at establishing a safe and secure cyberworld for future generations. The set of four guidelines advocate empowering children and young people through education and awareness; providing information, advice and safety tips for parents, guardians and educators; and providing key information to policy makers as well as to industry in order to formulate national and international strategies. * Empowering children * As children and young people become digital citizens in an online world that has no borders or frontiers, it is critical that threats to their well being must be addressed by all stakeholders, including children themselves. They are urged to learn to use their computers and online devices safely, including the installation of firewalls and anti-virus software and how to spot unusual communications. The draft guidelines examine children's online rights, harmful and illegal content, cyber bullying, privacy and online commerce. Presenting the Guidelines for Children, Mr Dieter Carstensen, Project Manager of Save the Children Fund pointed out that the best form of defence in protecting children is to make them aware of what can happen online and provide options and solutions. For children, a set of *SMART* rules have been spelled out with regard to: * S *etting limits * M *eeting online friends offline * A *ccepting invitations/friendships * R *eacting * T *elling someone about their concerns * Guidelines for parents and educators * Ms Isabella Santa, an expert with the European Network & Information Security Agency (ENISA) pointed out that parents and educators must work together and become familiar with the Internet sites that are accessed by children and decide what is appropriate and safe online. ENISA is promoting awareness among parents to enhance the safety of children using virtual worlds and the Internet. ENISA believes that knowledge of what children can do online and parental involvement are crucial. Parents must be educated, empowered and engaged to ensure truly positive and valuable experiences for their children, while reinforcing safety online habits in the process. * Guidelines for Policy-Makers * Mr John Carr, Secretary, Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety (CHIS) presented the draft Guidelines for Policy-makers. Noting that the Internet has become a tremendously enriching and empowering technology with children and young people among its major beneficiaries, the Guideline suggests that national governments have an obligation to provide for the protection of legal minors in both the "real" and "virtual" worlds. Governments and policy makers have a major responsibility to set up a sustainable framework within which an appropriate national and multinational response can be developed. In doing so, the Internet industry and its stakeholders will have important roles to play, not least because the speed with which the technology can change means that many of the traditional methods of law or policy making no longer fit this purpose. * Guidelines for industry * Ms Natasha Jackson, Head of Content Policy, GSMA presented the draft Guidelines for Industry. In many countries around the world, industry is taking a lead and adopting voluntary and self-regulatory approaches that demonstrate commitment to developing a responsible approach to children's use of online ICT and communications. It is very much in the industry's interests to take action, to get ahead of the curve, not only because it is the right thing to do from a moral perspective, but also because, in the longer run, it will help develop public confidence in the Internet as a medium. In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) welcomed the launch of the Child Online Protection Initiative and the creation of common Guidelines for Industry in a converged digital world. Broadcasters are ready to jointly identify solutions - based on self-regulation or co-regulation - that can improve the situation for children on all platforms. This can succeed if it embraces all actors along the chain: from children themselves to governments and regulators, the media and international institutions. Only a multi-stakeholder approach can achieve success on such a complex issue. According to the draft Guidelines for Industry, collaborating with local broadcasters should be very helpful in terms of developing such an understanding. It is also important to understand how the local legislation perceives the 'location' of content and determines the 'place' at which a service is delivered or received. "The EBU strongly believes that widespread media literacy is the best and ultimate protection for children," said Jean Réveillon, Director General of the European Broadcasting Union. "EBU Members have large experience in this field and we look forward to sharing our know-how with all of you in the common work to come." * Child helplines * International Child Helpline Day marked in tandem with World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on 17 May, focused attention on the use of communication tools to help children access the information and resources required when needed. "Through our partnership with Child Helpline, an international NGO, we are currently lobbying telecommunication administrations around the world to consider allocating a common global number that would provide direct access to helplines run by organizations dedicated to child protection and welfare," Mr Al Basheer said. * For more information, please visit * www.itu.int/osg/csd/cybersecurity/gca/cop/ *or contact: * *Sanjay Acharya *Chief, Media Relations and Public Information ITU Tel: +41 22 730 5046 Mobile: +41 79 249 4861 E-mail: sanjay.acharya(a)itu.int * About Child Online Protection (COP)<http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/About_COP.html> * About ITU <http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/aboutitu.html> [image: Contact us] Press and Public Information Service<http://www.itu.int/home/feedback/index.phtml?mail=pressinfo> Unsubscribe from mailing list<http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/unsubscribe.asp?id=45608&lang=en> -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: + 254 722 518 744 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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Re: [kictanet] Local Content? Interesting online game in swahili....
by wesley kiriinya 20 May '09

20 May '09

Don't seem to be local. Seems like the game's developed from a European (German) company. They have local websites for countries they target, Kenya being one of them. I'm working on some interesting online mobile games for Symbian and Java ( Nokia, Ericcson, ...), iPhone, etc. I hope they will bring some refreshing entertainment to our local market. 8~) --- On Mon, 5/18/09, Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe(a)gmail.com> Subject: [kictanet] Local Content? Interesting online game in swahili.... To: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, May 18, 2009, 11:51 AM http://www.gladiatus.co.ke/ -----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: 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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Invitation to Open Source Awards
by Alex Gakuru 20 May '09

20 May '09

Chairman Evans requests me to forward this message to kictanet see also http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/111/16/36077.html A. --- On Tue, 5/19/09, Evans Ikua <ikua.evans(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: Evans Ikua <ikua.evans(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [ke-internetusers] Open Source Awrds > To: skunkworks(a)my.co.ke, "ke-users" <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net> > Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 10:35 PM > This is an open invitation to members > of this forum to the inaugural Kenya Open Source Awards to > be held on 27th May at the Panafric Hotel, Nairobi. The > event will kick off at 2.30. It will be preceded by a media > briefing at 12.30 which will also be attended by the guest > oh honour. > > > As earlier communicated, details are on our website, www.lpakenya.org. > > The nominations are still ongoing. Its amazing the kind of > project nominations that we have received so far. One of the > biggest gains that we intend to make from these awards is to > map the FOSS community on Kenya. We hope to get a clear > picture of who is involved in what project in the FOSS > community. Its a kind of an audit of our FOSS activity. > > > We again appeal to you to nominate any individuals, > projects or organizations that are actively involved in Open > Source so that we can consider them along those that we > already have. We know that there is quite a bit of FOSS > activity going on out there but nobody knows what the other > is doing. > > > For instance, do you know of a hospital that has > implemented an open source solution like Care2X? Or a > Government Ministry that is running entirely on Linux (I > have heard about the Ministry of Youth Affairs but am not > sure, anyone with info?). Anyone who has helped an > organization to fully migrate to FOSS? Or an Educational > institution that uses/trains a lot of Open Source (Like > Strath)? Or anyone who has a FOSS project at Freshmeat or > Sourceforge etc? Any Individuals who have done some > innovative solutions on Open Source? > > This information will be highly appreciated and we urge you > all to come out and support this initiative by giving this > information. Please dont forget that you cn also nominate > yourself or your organization. Pass the word around. > > > The full list of the award recipients will be availed > before the event once we complete the nomination process. > > Thank you in advance and see you all there. > > Evans Ikua, > LPA-Kenya > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > _______________________________________________ > ke-internetusers mailing list > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers >

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Local Content? Interesting online game in swahili....
by Brian Munyao Longwe 18 May '09

18 May '09

http://www.gladiatus.co.ke/

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Protecting Children Online & on Mobile
by Wainaina Mungai 17 May '09

17 May '09

Hi The World Telecommunications and Information Society Day will be in a few days - 17th May. The theme is on protection of children in cyberspace.... That led me to wonder how/if we are working to protect children from Mobile Content now that there is alot of adult content sold on mobiles e.g. Wall papers, adult tips on relationships, dating services etc. Children now have access to both web and mobile - with mobiles being harder to monitor. Who out there is working on such issues? Wainaina -- Sent from my mobile device --- http://www.bungesms.com http://www.madeinkenya.org

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Re: [kictanet] Protecting Children Online & on Mobile
by John Walubengo 16 May '09

16 May '09

Wainaina, Content control is a big animal. Right from Policy through to Implementation, there will be conflicting positions by different stakeholders... However, the practice in more developed economies is to ensure that "Adult Content" whether online/sms/mms etc is ONLY accessible through credit card numbers. This works to protect (cut out) a large group of "under 18s" but at the same time makes the "over 18s" feel extremely monitored....i.e. nobody wants his /her credit card statements showing the digital "K-Streets" they have been visiting... I do hope this issues will be discussed in the upcoming content discussions. walu. --- On Wed, 5/13/09, Wainaina Mungai <wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org> wrote: > From: Wainaina Mungai <wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org> > Subject: [kictanet] Protecting Children Online & on Mobile > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 11:10 AM > Hi > > The World Telecommunications and Information Society Day > will be in a > few days - 17th May. The theme is on protection of children > in > cyberspace.... > > That led me to wonder how/if we are working to protect > children from > Mobile Content now that there is alot of adult content sold > on mobiles > e.g. Wall papers, adult tips on relationships, dating > services etc. > > Children now have access to both web and mobile - with > mobiles being > harder to monitor. Who out there is working on such > issues? > > Wainaina > > -- > Sent from my mobile device > > --- > http://www.bungesms.com > > http://www.madeinkenya.org > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com >

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THE MESSIAH WITHIN,,Redeeming the Soul of Our Nation
by alice 16 May '09

16 May '09

*From:* njonjo mue [mailto:njonjo@knchr.org] *Subject:* THE MESSIAH WITHIN *THE MESSIAH WITHIN* *Redeeming the Soul of Our Nation* * * *BY NJONJO MUE* * * [As Kenyans struggle to find meaning in the shenanigans surrounding their body politic, Njonjo Mue challenges the youth to join an army of ordinary people to fight the good fight; to defend our freedom, dignity, heritage and our children’s future, by engaging in brutal self-appraisal and refusing to aid decay. It is a call to arms - for men to leave the bars long enough to know what their children will eat for supper; for women to cease their escapism and confront the problems facing our communities; and for all of us to individually take responsibility for the future of our country.] /An army of ordinary people/ /A kingdom where love is the key/ /A city, a light to the nations/ /Heirs to the promise are we/ /A people whose life is in Kenya/ /A nation together we stand/ /Truly by birth are we worthy/ /Inheritors of the land/ / / /A new dawn is coming/ /A new age has come/ /When the children of promise/ /Shall stand together as one/ /A truth long neglected/ /But the time has now come/ /When the children of promise/ /Must fight together as one./ / / /(Adapted from a hymn by Dave Bilbrough, © 1983, Kingsways Thankyou Music)/ / / */ /* */Of being, belonging and identity…/* What is Kenya and what makes you a Kenyan? Is it your ID card? Your blue passport? The fact that you were born here? Do you feel connected? Do you belong? Are you more or less Luo, Kamba, Kipsigis, Mijikenda, Asian, Caucasian or Arab than Kenyan? Are you more or less male or female that Kenyan? Are you more or less Christian, Muslim or Hindu that Kenyan? How do these multiple identities play themselves out in your psyche? Do you feel the need to run away from any one of them in order to embrace your /Kenyanness/? In other words, what is your identity and what real connection do you have with Kenya? What makes you proud to be a Kenyan? If you had to choose from among all the multiple identities that you have, would you choose to retain or drop your Kenyan identity? Why or why not? */The ties that bind…/* Our parents’ generation was born into 42 different nationalities. However, they became Kenyans as they united to fight the common enemy of colonial domination. Once that enemy was defeated, they then went about determining the terms of their social contract, in Lancaster House and at home, in commendable efforts to build a nation. Have they succeeded? How and where have they failed? What about us? 45 years later, what common enemy do we face? On what basis shall we negotiate our new social contract? Will the glue that held our parents’ generation together remain strong enough to bind us? The answer is clearly in the negative. For we can see all around us depressing and alarming evidence that the social compact that once defined Kenya is quickly coming apart. The demon of political tribalism rears its ugly head with reckless abandon, as politicians declare that it is their turn to eat and then form all sorts of diabolical alliances to prepare how they might divide the spoils, and as they look determined to fight it out to the end, grabbing for power without caring if the nation falls apart in the process. The need for renegotiating the social contract has been acknowledged by all, but there is seemingly no committed leadership with the courage and vision to lead us in navigating through these uncharted waters. We wander aimlessly in the wilderness of our despair, longing for our Land of Promise, but not even the mirage of social cohesion appears on the horizon. Yet we have no choice in this matter. We must hold a genuine national dialogue on how to define our new dispensation – and by this I do not mean merely discussing how to share power, for a society is more that the power structure to which it subscribes. The more we prevaricate on the need for national dialogue, the more certain quarters of our society continue to hold destructive monologues that push us ever closer to the brink. We cannot leave things to run their own course. The train of liberty does not roll forward on the wheels of inevitability; it must be pushed, sometimes pulled; but always kept on track and moving towards the goal of social justice, national cohesion and the true and wholesome development of the human person. The generation gone before us appears to have run out of ideas on how to do this. This is hardly surprising considering that those who call the shots have been on the scene forever – they are exhausted, old and without a real stake in the future of our country. It is now up to us to take a stand and impose an environment of order to eliminate the daily chaos in our midst. In so doing, we will start to define a new vision for this country and to march decisively towards our collective sustainable future. */ /* */ /* */Heart of the Country or Soul of the Nation?/* */ /* Politicians pretend to care a great deal about the need for a new constitution, but we all know that for them, the process is little more than glorified power play. Although the Constitution is the heart of the country, from which the entire legal system gets its lifeblood, in the end, only a small number of people will dominate the constitution-making process. Further, even if they came up with the best document in the world, it would still only be half the job done. The other, more fundamentally half, is to reconstruct the soul of our nation. This is the responsibility of every citizen and cannot be left to politicians and their gate-keepers alone. It is an exercise which defines what the essence of being Kenyan is. What is the soul of our nation? What are the ties that bind? What are the criteria for belonging? In other words, what are the core values that make us who we are, above our diverse ethnic nationalities and beneath our common citizenship of the human family? As our favourite native son, Barack Obama, reminds us, the Constitution is not just a source of individual rights, but also a means of organizing a democratic conversation around our collective future. And so it is vital to reach a consensus on the values we espouse as Kenyans, for we cannot move forward as a nation until we know and internalize what that nationhood entails. Until we each individually and voluntarily subscribe to a core set of beliefs. Once consensus on this is attained, then we can ascribe censure to those who choose to transgress our compact through mutually agreed coercion. This is the essence of a society governed by laws and not by men. Currently, we only belong to Kenya largely by accident of birth. We largely identify with the State only in its coercive sense; in the sense that we see policemen telling us what to do on pain of punishment in accordance with a legal code we had little input in promulgating. We are also Kenyans by virtue of the fact that every June 30^th we have a date with KRA which comes knocking on our doors seeking to know how much income we earned the previous year and whether we have given unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar. We also think we belong because we demand rights that are hardly recognized or protected and services that the government is unwilling or unable to provide. We understand the workings of government better today than we did ten years ago. However this has not made our lives better because, in spite of more transparency, there is no corresponding accountability on the part of the government or ourselves as citizens. We live in an age of lawlessness and impunity. Citizens feel no obligation to obey laws that do not bind those who make them. There is no sense of enlightened self-interest in making our systems work or in contributing to the public good. In addition, there are few role models left to follow, for we have allowed politicians to dominate our public space and to perpetually pollute our air with the stench of their incorrigibly bad manners. Therefore, we need to find positive things that draw us to our /Kenyanness/, things that will make us assert confidently, ‘/We are Kenyans by choice!/’ We need to find a new focal point for our allegiance as citizens of Kenya. */ /* */What is Kenya and who are Kenyans?/* */ /* At its most basic, Kenya is a juridical fact in international law. It is also a piece of real estate comprising 583,000 hectares of land occupied by some 37 million people who are as diverse as can be in ethnic belonging, religious affiliation, occupational persuasion, racial origin and social status. In this dynamic mix, is there value in being called a Kenyan? I believe there is by all means. But we are yet to fully appreciate it. That is why many of us continue to retreat into our ethnic cocoons whenever crises arise. But we need to start defining that value and to clarify to ourselves what value we as a country and as a people add to the world around us. All this cannot be done within a short period of time, for the search for nationhood is a long-term project. It is a conversation with ourselves that shall have no end, for what constitutes Kenya and Kenyans will continue to evolve as the world around us changes. But as globalization makes the world ever more homogenous, we need to identify and nurture our core values, those that make us uniquely Kenyan. This exercise cannot be the preserve of any one person or group of people however defined. The endeavour to define these values has to be a national exercise involving all who bear the name of Kenya and reaching across all the strata of our nation. It will not be easy to arrive at consensus. Yet we must keep faithfully on this course until we are able to define ourselves and know and fully internalize who we really are. For as long as we keep allowing others to define us – politicians and tribal chiefs, Western hegemonic geopolitical interests, the World Bank, the IMF, and a myriad other amorphous interests and agendas – we shall remain buffeted by winds of change, ones that make one demand of us one day and another the next. Instead of being the masters of our destiny, we shall forever react to the actions of others. Always waiting for them to tell us who we are and what we must do next to water out the fire of self-destruction in our own homes. In other words, we shall be enslaved to the whims of others. Tossed hither by torrents of oppression and thither by waves of despair, all the while becoming the laughing stock of neighbours near and far; the subject of after-dinner conversations from South Korea to South Africa – whispers about a people who once seemed to be going somewhere but who got shipwrecked in the high seas of greed, economic collapse, socio-political confusion and moral decline. If things appear desperate for us today, it is because they are. The road to our Land of Promise has been long and treacherous and there is no end in sight. One’s heart has to bleed as one looks around our country. Low intensity warfare and conflict violently and routinely disrupt the lives of innocents in urban and rural areas while Mungiki and other criminal gangs terrorize the populace with impunity and with the tacit support of the political class; all this while trigger-happy policemen gun down perceived criminals and answer to no one but themselves. Poverty, inequality and underdevelopment are the defining feature of our age. Famine is the order of the day in many communities, hunger a constant companion to children across the land. AIDS continues to wipe us out indiscriminately, ravaging our fragile economy, leaving orphans to fend for themselves and frail grandmothers to look after helpless grandchildren. Crime and corruption are eating away at the soul of our nation, and responsible political leadership is a concept that has altogether eluded us. We have touched the nadir of despair, and darkness has fallen across the land. We have become exiles from and refugees in our own country. IDPs continue to endure life in desolate ‘transit’ camps; our children find solace in the streets where drugs or regular sniffs of glue help them to accept the morbidity of their daily existence; our men have taken refuge in bars to consume large quantities of liquor to dull the gnawing pain of helplessness and the silent pangs of despair; and our women have found shelter in religious crusades to be fed generous doses of the sweet by-and-by to enable them to endure the nasty now-and-now! The rest of us have become so impoverished and bereft of ideas and morality that we have lost our way altogether and become ourselves predators. We have no qualms about robbing the poor and exploiting the weak in our midst. We have sadly fulfilled Mwalimu Nyerere’s prophecy about Kenya being a man-eat-man society. Amidst all this confusion, we have pushed politics to the centre of our existence. We continually engage in a strange conversation where all do the talking while no one is really listening. We conspire against the poor when they cry out for real solutions to real problems by forming endless commissions, task forces and committees that only end up creating jobs for ourselves for which the poor are forced to pay us astronomical salaries and benefits while producing no real results for the country. Our politics is a politics of the stomach – of greed and exploitation. Having presided over the wholesale dismantling of our collective hope, the political class can now set the rules, rules that revolve around money – stolen money! And so this cycle of poverty goes round and round. I steal money today which I use to bribe you to send me to Parliament or the Local Council tomorrow with the single aim of stealing more money to purchase my seat the next round and make a handsome profit in the process. When shall we stop this cycle of madness? I say NOW!! Now is the time to draw a line in the sand! Now is the time to say to anyone who subscribes to this madness, ‘ENOUGH!’Now is the time to take a stand against these predators! Now is the time to reclaim our human dignity! Now is the time to start our long march to our true Land of Promise! What we do now will determine what kind of country our children will inherit. Let no one fool you that it does not matter what we do. The choices we make today shall have irreversible consequences for generations to come. We are the people who shall save or lose Kenya. We are not perfect and we will make our mistakes, but the greatest mistake we can make now is to do nothing. /So, do something!/ / / But first we must first do away with the futile search for a messiah who will come and fix everything for us. For the messiah we look for is to be found inside each one of us. We must each take personal responsibility in defining and enforcing our new social contract. We must say ‘No’ to any person who would seek to exploit us and use us as stepping stones to the corridors of the abuse of power. We must find the courage to believe in ourselves again and say ‘No’ to their destructive ‘favours’ and demeaning patronage for which we have hitherto sold our birth right. It is time to impose a new set of rules: a paradigm that puts country above personal comfort, our children’s inheritance and collective security above individual gain. *Fighting the good fight* * * Kenya is at war. And this is a fact whether it is acknowledged or not. We may not see tanks and troops on the streets and we may not go to bed with the sound of gunfire ringing in our ears. But we are at war. The enemies we face are more dangerous than a conventional army. They may not destroy our infrastructure or kill our mortal bodies, but they have stealthily found their way through our defenses and are slowly eating away at the soul of our nation. We boast a form of civilization, but it is an empty shell and it is a matter of time before the whole edifice comes tumbling down. The cost of that eventuality is too ghastly to contemplate. But unlike the politicians, I do not dangle the threat of cataclysmic implosion before your eyes in order to paralyze us into doing nothing, but in order to galvanize us into action. We must urgently retake control of our destiny and our country and start rebuilding the walls around our nationhood. It is not too late to reconstruct the soul of our nation, but the work must start now. Every moment of delay pushes us ever closer to the brink! This is therefore a call-up notice: /All Kenyan men and women are requested to enroll into the Army of Ordinary People. Our sole objective is to defend our heritage from enemies within and without, to reconstruct the soul of our nation, and to lay a firm foundation for our new Republic./ And these are our rules of engagement: The primary theatre of action shall be within ourselves, for ‘there is only one small corner of the world that we can truly change and that is ourselves’. We cannot impose rules on others that we are ourselves unwilling to live by. And so we must start by changing our own behavior, attitudes and mindset. /We must become the change that we seek. / / / The next theatre of action is the world around us – our homes, our schools and colleges, our workplace, our communities and on the road as we drive and commute. We must politely but firmly point out whenever someone transgresses the human dignity of others or of ourselves – all the time being careful not to demand of others higher standards than we ourselves faithfully subscribe to. We must seek to faithfully influence our colleagues to act in the best interests of Kenya. In everything we do, we must constantly ask, /‘will it contribute to the reconstruction of the soul of our nation?’/ / / /What weapons shall our army wield?/ Our conviction, our minds and our bodies. We shall scale the citadels of oppression to proclaim our humanity to those who have forgotten what it is to be human. We shall shun violence in all its forms – violence of thought, language and action. We shall engage in non-violent direct action when necessary to draw attention to our concerns and to bring about positive change. In everything we do, we shall conduct our struggle on the high plane of integrity and honour. Not seeking to conquer our opponents, but to convert them, for our fight is not against persons, but against injustice, against indignity and against oppression. /Counting the cost: What risks do we face?/ The forces pitted against us are many, varied and vicious, and before we engage, we must count the cost. It will cost us – all of us – our very lives. The cause for which we fight will be here long after we have all passed the baton to a new generation. But some of us may have to go before others, for the entrenched forces we oppose are not benign. Therefore, like any other army, the army of ordinary people requires you to prepare to pay the supreme price for your convictions. You and I could die. This is a reality we must be prepared to come to terms with before signing up. But if we wage our struggle with honour and discipline, and if we raise our cause above ourselves, then, even if we die in the struggle, death becomes redemptive. For hundreds and thousands will rise up to take our place; and our blood shall water the tree of freedom and invigorate our nation. /Soon, our nation shall be truly free!/ We could go to prison. But this should not perturb us unduly because for countless people who endure life in the slums or live under the specter of urban insecurity or rural poverty, there is a sense in which our country is one large prison today. And should we end up behind bars, we should take solace in the fact that in those very prisons are men and women, both jailers and jailed, who need to hear our message of hope. We will go to prison willingly and shall ‘transform our jailhouses from dungeons of despair into havens of freedom’. /Soon, both prisoner and prison warder shall be free!/ We could get physically injured. But what else is new? We are already bleeding from a thousand wounds. We suffer the daily indignities of hunger, oppression and disease. The thing to do is to regard every blow that lands upon my unarmed body as the blow of a hammer and chisel that will shape the stones that wound us into the forms of people. So that we might liberate both the oppressed and the oppressor and forever throw off the shackles of fear and brutishness from around the neck of our nation. /Soon both the oppressor and the oppressed shall be free!/ / / /And what is in it for us?/ */ /* I can promise you only hardship and persecution. These are the only guarantees. Our country did not get to the dark place where we find ourselves today overnight, nor will we get out overnight. It will get worse before it gets better. But I also promise you destiny. We were born for such a time as this. Future generations shall be beholden to the army of ordinary people – young men and women who had the courage of their convictions. I call upon you to give up the material comforts of today to build a nation for tomorrow. I dare you to cross the line of the familiar and into the unknown in pursuit of a vision for another country, a better homeland. I challenge you to sow the seeds of a tree you may never personally sit under, that another generation may reap the fruit of dignity, security and prosperity for all. And I call upon you to invest in a future we may both never see that your children and mine might never again be called the children of a lesser god. And may I remind you, my brothers and sisters, that Kenya was the first country in black Africa where the colonial master was not just asked to leave, but was pushed out of our country by our young men and women who risked their all to wrest our country back from those who had stolen our land. A generation has since passed. Our parents can at least claim to have gained that formal independence. What about us? Do we want to leave behind a legacy of having let our country disintegrate during our watch? */Amkeni ndugu zetu!/* */ /* */ /* *Njonjo Mue.* www.uhurugeneration.blogspot.com <http://www.uhurugeneration.blogspot.com> *Nairobi* *11^th May 2009*

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USA: Ex-Air Force Chief: Recruit Bloggers to Wage Afghan Info War
by Brian Munyao Longwe 14 May '09

14 May '09

Interesting to see how the internet is playing a key role in global politics and especially matters related to conflict. Seems the taliban has been a step ahead.... I don't feel very comfortable.... http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/05/ex-air-force-chief-recruit-bloggers… -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: + 254 722 518 744 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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Vote4me:-[afnog] REMINDER - AfriNIC Board Elections - deadline - 17 May 2009
by John Walubengo 13 May '09

13 May '09

Dear Netizens, Plse visit: http://www.afrinic.net/elections/comments/?p=18#comments and put in a good word for me. I am running for the AfriNIC Board position to represent the East African Region and would appreciate your +ve comments and votes... walu. nb: Big Thank You for the few individuals who have so far commented. --- On Tue, 5/12/09, lohento(a)oridev.org <lohento(a)oridev.org> wrote: > From: lohento(a)oridev.org <lohento(a)oridev.org> > Subject: [afnog] REMINDER - AfriNIC Board Elections - deadline - 17 May 2009 > To: afnog(a)afnog.org > Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 8:50 PM > Dear colleagues, your comments on nominees is an important > step of the > AfriNic election process. Please comment on candidates by > 17 May 2009 6:00 > PM GMT. See below for details and thank you for your > contribution. > > The NomCom > > -------- Message original -------- > Sujet : [AfriNIC-announce] AfriNIC Board Elections: > Announcement of > Candidates and Open Public Comments Period > Date : Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:42:19 +0400 > > > Dear Colleagues, > > A while back you received a notice regarding the nomination > period for The > AfriNIC Board > of Directors elections for the following vacant seats: > > Seat 3: The Southern African Region (Primary and Alternate) > Mandate: 2009 > to 2012 > > Seat 4: The Eastern African Region (Primary and Alternate) > Mandate: 2009 > to 2012 > > We are pleased to announce that six (6) nominations were > received that > qualify for this election > http://meeting.afrinic.net/afrinic-10/nominees09.htm > > The nominees for the East African Region are: > > Mr. John Walubengo > Ms. Lillian Wambui Karanja > > The nominees for the Southern African Region are: > > Mr. Timothy Kasonde KASOLO > Mr. Silvio Cabral Almada > Dr. Paulos Nyirenda > Mr. Mark James ELKINS > > The next step is the “Open Public Comments Period” > which *ends on 17 May > 6:00 PM GMT.* > > To participate in this stage of the election process, > please visit > http://www.afrinic.net/elections/comments/ > where you can view the background information, photos, > answers to key > questions for each of the candidates, and post/read > comments for the > respective candidates. > > The actual elections will take place on 21 May 2009 during > the AfriNIC-10 > event which is scheduled to take place from 10-21 May 2009, > InterContinental Cairo, Citystars Hotel, Cairo Egypt. > > Please let your vote and participation count in this very > important > process. We greatly appreciate your support! > > Sincerely, > > AfriNIC Board Elections 2009 Nomination Committee > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > afnog mailing list > http://afnog.org/mailman/listinfo/afnog

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Re: [kictanet] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face
by harry＠inds.co.ke 12 May '09

12 May '09

Fellow discussants, I read that act, and as I argued some time back - I felt when the debate was at the time generating some online storm that seemed to pit the media vs the ICT fraternity,while we at the same time seemed to close our eyes on the various clauses in there that just doesn't add up for the consolidation of gains so far made in the ICT industry. While the media voiced out their own concerns, we were contended to sit back perhaps in some bemusement at what this fuss was all about. >From what I gather, most of us really never went through this document, to understand it's implications to this sector. A number of clauses are outrightly punitive, especially to the upcoming entrepreneurs. The clause on the .KE 2nd level name space resellership is a case in point. In fact as Alex has argued, it would make more sense to resell the global domains if licensing in addition to the current maintenance costs threatens to choke out whatever is left in terms of incentives for registrars. This Act also introduces some stringent requirements in order to acquire the licensing. Am just wondering, is this really necessary or we are working to choke the relatively young industry...? IMHO, this being a multistakeholder industry, a point of convergence is quite important that would leave all (if not, a majority of) parties involved and satisfied. Really, am not sure what amount of input from the stakeholders went in to draft this legislation. Urgently, the matters raised on this debate by the various discussants need to be addressed. Now, can we please move to convening a meeting forum to deal with this.I do sincerely hope we will not become the proverbial ostrich and bury our heads in the sand... Harry > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes faceto face > with new Legislation (wanjira(a)cck.go.ke) > 2. Re: Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes faceto face > with new Legislation (Solomon Mburu) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 12:03:27 +0000 > From: wanjira(a)cck.go.ke > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes > faceto face with new Legislation > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: skunk <skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>, ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net, Kenya ICT > Policy - kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: > <2111746612-1242043385-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1510429952-(a)bxe1055.bisx.produk.on.blackberry> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > > Thanks Walu indeed a meeting to discuss the interpretations/ > implementation would be worthwhile at this point. > > Best > Alice > Sent from my BlackBerry? smartphone from Zain Kenya > > -----Original Message----- > From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> > > Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 02:32:39 > To: <wanjira(a)cck.go.ke> > Cc: skunk<skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>; <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net>; Kenya ICT > Policy - kictanet<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes face > to face with new Legislation > > > > Alex, Alice et. al. > > 1stly, I wish to state that the views I expressed in the email were my > personal interpretation of the KCA Act 2009 with regard to domain > registration. I do still stand by them - but if they caused misleading > alarm/crisis - i do not think that it was the intention and motivation of > the KENIC Board (of which I am NOT a member and therefore not authorised > to speak on their behalf). So if the KENIC Board needs to resign, they > should do so for another reason rather than my e-mail. > > 2ndly, I get the feeling from several reactions on this issue that we have > mixed Governance Issues (who and how the .KE namespace is controlled) with > Operational issues (how KENIC has so far been managing the .KE namespace). > > 3rdly, I agree (with Alex) that the confusion so created can no longer be > solved online and somebody must convene a meeting for all stakeholders to > be able to read from the same page. Obviously KENIC and CCK (the > regulator) must take lead on this because to me they are immediately > affected by the turn of events. The rest of us (Users) are likely to feel > the impact months/years later... > > 4thly, such a meeting can only be productive if the following is availed > in advance: > > 1) The Regulator gives direction on what critereon they will use to > distribute the control of this 2nd level namespace to competing bidders > (e.g. First-come First- serve?, Auction (highest-bidder) method?, > Politically correct methods? amongst many others) > > 2) The Regulator gives a roadmap of how they intend to manage the > technical relationship between the local top-level domain (.KE) and the > subsequently licensed private players at the 2nd subdomain levels. My > position still remains that you cannot purport to control the 2nd layer > without implicitly controlling the top layer - otherwise you set yourself > up for a future "technical disobedience" from the top layer. Which in turn > means that the Regulator has to (will?) eventually find a way to control > both the Top and 2nd levels domains. > > 3) KENIC gives direction on how the Internet Community will benefit from > this new dispensation. And yes the SPV route did raise more questions than > answers and so maybe by then, we would have more answers than the > questions. > > I wish to rest my case on this issue until such a time when the face2face > meeting is convened. If it is not - then I guess we just have to wait and > see as the events unfold. Unlike our media friends - we (IT) do not > control the airwaves and worse still our subject is more "esoteric than > sensational" to use the words of one leading Editor and so the wananchi > will be wondering "whose goat has been eaten and by who". > > walu. > > --- On Mon, 5/11/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan >> InternetCommunity comes face to face with new Legislation >> To: alice(a)apc.org >> Cc: jwalu(a)yahoo.com, ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >> Date: Monday, May 11, 2009, 10:09 AM >> Walubengo, >> >> An important correction and note: >> >> Section 83F uses discretionary word "may" not >> obligatory "shall" this >> below statement is factually incorrect. >> >> "The law specifies that all second level .KE >> >>> internet domain names must be licensed by the >> country's >> >>> converged Regulator, Communication Commission >> of Kenya." >> >> Has CCK has expressly stated intention to require registry >> to be >> licensed? Was CCK letter to kenic shown at the meeting? >> >> The tradition is for the regulator to first publish/call a >> meeting for >> *all* would-be affected sector stakeholders (kenic, >> registrars, and >> ISP in this case). >> >> Kenic should stop making-up a 'crisis'; rushing to >> register 'SPV', >> project urgency approval, than circulate emails to various >> mailing >> lists. >> >> Registering the SPV is dead as a dodo. full stop. Wasahau. >> And at this >> rate should some or all board members consider resigning >> for >> misleading the "Internet Community"? >> >> Alex >> >> On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 2:52 PM, Alex Gakuru >> <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> > Title: Section 83F ?"License for country code >> top-level domain" >> > >> > Body: "The Commission may, upon application in >> the prescribed manner >> > and subject to such conditions as it may deem >> necessary, grant >> > licenses under this section authorizing a person to >> administer a >> > sub-domain in the country code top-level domain." >> > >> > Opinion: >> > >> > a) The title implies License for country code >> top-level domain" hence >> > kenic and/or others may apply for country code >> top-level domain >> > licence >> > >> > b) kenic administers "sub-domain in the country >> code top-level domain" >> > registrars merely ?*registers* NOT administer >> sub-domains, unless you >> > are suggesting that hosting is part of >> "administering" a domain thus >> > "to host a .ke domain one needs a licence?" >> > >> > c) Lord forbid your interpretation that retail >> registrars need a >> > licence from CCK be correct. For if so I fear that >> will be last death >> > blow to the remaining .ke public goodwill. Registrars >> already pay >> > annual amounts to kenic and additional >> 'licence' fees burden would >> > discourage them marketing .ke. and their clients would >> understand .com >> > cost savings. Many (including those not kenic >> registrars) presently >> > just recommend .com,,, anyway. >> > >> > d) if in the current situation where kenic is having >> difficulties >> > efficiently serving existing registrars, would you >> expect these >> > registrars to agree to additional "Licenced >> fee" atop already very >> > costly kenic domain prices (compared to .com) >> > >> > e) If kenic board just wanted to form some SPV (btw, >> who are the >> > shareholders?) to compete with poor registrars at the >> retail level, >> > rest assured that then *they* will be left selling .ke >> alone - giving >> > themselves all the discounts you want, completely >> eradicating >> > registrars competition - i.e. strengthen kenic >> monopoly grip on domain >> > pricing not introduce competition any where.. >> > >> > f) Valid claims of increasing competition can only be >> genuine if >> > Section 83F heading is interpreted to mean other >> registries are >> > allowed and those few registries pay licence fee to >> CCK. Those >> > registries stand to better represent various >> Nationally-dispersed >> > "Internet Communities" members, that private >> "SPV" company. BTW, what >> > is the present kenic company-type as is registered by >> Companies >> > Registrar? >> > >> > g) Should above come (f) bring about private-public >> interest conflict, >> > I would then suppose that the spirit to protect of >> public interest >> > over private interest ?on National ICT Policy clause >> "7.1 .... In the >> > event of conflict, public interest shall >> prevail." swings into action? >> > >> > h) Finally Alice, you sit at both Kenic and CCK >> boards. You have had >> > the duty to inform both of them and openly report back >> to everyone on >> > the consequences. Je, ulifanya hivyo??? >> > >> > regards, >> > >> > >> > Alex >> > >> > On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 1:42 PM, alice munyua >> <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: >> >> There seems to be some ?misunderstanding ?about >> what the KCA 2009 ?does? >> >> >> >> It is the introduction of liberalisation at >> >> the sub domain level by creating a >> >> competitive registrar model? ?KENIC remains the >> ccTLD manager of the whole dot KE namespace and >> >> registry operator. What the KCA ammendment does >> only means if a registered company wants to manage/sell the >> second level, i.e. .co.ke, .sc.ke etc. they would need to >> get a ?license from CCK to become an registarar. >> >> This is encouraging competition at the sub domain >> level and from my interpretation that is progress.. >> >> Best >> >> Alice >> >> >> >> Views expressed are personal and not a reflection >> of any organisation/institution - am affiliated with. >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> >> >> >> >> Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:51:14 >> >> To: <alice(a)apc.org> >> >> Cc: skunk<skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>; >> <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net>; KICTAnet >> KICTAnet<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] >> Breaking News: Kenyan Internet >> >> ? ? ? ?Community comes face to face with new >> Legislation >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Alex - I am NOT ?against competition. It is good >> for the industry. ?The problem is how such competition is >> introduced. ?Yes, KENIC has had a monopoly over the .KE >> namespace, but at least it is(was?) a Multistakeholder >> Partnership in its legal formation. ?If this partnership >> was NOT exercised adequately for the benefit of the >> community it should be fixed rather than move the rights of >> the .KE namespace to with due respect -just one of the >> stakeholders (Govt/Regulator), however strong they are. >> >> >> >> The idea and law specifying that the regulator is >> ONLY going to regulate the 2nd level domain is to me >> mischievious /grey area and I shared the same feelings at >> the KENIC AGM. ?This is because the money/action/activities >> of ICT lie at the 2nd level! >> >> >> >> Claiming that the regulation is not touching the >> top level .KE but the lower level is similar to and I quote >> one of the members "telling a parent that you wont >> regulate him/her but his/her kids will be totally under 3rd >> party control". >> >> >> >> walu. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> --- On Fri, 5/8/09, Alex Gakuru >> <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> >>> From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> >> >>> Subject: Re: [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: >> Kenyan Internet Community comes ?face to face with new >> Legislation >> >>> To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com >> >>> Cc: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >> >>> Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 10:55 PM >> >>> Walu, >> >>> >> >>> Thank you for the info although I find it >> bordering on >> >>> alarmist;) >> >>> >> >>> I deliberately boycotted today's Kenic AGM >> because, >> >>> among others, >> >>> kenic folks decided they will not post to this >> list minutes >> >>> of last >> >>> year's AGM resolutions, such as, >> constitutional change >> >>> made to allow >> >>> an a certain individual's term of office >> to be extended >> >>> beyond what >> >>> the constitution allowed. There are a couple >> of complaints >> >>> I >> >>> restrained myself from posting onlist. >> >>> >> >>> Background: >> >>> >> >>> During last year's AGM the said >> "Internet >> >>> Community" for the second >> >>> (or third?) year running repeatedly complained >> about >> >>> kenic's failure >> >>> to lower .ke domain prices as frustrating .ke >> domains >> >>> growth. >> >>> Registrars we later hurriedly called to a >> meeting at the >> >>> Grand Hotel >> >>> and we were asked to volunteer ourselves to a >> committee >> >>> that would >> >>> look into domain price issue. To the best of >> my knowledge >> >>> information >> >>> and belief no such meeting has ever been >> called, to-date. >> >>> >> >>> At today's 10,133 domain numbers >> statistics ( CO.KE 9, >> >>> 465 ?NE.KE 14, >> >>> OR.KE ?654) >> >>> >> see:<http://www.kenic.or.ke/statistics.html> kenic >> >>> annual >> >>> domains selling income exceeds kenya shillings >> 20 million >> >>> every year - >> >>> while Internet consumers continue screaming >> "lower >> >>> domain prices!" to >> >>> seemingly deaf ears and half-hearted Kenyan >> domain space >> >>> (.ke) >> >>> administrator. >> >>> >> >>> They fail to see the bigger picture. By >> lowering domain >> >>> prices they >> >>> would have very many more being able to afford >> local >> >>> domain. >> >>> >> >>> Lets face it, shillings 20 million is not >> kidogo money >> >>> without >> >>> necessarily dwelling on the fact that many of >> their staff >> >>> are interns >> >>> ( Aren't permanent staff only 4?) I >> suppose Board >> >>> members do not draw >> >>> salaries? Again, really whom does the Kenic >> Board answer >> >>> to/ i.e.holds >> >>> them accountable? Only to themselves with >> ceremonial AGMs? >> >>> >> >>> The Law: >> >>> >> >>> Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 >> states: >> >>> >> >>> Section 83F: Licence for country code >> top-level domain >> >>> >> >>> "The Commission [CCK] may, upon >> application in the >> >>> prescribed manner >> >>> and subject to such conditions as it may deem >> necessary, >> >>> grant >> >>> licences under this section authorizing a >> person to >> >>> administer a >> >>> sub-domain in the country top-level >> domain" >> >>> >> >>> What's wrong with CCK granting licenses >> to, for example >> >>> 3 or 4 (legal) >> >>> persons to compete in offering the best-priced >> domains to >> >>> Kenyans >> >>> consumers? >> >>> >> >>> Conclusion: >> >>> >> >>> Kenic attracted the competition which perhaps >> might have >> >>> been avoided >> >>> if they had listened to the "Internet >> Community" >> >>> cries over the year. >> >>> I note that you refer to kenic as >> "partnership." >> >>> Licence conditions >> >>> could include all others be representative >> partnerships and >> >>> PPP >> >>> 'problem' solved;) ?What I am trying >> to say is that >> >>> kenic should not >> >>> be viewed as the only PPP model possible.. >> ICANN does not >> >>> break >> >>> national laws and in any case, note how many >> registries >> >>> exist in the >> >>> US itself. Our market has matured and we need >> competition >> >>> in the >> >>> domain space area also, Yes/No? >> >>> >> >>> My take is kenic's honeymoon ended when >> the law opened >> >>> domain pricing >> >>> competition space that should lower prices- >> good for >> >>> consumers but bad >> >>> for old kenic 'monopoly era' ;) >> >>> >> >>> In other words, we do not have a crisis so let >> us not make >> >>> one up. >> >>> >> >>> Regards, >> >>> >> >>> Alex >> >>> --- >> >>> References >> >>> 1. Boosting numbers in .ke domain names >> >>> >> <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9451&Item…> >> >>> >> >>> 2. Kenyans to enjoy reduced charges for >> acquiring Internet >> >>> domains >> >>> >> <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8270&Item…> >> >>> >> >>> On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:12 PM, John Walubengo >> >>> <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> >>> > >> >>> > Apologies for cross-posting: >> >>> > >> >>> > It took a KENIC (KEnya Network >> Information Center, >> >>> www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for >> the Kenyan >> >>> Internet community to digest the implication >> of the a Kenyan >> >>> ICT Legislation passed more than five months >> ago. ?The law >> >>> which included sections that touched on the >> Media, IT, >> >>> Telecommunication and Postal Services has >> faced stiff >> >>> resistance from the Media fraternity while the >> Internet >> >>> Community kept a low if not a dead profile. >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > It was at the KENIC general meeting held >> today in >> >>> Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled >> with the >> >>> implication of the IT section on the operation >> of the .KE >> >>> namespace. ?The law specifies that all second >> level .KE >> >>> internet domain names must be licensed by the >> country's >> >>> converged Regulator, Communication Commission >> of Kenya. >> >>> ?The law requires that all Registries - those >> who manage >> >>> the internet domains - must apply for a >> license by the 2nd >> >>> of June 2009. >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > KENIC, a public-private-partnership has >> under the >> >>> ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace >> including the >> >>> 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, >> xyz.OR.KE, etc. >> >>> From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission >> from the >> >>> Regulator to continue managing these >> sub-domains. ?In an >> >>> effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board >> requested the >> >>> community to support a resolution that a new >> legal entity >> >>> (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in >> order to apply >> >>> for the license from the Regulator as well as >> compete with >> >>> other potential entities that are set to fight >> in that >> >>> space. >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > The proposals opened up heated >> discussions with some >> >>> members wondering if KENIC was ceding its >> hard-won rights >> >>> & control over the .KE namespace to an >> exclusive and >> >>> single entity. ?The current governance >> structure for KENIC >> >>> provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership >> over the whole >> >>> .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, >> Private >> >>> Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board >> Representation that is >> >>> wholly accountable to Internet Users during >> Annual General >> >>> Meetings. ?Effectively, the new law takes >> part of this >> >>> mandate and places it under one or two of >> these Stakeholders >> >>> that is the Regulator/Govt. >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > Members wondered about the criteria that >> would be used >> >>> by the Regulator to award the management >> licenses to various >> >>> competitors. Others wondered about the >> potential conflict >> >>> between the local legislation and the ICANN >> policies given >> >>> that KENIC has currently been operating under >> ICANN policies >> >>> but now has to take cognizance of the local >> law. ?For >> >>> example, if the Regulator granted a license to >> someone else >> >>> to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT >> the local >> >>> internet community for one reason or the other >> instructed >> >>> the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the >> delegation >> >>> from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet >> other members >> >>> wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would >> cannibalize >> >>> their existing markets and services. >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > It has taken five months of silence but >> clearly, the >> >>> Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to >> understand >> >>> and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT >> law that had >> >>> previously been hijacked and labeled >> "Media law" >> >>> at the expense of IT practitioners. ?It will >> be interesting >> >>> to see how this plays out before and after the >> 2nd of June >> >>> 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers >> must be licensed >> >>> by the Regulator. >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > walu >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >>_______________________________________________ >> >>> > ke-internetusers mailing list >> >>> > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >> >>> > >> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers >> >>> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >> >> kictanet mailing list >> >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> >> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> >> >> This message was sent to: alice(a)apc.org >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >> >> ke-internetusers mailing list >> >> ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >> >> >> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers >> >> >> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: wanjira(a)cck.go.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wanjira%40cck.go.ke > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 09:51:32 -0230 > From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes > faceto face with new Legislation > To: wanjira(a)cck.go.ke > Cc: skunk <skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>, ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net, Kenya ICT > Policy - kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: > <98099ee50905110521r50dbbd92s3660e87de6b8f842(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > I also buy Walu's argument. A meeting of the players in this sector > need to be convened ASAP. Why, could be a question, did it take KENIC, > 3 months to realize the clauses affect TLDs in Kenya, which will > effectively be effected just three months away? The SPV, which KENIC > is proposing is handy but we might end up burying heads under the > sand. Let us face the facts albeit with an open mind. The law is real > running after the law breaker and so there is a need to be focussed in > matters promoting our very own .ke without politicizing issues. > Solomon > > On 11/05/2009, wanjira(a)cck.go.ke <wanjira(a)cck.go.ke> wrote: >> Thanks Walu indeed a meeting to discuss the interpretations/ >> implementation >> would be worthwhile at this point. >> >> Best >> Alice >> Sent from my BlackBerry? smartphone from Zain Kenya >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> >> >> Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 02:32:39 >> To: <wanjira(a)cck.go.ke> >> Cc: skunk<skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>; <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net>; Kenya ICT >> Policy - kictanet<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes >> face >> to face with new Legislation >> >> >> >> Alex, Alice et. al. >> >> 1stly, I wish to state that the views I expressed in the email were my >> personal interpretation of the KCA Act 2009 with regard to domain >> registration. I do still stand by them - but if they caused misleading >> alarm/crisis - i do not think that it was the intention and motivation >> of >> the KENIC Board (of which I am NOT a member and therefore not authorised >> to >> speak on their behalf). So if the KENIC Board needs to resign, they >> should >> do so for another reason rather than my e-mail. >> >> 2ndly, I get the feeling from several reactions on this issue that we >> have >> mixed Governance Issues (who and how the .KE namespace is controlled) >> with >> Operational issues (how KENIC has so far been managing the .KE >> namespace). >> >> 3rdly, I agree (with Alex) that the confusion so created can no longer >> be >> solved online and somebody must convene a meeting for all stakeholders >> to be >> able to read from the same page. Obviously KENIC and CCK (the regulator) >> must take lead on this because to me they are immediately affected by >> the >> turn of events. The rest of us (Users) are likely to feel the impact >> months/years later... >> >> 4thly, such a meeting can only be productive if the following is availed >> in >> advance: >> >> 1) The Regulator gives direction on what critereon they will use to >> distribute the control of this 2nd level namespace to competing bidders >> (e.g. First-come First- serve?, Auction (highest-bidder) method?, >> Politically correct methods? amongst many others) >> >> 2) The Regulator gives a roadmap of how they intend to manage the >> technical >> relationship between the local top-level domain (.KE) and the >> subsequently >> licensed private players at the 2nd subdomain levels. My position still >> remains that you cannot purport to control the 2nd layer without >> implicitly >> controlling the top layer - otherwise you set yourself up for a future >> "technical disobedience" from the top layer. Which in turn means that >> the >> Regulator has to (will?) eventually find a way to control both the Top >> and >> 2nd levels domains. >> >> 3) KENIC gives direction on how the Internet Community will benefit from >> this new dispensation. And yes the SPV route did raise more questions >> than >> answers and so maybe by then, we would have more answers than the >> questions. >> >> I wish to rest my case on this issue until such a time when the >> face2face >> meeting is convened. If it is not - then I guess we just have to wait >> and >> see as the events unfold. Unlike our media friends - we (IT) do not >> control >> the airwaves and worse still our subject is more "esoteric than >> sensational" >> to use the words of one leading Editor and so the wananchi will be >> wondering >> "whose goat has been eaten and by who". >> >> walu. >> >> --- On Mon, 5/11/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> >>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan >>> InternetCommunity comes face to face with new Legislation >>> To: alice(a)apc.org >>> Cc: jwalu(a)yahoo.com, ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >>> Date: Monday, May 11, 2009, 10:09 AM >>> Walubengo, >>> >>> An important correction and note: >>> >>> Section 83F uses discretionary word "may" not >>> obligatory "shall" this >>> below statement is factually incorrect. >>> >>> "The law specifies that all second level .KE >>> >>> internet domain names must be licensed by the >>> country's >>> >>> converged Regulator, Communication Commission >>> of Kenya." >>> >>> Has CCK has expressly stated intention to require registry >>> to be >>> licensed? Was CCK letter to kenic shown at the meeting? >>> >>> The tradition is for the regulator to first publish/call a >>> meeting for >>> *all* would-be affected sector stakeholders (kenic, >>> registrars, and >>> ISP in this case). >>> >>> Kenic should stop making-up a 'crisis'; rushing to >>> register 'SPV', >>> project urgency approval, than circulate emails to various >>> mailing >>> lists. >>> >>> Registering the SPV is dead as a dodo. full stop. Wasahau. >>> And at this >>> rate should some or all board members consider resigning >>> for >>> misleading the "Internet Community"? >>> >>> Alex >>> >>> On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 2:52 PM, Alex Gakuru >>> <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> > Title: Section 83F ?"License for country code >>> top-level domain" >>> > >>> > Body: "The Commission may, upon application in >>> the prescribed manner >>> > and subject to such conditions as it may deem >>> necessary, grant >>> > licenses under this section authorizing a person to >>> administer a >>> > sub-domain in the country code top-level domain." >>> > >>> > Opinion: >>> > >>> > a) The title implies License for country code >>> top-level domain" hence >>> > kenic and/or others may apply for country code >>> top-level domain >>> > licence >>> > >>> > b) kenic administers "sub-domain in the country >>> code top-level domain" >>> > registrars merely ?*registers* NOT administer >>> sub-domains, unless you >>> > are suggesting that hosting is part of >>> "administering" a domain thus >>> > "to host a .ke domain one needs a licence?" >>> > >>> > c) Lord forbid your interpretation that retail >>> registrars need a >>> > licence from CCK be correct. For if so I fear that >>> will be last death >>> > blow to the remaining .ke public goodwill. Registrars >>> already pay >>> > annual amounts to kenic and additional >>> 'licence' fees burden would >>> > discourage them marketing .ke. and their clients would >>> understand .com >>> > cost savings. Many (including those not kenic >>> registrars) presently >>> > just recommend .com,,, anyway. >>> > >>> > d) if in the current situation where kenic is having >>> difficulties >>> > efficiently serving existing registrars, would you >>> expect these >>> > registrars to agree to additional "Licenced >>> fee" atop already very >>> > costly kenic domain prices (compared to .com) >>> > >>> > e) If kenic board just wanted to form some SPV (btw, >>> who are the >>> > shareholders?) to compete with poor registrars at the >>> retail level, >>> > rest assured that then *they* will be left selling .ke >>> alone - giving >>> > themselves all the discounts you want, completely >>> eradicating >>> > registrars competition - i.e. strengthen kenic >>> monopoly grip on domain >>> > pricing not introduce competition any where.. >>> > >>> > f) Valid claims of increasing competition can only be >>> genuine if >>> > Section 83F heading is interpreted to mean other >>> registries are >>> > allowed and those few registries pay licence fee to >>> CCK. Those >>> > registries stand to better represent various >>> Nationally-dispersed >>> > "Internet Communities" members, that private >>> "SPV" company. BTW, what >>> > is the present kenic company-type as is registered by >>> Companies >>> > Registrar? >>> > >>> > g) Should above come (f) bring about private-public >>> interest conflict, >>> > I would then suppose that the spirit to protect of >>> public interest >>> > over private interest ?on National ICT Policy clause >>> "7.1 .... In the >>> > event of conflict, public interest shall >>> prevail." swings into action? >>> > >>> > h) Finally Alice, you sit at both Kenic and CCK >>> boards. You have had >>> > the duty to inform both of them and openly report back >>> to everyone on >>> > the consequences. Je, ulifanya hivyo??? >>> > >>> > regards, >>> > >>> > >>> > Alex >>> > >>> > On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 1:42 PM, alice munyua >>> <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: >>> >> There seems to be some ?misunderstanding ?about >>> what the KCA 2009 ?does? >>> >> >>> >> It is the introduction of liberalisation at >>> >> the sub domain level by creating a >>> >> competitive registrar model? ?KENIC remains the >>> ccTLD manager of the whole dot KE namespace and >>> >> registry operator. What the KCA ammendment does >>> only means if a registered company wants to manage/sell the >>> second level, i.e. .co.ke, .sc.ke etc. they would need to >>> get a ?license from CCK to become an registarar. >>> >> This is encouraging competition at the sub domain >>> level and from my interpretation that is progress.. >>> >> Best >>> >> Alice >>> >> >>> >> Views expressed are personal and not a reflection >>> of any organisation/institution - am affiliated with. >>> >> >>> >> -----Original Message----- >>> >> From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> >>> >> >>> >> Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:51:14 >>> >> To: <alice(a)apc.org> >>> >> Cc: skunk<skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>; >>> <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net>; KICTAnet >>> KICTAnet<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] >>> Breaking News: Kenyan Internet >>> >> ? ? ? ?Community comes face to face with new >>> Legislation >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> Alex - I am NOT ?against competition. It is good >>> for the industry. ?The problem is how such competition is >>> introduced. ?Yes, KENIC has had a monopoly over the .KE >>> namespace, but at least it is(was?) a Multistakeholder >>> Partnership in its legal formation. ?If this partnership >>> was NOT exercised adequately for the benefit of the >>> community it should be fixed rather than move the rights of >>> the .KE namespace to with due respect -just one of the >>> stakeholders (Govt/Regulator), however strong they are. >>> >> >>> >> The idea and law specifying that the regulator is >>> ONLY going to regulate the 2nd level domain is to me >>> mischievious /grey area and I shared the same feelings at >>> the KENIC AGM. ?This is because the money/action/activities >>> of ICT lie at the 2nd level! >>> >> >>> >> Claiming that the regulation is not touching the >>> top level .KE but the lower level is similar to and I quote >>> one of the members "telling a parent that you wont >>> regulate him/her but his/her kids will be totally under 3rd >>> party control". >>> >> >>> >> walu. >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> --- On Fri, 5/8/09, Alex Gakuru >>> <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> >> >>> >>> From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> >>> >>> Subject: Re: [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: >>> Kenyan Internet Community comes ?face to face with new >>> Legislation >>> >>> To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com >>> >>> Cc: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >>> >>> Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 10:55 PM >>> >>> Walu, >>> >>> >>> >>> Thank you for the info although I find it >>> bordering on >>> >>> alarmist;) >>> >>> >>> >>> I deliberately boycotted today's Kenic AGM >>> because, >>> >>> among others, >>> >>> kenic folks decided they will not post to this >>> list minutes >>> >>> of last >>> >>> year's AGM resolutions, such as, >>> constitutional change >>> >>> made to allow >>> >>> an a certain individual's term of office >>> to be extended >>> >>> beyond what >>> >>> the constitution allowed. There are a couple >>> of complaints >>> >>> I >>> >>> restrained myself from posting onlist. >>> >>> >>> >>> Background: >>> >>> >>> >>> During last year's AGM the said >>> "Internet >>> >>> Community" for the second >>> >>> (or third?) year running repeatedly complained >>> about >>> >>> kenic's failure >>> >>> to lower .ke domain prices as frustrating .ke >>> domains >>> >>> growth. >>> >>> Registrars we later hurriedly called to a >>> meeting at the >>> >>> Grand Hotel >>> >>> and we were asked to volunteer ourselves to a >>> committee >>> >>> that would >>> >>> look into domain price issue. To the best of >>> my knowledge >>> >>> information >>> >>> and belief no such meeting has ever been >>> called, to-date. >>> >>> >>> >>> At today's 10,133 domain numbers >>> statistics ( CO.KE 9, >>> >>> 465 ?NE.KE 14, >>> >>> OR.KE ?654) >>> >>> >>> see:<http://www.kenic.or.ke/statistics.html> kenic >>> >>> annual >>> >>> domains selling income exceeds kenya shillings >>> 20 million >>> >>> every year - >>> >>> while Internet consumers continue screaming >>> "lower >>> >>> domain prices!" to >>> >>> seemingly deaf ears and half-hearted Kenyan >>> domain space >>> >>> (.ke) >>> >>> administrator. >>> >>> >>> >>> They fail to see the bigger picture. By >>> lowering domain >>> >>> prices they >>> >>> would have very many more being able to afford >>> local >>> >>> domain. >>> >>> >>> >>> Lets face it, shillings 20 million is not >>> kidogo money >>> >>> without >>> >>> necessarily dwelling on the fact that many of >>> their staff >>> >>> are interns >>> >>> ( Aren't permanent staff only 4?) I >>> suppose Board >>> >>> members do not draw >>> >>> salaries? Again, really whom does the Kenic >>> Board answer >>> >>> to/ i.e.holds >>> >>> them accountable? Only to themselves with >>> ceremonial AGMs? >>> >>> >>> >>> The Law: >>> >>> >>> >>> Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 >>> states: >>> >>> >>> >>> Section 83F: Licence for country code >>> top-level domain >>> >>> >>> >>> "The Commission [CCK] may, upon >>> application in the >>> >>> prescribed manner >>> >>> and subject to such conditions as it may deem >>> necessary, >>> >>> grant >>> >>> licences under this section authorizing a >>> person to >>> >>> administer a >>> >>> sub-domain in the country top-level >>> domain" >>> >>> >>> >>> What's wrong with CCK granting licenses >>> to, for example >>> >>> 3 or 4 (legal) >>> >>> persons to compete in offering the best-priced >>> domains to >>> >>> Kenyans >>> >>> consumers? >>> >>> >>> >>> Conclusion: >>> >>> >>> >>> Kenic attracted the competition which perhaps >>> might have >>> >>> been avoided >>> >>> if they had listened to the "Internet >>> Community" >>> >>> cries over the year. >>> >>> I note that you refer to kenic as >>> "partnership." >>> >>> Licence conditions >>> >>> could include all others be representative >>> partnerships and >>> >>> PPP >>> >>> 'problem' solved;) ?What I am trying >>> to say is that >>> >>> kenic should not >>> >>> be viewed as the only PPP model possible.. >>> ICANN does not >>> >>> break >>> >>> national laws and in any case, note how many >>> registries >>> >>> exist in the >>> >>> US itself. Our market has matured and we need >>> competition >>> >>> in the >>> >>> domain space area also, Yes/No? >>> >>> >>> >>> My take is kenic's honeymoon ended when >>> the law opened >>> >>> domain pricing >>> >>> competition space that should lower prices- >>> good for >>> >>> consumers but bad >>> >>> for old kenic 'monopoly era' ;) >>> >>> >>> >>> In other words, we do not have a crisis so let >>> us not make >>> >>> one up. >>> >>> >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> >>> >>> Alex >>> >>> --- >>> >>> References >>> >>> 1. Boosting numbers in .ke domain names >>> >>> >>> <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9451&Item…> >>> >>> >>> >>> 2. Kenyans to enjoy reduced charges for >>> acquiring Internet >>> >>> domains >>> >>> >>> <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8270&Item…> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:12 PM, John Walubengo >>> >>> <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >>> >>> > >>> >>> > Apologies for cross-posting: >>> >>> > >>> >>> > It took a KENIC (KEnya Network >>> Information Center, >>> >>> www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for >>> the Kenyan >>> >>> Internet community to digest the implication >>> of the a Kenyan >>> >>> ICT Legislation passed more than five months >>> ago. ?The law >>> >>> which included sections that touched on the >>> Media, IT, >>> >>> Telecommunication and Postal Services has >>> faced stiff >>> >>> resistance from the Media fraternity while the >>> Internet >>> >>> Community kept a low if not a dead profile. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > It was at the KENIC general meeting held >>> today in >>> >>> Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled >>> with the >>> >>> implication of the IT section on the operation >>> of the .KE >>> >>> namespace. ?The law specifies that all second >>> level .KE >>> >>> internet domain names must be licensed by the >>> country's >>> >>> converged Regulator, Communication Commission >>> of Kenya. >>> >>> ?The law requires that all Registries - those >>> who manage >>> >>> the internet domains - must apply for a >>> license by the 2nd >>> >>> of June 2009. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > KENIC, a public-private-partnership has >>> under the >>> >>> ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace >>> including the >>> >>> 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, >>> xyz.OR.KE, etc. >>> >>> From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission >>> from the >>> >>> Regulator to continue managing these >>> sub-domains. ?In an >>> >>> effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board >>> requested the >>> >>> community to support a resolution that a new >>> legal entity >>> >>> (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in >>> order to apply >>> >>> for the license from the Regulator as well as >>> compete with >>> >>> other potential entities that are set to fight >>> in that >>> >>> space. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > The proposals opened up heated >>> discussions with some >>> >>> members wondering if KENIC was ceding its >>> hard-won rights >>> >>> & control over the .KE namespace to an >>> exclusive and >>> >>> single entity. ?The current governance >>> structure for KENIC >>> >>> provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership >>> over the whole >>> >>> .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, >>> Private >>> >>> Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board >>> Representation that is >>> >>> wholly accountable to Internet Users during >>> Annual General >>> >>> Meetings. ?Effectively, the new law takes >>> part of this >>> >>> mandate and places it under one or two of >>> these Stakeholders >>> >>> that is the Regulator/Govt. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > Members wondered about the criteria that >>> would be used >>> >>> by the Regulator to award the management >>> licenses to various >>> >>> competitors. Others wondered about the >>> potential conflict >>> >>> between the local legislation and the ICANN >>> policies given >>> >>> that KENIC has currently been operating under >>> ICANN policies >>> >>> but now has to take cognizance of the local >>> law. ?For >>> >>> example, if the Regulator granted a license to >>> someone else >>> >>> to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT >>> the local >>> >>> internet community for one reason or the other >>> instructed >>> >>> the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the >>> delegation >>> >>> from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet >>> other members >>> >>> wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would >>> cannibalize >>> >>> their existing markets and services. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > It has taken five months of silence but >>> clearly, the >>> >>> Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to >>> understand >>> >>> and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT >>> law that had >>> >>> previously been hijacked and labeled >>> "Media law" >>> >>> at the expense of IT practitioners. ?It will >>> be interesting >>> >>> to see how this plays out before and after the >>> 2nd of June >>> >>> 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers >>> must be licensed >>> >>> by the Regulator. >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > walu >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>> >>> > >>>_______________________________________________ >>> >>> > ke-internetusers mailing list >>> >>> > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >>> >>> > >>> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers >>> >>> > >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >>_______________________________________________ >>> >> kictanet mailing list >>> >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>> >> >>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>> >> >>> >> This message was sent to: alice(a)apc.org >>> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org >>> >> >>> >>_______________________________________________ >>> >> ke-internetusers mailing list >>> >> ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net >>> >> >>> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers >>> >> >>> > >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: wanjira(a)cck.go.ke >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wanjira%40cck.go.ke >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: solo.mburu(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/solo.mburu%40gmail.com >> > > > -- > Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all > the same way to the side of a hill! > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > End of kictanet Digest, Vol 24, Issue 35 > **************************************** >

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IG Discussion 2009: Closure
by mwende njiraini 12 May '09

12 May '09

Good morning, I would like to take this opportunity to *thank you* all for the valuable contributions to the Internet Governance (IG) online discussions in the last 11 days. All contributions will be consolidated in a draft report and forwarded for your consideration and information as soon as possible. Kind regards Mwende

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Re: [kictanet] [AfrICANN-discuss] Re: kenya amendment act and KENIC
by alice munyua 11 May '09

11 May '09

Its about consumer protection, legitimate companies operating in that area, encouraging new entrepreneurs etc Best Alice ------Original Message------ From: Calvin Browne Sender: africann-bounces(a)afrinic.net To: africann(a)afrinic.net ReplyTo: africann(a)afrinic.net Subject: Re: [AfrICANN-discuss] Re: kenya amendment act and KENIC Sent: May 11, 2009 2:43 PM On Mon, 2009-05-11 at 11:05 +0000, alice munyua wrote: > There seems to be some misunderstanding about what the kenya communication amendment act 2009 (KCA 2009) and what it proposes to introduce, which is basically the era of convergence. > > It is the introduction of liberalisation at > the sub domain level by creating a > competitive registrar model. KENIC remains the ccTLD manager of the whole dot KE namespace and > registry operator. What the KCA ammendment requires is if a registered company wants to manage/sell the second level, i.e. .co.ke, sc.ke etc. they would need to get a license from CCK to become an registarar. > This is encouraging competition at the sub domain level and from my interpretation that is progress..there has been a discussion on some lists that the government takes on a larger than life oversight role, this is not correct and please note that the regulatory authority CCK has always been a major stakeholder in KENIC > > Best > Alice Alice, Thanks for the clarification - there is always lots of ambiguity when it comes to interpreting legislation and the effects thereof. I'm curious - how does placing a barrier to entry (the requirement to get a licence) encourage competition? Sincerely --Calvin _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 9 of 10 - National Cybersecurity strategies
by mwende njiraini 11 May '09

11 May '09

Morning, Reference to email below - you may wish to make reference to the following additional resources - One more CERT in Africa: Mauritius Gets Computer Emergency Response Team - http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146123/mauritius_gets_compute… - CERT is located at Carnegie Mellon University, involved in Internet security vunerabilities, long term network changes research: http://www.cert.org/ - Team Cymru is a specialized Internet security research firm : http://www.team-cymru.org/ - FIRST is the global Forum for Incident Response and Security Teams: http://www.first.org/ Kind regards Mwende Please note the change in the subject line today is IG Discussion 2009,*Day 9 of 10 * *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are the author’s own* On 5/7/09, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Good morning, > > > > Today we have the opportunity of discussing the last aspect of > cybersecurity: Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs)/Computer > Emergency Response Teams (CERT). CSIRTs/CERTs are responsible for preparing > for, detecting, managing and responding to cybersecurity incidents as well > as creating consumer awareness. > > > > Global cybersecurity is said to be ‘as strong as the weakest link’. Developing > countries particularly in Africa have not sufficiently addressed > cybersecurity issues. While some countries have initiated efforts to > develop cybersecurity capabilities through the establishment of National > CSIRTs/CERTs, the CERT-TCC in Tunisia is the only active national CERT in > Africa (http://www.ansi.tn/en/about_cert-tcc.htm) > > > > In establishing a National CERT/CSIRT… > > - What structure could be adopted? > - What services should be offered? > - What elements could be considered to establish trust in this > institution thereby encouraging organizations with critical information > infrastructure (CII) such as government agencies, banks, educational > institutions, water and power companies, etc, to share of cybersecurity > incidents? > > > > Kind regards > > Mwende > > *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are > the author’s own* >

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Re: [kictanet] Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 11 May '09

11 May '09

Alex, Alice et. al. 1stly, I wish to state that the views I expressed in the email were my personal interpretation of the KCA Act 2009 with regard to domain registration. I do still stand by them - but if they caused misleading alarm/crisis - i do not think that it was the intention and motivation of the KENIC Board (of which I am NOT a member and therefore not authorised to speak on their behalf). So if the KENIC Board needs to resign, they should do so for another reason rather than my e-mail. 2ndly, I get the feeling from several reactions on this issue that we have mixed Governance Issues (who and how the .KE namespace is controlled) with Operational issues (how KENIC has so far been managing the .KE namespace). 3rdly, I agree (with Alex) that the confusion so created can no longer be solved online and somebody must convene a meeting for all stakeholders to be able to read from the same page. Obviously KENIC and CCK (the regulator) must take lead on this because to me they are immediately affected by the turn of events. The rest of us (Users) are likely to feel the impact months/years later... 4thly, such a meeting can only be productive if the following is availed in advance: 1) The Regulator gives direction on what critereon they will use to distribute the control of this 2nd level namespace to competing bidders (e.g. First-come First- serve?, Auction (highest-bidder) method?, Politically correct methods? amongst many others) 2) The Regulator gives a roadmap of how they intend to manage the technical relationship between the local top-level domain (.KE) and the subsequently licensed private players at the 2nd subdomain levels. My position still remains that you cannot purport to control the 2nd layer without implicitly controlling the top layer - otherwise you set yourself up for a future "technical disobedience" from the top layer. Which in turn means that the Regulator has to (will?) eventually find a way to control both the Top and 2nd levels domains. 3) KENIC gives direction on how the Internet Community will benefit from this new dispensation. And yes the SPV route did raise more questions than answers and so maybe by then, we would have more answers than the questions. I wish to rest my case on this issue until such a time when the face2face meeting is convened. If it is not - then I guess we just have to wait and see as the events unfold. Unlike our media friends - we (IT) do not control the airwaves and worse still our subject is more "esoteric than sensational" to use the words of one leading Editor and so the wananchi will be wondering "whose goat has been eaten and by who". walu. --- On Mon, 5/11/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan InternetCommunity comes face to face with new Legislation > To: alice(a)apc.org > Cc: jwalu(a)yahoo.com, ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > Date: Monday, May 11, 2009, 10:09 AM > Walubengo, > > An important correction and note: > > Section 83F uses discretionary word "may" not > obligatory "shall" this > below statement is factually incorrect. > > "The law specifies that all second level .KE > >>> internet domain names must be licensed by the > country's > >>> converged Regulator, Communication Commission > of Kenya." > > Has CCK has expressly stated intention to require registry > to be > licensed? Was CCK letter to kenic shown at the meeting? > > The tradition is for the regulator to first publish/call a > meeting for > *all* would-be affected sector stakeholders (kenic, > registrars, and > ISP in this case). > > Kenic should stop making-up a 'crisis'; rushing to > register 'SPV', > project urgency approval, than circulate emails to various > mailing > lists. > > Registering the SPV is dead as a dodo. full stop. Wasahau. > And at this > rate should some or all board members consider resigning > for > misleading the "Internet Community"? > > Alex > > On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 2:52 PM, Alex Gakuru > <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Title: Section 83F "License for country code > top-level domain" > > > > Body: "The Commission may, upon application in > the prescribed manner > > and subject to such conditions as it may deem > necessary, grant > > licenses under this section authorizing a person to > administer a > > sub-domain in the country code top-level domain." > > > > Opinion: > > > > a) The title implies License for country code > top-level domain" hence > > kenic and/or others may apply for country code > top-level domain > > licence > > > > b) kenic administers "sub-domain in the country > code top-level domain" > > registrars merely *registers* NOT administer > sub-domains, unless you > > are suggesting that hosting is part of > "administering" a domain thus > > "to host a .ke domain one needs a licence?" > > > > c) Lord forbid your interpretation that retail > registrars need a > > licence from CCK be correct. For if so I fear that > will be last death > > blow to the remaining .ke public goodwill. Registrars > already pay > > annual amounts to kenic and additional > 'licence' fees burden would > > discourage them marketing .ke. and their clients would > understand .com > > cost savings. Many (including those not kenic > registrars) presently > > just recommend .com,,, anyway. > > > > d) if in the current situation where kenic is having > difficulties > > efficiently serving existing registrars, would you > expect these > > registrars to agree to additional "Licenced > fee" atop already very > > costly kenic domain prices (compared to .com) > > > > e) If kenic board just wanted to form some SPV (btw, > who are the > > shareholders?) to compete with poor registrars at the > retail level, > > rest assured that then *they* will be left selling .ke > alone - giving > > themselves all the discounts you want, completely > eradicating > > registrars competition - i.e. strengthen kenic > monopoly grip on domain > > pricing not introduce competition any where.. > > > > f) Valid claims of increasing competition can only be > genuine if > > Section 83F heading is interpreted to mean other > registries are > > allowed and those few registries pay licence fee to > CCK. Those > > registries stand to better represent various > Nationally-dispersed > > "Internet Communities" members, that private > "SPV" company. BTW, what > > is the present kenic company-type as is registered by > Companies > > Registrar? > > > > g) Should above come (f) bring about private-public > interest conflict, > > I would then suppose that the spirit to protect of > public interest > > over private interest on National ICT Policy clause > "7.1 .... In the > > event of conflict, public interest shall > prevail." swings into action? > > > > h) Finally Alice, you sit at both Kenic and CCK > boards. You have had > > the duty to inform both of them and openly report back > to everyone on > > the consequences. Je, ulifanya hivyo??? > > > > regards, > > > > > > Alex > > > > On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 1:42 PM, alice munyua > <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: > >> There seems to be some misunderstanding about > what the KCA 2009 does? > >> > >> It is the introduction of liberalisation at > >> the sub domain level by creating a > >> competitive registrar model? KENIC remains the > ccTLD manager of the whole dot KE namespace and > >> registry operator. What the KCA ammendment does > only means if a registered company wants to manage/sell the > second level, i.e. .co.ke, .sc.ke etc. they would need to > get a license from CCK to become an registarar. > >> This is encouraging competition at the sub domain > level and from my interpretation that is progress.. > >> Best > >> Alice > >> > >> Views expressed are personal and not a reflection > of any organisation/institution - am affiliated with. > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> > >> > >> Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 23:51:14 > >> To: <alice(a)apc.org> > >> Cc: skunk<skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>; > <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net>; KICTAnet > KICTAnet<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] > Breaking News: Kenyan Internet > >> Community comes face to face with new > Legislation > >> > >> > >> > >> Alex - I am NOT against competition. It is good > for the industry. The problem is how such competition is > introduced. Yes, KENIC has had a monopoly over the .KE > namespace, but at least it is(was?) a Multistakeholder > Partnership in its legal formation. If this partnership > was NOT exercised adequately for the benefit of the > community it should be fixed rather than move the rights of > the .KE namespace to with due respect -just one of the > stakeholders (Govt/Regulator), however strong they are. > >> > >> The idea and law specifying that the regulator is > ONLY going to regulate the 2nd level domain is to me > mischievious /grey area and I shared the same feelings at > the KENIC AGM. This is because the money/action/activities > of ICT lie at the 2nd level! > >> > >> Claiming that the regulation is not touching the > top level .KE but the lower level is similar to and I quote > one of the members "telling a parent that you wont > regulate him/her but his/her kids will be totally under 3rd > party control". > >> > >> walu. > >> > >> > >> > >> --- On Fri, 5/8/09, Alex Gakuru > <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> > >>> From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> > >>> Subject: Re: [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: > Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new > Legislation > >>> To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > >>> Cc: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > >>> Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 10:55 PM > >>> Walu, > >>> > >>> Thank you for the info although I find it > bordering on > >>> alarmist;) > >>> > >>> I deliberately boycotted today's Kenic AGM > because, > >>> among others, > >>> kenic folks decided they will not post to this > list minutes > >>> of last > >>> year's AGM resolutions, such as, > constitutional change > >>> made to allow > >>> an a certain individual's term of office > to be extended > >>> beyond what > >>> the constitution allowed. There are a couple > of complaints > >>> I > >>> restrained myself from posting onlist. > >>> > >>> Background: > >>> > >>> During last year's AGM the said > "Internet > >>> Community" for the second > >>> (or third?) year running repeatedly complained > about > >>> kenic's failure > >>> to lower .ke domain prices as frustrating .ke > domains > >>> growth. > >>> Registrars we later hurriedly called to a > meeting at the > >>> Grand Hotel > >>> and we were asked to volunteer ourselves to a > committee > >>> that would > >>> look into domain price issue. To the best of > my knowledge > >>> information > >>> and belief no such meeting has ever been > called, to-date. > >>> > >>> At today's 10,133 domain numbers > statistics ( CO.KE 9, > >>> 465 NE.KE 14, > >>> OR.KE 654) > >>> > see:<http://www.kenic.or.ke/statistics.html> kenic > >>> annual > >>> domains selling income exceeds kenya shillings > 20 million > >>> every year - > >>> while Internet consumers continue screaming > "lower > >>> domain prices!" to > >>> seemingly deaf ears and half-hearted Kenyan > domain space > >>> (.ke) > >>> administrator. > >>> > >>> They fail to see the bigger picture. By > lowering domain > >>> prices they > >>> would have very many more being able to afford > local > >>> domain. > >>> > >>> Lets face it, shillings 20 million is not > kidogo money > >>> without > >>> necessarily dwelling on the fact that many of > their staff > >>> are interns > >>> ( Aren't permanent staff only 4?) I > suppose Board > >>> members do not draw > >>> salaries? Again, really whom does the Kenic > Board answer > >>> to/ i.e.holds > >>> them accountable? Only to themselves with > ceremonial AGMs? > >>> > >>> The Law: > >>> > >>> Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 > states: > >>> > >>> Section 83F: Licence for country code > top-level domain > >>> > >>> "The Commission [CCK] may, upon > application in the > >>> prescribed manner > >>> and subject to such conditions as it may deem > necessary, > >>> grant > >>> licences under this section authorizing a > person to > >>> administer a > >>> sub-domain in the country top-level > domain" > >>> > >>> What's wrong with CCK granting licenses > to, for example > >>> 3 or 4 (legal) > >>> persons to compete in offering the best-priced > domains to > >>> Kenyans > >>> consumers? > >>> > >>> Conclusion: > >>> > >>> Kenic attracted the competition which perhaps > might have > >>> been avoided > >>> if they had listened to the "Internet > Community" > >>> cries over the year. > >>> I note that you refer to kenic as > "partnership." > >>> Licence conditions > >>> could include all others be representative > partnerships and > >>> PPP > >>> 'problem' solved;) What I am trying > to say is that > >>> kenic should not > >>> be viewed as the only PPP model possible.. > ICANN does not > >>> break > >>> national laws and in any case, note how many > registries > >>> exist in the > >>> US itself. Our market has matured and we need > competition > >>> in the > >>> domain space area also, Yes/No? > >>> > >>> My take is kenic's honeymoon ended when > the law opened > >>> domain pricing > >>> competition space that should lower prices- > good for > >>> consumers but bad > >>> for old kenic 'monopoly era' ;) > >>> > >>> In other words, we do not have a crisis so let > us not make > >>> one up. > >>> > >>> Regards, > >>> > >>> Alex > >>> --- > >>> References > >>> 1. Boosting numbers in .ke domain names > >>> > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9451&Item…> > >>> > >>> 2. Kenyans to enjoy reduced charges for > acquiring Internet > >>> domains > >>> > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8270&Item…> > >>> > >>> On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:12 PM, John Walubengo > >>> <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >>> > > >>> > Apologies for cross-posting: > >>> > > >>> > It took a KENIC (KEnya Network > Information Center, > >>> www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for > the Kenyan > >>> Internet community to digest the implication > of the a Kenyan > >>> ICT Legislation passed more than five months > ago. The law > >>> which included sections that touched on the > Media, IT, > >>> Telecommunication and Postal Services has > faced stiff > >>> resistance from the Media fraternity while the > Internet > >>> Community kept a low if not a dead profile. > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > It was at the KENIC general meeting held > today in > >>> Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled > with the > >>> implication of the IT section on the operation > of the .KE > >>> namespace. The law specifies that all second > level .KE > >>> internet domain names must be licensed by the > country's > >>> converged Regulator, Communication Commission > of Kenya. > >>> The law requires that all Registries - those > who manage > >>> the internet domains - must apply for a > license by the 2nd > >>> of June 2009. > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > KENIC, a public-private-partnership has > under the > >>> ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace > including the > >>> 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, > xyz.OR.KE, etc. > >>> From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission > from the > >>> Regulator to continue managing these > sub-domains. In an > >>> effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board > requested the > >>> community to support a resolution that a new > legal entity > >>> (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in > order to apply > >>> for the license from the Regulator as well as > compete with > >>> other potential entities that are set to fight > in that > >>> space. > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > The proposals opened up heated > discussions with some > >>> members wondering if KENIC was ceding its > hard-won rights > >>> & control over the .KE namespace to an > exclusive and > >>> single entity. The current governance > structure for KENIC > >>> provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership > over the whole > >>> .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, > Private > >>> Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board > Representation that is > >>> wholly accountable to Internet Users during > Annual General > >>> Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes > part of this > >>> mandate and places it under one or two of > these Stakeholders > >>> that is the Regulator/Govt. > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > Members wondered about the criteria that > would be used > >>> by the Regulator to award the management > licenses to various > >>> competitors. Others wondered about the > potential conflict > >>> between the local legislation and the ICANN > policies given > >>> that KENIC has currently been operating under > ICANN policies > >>> but now has to take cognizance of the local > law. For > >>> example, if the Regulator granted a license to > someone else > >>> to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT > the local > >>> internet community for one reason or the other > instructed > >>> the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the > delegation > >>> from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet > other members > >>> wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would > cannibalize > >>> their existing markets and services. > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > It has taken five months of silence but > clearly, the > >>> Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to > understand > >>> and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT > law that had > >>> previously been hijacked and labeled > "Media law" > >>> at the expense of IT practitioners. It will > be interesting > >>> to see how this plays out before and after the > 2nd of June > >>> 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers > must be licensed > >>> by the Regulator. > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > walu > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > _______________________________________________ > >>> > ke-internetusers mailing list > >>> > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > >>> > > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >>> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> kictanet mailing list > >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > >> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >> > >> This message was sent to: alice(a)apc.org > >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> ke-internetusers mailing list > >> ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > >> > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >> > >

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables
by Harry Delano 11 May '09

11 May '09

Hey participants, Just to reinforce Michuki's earlier assessment of the state of affairs as they stand with our current "Broadband connectivity", I picked out some specific arguments that I suppose the players in this market & investors need to take keen interest in, so that the country as a whole can move forward much faster, tapping into this resource. Affordability & Quality are two key factors:- Affordability:- With the landing of the Submarine cable, the Cost benefit analysis on the following two fronts need to be analysed, broken down and synthesized for us to address the present challenges that curtail broadband connectivity in this country,notably:- 1. International Bandwidth Pricing models. 2. Local Loop Costing. The Internet service vendors basically pass on the high recurrent costs on these 2 fronts to the end users plus the markups and this is the simple reason internet connectivity has for a long time now been a privilege for the few who can afford it in this country, and eluded the majority. While the first cost element might be mitigated by the advent of several international Fibre circuits (given now we on satellite technology), we will expect some transparency on the pricing models of international bandwidth to determine the specific cost passed on to end users per MB/MBPS. As things stand now, this is a grey area and in as much as international B/w cost right now is high for service providers,I suppose the bill that finally gets to the end users might just be overly inflated. Secondly, while different players work to build up capacity on the last mile, tangible benefits on the local loop costing are yet to start passing on to end users. It makes no sense to talk of expanding capacity on broadband, when a 64kbps local loop on Fibre (from one Local PDNO )would for instance cost me only 5 - 8 % less than what Kenstream have been charging before the advent of Fibre. PDNO's need to wake up now, and smell the coffee and realize that they have to reach the largely untapped market rather than concentrating on the already over saturated corporate sector. As Mwende argues, there are tangible costs incurred in building up the infrastructure. I'd suggest a scheme of incentives especially from the market regulators as a cushion, but also at the same time for the investors to evenly spread out their ROI ( Return on investment) on a long term basis. Quality: - Contention Ratio The current ratios in this market are too high, and they impact negatively on connectivity quality. I sincerely expect bigger international bandwidth to mitigate this, plus as Michuki stated - building our technical capacity to make most of the technology that will be available. Regards, Harry -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 8:42 PM To: Harry Delano Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 24, Issue 30 Send kictanet mailing list submissions to kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke You can reach the person managing the list at kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: IG Discussions- Day 2 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables (mwende njiraini) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 10 May 2009 20:47:26 +0300 From: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussions- Day 2 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables To: michuki(a)swiftkenya.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <ab3769d30905101047teb31499v1894187e9789f999(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" Hi I would like to contribute to the discussion on residential broadband access though belatedly. Installing fibre for last mile access involves a substantial commitment of fixed costs, mainly associated with civil works. To reduce this capital cost some municipalities are installing multiple ?dark? fibre as it is economical to install substantial excess capacity, relative to initial demand. One such initiative is by the city of Stockholm, in Sweden, which owns and operates an open and operator-neutral infrastructure for telephone and data communications, under a city chartered company, Stokab. Stokab was founded in 1994 when the telecommunications sector was fully liberalised due to the reluctance of the incumbent operator to meet the demand for high capacity networks. Since then, the company has provided fibre optic infrastructure on an open access basis to service providers and large businesses including telecommunication operators, ISPs, cable television networks, mobile telephone operators, municipalities, county councils, major banks, insurance companies, multi-sited organisations and media companies based in the commercial districts and industrial areas of Stockholm. The aim of the company is to contribute to making Stockholm an ICT capital by lowering the barriers to market entry for service providers, and therefore increasing competition. The guiding philosophy for the establishment of the city network is that telecommunications infrastructure should be provided as a ?public good? facilitating access to advanced communications services to all citizens. Stokab?s open access network (OAN), hopes to contribute to improved welfare and greater efficiency of municipality services, reduce the need to travel and thus ease traffic congestion ultimately contributing to a better environment. May be this is an initiative that municipalities in Kenya may wish to consider. Kind regards Mwende *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are the author?s own* References 1. Stokab. http://www.stokab.se/templates/StandardPage.aspx?id=306 2. Lehr, W., Sirbu, M. Gillett, S. (2004) *Broadband Open Access: Lessons from Municipal Network Case Studies*. http://people.csail.mit.edu/wlehr/Lehr-Papers_files/Lehr%20Sirbu%20Gillett%2 0Broadband%20Open%20Access.pdf 3. Regulatory Barriers For Fibre Deployment: The ?Legacy Trap? - Barriers to Fibre Deployments in the EU. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/telecoms_review1/responses/a_h/ftth. pdf * *On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 10:20 AM, Michuki Mwangi <michuki(a)swiftkenya.com>wrote: > Hi Walu, et al, > > Access: > > I believe that we need to move beyond the marketing hype into the > realities. IMHO there's no broadband in Kenya. In my basic > understanding Broadband means affordable and fast connectivity. What > we have is average-to-unreliable connectivity that costs more than its worth. > > I believe the ongoing investments into wireless solutions while they > work will continue to hold us into the pre-broadband phase for a long > time to come. > > Mobile broadband seems to be a working solution but their ability to > scale will continue to pose challenges on quality. > > Therefore investment in fixed infrastructure solutions like FTTH and > FTTC are going to be important considerations to be made if we are to > leap into broadband phase. > > At this point, it would be ideal if regulators would open up the last > mile (within residential spaces) for anyone interested to invest in > that space with fixed infrastructure. > > The de facto point here is that for a long time residential access has > been neglected for a long time. The focus has been mainly at CBDs > until the mobile 2G and 3G solutions were introduced. > > Maybe policy has a role to play in providing incentives for players > who make efforts in providing fixed infrastructure in residential locations. > > Affordability: > > The pricing will still remain high until we have a inexpensive local > loop solution. > > As far as the cables go it will be good to know more details before > folks can make conclusions. For instance is the 500-100USD per month > for bits or bytes?. It would be good to know what pricing model the > cable operators want to have in place for instance does one buy a > circuit from point A to B or does one buy a circuit with Internet on it already?. > > Selling circuits are the ideal way to go hence it allows operators and > others to buy large pipes STM1 (144 Mbps) from say Nairobi to London. > Its cheaper to buy transit capacity from London which goes for about > $10 Per MB per month the other costs will be for the circuit back to > Nairobi and that can be low if talking of big pipes. But then the > models are not clear to me so i cannot give conclusions on what is. > > Content: > > The only way we can drive up content availability is by placing the > requisite infrastructure. As it stands, few host content locally the > pricing is beyond and facilities are few hence higher pricing. > > In Kenya my estimated total collocation/hosting capacity available is > well under 2,000m2 and am being kind here. In Europe one company > Telehouse has 30,000m2 of datacenter space 20,000m2 of which is in the UK. > > We have afew factors in favor of Kenya for instance cheap land and > professional Labor (we cannot compare to EU rates). The only expense > is power but we have abundant solar energy that can serve the demand > for green data-centers one would wish to build. As some of you may > know Europe ran out of hosting space back in 2006 and has lead to the > emergence of Asia as the next collo destination. > > Its upon the region to realise that we could be home to the future > worlds data centers with low cost energy, land and labor in our favor. > > That way we have both local and international content hosted locally > and this will drive costs of access to lows never imagined. > > Quality: > > Quality of service will improve; > > 1) With better and affordable local loop infrastructure (not over > subscribed wireless base stations) - i understand that the regulatory > licensing structure had a negative impact on this as operators had to > pay an annual fee per installed site?. Probably fixed wired solutions > that have no recurrent costs are the way to go? > > 2) Increased percentage of locally hosted/accessed content (peering > traffic) which is subject to less contention and better access speeds > > 3) better pricing models on transit capacity which will reduce the > contention ratios given by service providers > > 4) More training of engineers in building scalable services and > routing infrastructure. > > Regards, > > Michuki. > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com Unsubscribe or > change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwende.njiraini%4 > 0gmail.com >

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IG Discussion 2009: Closure and Way Forward
by mwende njiraini 11 May '09

11 May '09

Good morning, Welcome to the final day of the IG online discussion, 2009! The Internet Governance Forum is scheduled to be held for first time in Africa at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (http://igf09.eg/) This presents an excellent opportunity to raise issues that are of importance to the continent, our region and country. Some of the themes proposed to be discussed in the upcoming 4th IGF and contained in *IGF-Programme, Format and Schedule for the 2009 meeting* ( http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/2009/progpaper/ProgrammePaper.01.05.2009.rtf) include: - Internationalization of critical Internet resources management/Managing critical Internet resources - Balancing privacy, openness and security - Access - Round table discussions: on the empowerment and protection of children online, the accessibility for people with disabilities, multilingualism and access to local content. - Workshops: Access, Critical internet resources, Diversity, Openness, Security, Capacity building and Development. (Workshop proposals: http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor… ) The forum will also provide an opportunity to discuss *Paragraph 76 of the Tunis Agenda* “*examine the desirability of the continuation of the Forum*” - What method should be used to assess the impact of the internet governance debate through the two phases of World Summit on Information Society in Geneva, 2003 and Tunis 2005 and the 1st to the 3rd IGF? - What do you think needs to be addressed in the remaining two IGFs? - How can we as Kenyans, effectively participate at the 4th IGF and translate the lessons learnt? - Do you think that the IGF should continue after the 5th IGF? *You are encouraged to make your comment on day’s and any other of the previous days’ discussions*. Kind regards Mwende *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are the author’s own*

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009: Closure and Way Forward Title: The feeling is right, but IGF is abit different, I think
by Barrack Otieno 11 May '09

11 May '09

Blessings permit me to share your comments on a discussion we are having on a list. Colleagues this comments might be helpfull *Description:* I think IGF has done some remarkable things worth reckoning. Yes, you are right James, people do spit out the words, but action has also been done. The setting up of the IGF is a follow up by recommendations made by the WGIS which was set up by the UN Secretary general. The IGF may "identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the relevant bodies and the general public, and, where appropriate, make recommendations," but does not have any direct decision-making authority[see note 1] This means that if people are able to spit out the words, then the IGF is fulfilling its mandate. The following are the activities that take place during the IGF: Workshops, Best Practice Forums, Open Forums and meetings of the Dynamic Coalitions. The main themes of IGF are: openness, security, diversity and access. A new theme was introduced in IGF Brazil: critical Internet resources being one of the most debatable topics in the IG field at the moment. So you are also free to contribute on what is supposed to be done. That is what the IGF is all about, a discussion forum. Then based on what we discuss we can mae a decision. I however, also note that there are hiccups here and there but all in all there is tremendous progress. Dr. Jeremy Malcolm has written a very good paper on "Appraising the Success of the Internet Governance Forum" which you may need to read.[see note 2] NOTES ---------------------------------------------- 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Governance_Forum 2. http://www.internetgovernance.org/pdf/MalcolmIGFReview.pdf Author: Blessings Msowoya On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 8:20 AM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Well on the internet governance Forum, i am not sure whether there are > vested interests but purely from a knowledge and best practice point of view > i i would suggest that it proceeds to the 5th Session. I know many have > termed it as a talk show, however, this talk shows have fostered the spirit > of cooperation and diplomacy, maybe the forum should be given more teeth > under an appropriate UN agency, that notwithstanding i am curious to know > the position of insiders Mr Vice President Dr. Siganga what is your > position? > > On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:20 AM, mwende njiraini < > mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Good morning, >> >> >> >> Welcome to the final day of the IG online discussion, 2009! >> >> >> The Internet Governance Forum is scheduled to be held for first time in >> Africa at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (http://igf09.eg/) This presents an >> excellent opportunity to raise issues that are of importance to the >> continent, our region and country. >> >> Some of the themes proposed to be discussed in the upcoming 4th IGF and >> contained in *IGF-Programme, Format and Schedule for the 2009 meeting* ( >> http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/2009/progpaper/ProgrammePaper.01.05.2009.rtf) >> include: >> >> - Internationalization of critical Internet resources >> management/Managing critical Internet resources >> - Balancing privacy, openness and security >> - Access >> - Round table discussions: on the empowerment and protection of >> children online, the accessibility for people with disabilities, >> multilingualism and access to local content. >> - Workshops: Access, Critical internet resources, Diversity, Openness, >> Security, Capacity building and Development. (Workshop proposals: >> http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor… >> ) >> >> The forum will also provide an opportunity to discuss *Paragraph 76 of >> the Tunis Agenda* “*examine the desirability of the continuation of the >> Forum*” >> >> >> >> - What method should be used to assess the impact of the internet >> governance debate through the two phases of World Summit on Information >> Society in Geneva, 2003 and Tunis 2005 and the 1st to the 3rd IGF? >> - What do you think needs to be addressed in the remaining two IGFs? >> >> - How can we as Kenyans, effectively participate at the 4th IGF and >> translate the lessons learnt? >> - Do you think that the IGF should continue after the 5th IGF? >> >> *You are encouraged to make your comment on day’s and any other of the >> previous days’ discussions*. >> >> >> >> Kind regards >> >> Mwende >> >> *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are >> the author’s own* >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… >> >> > > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno > ISSEN CONSULTING > Tel: > +254721325277 > +254733206359 > http://projectdiscovery.or.ke > To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility > as a free man. > Alan Paton, South Africa > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254733206359 http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Nyama Choma na pombe
by warigia bowman 11 May '09

11 May '09

Hi ICT activists! Just want to let you know that yesterday I had a successful dissertation defense, and I became Daktari Warigia, earning my doctorate of philosophy in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. My heartfelt thanks to KICTANet and KIF, in particular, for helping me get this far. I am grateful. Shukrani. Here is the footnote I included in the dissertation to thankall of you. Please let me know if you name is not in here,and you want it in or if you see misspellings or if you want to see the current Kenya chapter. Please email me OFFLINE, (so as not to spam the list) at warigia(a)gmail.com. The dissertation will be submitted for binding by May 15th, so email me quickly. Next step, publication . . . Would like to treat all of you who helped me to nyama choma and beer. So lets arrange. I will be in Kenya from June through August! Hugs and Thanks! Rigia The material in this section is based on sixty-five qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted from 2004-2006 in Kenya. Additional interviews were conducted in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. I also conducted participant observation, and sat in on dozens of meetings of the organizations KIF and KICTAnet as well as several national and transnational conferences on ICT. I conducted interviews in Kenya with former members of parliament, high ranking government officials, academics, private sector participants, and civil society advocates. I take responsibility for all content and interpretations. No individual named below can be held responsible for any insights or conclusions made in this article. All errors are my own. Several interviewees requested anonymity. Nonetheless, the sample below of those who allowed their names to be used gives a sense of the scope and depth of the interviews conducted. Several individuals deserve special thanks, including Juma Okech, the Secretary of E-Government, Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary for Information and Communications, Marcel Werner, the Secretary of the Kenya Information and Communications Technology Federation, Alice Munyua, the Kenyan representative of APC, and CCK Board Member, Amos Opiyo of the Ministry of Planning, Dr. Eric Aligula of the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, Henry Belsoi of Telkom Kenya, Jonathan Campaigne, Director of Pride Africa, Kevit Desai, the President of Kenya IEEE, Mike Eldon, CEO of Symphony Software, James Gachui, Founder of Wananchi Online, Dr. Kathryn Getau, Computer Science Faculty of the University of Nairobi, Dr. Tim Waema, Computer Science faculty of the University of Nairobi, Wallace Gichoho of Call Center Africa, Mirjana Ilic of UNESCO, Michael Katundu, Communications Commission of Kenya, Joseph Kiplagat, Computer Science Faculty, Moi University, Brian Longwe of AFRISPA, Charles Nduati of Kenyatta University, Dr. Florence Etta, formerly of IDRC, Edith Adera of IDRC, as well as various staff members, directors and participants from the Computer Society of Kenya, KICTAnet, the Directorate of E-Government, the National Communications Secretariat, Kenya Pipeline Company, and many other organizations. -- Warigia Bowman Assistant Professor The Department of Public Policy Leadership The University of Mississippi 107 Odom Hall University, MS 38677 URL: http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/leadership/index.html PHONE: 662-915-1904 EMAIL: mwbowman(a)olemiss.edu

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Re: [kictanet] My take: IG Discussion 2009, Day 10 of 10 - ePayment Systems and Regulation
by Barrack Otieno 10 May '09

10 May '09

On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:27 PM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Victor i disagree with your position. Security is a very complicated area > and requires a multistakeholder approach, there has to be a clearly defined > system made up of state and non state actors. The much Dr Ndemo Ndemo can do > is to Facilitate, in any case his work is to implement policies (I may be > wrong). We have very skilled personell in and out of governmnet, what is > failing us is our inability to tap into their knowledge. We can only do this > through institutions > > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:20 PM, Victor Gathara <v-gathara(a)dfid.gov.uk>wrote: > >> Imoh, Ministry of Info and Comms should take the lead in legislation >> affecting the ICT sector and have an overall management role in it. I >> think some sort of IT security czar is required (or already exists) and >> may rightly sit in the CCK. The ministry should up its communication >> strategy even now to alert all on where we are regarding ICT security. >> All seems unclear because we (or maybe I) am unaware of what >> laws/structures are in place in government to address this issue. >> >> Over to you Dr Ndemo! >> >> Victor >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: kictanet-bounces+v-gathara=dfid.gov.uk(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+v-gathara <kictanet-bounces%2Bv-gathara>= >> dfid.gov.uk(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke] On >> Behalf Of John Walubengo >> Sent: 08 May 2009 08:27 >> To: Victor Gathara >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009,Day 10 of 10 - ePayment >> Systems and Regulation >> >> >> Thanx Mwende for your 4day moderation on Security issues. Ofcourse more >> credit to the contributors whose insights am sure are being digested by >> stakeholders...feel free to make belated contributions. >> >> Today I want to introduce the second last theme before Mwende takes us >> through the Closure and Way forward on Monday 11th May 2009. Basically, >> we want to review the various "hybrid" electronic payments systems and >> their corresponding legal and regulatory frameworks. >> >> Hybrid electronic payment system exclude the traditional banking systmes >> which do have time-tested and proven legal/ regulatory frameworks. >> Typically they refer to emerging e-Payment systems that have been best >> exemplified by the MPESA/Zap phenomena. Such systems cut accross >> multiple industries (Banking, Telecommunication and IT) and present a >> huge challenge in terms of regulation/legislation. >> >> In developed economies, such systems have multiple >> legislation/regulation that demands that the entities involved in such >> ePayment services abide by strict Data Protection Acts which protect the >> customer data/privacy as well as other eLegislation (eCrime, >> eTransaction) that provides deterrence and assurance mechanism. >> >> In layman terms, consider an MPESA/ZAP User who sends value of 30,000Ksh >> from their mobile phone account to the parents upcountry when the >> following happens: >> 1. Disaster strikes and the electronic records are lost (whose >> liable?-it happened in 9/11, Tsunami, etc) 2. The Parents claim that >> they didnt recieve the money or worse still the sender claim they never >> send the money (non-repudiation issues) 3. An eCrime suspect is charged >> with altering ePayments records at the source (inside job/judicial >> issues) >> >> In general, do we have frameworks to protect consumers and businesses >> against such risks above and do we have investigative and judicial >> capacity to administer e-Crime related justice? What role should the >> Regulator (CCK), Banking (CBK), Police and Judiciary (NOT) have in these >> frameworks? >> >> Lets try and give views within today (1day)... >> >> walu. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: v-gathara(a)dfid.gov.uk Unsubscribe or change >> your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/v-gathara%40dfid.go >> v.uk >> >> ________________________________________________________________________ >> This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Star. 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.star.net.uk >> ________________________________________________________________________ >> >> 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 >> ______________________________________________________________________ >> >> 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 >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… >> > > > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno > ISSEN CONSULTING > Tel: > +254721325277 > +254733206359 > http://projectdiscovery.or.ke > To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility > as a free man. > Alan Paton, South Africa > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254733206359 http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Re: [kictanet] [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 10 May '09

10 May '09

Alex - I am NOT against competition. It is good for the industry. The problem is how such competition is introduced. Yes, KENIC has had a monopoly over the .KE namespace, but at least it is(was?) a Multistakeholder Partnership in its legal formation. If this partnership was NOT exercised adequately for the benefit of the community it should be fixed rather than move the rights of the .KE namespace to with due respect -just one of the stakeholders (Govt/Regulator), however strong they are. The idea and law specifying that the regulator is ONLY going to regulate the 2nd level domain is to me mischievious /grey area and I shared the same feelings at the KENIC AGM. This is because the money/action/activities of ICT lie at the 2nd level! Claiming that the regulation is not touching the top level .KE but the lower level is similar to and I quote one of the members "telling a parent that you wont regulate him/her but his/her kids will be totally under 3rd party control". walu. --- On Fri, 5/8/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 10:55 PM > Walu, > > Thank you for the info although I find it bordering on > alarmist;) > > I deliberately boycotted today's Kenic AGM because, > among others, > kenic folks decided they will not post to this list minutes > of last > year's AGM resolutions, such as, constitutional change > made to allow > an a certain individual's term of office to be extended > beyond what > the constitution allowed. There are a couple of complaints > I > restrained myself from posting onlist. > > Background: > > During last year's AGM the said "Internet > Community" for the second > (or third?) year running repeatedly complained about > kenic's failure > to lower .ke domain prices as frustrating .ke domains > growth. > Registrars we later hurriedly called to a meeting at the > Grand Hotel > and we were asked to volunteer ourselves to a committee > that would > look into domain price issue. To the best of my knowledge > information > and belief no such meeting has ever been called, to-date. > > At today's 10,133 domain numbers statistics ( CO.KE 9, > 465 NE.KE 14, > OR.KE 654) > see:<http://www.kenic.or.ke/statistics.html> kenic > annual > domains selling income exceeds kenya shillings 20 million > every year - > while Internet consumers continue screaming "lower > domain prices!" to > seemingly deaf ears and half-hearted Kenyan domain space > (.ke) > administrator. > > They fail to see the bigger picture. By lowering domain > prices they > would have very many more being able to afford local > domain. > > Lets face it, shillings 20 million is not kidogo money > without > necessarily dwelling on the fact that many of their staff > are interns > ( Aren't permanent staff only 4?) I suppose Board > members do not draw > salaries? Again, really whom does the Kenic Board answer > to/ i.e.holds > them accountable? Only to themselves with ceremonial AGMs? > > The Law: > > Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 states: > > Section 83F: Licence for country code top-level domain > > "The Commission [CCK] may, upon application in the > prescribed manner > and subject to such conditions as it may deem necessary, > grant > licences under this section authorizing a person to > administer a > sub-domain in the country top-level domain" > > What's wrong with CCK granting licenses to, for example > 3 or 4 (legal) > persons to compete in offering the best-priced domains to > Kenyans > consumers? > > Conclusion: > > Kenic attracted the competition which perhaps might have > been avoided > if they had listened to the "Internet Community" > cries over the year. > I note that you refer to kenic as "partnership." > Licence conditions > could include all others be representative partnerships and > PPP > 'problem' solved;) What I am trying to say is that > kenic should not > be viewed as the only PPP model possible.. ICANN does not > break > national laws and in any case, note how many registries > exist in the > US itself. Our market has matured and we need competition > in the > domain space area also, Yes/No? > > My take is kenic's honeymoon ended when the law opened > domain pricing > competition space that should lower prices- good for > consumers but bad > for old kenic 'monopoly era' ;) > > In other words, we do not have a crisis so let us not make > one up. > > Regards, > > Alex > --- > References > 1. Boosting numbers in .ke domain names > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9451&Item…> > > 2. Kenyans to enjoy reduced charges for acquiring Internet > domains > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8270&Item…> > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:12 PM, John Walubengo > <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > Apologies for cross-posting: > > > > It took a KENIC (KEnya Network Information Center, > www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for the Kenyan > Internet community to digest the implication of the a Kenyan > ICT Legislation passed more than five months ago. The law > which included sections that touched on the Media, IT, > Telecommunication and Postal Services has faced stiff > resistance from the Media fraternity while the Internet > Community kept a low if not a dead profile. > > > > > > > > It was at the KENIC general meeting held today in > Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled with the > implication of the IT section on the operation of the .KE > namespace. The law specifies that all second level .KE > internet domain names must be licensed by the country's > converged Regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya. > The law requires that all Registries - those who manage > the internet domains - must apply for a license by the 2nd > of June 2009. > > > > > > > > KENIC, a public-private-partnership has under the > ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace including the > 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, xyz.OR.KE, etc. > From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission from the > Regulator to continue managing these sub-domains. In an > effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board requested the > community to support a resolution that a new legal entity > (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in order to apply > for the license from the Regulator as well as compete with > other potential entities that are set to fight in that > space. > > > > > > > > The proposals opened up heated discussions with some > members wondering if KENIC was ceding its hard-won rights > & control over the .KE namespace to an exclusive and > single entity. The current governance structure for KENIC > provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership over the whole > .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, Private > Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board Representation that is > wholly accountable to Internet Users during Annual General > Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes part of this > mandate and places it under one or two of these Stakeholders > that is the Regulator/Govt. > > > > > > > > Members wondered about the criteria that would be used > by the Regulator to award the management licenses to various > competitors. Others wondered about the potential conflict > between the local legislation and the ICANN policies given > that KENIC has currently been operating under ICANN policies > but now has to take cognizance of the local law. For > example, if the Regulator granted a license to someone else > to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT the local > internet community for one reason or the other instructed > the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the delegation > from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet other members > wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would cannibalize > their existing markets and services. > > > > > > > > It has taken five months of silence but clearly, the > Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to understand > and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT law that had > previously been hijacked and labeled "Media law" > at the expense of IT practitioners. It will be interesting > to see how this plays out before and after the 2nd of June > 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers must be licensed > by the Regulator. > > > > > > > > walu > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > ke-internetusers mailing list > > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >

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Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 09 May '09

09 May '09

Apologies for cross-posting: It took a KENIC (KEnya Network Information Center, www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for the Kenyan Internet community to digest the implication of the a Kenyan ICT Legislation passed more than five months ago. The law which included sections that touched on the Media, IT, Telecommunication and Postal Services has faced stiff resistance from the Media fraternity while the Internet Community kept a low if not a dead profile. It was at the KENIC general meeting held today in Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled with the implication of the IT section on the operation of the .KE namespace. The law specifies that all second level .KE internet domain names must be licensed by the country's converged Regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya. The law requires that all Registries - those who manage the internet domains - must apply for a license by the 2nd of June 2009. KENIC, a public-private-partnership has under the ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace including the 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, xyz.OR.KE, etc. From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission from the Regulator to continue managing these sub-domains. In an effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board requested the community to support a resolution that a new legal entity (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in order to apply for the license from the Regulator as well as compete with other potential entities that are set to fight in that space. The proposals opened up heated discussions with some members wondering if KENIC was ceding its hard-won rights & control over the .KE namespace to an exclusive and single entity. The current governance structure for KENIC provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership over the whole .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, Private Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board Representation that is wholly accountable to Internet Users during Annual General Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes part of this mandate and places it under one or two of these Stakeholders that is the Regulator/Govt. Members wondered about the criteria that would be used by the Regulator to award the management licenses to various competitors. Others wondered about the potential conflict between the local legislation and the ICANN policies given that KENIC has currently been operating under ICANN policies but now has to take cognizance of the local law. For example, if the Regulator granted a license to someone else to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT the local internet community for one reason or the other instructed the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the delegation from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet other members wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would cannibalize their existing markets and services. It has taken five months of silence but clearly, the Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to understand and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT law that had previously been hijacked and labeled "Media law" at the expense of IT practitioners. It will be interesting to see how this plays out before and after the 2nd of June 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers must be licensed by the Regulator. walu

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 10 of 10 - ePayment Systems and Regulation
by Barrack Otieno 08 May '09

08 May '09

On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 12:17 PM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Walu, i am reliably informed that m-pesa was designed as a microfinance > solution. Before we were caught by the m-pesa bug there was something called > Sokotele which was a bit cumbersome because it involved queuing in a banking > hall (KREP/CELTEL). The fact that these money transfer solutions rely on > traditional banking system for the so called Trust accounts gives me the > impression that the e-payment solutions are just a means to an end (the > money stored in the bank). In this regard i propose that the Kenya Bankeres > Association and the Communication Commision of Kenya should establish > frameworks from a banking perspective as well as a technology perspective to > manage security concerns. Some of those mpesa vibandas are unsecure yet they > contain a significant amount of float. The other fact is that a good number > of users from rural areas are technologically challenged and vulnerable to > con men and women. I chose KBA because it is an umbrella for stakeholders in > the banking sector and CCK the regulator for the technology sector > > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 8:27 AM, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >> >> Thanx Mwende for your 4day moderation on Security issues. Ofcourse more >> credit to the contributors whose insights am sure are being digested by >> stakeholders...feel free to make belated contributions. >> >> Today I want to introduce the second last theme before Mwende takes us >> through the Closure and Way forward on Monday 11th May 2009. Basically, we >> want to review the various "hybrid" electronic payments systems and their >> corresponding legal and regulatory frameworks. >> >> Hybrid electronic payment system exclude the traditional banking systmes >> which do have time-tested and proven legal/ regulatory frameworks. Typically >> they refer to emerging e-Payment systems that have been best exemplified by >> the MPESA/Zap phenomena. Such systems cut accross multiple industries >> (Banking, Telecommunication and IT) and present a huge challenge in terms of >> regulation/legislation. >> >> In developed economies, such systems have multiple legislation/regulation >> that demands that the entities involved in such ePayment services abide by >> strict Data Protection Acts which protect the customer data/privacy as well >> as other eLegislation (eCrime, eTransaction) that provides deterrence and >> assurance mechanism. >> >> In layman terms, consider an MPESA/ZAP User who sends value of 30,000Ksh >> from their mobile phone account to the parents upcountry when the following >> happens: >> 1. Disaster strikes and the electronic records are lost (whose liable?-it >> happened in 9/11, Tsunami, etc) >> 2. The Parents claim that they didnt recieve the money or worse still the >> sender claim they never send the money (non-repudiation issues) >> 3. An eCrime suspect is charged with altering ePayments records at the >> source (inside job/judicial issues) >> >> In general, do we have frameworks to protect consumers and businesses >> against such risks above and do we have investigative and judicial capacity >> to administer e-Crime related justice? What role should the Regulator (CCK), >> Banking (CBK), Police and Judiciary (NOT) have in these frameworks? >> >> Lets try and give views within today (1day)... >> >> walu. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… >> > > > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno > ISSEN CONSULTING > Tel: > +254721325277 > +254733206359 > http://projectdiscovery.or.ke > To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility > as a free man. > Alan Paton, South Africa > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254733206359 http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Project Director, Nairobi, Kenya
by Moses Kemibaro 07 May '09

07 May '09

A friend forwarded me the following position for Nairobi. Kindly send resumes to the email address at the bottom --- POSITION: Project Director, Nairobi, Kenya REPORTS TO: Senior HMIS Manager, DC PROJECT SUMMARY: PEPFAR has called for immediate, comprehensive and evidence based action to turn the tide of global HIV/AIDS. One specific goal is to strengthen and expand Strategic Information (SI) activities through: The development, implementation and support for innovative HMIS and public health informatics systems for better information flow from health facilities to the national level. Collaboration with the Ministries of Health, CDC and other partners to develop a national HMIS strategy that enable integration of health related systems in the lab, pharmacy and clinics. Capacity building for Government of Kenya GOK/MOH and other local institutions on the three key components of SI, namely Disease Surveillance, M&E and Informatics/HMIS. Futures Group has developed several HMIS applications to support collection and tracking data across our various local partners. These databases support the President’s Emergency Plan indicators, National Ministry of Health (NMOH) indicators, and specific Program and Clinical indicators. These databases directly support AIDSRelief field officers and are essential to provide high quality care and treatment regimens, ensure drug durability, track progress, and provide accurate reporting to both the NMOH and US Government POSITION SUMMARY: This position is a blend of business analysis and programming activities and responsibilities. The Project director will be responsible for a team that has the following objectives: Support the development of a draft five-year national HMIS strategy with the leadership of Ministry of Health and GOK to include a plan for enabling integration of health related information systems. establishing a framework for the integration of key national electronic sub-systems which include a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Pharmacy systems Demonstration of interoperability between three subsystems in at least one geographical location (district or province), based on sound messaging standards and publish a data dictionary that will also allow various EMRs to exchange information Assist NASCOP and the Division of HMIS to develop and implement an HMIS/Informatics strategy giving major consideration to innovative technologies such as hand-held devices, GIS, the Internet, GSM/CDMA networks, biometric devices, to improve data capture and management. Data storage, security and privacy as well as access policies should be among the key areas. This will require an evaluation of existing systems and prioritization of implementation. The project director will interact with a wide array of stakeholders at the national and local levels to support collecting of requirements. He/she will be required to work closely with the development team to develop and maintain the Data warehouse around these requirements. As new requirements are requested, the candidate will work with subject matter experts and write the business specifications. The candidate will work closely with the field team to make sure that business specifications are being implemented as per the specifications. It is anticipated for the programmer/BA to be involved in train-the- trainer (ToT) activities; providing training support via web, online and virtual teleconference calls. Responsibilities include participating in weekly teleconference calls and emails; maintaining issue tracking of bugs; fixed and closed out; applying updated business rules; validation rules; reporting status and progress of continued developments; enhancement or modifications. It is expected for the project director to document software code and resolve software issues associated with installation and operation of the application as it expands to meet requirements of other countries. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Experience in one or more IT domain(s) with demonstrated programming skills and software development process Extensive use of requirements gathering techniques such as interviews, creating storyboards, flow diagrams, and documentation Programming skills, knowledge of software project management principles, understanding business rules and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team Programming background with solid software development, database design and implementation experience; strong computer programming skills. Experience in maintaining MsAccess and SQL databases; understanding other programmers coding structures Experience developing web or internet applications Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or equivalent 2-4 years minimum working experience in a development environment Project management skills ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Has extensive experience in developing and managing informatics solutions (in the health sector) including experience in web and database technologies e.g. aspx and sql server respectively Has experience in managing grants (with USG) and can work in a multi- sectoral environment Has experience in monitoring technical innovative solutions following the USG ADS548R guidelines in Africa Has proven experience in leadership of informatics solutions and grants management especially in Africa Responsible for managing staff and deliverables for all TOs and coordinating with the Project Officer Reviewing current HMIS operations in Kenya and analyzing Kenya HMIS needs in measurable deliverables With the technical monitor and the contracts department of Futures group, the project director will coordinate outsourcing/subcontracting specialized functions relating to the project and managing small grants awarded herein Coordinate phased piloting of the HMIS system in select provinces before full roll-out In implementation, the project manager will ensure project deliverables are delivered within scope, quality, cost (budget) and time constraints and project is within corporate and regulatory limits Coordinate communications/linkages internal and external to the project including with CDC, MOH, NACC and NASCOP and other relevant parties Responsible for supporting HMIS Strategy. Monitoring and controlling all project activities including measuring the current project activities, monitoring the project variables including cost and effort against the project plan and performance baseline and identifying corrective actions to circumvent issues and risks Financial analysis of the costs and budgets including outsourced services on a regular basis to be shared with Futures administration* Ensuring constant support of end users, correction of errors and in- time updates of the HMIS solutions based on both need and schedule Coordinate closing efforts ensuring sustainability and proper handing over to local partner (CHAK) on project completion SKILLS Project Management Visual Studio, Microsoft .NET, MsAccess, SQL, SQL Server, MySQL Creating, analyzing backend database structures and tables in Access or SQL Generating MsAccess and SQL queries for reporting; The ability to work well as part of multi-disciplinary team; skilled in trouble shooting and problem solving Verbal and writing skills are required to produce user manuals, training materials, programming specifications, email correspondence and documentation related to programming; training experience preferred International experience (Africa) preferred and commitment to work in a team environment required Excellent communication skills ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Equipment to be used: General office equipment: Computers Physical demands: N/A International travel – up to 30% SEND RESUME TO: IWanyeki(a)futuresgroup.com

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How texting and GoogleMaps helped Kenyans survive crisis
by Edith Adera 07 May '09

07 May '09

This might be of interest....wonder how this could be used to keep our politicians on Track on Agenda 4! http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/523 This is a cool short talk on TED Talks. At TEDU 2009, Erik Hersman presents the remarkable story of Ushahidi, a GoogleMap mashup that allowed Kenyans to report and track violence via cell phone texts following the 2008 elections, and has evolved to continue saving lives in other countries.

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INVITATION TO THE 2009 KENIC AGM
by Vincent Ngundi 07 May '09

07 May '09

<reminder: AGM is tomorrow> The KENIC board is pleased to invite you to the sixth KENIC Open Public Forum to be held on Friday 8th of May 2009 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel from 0800hrs. The forum will be a focal point for bottom-up discussions of the KENIC policies and developments. Thereafter, the same venue will host KENIC's fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which you are invited to witness. Details of the AGM are available on the KENIC website http://www.kenic.or.ke. We look forward to your participation at the events. Kind Regards, Vincent Ngundi For: Chairman, KENIC -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 8 of 10 - National Cybersecurity strategies
by mwende njiraini 07 May '09

07 May '09

Good morning, Today we have the opportunity of discussing the last aspect of cybersecurity: Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs)/Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT). CSIRTs/CERTs are responsible for preparing for, detecting, managing and responding to cybersecurity incidents as well as creating consumer awareness. Global cybersecurity is said to be ‘as strong as the weakest link’. Developing countries particularly in Africa have not sufficiently addressed cybersecurity issues. While some countries have initiated efforts to develop cybersecurity capabilities through the establishment of National CSIRTs/CERTs, the CERT-TCC in Tunisia is the only active national CERT in Africa (http://www.ansi.tn/en/about_cert-tcc.htm) In establishing a National CERT/CSIRT… - What structure could be adopted? - What services should be offered? - What elements could be considered to establish trust in this institution thereby encouraging organizations with critical information infrastructure (CII) such as government agencies, banks, educational institutions, water and power companies, etc, to share of cybersecurity incidents? Kind regards Mwende *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (except those quoted or referenced) are the author’s own*

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 7 of 10 - Data and Infrastructure Security
by mwende njiraini 07 May '09

07 May '09

Good morning! Today we continue our discussions on cybersecurity specifically data and infrastructure security. It now not uncommon to hear about cyber terrorism, cyber crime, cyber attacks, Information Warfare, etc. Recent examples of cyber attacks in Estonia and Georgia show that the Internet offers an inexpensive and easy weapon of modern warfare. Fortunately, we as a country may not have yet experienced critical security threats possibly because majority of users/organizations have access to ‘less than broadband speeds’ thus providing no incentive for meaningful exploits. This presents a situation where low usage and poor connectivity has acted as our “security”. However, with the growing use of the Internet, encouraged by the availability broadband connections locally, nationally (Fibre optic national project, operator networks) and internationally (TEAMS, SEACOM), the number of incidences of online security breaches are set to increase. Thank you Harry Delano (email 29th April) for raising the following important questions for our discussion today. - What is our level of cybersecurity preparedness (as government, operator, service providers, private sector organizations and educational institutions)? - Have we made an assessment of our cybersecurity preparedness levels, to date, particularly with the impending landing of international submarine fibre optic cable? - What is needed to protect our data and infrastructure from increased threats and at what cost? Regards Mwende

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 8 of 10 - National Cybersecurity strategies
by mwende njiraini 06 May '09

06 May '09

Good morning! Today we continue to build on previous discussions on cybersecurity, with a view of seeking your contributions in the development a national cyber-security strategy. The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2009 ( http://www.communication.go.ke/media.asp?id=775) contains the following provisions with regard to cybersecurity: - Unauthorized access to computer data, - Access with intent to commit offences - Unauthorized access to and interception of computer service, - Unauthorized modification of computer material, - Damaging or denying access to computer system, - Unauthorized disclosure of password, - Unlawful possession of devices and data, - Electronic fraud, - Tampering with computer source documents, - Publishing of obscene information in electronic form, - Publication for fraudulent purpose and - Unauthorized access to protected systems Harry Delano (email 29th April) “Are our cybersecurity regulations (law) up to the task, to protect us...?” In answering this question we may wish to consider the issue of jurisdiction, the ability of the judicial system to make a ruling with regards to a crime committed through the internet by extra-territorial elements and secondly the role of arbitration as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism (http://www.ciarbkenya.org/) Kind regards Mwende *Disclaimer: Views expressed here (apart from those quoted/referenced) are the author’s own*

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IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10
by mwende njiraini 06 May '09

06 May '09

Good morning, The focus of our discussion this week is on cybersecurity and trust. We will seek to address privacy and data security issues. Like many other Kenyans, we frequently register to use various online services provided by the government and businesses. The registration process requires that we provide personal information including physical, postal address, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc. The younger generation and the young-at-heart are readily sharing “personally identifiable information” including photos and events through social networking sites including facebook, youtube, myspace, flickr, twitter, etc. Personal information collected and made available in the public domain such as the electoral register, telephone directory can be combined with information for example from supermarkets loyalty cards to create valuable market information to track individual preferences and purchase profiles. This information may unfortunately be subject to abuse and theft. Consequently, ‘trust’ in policies and the security measures that the government and businesses establish to protect user information is therefore an essential element for the success of e-transactions (both e-government and e-commerce) - How can we create a cyber security culture in Kenya? What is the role of the educators, peers and parents in digital literacy with respect to privacy and security? - Does the current legal environment provide for the protection of privacy on the internet? How can we establish a balance between security and right to privacy? Looking forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Mwende References 1. Protecting your Privacy on the Internet: http://privacy.gov.au/internet/internet_privacy/index.html#2 2. Privacy Policies: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf, http://twitter.com/privacy 3. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12 4. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Protecting Your Privacy on the Internet: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_13_e.cfm 5. Privacy illustrations: http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/illustrations/index_e.cfm 6. http://www.diplomacy.edu/ISL/IG/ *Disclaimer: Views expressed here are the author’s own*

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10
by Harry Delano 05 May '09

05 May '09

John, thanks a lot, for your moderation last week. Since you have thrown the challenge, I will take it up. As you can see, am still right up until now (0300Hrs) checking out the postings. Indeed I dove right into the cyber security discussion at the very onset of your discussion on the much anticipated under sea Fibre Cable, last week. Why so..? Having witnessed the exponential growth in the Information and Communications Technology sector in this country for the last over 10 years, especially from the advent of Internet and later the mobile technology, I believe in the next few months we stand at the doorstep of another very important milestone in this sector, that promises to revolutionize virtually all sectors of our economy - The Undersea optic Fibre. But, just as we stand to gain more on it's good side (benefits that cannot be enumerated), we need to prepare ourselves, and put properly co-ordinated measures in place to mitigate the challenges that will come with this connectivity - Cyber Security. I strongly believe with the landing of this cable - Service Providers, Government, Institutions, and other Data banks urgently need to work on their cyber security capacities that will take care of any imminent threats that are about to land, in hot pursuit. I will reproduce my last posting, just incase. However,it is important to emphasize that we will significantly open up our local 'cyber space' given the Super fast connectivity to the outside. While we stand to derive a lot of expanded cruising room on this Super highway at super speeds, blended threats, in the form of possible cyber based crimes including Network security breaches (hacking),identity thefts, Data Thefts, Denial of service (DOS)cyber attacks, cyber espionage activities and others will come hurtling along, albeit much faster this time. Simply put in another way - with the marine fibre in place, picture your typical smart hacker sitting across the room, with the capability to access your pc and data in a matter of less than 50 msec, and before you could spell H-A-C-K-E-R, he will be off with your valuable personal or organizational information if you are not secured. As I argued last week, presently our slower Internety connectivity to the outside via Satellite Technology, and our congested international bandwidth effectively frustrates many would be hackers and other cyber crime activities. By this, I mean our cyber security capacities have not been really challenged enough, and tested possibly to the limit, to enable us assess our capabilities - our strengths and weaknesses. So we could be enjoying some unparalleled peace now, but it might be shortlived. Having observed the local cyber space over a period of time now, I can safely conclude that we are yet to witness much locally generated cyber crime activity or the capacity to do so. It's for this very reason that we have to a expect with certainity an estimated 90% - 95 % of this cyber traffic to emanate from outside. With End user systems that are poorly secured, or not secured at all - this exposure is likely to spell a disaster-in-waiting, especially for the most sensitive of our institutions, and other organizations. As we continue to embrace technology, a number of our key national infrastructure and installations are already getting online, but could also pose a major target in a cyber attack intended to sabotage provision of badly needed services.Let's ensure proper inbuilt security, with an eye on any future challenges that need to be dealt with. The ministry under whose portfolio ICT lies, will be key in formulating policy & other security standards for all arms of government that need to be reviewed from time to time in order to keep up to the ever mutating challenges in this arena. Efforts geared towards establishing a national Cyberspace security strategy would be needed, and of course there is a wide array of expertise and talent in the private sector that could be drafted up to help with the establishment, enforcement and monitoring of compliance with the various Cyber Security standards and benchmarks. I'm sure, we are prepared are we to act. Are we...? Harry Delano, 2404207 Securing Networks ******************* -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: Monday, May 04, 2009 9:52 PM To: Harry Delano Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 24, Issue 9 Send kictanet mailing list submissions to kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke You can reach the person managing the list at kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10-Security (John Walubengo) 2. Re: IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 (Evans Kahuthu) 3. Re: IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 (Judy Okite) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 04:36:37 -0700 (PDT) From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10-Security To: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <512644.447.qm(a)web57805.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 mmhh, very quiet on the list...where are those guys Harry and Evans who had jumped onto security last week ;-): walu. --- On Mon, 5/4/09, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Date: Monday, May 4, 2009, 9:59 AM > Good morning, > > > > The focus of our discussion this week is on cybersecurity and trust. > We will seek to address privacy and data security issues. > > > > Like many other Kenyans, we frequently register to use various online > services provided by the government and businesses. The registration > process requires that we provide personal information including > physical, postal address, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc. > The younger generation and the young-at-heart are readily sharing > ?personally identifiable information? including photos and events > through social networking sites including facebook, youtube, myspace, > flickr, twitter, etc. > > > > Personal information collected and made available in the public domain > such as the electoral register, telephone directory can be combined > with information for example from supermarkets loyalty cards to > create valuable market information to track individual preferences > and purchase profiles. > This information may unfortunately be subject to abuse and theft. > Consequently, ?trust? in policies and the security measures that the > government and businesses establish to protect user information is > therefore an essential element for the success of e-transactions (both > e-government and e-commerce) > > > > - How can we create a cyber security culture in Kenya? > What is the role > of the educators, peers and parents in digital literacy with > respect to > privacy and security? > - Does the current legal environment provide for the protection of > privacy on the internet? How can we establish a balance between > security > and right to privacy? > > Looking forward to hearing from you. > > > > Kind regards > > Mwende > > > > References > > 1. Protecting your Privacy on the Internet: > http://privacy.gov.au/internet/internet_privacy/index.html#2 > > 2. Privacy Policies: > http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf, > http://twitter.com/privacy > > 3. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human > Rights : > http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12 > > 4. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: > Protecting Your Privacy > on the Internet: > http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_13_e.cfm > > 5. Privacy illustrations: > http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/illustrations/index_e.cfm > > 6. http://www.diplomacy.edu/ISL/IG/ > > > > *Disclaimer: Views expressed here are the author?s own* > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: jwalu(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your > options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 08:53:30 -0700 From: Evans Kahuthu <ifani.kinos(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 6 of 10 To: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <184bd1560905040853r4858aba4l752d280fdffeed87(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" The purpose of Information Security/Cybersecurity is to protect an organizations's valuable resources, such as information, hardware and software. Through the selection and application of appropriate safeguards, Information Security helps the organization's mission by protectiing its physical and financial resources, reputation, legal position, employees, and other tangible and intangible assets. The issue of cybersecurity/Information security simply comes down to three things: 1) Confidentiality, 2) Integrity and Availability. Information Security management/cybersecurity entails the identification of an organisation's information assets and developemt, documentation, and implementation of policies, standards, procedures and guidelines, which ensure their Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. Unfortunately, cybersecurity is sometimes viewed as hindering the mission of the organisation by impossing poorly selected bothersome rules and procedures on users, managers and systems. On the contrary, if well implemented, Cybersecurity rules and procedures can support the overall organisational mission. In the case of Kenya, the way to create a culture of cybersecurity is through management tools such as data classification, security awareness traininig, risk assesment and risk analysis in order to identify threats, classify assets, and rate their vulnerabilities so that effective security controls can be implemented. Regards, Evans On Sun, May 3, 2009 at 10:59 PM, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Good morning, > > > > The focus of our discussion this week is on cybersecurity and trust. > We will seek to address privacy and data security issues. > > > > Like many other Kenyans, we frequently register to use various online > services provided by the government and businesses. The registration > process requires that we provide personal information including > physical, postal address, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc. > The younger generation and the young-at-heart are readily sharing > ?personally identifiable information? including photos and events > through social networking sites including facebook, youtube, myspace, > flickr, twitter, etc. > > > > Personal information collected and made available in the public domain > such as the electoral register, telephone directory can be combined > with information for example from supermarkets loyalty cards to > create valuable market information to track individual preferences and purchase profiles. > This information may unfortunately be subject to abuse and theft. > Consequently, ?trust? in policies and the security measures that the > government and businesses establish to protect user information is > therefore an essential element for the success of e-transactions (both > e-government and e-commerce) > > > > - How can we create a cyber security culture in Kenya? What is the role > of the educators, peers and parents in digital literacy with respect to > privacy and security? > - Does the current legal environment provide for the protection of > privacy on the internet? How can we establish a balance between security > and right to privacy? > > Looking forward to hearing from you. > > > > Kind regards > > Mwende > > > > References > > 1. Protecting your Privacy on the Internet: > http://privacy.gov.au/internet/internet_privacy/index.html#2 > > 2. Privacy Policies: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf, > http://twitter.com/privacy > > 3. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights : > http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a12 > > 4. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Protecting Your > Privacy on the Internet: http://www.priv.gc.ca/fs-fi/02_05_d_13_e.cfm > > 5. Privacy illustrations: > http://www.priv.gc.ca/information/illustrations/index_e.cfm > > 6. http://www.diplomacy.edu/ISL/IG/ > > > > *Disclaimer: Views expressed here are the author?s own* > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: ifani.kinos(a)gmail.com Unsubscribe or change > your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ifani.kinos%40gma > il.com > >

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FW: Google Groups: You've been added to BIDII AFRIKA
by Patrick Mburu 04 May '09

04 May '09

Good morning, Should such type of notification be allowed? I assume that I am not the only who didn't subscribe to this mail-list? Or perhaps am missing something....? Best regards, Patrick M. Mburu Director IT& Co-Founder Advanced Technical Solutions -Africa Tel/Fax: +254203577894 Mob: +254737185675 +254728273959 Email:patrick.mburu@ats-africa.com Website: www.ats-africa.com -----Original Message----- From: noreply(a)googlegroups.com [mailto:noreply@googlegroups.com] Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 10:17 PM To: patrick.mburu(a)ats-africa.com Subject: Google Groups: You've been added to BIDII AFRIKA mike mikeoketch(a)gmail.com has added you to the BIDII AFRIKA group with this message: welcome to bidii afrika Here is the group's description: Welcome to BIDII AFRIKA group. This is a group which is surely interested in promoting the understanding of issues ranging from politics, religion, culture and career between young Africans. Send us your business stories and ideas to bidiiafrika(a)googlegroups.com. ----------------------- Google Groups Information ---------------------- The owner of the group has set your subscription type as "Email", meaning that you'll receive a copy of every message posted to the group as they are posted. Visit this group on the web by using this URL: http://groups.google.com/group/bidiiafrika?hl=en You can unsubscribe from this group using the following URL: http://groups.google.com/group/bidiiafrika/unsub?u=GsP1lggAAACCRB2FPb3Iwu9ym XrliAup&hl=en -------------------- Information About This Message -------------------- If you feel that this message is abuse, please inform the Google Groups staff by using the URL below. http://groups.google.com/groups/abuse?direct=YQAAAAAANMZOAAAAAAyo62kAAAAABt_ Bbg&hl=en

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INVITATION TO THE 2009 KENIC AGM
by Vincent Ngundi 04 May '09

04 May '09

<reminder> The KENIC board is pleased to invite you to the sixth KENIC Open Public Forum to be held on Friday 8th of May 2009 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel from 0800hrs. The forum will be a focal point for bottom-up discussions of the KENIC policies and developments. Thereafter, the same venue will host KENIC's fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which you are invited to witness. Details of the AGM are available on the KENIC website http://www.kenic.or.ke. We look forward to your participation at the events. Kind Regards, Vincent Ngundi For: Chairman, KENIC -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 5 of 10- Criticical Internet Resources, IXPs and NOFB
by Shem Ochuodho 01 May '09

01 May '09

Nd. Michuki writes: I cant wait for Kenya pipeline, Kenya Railways and others take the same approach. The more cable we have the lower the access costs. KPC was actually granted an interim license in 2004! Rgrds, Shem Shem J. Ochuodho, MSc (Eng), PhD, LLD (Hon) Senior Advisor Ministry of Telecom & Postal Services Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), Juba Kenya Community Abroad (KCA) 2007 Excellence Award Winner AfricaOnline 2005 Industry Pioneer Award Recipient Father of Internet in Kenya (2000 - CSK) Cell: +249-955-021-040/+256-477-232025/+254-734-137371 Skype: shem.ochuodho --- On Fri, 5/1/09, Michuki Mwangi <michuki(a)swiftkenya.com> wrote: From: Michuki Mwangi <michuki(a)swiftkenya.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] IG Discussion 2009, Day 5 of 10- Criticical Internet Resources, IXPs and NOFB To: "Shem Ochuodho" <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Friday, May 1, 2009, 1:47 PM Hi Walu, et al, The KIXP has had a great impact in Internet scene in Kenya. There are currently 27 peering members with aggregate traffic during peak times averaging 45mbps. Question: is this optimal? I would say that this is not optimal utilization in view of the overall total transit (whats not passing at KIXP) capacity in Kenya. Therefore as you rightfully put it the greater percentage of our traffic is International Whats its use then?; Well for a start, this year i have to make my annual returns online and its pretty fast from my home connection. The Safaricom IPO had similar experiences. Most importantly is the ability to create a stable local internet infrastructure. It means that life can go on, should the satellites and cables go down (and they will). Whats missing; There are some missing items, as mentioned in previous emails which are dependencies. 1) With increased penetration (no of subscribers) we are bound to see this reaching 100mbs and higher - hence more affordable access for non-corporate users and more residential users online. 2) local content hosting - It means we need more collo facilities built. This will also attract CDNs who are keen to do edge caching and require reliable hosting services. It also means that theres a market opportunity for collo hosting services which is yet to be tapped - see my previous emails. 3) E-government - you will be surprised to note that KRA has more traffic at the KIXP than some well known service providers. It therefore means that we need more e-government traffic 4) This leads to the next point of creativity on relevant content. E-government content is one, we need alot more of Free SMS website (its a pity sasanet collapsed it had considerable traffic at the KIXP. E-learning is something that would attract home users to get online off-peak hours. Basically e-commerce as it were. On this point, i find it interesting that, we have skipped web content and moved directly to mobile content. It may require that we make steps to engineer mobile content solutions to work for the web too. on NFOB; The Government approach must be appreciated. I was also glad to hear that now KPLC has been issued with the license to sell the extra capacity on its fiber infrastructure. Can we have more of this please. I cant wait for Kenya pipeline, Kenya Railways and others take the same approach. The more cable we have the lower the access costs. Can Kenya power, TKL and city/municipal councils lease out sections of their poles to fiber/cable infrastructure builders please. If we dont cease the opportunities to build the last mile in respect to telco's concerns the we cannot achieve complete access. If there alot of fiber on the ground - it will not really matter who runs it; the person who runs it will be the one who can raise the highest revenue for the investor in a highly competitive market space. All sorts of models will come up and interesting ones too. Walu, its not possible for such an infrastructure to replace an IXP. Even if dark fiber was dirt cheap, its a logistical nightmare and financially unrealistic to maintain close to 30 connections to each provider you want to exchange (peer) traffic with. Buts its financially viable to have one connection to a single location where you connect to everyone via a layer 2 switch. In this case, you only pay for the half of your circuit to the IXP location and manage one link like everyone else. Regards, Michuki. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/shemochuodho%40yahoo.c…

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FW: Mad About Maddo
by Patrick Mburu 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Good evening, Thought you all may enjoy this :-)! Cheers & Happy Laby Day weekend! Patrick _____ From: Gogreen Support [mailto:info@gogreen.co.ke] Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 5:33 AM To: info(a)gogreen.co.ke Subject: Mad About Maddo mail drop

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Looking for a Senior Application Developer.
by Moses Kemibaro 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Do you love to write code? Want to work smarter, not harder? Do you thrive in an work environment that enables you to work on exciting and challenging projects, day in and day out? Do you like to change the status quo and create value that has long- term impact and rewards? If you answered yes to any of these questions then we need to talk. The majority of our client development work is with Open Source such as PHP, Python, AJAX, Javascript, CSS and MySQL. We are looking for a talented, proven senior web application developer to join our team. The skills previously listed are highly desirable, but there's always something to be said for talent, potential, and attitude, so if you happen to be a developer with more expertise in other languages (.NET, Ruby, etc.) and are open to adding Python, PHP, AJAX, etc. to your arsenal, we want to hear from you. We are looking for the following qualities in a candidate: > Interested in learning and have a creative mind that enjoys the challenges of application development > Gets excited about clean code but knows that ugly code is out there and dealing with it is an necessity sometimes > Enjoys client interaction and problem solving, in a passionate way. > Knows the tools of your trade > Wants to raise the skill level of the whole team, not just themselves > Has the ability to play well with others - we will be welcoming you into our team > Has the ability to work independently - coding, testing, gathering requirements, and communicating with clients > Knows the value of a great user experience when it comes to building applications > Accepts the fact that mistakes will be made and that every experience is an opportunity to get better and improve the working processes within the agency > Appreciates that meetings are necessary but detests unnecessarily long or unproductive ones. You can't wait to leave a meeting and go back to writing code! > Knows that open, honest and productive communication is key to project success > Believes that working less hours smarter is better than working more hours harder > Knows that perfection may not be possible but aiming for excellence is realistic > Wants a full-time position in a growing company Are you an application developer who is savvy enough to deal with an intensively customer service oriented digital agency? We are that company. We consistently deliver for not only long lived and well-maintained clients, but also our new projects. They range from Flash intensive brand micro-sites with a major focus on user experience, to ordinary database driven content management systems such as Joomla and Typo3. We also work on unconventional projects with interesting and occasionally not so interesting features thrown in the mix. We will build anything that creates value and pass up those projects that are too cumbersome, outrageous or simply unsustainable. On any given day you could be part of a large team building a cutting edge web site or you may be "solo" coding feature enhancements or fixes for a client's online forms. We thrive in a results oriented environment because our team is treated well and our clients are treated even better. What we need from you: > Provable, quantifiable expertise as an application developer (code samples and/or project descriptions) > Provable experience working on web application projects (work history) > Salary expectations. What we don’t need from you: > We don't enjoy reading lists - especially not a list of the 50 technologies you know. If your resume doesn't make it clear that you have focus on a specific web technology(s) then you're just wasting both of our time sending us your CV - and nobody enjoys having their time wasted. > If you are looking to ladder climb and want to play politics this is also not the place for you. You are happy to work and are ready to address and solve problems as they arise. We do not pretend to know everything and mistakes are likely in every endeavor. Where you will work: We have a great office in one of Nairobi's quieter suburbs near the city centre with lots of windows and a very open floor plan. We dress down most of the time, but are always at our best in front of clients. We are professional and the management team is very hands on and engaged with the work that is done. We try very hard not to require more hours that are required of anyone and we strive to work 8.30 to 5.00 pm every day with a one hour lunch break. That said, we're flexible and recognize that we all have lives outside of the office - and we also know that sometimes, especially when deadlines demand it, normal working hours just won't get the job done. When it doesn't, we act accordingly - and we show our appreciation when people step-up. We use our leave days and so will you, for your sanity and ours. If think that your that special talent we may be looking for, kindly send us your CV on jobs(a)dotsavvyafrica.com

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Kaspersky Internet Security...
by Mike Bullut 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Greetings, Does anyone know where I can get a genuine copy of Kaspersky Internet Security & at what price? Please contact me off the list. Thank you... Kind regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 43
by Harry Delano 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

Re: IG Discussions- Day 3 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables - Cyber Security (Harry Delano) Fellow discussants, One thing to also note with regard to the much anticipated Fibre landing is how to content with the security challenges that will accompany this 'Super Highway" So apart from the other topics, that have been covered so well,allow me to introduce a new angle and momentarily tackle 'The Security challenges posed by this noble venture' -Cyber Security. It is one thing to deal with a stream flowing through your garden, harmlessly but productively watering it, and quite another dealing with a 'flood gate' suddenly let loose on your land, and which you have had little or no time to prepare yourself to handle. Indeed as much as this would be a Top Tier connectivity, right now , truth be told - most of the service providers leave tackling security to end users who in most cases are ill equipped to deal with internetwork borne threats. Networks are badly exposed, including sensitive data, copywright material, and organizational information that would make it a field day for identity thieves, and who knows? - a possible cyber attack on our different national wide infrastructure when they go online. Blended threats propagate much faster on faster connections. Currently,a standard round trip time of about 800-1300 msec, for most Tier 1 & 2 Service providers wears off the patience of most hackers presently prowling the net, which is a good thing for us, but not for long as these Marine links lands in within the next few months. With this in mind, how prepared are we on this front..? And by that I mean, the Government, the Service providers, the Private stake holders, including the Educational institutions. Have we made an assessment of our cyber security levels, to date? Are our sensitive Data Centres secure..., or will they be overly exposed when this time comes? And at what cost will we upgrade these systems..? With increasing E-commerce activities, and other online transactions are we 'foolproof? Are our cybersecurity regulations up to the task, to protect us...? Certainly, we need to take the necessary measures,- a systematic approach and prepare ourselves to deal With these challenges as the Threat environment is certainly set to shift for us, especially as a country on the move in Communication Technology. The good news is, it is an undertaking to look forward to with a lot of expectation, and we need to position ourselves to reap the maximum benefits that will accrue thereof. If you would ask me the score for this - Our Cybersecurity preparedness to handle, the onset of the Marine Fibre = 1 Harry Delano. Integrated Networks and Data Systems. -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:00 PM To: Harry Delano Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 43 Send kictanet mailing list submissions to kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke You can reach the person managing the list at kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." Today's Topics: 1. A wider audiance (robert yawe) 2. Re: IG Discussions- Day 3 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables (John Walubengo) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:56:59 +0000 (GMT) From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Subject: [kictanet] A wider audiance To: Kictanet Mail list <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <796042.73588.qm(a)web27801.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hi, I have been been contributing articles to a new IT magazine called CIO (chief information officer), as you may be aware there currently isn't any good and regular ICT local magazine and this magazine aims to fill this gap. The magazine is in its 3rd issue please get a copy and read my articles as well as others which are well thought through and cover local ICT issues. Due to space issues some of my articles have needed to be shortened, if you need to read the entire unsensored version please send me an email. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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FW: COURSE: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management
by Edith Adera 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

This might be of interest. I can testify - it's a great course for anyone in the ICT sector interested in in-depth knowledge on ICT policy and regulation. Edith ________________________________ From: link-info-bounces(a)lists.wits.ac.za [mailto:link-info-bounces@lists.wits.ac.za] On Behalf Of Charley Lewis Sent: 29 April 2009 16:31 To: link-info(a)lists.wits.ac.za Cc: Tennyson Mashiloane Subject: LINK CENTRE: COURSE: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management This course commences in just over two weeks from now, and is already over 50% full. If you (or a colleague) are keen to attend, please register as soon as possible - your paid-up registration confirms your place. Please circulate this message to anyone you know who may be interested. ================================================== Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management ================================================== [cid:image002.jpg@01C9C8DD.02013150] This course commences in May 2009. The Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is offered by the LINK Centre, School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand - Southern Africa's leading research and training body in the field of information and communications technology policy, regulation and management. It provides an essential background to understanding regulatory and policy issues and challenges in the rapidly changing telecommunications and broadcasting sectors. Spread over three week-long sessions between May and July 2009, skilled and experienced staff at the LINK Centre, School of Public & Development Management, University of Witwatersrand, supported by an extensive panel of guest lecturers, each an expert in their field, will help you get to grips with the landscape in the ICT sector. Significance The course is designed to unpack the constantly evolving issues and challenges inherent in South Africa's fast changing and dynamic ICT sector. These changes - driven by rapidly developing technologies, by the evolving legal and regulatory environment and by the emergence of new markets, services and applications - give rise to increased demands for training and information. The advent of convergence and globalisation intensifies the ongoing challenges faced by professionals in the sector to remain abreast of both local developments and international trends and practices. Who should attend? Decision-makers and senior policy-makers in the Department of Communications, ICASA and USAASA, managers and regulatory staff in industry (including service providers, new and established operators, and suppliers), bidders for new ECNS and ECS licences, broadcasters and signal distributors, lawyers, consultants, journalists, union officials and NGOs involved in the sector. Objectives By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to: * grasp how key information and communications technologies operate, and the policy implications of these technologies; * assess current market trends in the ICT sector, both globally and nationally; * demonstrate an understanding of ICT sector reform and its implications for national policy and regulation, including the impact of globalisation and convergence; * explain the approaches to ICT sector policy and regulation adopted nationally, regionally and globally; * demonstrate an understanding of the policy and regulatory environment for the telecommunications and broadcasting industries in South Africa; * critically compare the South African ICT environment with international models and best practice benchmarks; * describe the structure and process of policy formulation, regulatory oversight and licensing procedures in South Africa. Content Overview A Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is awarded to candidates who attend the following three modules (120 hours) and who successfully complete the required individual and syndicate assignments. A certificate of attendance is awarded to participants who attend all three modules, but who do not complete the required assessment. Module 1: ICT Technologies and Markets * The evolution of basic telecommunications technologies: the PSTN and its underlying technologies; * Wireless communications: fixed & mobile wireless, WLL, GSM, 3G, CDMA, satellite, WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, mobile broadband; * Spectrum, its planning and management, and the assignment of frequency; * Numbering and numbering plans, number portability, carrier pre-select, eNum; * Signal distribution, and broadcasting technologies; * Internet, VoIP, VANS & the NGN; * Telecommunications market trends, developments & drivers; * Broadcasting market trends, developments and drivers, and the migration to digital broadcasting; * Internet and broadband market trends, developments and drivers; * Convergence, multimedia, the NGN & the future of communications. Module 2: International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments * Globalisation, the knowledge economy and the information age; * Global trends in regulatory reform: liberalisation, privatisation, regulation in a converging environment; * Global e-governance: structures, institutions and global obligations (ITU, WTO, WIPO, GATS, ICANN); * Regional developments in telecommunications regulation: SATCC, CRASA, ATU, NEPAD; * National responses to the global information economy: e-commerce in South Africa; * ICT and labour; * ICT and gender; * Information and communications technologies and development (the digital divide, ISAD, GK, dotForce, UN ICT TT, WSIS, ICT4D); * Universal access and universal service. Module 3: Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation * The SA Constitution and administrative law; * ICT sector regulation: rationales, principles, approaches and practices; * Competition law, and the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in SA; * ICT sector reform in SA: overview; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for telecommunications in SA: institutions, structure, processes and issues; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for broadcasting in SA: institutions, structure, processes and issues; * Interconnection, facilities leasing and essential facilities: principles, law and regulation; * Licensing: the objectives, typology, procedures, content and monitoring of licences; * Pricing and tariff regulation; * Quality of service and consumer protection. About LINK The LINK Centre is the leading public policy, regulation and management educational body in the area of information and communication in Southern Africa. LINK focuses on capacity building in the public sector and development arenas through quality training, applied research and consultancy services necessary to maximise the benefits of the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy. Methodology An interactive and intensive teaching methodology is used, comprised of several learning methods, including lectures, syndicate work, case studies, structured learning group discussions and presentations from local and international experts in the field. In this way participants will develop a strong practical focus directly applicable to their own organisations. The course is evaluated via one individual and two syndicate assignments. Syndicate assignments are professionally presented to the group and external examiners drawn from government, industry or academia. Schedule 2009 TPRM 2009 is a block release course divided into three modules, each running for one week per month. Participants may attend individual modules as stand-alone executive courses. Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation & Management Module Title Dates Module 1 ICT Technologies and Markets 18 - 22 May, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 2 International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments 22 - 26 June, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 3 Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation 20 - 24 July, 08:30 - 17:00 Fees R 18 500 (plus VAT) per participant for the full three-week course. Any individual modules may be taken on its own as an 'executive course' (for which a certificate of attendance is issued) at a fee of R 8 000 (plus VAT) per participant. A small fee discount is available for bulk enrolments. Venue All lectures are held at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management campus, 2 St David's Place, Parktown. Lectures run daily from 08:30 to 17:00 with breaks for lunch and teas. Convenor Charley Lewis + 27 11 717-3784 or charley.lewis(a)wits.ac.za Information The course web page is available at http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html. Registration can be done online, using the course code WE/TPRMGM/07/01, via http://www.wits.ac.za/enterprise/courses/register.html. Contact Tennyson Mashiloane + 27 11 717-4595 or via Tennyson.Mashiloane(a)wits.ac.za for more information or to enrol. - - - ends - - - Charley Lewis Senior Lecturer, LINK Centre Tel: + 27 11-717-3784 Fax: + 27 86-529-5562 /+ 27 11-717-3910 Mobile: + 27 83-539-5242 Post (personal): Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120, SOUTH AFRICA Skype: charley.lewis URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House, School of Public & Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place, Parktown, 2193, SOUTH AFRICA ==> Master of Management in ICT Policy & Regulation: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html<blocked::http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html> ==> Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation & Management: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html [cid:image003.gif@01C9C8DD.02013150] This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.

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Kenya IG Discussions Day 3 of 10
by alice＠apc.org 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

How many listers are on Face book? As we discuss intrenet governance, i wish to share this article on Face book by Jonathan Zitrain, which brings up issues of privacy, data protection, etc best alice ------------------------------------------------- http://www.opendemocracy.net/node/47778 E Pluribus Facebook Jonathan Zittrain Facebook boasts more than 200 million active users, with an astounding 100 million logging in at least once per day. Its prominence is not just in numbers of users. Its what they do: many share intimate and sensitive details about themselves. That not only means that the service is susceptible to privacy panics (both real and imagined) on a regular basis. It means that, as with other social networks, people vest their identities in their profiles. If an account is disabled because of alleged misuse such as spamming the hurt can transcend the effort needed to create a new account. Even small changes, such as in the way the newsfeed works, elicit heartfelt reactions from people who think of their pages as well their pages. We saw this phenomenon at work when in mid-February Facebook posted a set of what its management seems to have thought were minor changes to its terms of service the kind of things that just wouldnt matter to its users. Instead a privacy panic ensued, reinforcing larger worries about Facebooks power. Founder Mark Zuckerberg responded quickly in plainspeak rather than legalese and I credit his view that the changes in terms of service really werent meant to be a stealthy way of doing surprising new things with users information. But he used the occasion to offer an analogy: More than 175 million people use Facebook. If it were a country, it would be the sixth most populated country in the world. Our terms arent just a document that protect our rights; its the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world. This encourages Facebook users not to simply view themselves as users but as citizens. Citizens of Facebook. The consumer/vendor relationship governed by contract and fair trade law is different from that of citizen/government. Citizens identify with something larger than themselves if ones country is attacked, it can feel like a personal attack in a way that a fellow bank customers account theft does not feel like a personal invasion. (Today we are all Bank of Americans doesnt leap to the lips.) And in non-authoritarian systems, citizens have a voice in the affairs of state distinct from the metaphorical vote a consumer makes with his or her feet or that a shareholder makes in a quaint proxy proceeding. Facebook has followed through with the analogy. In a rather unusual move it has published Facebook governance documents, opened them to public comment in a manner intentionally reminiscent of American administrative agencies notice-and-comment periods, enlisted law students to help process the responses, and now is putting a revised set of documents up for a vote. This isnt meant to be a one-off deal. Instead, there is a Facebook Principles document translated into multiple languages that expresses commitments to such things as open platforms and standards, free flow of information, universal availability of the service and its contents regardless of ones country, and freedom to control ones own data, including removing (or extracting) it from Facebook. The Statement of Rights and Responsibilities has a most unusual section on amendments usually the boilerplate piece of a terms of service that says that the vendor has the right to change the terms whenever it wants so long as it alerts users to the change. This one says: If more than 7,000 users comment on the proposed change, we will also give you the opportunity to participate in a vote in which you will be provided alternatives. The vote shall be binding on us if more than 30% of all active registered users as of the date of the notice vote. To be sure, these two sentences have loopholes suitable for a truck (and a missing verb which presumably is supposed to be a quorum requirement 30% of all active registered users voting for a vote to be binding). 30 million users voting on anything (especially since it requires adding a new Facebook voting app) is a high threshold. More important, theres no effort to identify what the alternatives will be. The current vote on the principles themselves simply asks users: Which documents should govern the Facebook Site? Choices: The proposed documents: Revised Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Facebook Principles 4/16/09 (These documents reflect comments from users and experts received during the 30-day comment period.) Existing documents: The current Terms of Use 9/23/08 (This document was developed entirely by Facebook and does not reflect any third-party outside comments.) It calls to mind the age-old trick of asking the children whether theyd like to wear their red or green pajamas to bed with no choice about when bedtime actually is. Facebook still holds the quill and frames the choice. But the fact is that most companies wouldnt dream of going as far as Facebook just has, because the kinds of public pressures that create privacy crises can also be elicited when cynical choices are presented. Facebook has intentionally placed itself in a new zone, borrowing elements of .org and .gov to inform how a .com is run. Coming from .edu myself, Im disappointed that something initially as academically-related as Facebook a social networking site for university communities wasnt begun and nurtured under university auspices, naturally incorporating public interest values. So Facebook draws from the public and public interest sphere, a simultaneously bold and modest step towards acknowledging that our new networked technologies deeply affect our lives in ways not always captured or best shaped by the typical template of consumer and seller. So Ive become voter number 167,476 in the poll. (Yes, they say results will be audited by an outside firm.) Im not expecting to add another passport to my drawer, but Im heartened at the prospect that the amazing engine of private enterprise may find creative ways to tap into and reinforce our civic instincts. -------------------------

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A wider audiance
by robert yawe 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

Hi, I have been been contributing articles to a new IT magazine called CIO (chief information officer), as you may be aware there currently isn't any good and regular ICT local magazine and this magazine aims to fill this gap. The magazine is in its 3rd issue please get a copy and read my articles as well as others which are well thought through and cover local ICT issues. Due to space issues some of my articles have needed to be shortened, if you need to read the entire unsensored version please send me an email. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Antivirus Poll...
by Mike Bullut 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

Hey guys, I hope your week is fairing on well. I'm doing an unofficial *antivirus poll<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/antivirus-poll/> * on my *blog <http://kipsang.wordpress.com/>* & I'd like to know which product offers the best security for your PC/laptop. Looking forward to your vote! Warm regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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INVITATION TO THE 2009 KENIC AGM
by Vincent Ngundi 27 Apr '09

27 Apr '09

The KENIC board is pleased to invite you to the sixth KENIC Open Public Forum to be held on Friday 8th of May 2009 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel from 0800hrs. The forum will be a focal point for bottom-up discussions of the KENIC policies and developments. Thereafter, the same venue will host KENIC's fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which you are invited to witness. Details of the AGM are available on the KENIC website http://www.kenic.or.ke. We look forward to your participation at the events. Kind Regards, Vincent Ngundi For: Chairman, KENIC -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Fw: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy?
by alice＠apc.org 23 Apr '09

23 Apr '09

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya -----Original Message----- From: Abi <abi.jagun(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:39:41 To: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants<fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org> Subject: Re: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy? Dear All I am finding out a lot more information about EASSy since making the post and will likely update the initial analysis that was conducted in 2006/7. I just want to provide more clarification on two main issues: - my conclusions about the KDN/FLAG - the source of my optimism about EASSy All the information that I used for this analysis (and update) was available (at that time) in the public domain and whilst I did try to take bias into consideration I think I can point to a few news reports/press releases that MADE me rather optimistic about EASSy. The first set are about the FLAG cable; they seem to suggest that where possible this project and the partners involved would prefer to merge with an existing project than "go it alone" - of course this is just my opinion: 1. Various articles reported the signing of an agreement between KDN and Flag. See for example the Balancing Act articles on the Fibre-for-Africa site - http://fibreforafrica.net/main.shtml?x=5038604&als[MYALIAS6]=KDN%20pips%20E… 2. "VSNL, East African Cable may merge links" - http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-154161796.html - published in October 2006 talks about discussions between VSNL and EASSy to merge their respective undersea cables linking India and Africa to Europe. 3. There are also articles that cite KDN's investment in TEAMS as well as the company becoming a part of EASSy [see for example http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=824 and 4. "VSNL Announces Construction of $250 Million Express TGN Eurasia Cable System" - http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=561&fArticleId=4903656 - reports on a cable being built by VSNL that will link Mumbai to Paris, London and Madrid via Egypt. The cable is being built in partnership with SEACOM and Telecom Egypt. Looking at the SEACOM route [http://www.seacom.mu/intro.html] it is clear where such a cable would connect with the SEACOM a more recent addition to all this is: 5. "KDN new partner to inject Sh1.4bn for expansion" - http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6232&Item… - which provides information on KDN's investment strategy; it has no mention of its agreement with FLAG. But perhaps there is information out there to the contrary and I would be interested in having access to these. The second set of articles informed my understanding of the financial position of EASSy. Based on these the impression I got was that the financing for the cable had reached an advanced stage and this led to my optimism that it will indeed be completed. These include a news item by Rwanda News Agency (RNA) -http://allafrica.com/stories/200803171222.html - It states: "The construction of the cable has been made possible by the project developers, who secured all the necessary financing, officials from the EASSY Project Secretariat in Nairobi-Kenya say." Also relevant is an entry on the WIOCC website that states: "Two-thirds of the submarine survey work is now complete, with only the southern leg remaining" - see http://www.wiocc.net/news.html I guess this will likely bring up discussions about whether or not there is demand for all these cables; but perhaps that is another discussion thread entirely. Thanks to everyone that has responsed so far. Abi 2009/4/22 Abi <abi.jagun(a)gmail.com>: > Dear All > > I use EASSy as a case study for a course I teach on and recently came up > with the following summary of where the project currently stands. The > "update" was put together to complement a stakeholder analysis that was done > by APC late 2006/early 2007 and which can be downloaded here: > http://www.apc.org/apps/img_upload/f22c64f43b568608639b68dbdd91d89a/Updated… > > I would appreciate any comments on this. > > > Abi > > >> >> > > -----Original Message----- >> > > From: fibre-for-africa-bounces(a)lists.apc.org [mailto:fibre-for-africa- >> > > bounces(a)lists.apc.org] On Behalf Of wakabi(a)cipesa.org >> > > Sent: 26 March 2009 01:43 >> > > To: eric(a)afrispa.org; APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop >> > > Participants >> > > Subject: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy? >> > > >> > > What's up EASSy? >> > > >> > > It's been a few quiet months at the EASSy stable, but word is now out >> > > on >> > > where this initiative has gotten to. And the word doesn't seem to good >> > > for >> > > EASSy enthusiasts. Once a front-runner in the so-called race to land >> > > fibre >> > > at the eastern coast of Africa, EASSy has conceded it is seriously >> > > trailing SEACOM (which appears comfortably perched in the driver's >> > > seat) >> > > and TEAMS (which is following in, albeit not too closely). >> > > >> > > According to a report in Kenya's Daily Nation, EASSy now expects to >> > > get >> > > operational around June 2010 (we add: 8 years after visionaries >> > > initially >> > > conceived it and got down to putting it together). Quoting Chris Wood, >> > > CEO >> > > of West Indian ocean cable Co. Ltd., the SPV for EASSy, the report >> > > says >> > > indicates EASSy will leverage on a "competitive long-term business >> > > plan >> > > to >> > > reduce the coast of bandwidth for coastal and land-locked countries". >> > > Besides, Wood claims his cable will have the biggest capacity of them >> > > all. >> > > Details: >> > > http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/smartcompany/-/1226/549886/- >> > > /srb1j8z/-/index.html >> > > >> > > SEACOM, meanwhile, announced this week it would go commercial in July >> > > this >> > > year - although the cable would be ready in June. Monthly charges for >> > > bulk purchases would be around US$100-US$200 per Mbps. They said >> > > demand >> > > is >> > > so high they will offer bandwidth at lower prices than their earlier >> > > biz >> > > plan forecast; talked about profitability reaching lots earlier than >> > > initially anticipated; and said carriers in the region would actually >> > > be >> > > better off accessing more than one cable. Nice. >> > > >> > > But some are wondering: Now that the cables are coming, what are we >> > > gonna >> > > do with that bandwidth? Possibilities are vast, plans probably much >> > > less. >> > > It appears in Kenya, there's both thinking and action. 1) This week, >> > > an >> > > education minister has spoken about interesting e-learning plans whose >> > > implementation later this year he said would be enabled by the >> > > availability of the cable. 2) Kenya Data Networks, one of those >> > > gleefully >> > > signing onto the SEACOM offering, has said they will reduce their >> > > costs >> > > from next month. 3) At the end of last year the Kenya ICT Board >> > > unveiled a >> > > US$4.1m kitty for developers of local content.... >> > > >> > > For some of the other countries, there doesn't appear to be as much >> > > cooking as in Kenya. Or may be someone just isn't telling us yet. >> > > >> > > Wakabi >> > > >> > >_______________________________________________ >> > > Fibre-for-africa mailing list >> > > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org >> > > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa >> > >> >_______________________________________________ >> > Fibre-for-africa mailing list >> > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org >> > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa >> >>_______________________________________________ >> Fibre-for-africa mailing list >> Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org >> http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa > > _______________________________________________ Fibre-for-africa mailing list Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa

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New "The 411..." Posts...
by Mike Bullut 23 Apr '09

23 Apr '09

Greetings, I've written some new posts on my *blog <http://kipsang.wordpress.com/>* & I'd like you guys to let me know what you think. By all means, feel free to comment on the articles I post and if you have anything you want posted, drop me a line. Enjoy! - *The 10 most dangerous species of help desk callers...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/the-10-most-dangerous-species-of-he…> * - *Women In ICT: Are We Moving Forward?<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/women-in-ict-are-we-moving-forward/> * *<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/women-in-ict-are-we-moving-forward/> * - *Q & A: White African...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/q-a-white-african/> * Popular Posts: - *100 Common Interview Questions...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/100-common-interview-questions/> * - *M-Pesa: How It Works...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/m-pesa-how-does-it-work/> * - *Special Edition: Nairobi Pictures (Kenya), A Beautiful East African City...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/special-edition-nairobi-pictures-kenya-a-beaut…> * - *Special Edition: New Style of ATM Thefts...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/special-edition-new-style-of-atm-thefts/> * - *Special Edition: Worldwide Job Cuts...<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/special-edition-worldwide-job-cuts/> * Warm regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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Fwd: [Skunkworks] Twitter Experience...
by Margaret Gichuki 22 Apr '09

22 Apr '09

Ooops! My bad.Posted this to the wrong list. Here you go Walu. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Margaret Gichuki <wams2006(a)gmail.com> Date: Apr 22, 2009 1:32 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Twitter Experience... To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com Cc: New Vision List <NewVisionKenya(a)yahoogroups.com> Walu, It's a great tool but hooking.The young man below is doing alot of good and have attracted so many people including celebrities like Oprah and Barbara Walters.Walters in yesterdays show the View was shown how to use it and sent out a MSG.'' Barbra loosing her twitter virginity''....She had tons of responses within an hr and her life will never be the same again if she gets hooked.10,000. mosquito nets are on their way to Africa.Read on. http://showhype.com/story/twitter_showdown_cnn_vs_ashton_kutcher/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-ostroy/twitter-dee-and-twitter-d_b_18912… On 4/22/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > am @jwalu on tweeter. > > i guess that means i will get more guys stalking me ;-) I truly feel like > some old zack, being xtra careful on where am stepping...even FB, Linkden, > and others remain for me purely academic and explorative exercises. > > I am looking for real benefits, that type that puts bread on the table > rather than waste productive working time. Something like what was posted > yesterday @ www.irb.com/jwrt/indexxx.html - where the some young techies > use the internet to stream the rugby action in Nairobi. That was cool - no > need for expensive frequency payments to CCK and yet broadcasting and > competing with the DSTVs of this world! > > So anyway, where is the bread in all these social networks? > > walu. > > > --- On Wed, 4/22/09, Victor Ngeny <victormaritim(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > From: Victor Ngeny <victormaritim(a)gmail.com> > > Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] Twitter Experience... > > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com, "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> > > Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 4:05 PM > > Hey Walu, > > Been on twitter since 2006, have learnt a great deal from > > it, created > > worthwhile contacts and now use it for work. am *@ngeny* on > > twitter, whats > > your username? > > > > V > > > > On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 3:01 PM, John Walubengo > > <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > I have heard about blogs, but now there is this new > > buzz about Twitter. > > > Anybody locally using twitter and finding it useful? > > > > > > I just registered and am following some chap called > > arsenal_mania and > > > frankly speaking it is informative while being > > entertaining (addictive?). > > > Which brings me to the question - are there instances > > of local "handles" > > > that are worth following and are having an impact > > within our local > > > socio-economic context? > > > > > > plse share. > > > > > > walu. > > > btw: some guys i dont know are already "stalking > > me" on twitter ;-) > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Skunkworks mailing list > > > Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke > > > > > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > > > Other services @ http://my.co.ke > > > Other lists > > > ------------- > > > Skunkworks announce: > > > > > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce > > > Science - > > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science > > > kazi - > > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Victor Ngeny > > > > Mobile +265770586704 > > GTalk: victormaritim Twitter: @ngeny > > Yahoo: vikngne Skype: victor.ngeny > > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: wams2006(a)gmail.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wams2006%40gmail.com >

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[Fwd: Re: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy?]
by alice 22 Apr '09

22 Apr '09

Dear All I use EASSy as a case study for a course I teach on and recently came up with the following summary of where the project currently stands. The "update" was put together to complement a stakeholder analysis that was done by APC late 2006/early 2007 and which can be downloaded here: http://www.apc.org/apps/img_upload/f22c64f43b568608639b68dbdd91d89a/Updated… I would appreciate any comments on this. Abi > > -----Original Message----- > > From: fibre-for-africa-bounces(a)lists.apc.org <mailto:fibre-for-africa-bounces@lists.apc.org> [mailto:fibre-for-africa- <mailto:fibre-for-africa-> > > bounces(a)lists.apc.org <mailto:bounces@lists.apc.org>] On Behalf Of wakabi(a)cipesa.org <mailto:wakabi@cipesa.org> > > Sent: 26 March 2009 01:43 > > To: eric(a)afrispa.org <mailto:eric@afrispa.org>; APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop > > Participants > > Subject: [Fibre-for-africa] What's Up EASSy? > > > > What's up EASSy? > > > > It's been a few quiet months at the EASSy stable, but word is now out > > on > > where this initiative has gotten to. And the word doesn't seem to good > > for > > EASSy enthusiasts. Once a front-runner in the so-called race to land > > fibre > > at the eastern coast of Africa, EASSy has conceded it is seriously > > trailing SEACOM (which appears comfortably perched in the driver's > > seat) > > and TEAMS (which is following in, albeit not too closely). > > > > According to a report in Kenya's Daily Nation, EASSy now expects to get > > operational around June 2010 (we add: 8 years after visionaries > > initially > > conceived it and got down to putting it together). Quoting Chris Wood, > > CEO > > of West Indian ocean cable Co. Ltd., the SPV for EASSy, the report says > > indicates EASSy will leverage on a "competitive long-term business plan > > to > > reduce the coast of bandwidth for coastal and land-locked countries". > > Besides, Wood claims his cable will have the biggest capacity of them > > all. > > Details: > > http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/smartcompany/-/1226/549886/- > > /srb1j8z/-/index.html > > > > SEACOM, meanwhile, announced this week it would go commercial in July > > this > > year - although the cable would be ready in June. Monthly charges for > > bulk purchases would be around US$100-US$200 per Mbps. They said demand > > is > > so high they will offer bandwidth at lower prices than their earlier > > biz > > plan forecast; talked about profitability reaching lots earlier than > > initially anticipated; and said carriers in the region would actually > > be > > better off accessing more than one cable. Nice. > > > > But some are wondering: Now that the cables are coming, what are we > > gonna > > do with that bandwidth? Possibilities are vast, plans probably much > > less. > > It appears in Kenya, there's both thinking and action. 1) This week, an > > education minister has spoken about interesting e-learning plans whose > > implementation later this year he said would be enabled by the > > availability of the cable. 2) Kenya Data Networks, one of those > > gleefully > > signing onto the SEACOM offering, has said they will reduce their costs > > from next month. 3) At the end of last year the Kenya ICT Board > > unveiled a > > US$4.1m kitty for developers of local content.... > > > > For some of the other countries, there doesn't appear to be as much > > cooking as in Kenya. Or may be someone just isn't telling us yet. > > > > Wakabi > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Fibre-for-africa mailing list > > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org <mailto:Fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org> > > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa > > _______________________________________________ > Fibre-for-africa mailing list > Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org <mailto:Fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org> > http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa _______________________________________________ Fibre-for-africa mailing list Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org <mailto:Fibre-for-africa@lists.apc.org> http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa _______________________________________________ Fibre-for-africa mailing list Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa

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Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Twitter Experience...
by John Walubengo 22 Apr '09

22 Apr '09

am @jwalu on tweeter. i guess that means i will get more guys stalking me ;-) I truly feel like some old zack, being xtra careful on where am stepping...even FB, Linkden, and others remain for me purely academic and explorative exercises. I am looking for real benefits, that type that puts bread on the table rather than waste productive working time. Something like what was posted yesterday @ www.irb.com/jwrt/indexxx.html - where the some young techies use the internet to stream the rugby action in Nairobi. That was cool - no need for expensive frequency payments to CCK and yet broadcasting and competing with the DSTVs of this world! So anyway, where is the bread in all these social networks? walu. --- On Wed, 4/22/09, Victor Ngeny <victormaritim(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: Victor Ngeny <victormaritim(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] Twitter Experience... > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com, "Skunkworks forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> > Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 4:05 PM > Hey Walu, > Been on twitter since 2006, have learnt a great deal from > it, created > worthwhile contacts and now use it for work. am *@ngeny* on > twitter, whats > your username? > > V > > On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 3:01 PM, John Walubengo > <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > > I have heard about blogs, but now there is this new > buzz about Twitter. > > Anybody locally using twitter and finding it useful? > > > > I just registered and am following some chap called > arsenal_mania and > > frankly speaking it is informative while being > entertaining (addictive?). > > Which brings me to the question - are there instances > of local "handles" > > that are worth following and are having an impact > within our local > > socio-economic context? > > > > plse share. > > > > walu. > > btw: some guys i dont know are already "stalking > me" on twitter ;-) > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Skunkworks mailing list > > Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke > > > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > > Other services @ http://my.co.ke > > Other lists > > ------------- > > Skunkworks announce: > > > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce > > Science - > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science > > kazi - > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general > > > > > > -- > Victor Ngeny > > Mobile +265770586704 > GTalk: victormaritim Twitter: @ngeny > Yahoo: vikngne Skype: victor.ngeny

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Re: [kictanet] Twitter Experience...
by John Walubengo 22 Apr '09

22 Apr '09

I have heard about blogs, but now there is this new buzz about Twitter. Anybody locally using twitter and finding it useful? I just registered and am following some chap called arsenal_mania and frankly speaking it is informative while being entertaining (addictive?). Which brings me to the question - are there instances of local "handles" that are worth following and are having an impact within our local socio-economic context? plse share. walu. btw: some guys i dont know are already "stalking me" on twitter ;-)

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Mobile thieves using mobile money transfer ...
by wesley kiriinya 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

A thief stole a mobile phone and called the owner's close relatives saying the owner had been involved in a road accident and was in critical condition. The hospital required money before admitting the patient so the thief was asking for 4,000 to be sent by M-PESA to the owner's mobile. The bigger question is, have people discovered loop holes to withdrawing money from mobile transfer solutions like M-PESA without the owner's ID document? I wonder how the thief could have withdrawn the money. O_O

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FW: [OPENMRS] OpenMRS proudly announces summer internships
by Edith Adera 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

This may be of interest. From: announce(a)openmrs.org [mailto:announce@openmrs.org] On Behalf Of Burke Mamlin Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 5:17 PM To: openmrs-announce-l(a)LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU Subject: [OPENMRS] OpenMRS proudly announces summer internships [cid:image001.png@01C9C1DD.D5FE0F20]OpenMRS is proud to announce our summer internships for 2009<http://soc2009.openmrs.org>. We are once again participating in Google Summer of Code. We are also mentoring projects this summer as part of our IDRC-funded OpenMRS Internship Program (OIP), which focuses on mentoring and capacity building in developing countries. This summer's interns come from nine different countries: Jaoa Portela from Portugal will be building a WYSIWYG form designer for the HTML form entry module. As many in the OpenMRS community know, we can use all the alternatives for data collection we can find. Darius made a great module for crafting HTML-based forms as an alternative to InfoPath and Jaoa will make form building even easier. Primary mentor: Darius Jazayeri, Backup mentor: Daniel Futerman. Dilupa Munindradasa from India will be integrating a Quartz scheduler into OpenMRS. Justin created our current scheduler that's responsible for running and managing all of the background processes for OpenMRS. Quartz<http://www.opensymphony.com/quartz/> is an open-source enterprise-level job scheduler that can further enhance our background job processing capabilities. We've wanted to adopt Quartz for a while, but just haven't had the time. Dilupa will be able to bring enterprise level job scheduling to all of our OpenMRS implementations. Primary mentor: Justin Miranda, Backup mentor: Vibha Anand. Lu Zhuang Wei from China will be building a serialization service for OpenMRS. Web services and some of our core reporting tools depend on the ability to efficiently transform OpenMRS "objects" into other formats. To date, we have been using various and sometimes redundant methods to do this work throughout OpenMRS. By introducing a new core service into OpenMRS, Lu will help us consolidate and improve our core code. Primary mentor: Ben Wolfe, Backup mentor: Daniel Kayiwa. Omar Verduga from Mexico will be building a longitudinal data review (flowsheet) module for OpenMRS. Providers, data managers, and researchers often depend on quick and intuitive access to historic patient data. Omar will help us build the first version of a cutting-edge clinical data viewing tool for OpenMRS. Primary mentor: Paul Biondich, Backup mentor: Maros Cunderlik. Pavel Konnikov from Russia will be adding global Property types to OpenMRS. Many different parts of OpenMRS, from modules to portlets to general features depend on global property settings to fine-tune them to fit an implementation's needs. Currently, managing various settings is fairly clumsy within OpenMRS. Pavel will pave the way for much more sophisticated handling of global property settings within OpenMRS. Primary mentor: Dave Thomas, Backup mentor: Justin Miranda. Antoine Nzeyimana from Rwanda will be enhancing data synchronization by improving the process needed to create a new node. Partners In Health has been field-testing data synchronization, which allows multiple OpenMRS servers to share data. As the OpenMRS team works to make this a core feature available to all implementations, one of the challenges is improving the addition of a new server to the network. Antoine, who helped with synchronization last year, will be joining us again to improve this critical piece of the synchronization puzzle. Primary mentor: Maros Cunderlik, Backup mentor: Ben Wolfe. Harshini Gudiwada from India will be adding role-based home page support to OpenMRS. Several implementations have asked for the ability to have different people see a different starting screen when logging into OpenMRS. Harshini will make this possible under the mentorship of Saptarshi, one of last year's Google Summer of Code students. Primary mentor: Saptashi Purkayastha, Backup mentor: Darius Jazayeri. Nimantha Baranasuriya from Sri Lanka will be building an audit module for OpenMRS. Any one managing large amounts of clinical data knows that quality data requires not only safeguards to ensure data errors are avoided wherever possible, but also tools to monitor the data for inconsistencies or errors. Nimantha will be creating a tool that can be used by any OpenMRS implementation to facilitate data quality monitoring. Primary mentor: Brian McKown, Backup mentor: Mike Seaton. Katherin Kuan from the U.S. will be building video upload capabality for Moca<http://www.mocamobile.org/> mobile devices load ultrasound and other video media into OpenMRS. Moca has built mobile tools that integrate with OpenMRS. Katherine will help add clinical video uploading to the list of mobile possibilities. Primary mentor: Gari Clifford, Backup mentors: Zack Anderson and RJ Ryan. Jenny Liu from the U.S. will be building authentication and registration capabilities for Moca<http://www.mocamobile.org/> mobile devices integrated with OpenMRS. Several mobile solutions are being built around OpenMRS and they all need a way to authenticate and register patients. While working on a solution for Moca mobile devices, Jenny will help create a standard model for mobile authorization/registration in OpenMRS for other mobile solutions to use as well. Primary mentor: Zack Anderson, Backup mentors: Gari Clifford and RJ Ryan. Upul Godage from Sri Lanka will be adding active lists support to OpenMRS. Some of the key data elements for any electronic medical record system are problem lists and allergy lists. Upul will help make these a core part of OpenMRS. Primary mentor: Burke Mamlin, Backup mentor: Dave Thomas. Robert O'Connor from the U.S. will be creating aggregate data entry tools for OpenMRS. While OpenMRS strives to build reports from high quality patient-level data, sometimes reports depend on aggregate data from external systems. Robert will allow implementations to enter and manage these data within OpenMRS so they can be used by reporting tools. Primary mentor: Mike Seaton, backup mentor: Darius Jazayeri. Amogha Gundavaram from India will be integrating the OpenEMPI Master Patient Index with OpenMRS. OpenEMPI<https://openhie.projects.openhealthtools.org/> is an open-source master patient index system. As organizations grow, they often need to move control of the master patient list from the electronic medical record system to a centralized system, such as OpenEMPI. Amogha will help create a module or messaging solution to integrate OpenMRS with OpenEMPI. Primary mentor: Odysseas Pentakalos, Backup mentor: Shaun Grannis. Saketh Bhamidipati from the U.S. will be enhancing the patient de-duplication workflow in the OpenMRS patient matching module. As implementations grow, ending up with duplicate patient records is a common problem. Shaun is a leader in the field of patient matching and mentored a student last year in creating a patient matching module for OpenMRS. This summer, Saketh will improve the interface so that patient de-duplication will become a tool in every OpenMRS implementation's arsenal. Primary mentor: Shaun Grannis, Backup mentor: James Egg. Moses Mugisha from Uganda will be integrating FrontlineSMS with OpenMRS. FrontlineSMS<http://www.frontlinesms.com/> is an innovative solution for gathering data via SMS messages, even allowing simple forms to be sent to devices and responses collected over SMS. Moses will integrate FrontlineSMS with OpenMRS, allowing simple form data using OpenMRS concepts to be collected from mobile phones over SMS. Primary mentor: Daniel Kayiwa, Backup mentor: Paul Biondich. Felicia Rosemond from the U.S. will be adding global caching support to the OpenMRS decision support engine. We have created a logic engine to support complex decision support rules at a low level within OpenMRS. One of the critical improvements needed for this service to become widely used is improved caching of derived results. Felicia will replace the existing rudimentary caching in the logic service with a high quality open-source caching library. Primary mentor: Tammy Dugan, Backup mentor: Burke Mamlin. [cid:image002.png@01C9C1DD.D5FE0F20]OpenMRS is also excited to announce that, thanks to the generosity of the team at Verio.com<http://verio.com/>, each of our summer interns will have access to their own public hosted server running OpenMRS within which they can load, debug, and demonstrate real-time project progress to the rest of the community. This will not only provide a great resource for the interns, but will facilitate getting valuable feedback from end users. Thank you Verio! We're honored by the excellent interns listed above as well as the many others who applied and we couldn't accommodate this summer. We're also thankful for a great (and growing) group of OpenMRS mentors and we're looking forward to the best summer of coding yet! - The OpenMRS Team ________________________________ Click here to unsubscribe<mailto:LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU?body=SIGNOFF%20openmrs-announce-l> from OpenMRS Announcements mailing list (note: if you are subscribed to any OpenMRS mailing list, you will continue to receive announcements) ________________________________ Click here to unsubscribe<mailto:LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU?body=SIGNOFF%20openmrs-announce-l> from OpenMRS Announcements mailing list (note: if you are subscribed to any OpenMRS mailing list, you will continue to receive announcements)

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Changing BPO landscape favours Kenya call centres
by Margaret Gichuki 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

Is this really true given the cost? Wams http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14054&Ite…

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Jobs in the US without matata
by Preston Odera 21 Apr '09

21 Apr '09

Wanted: Computer hackers ... to help government WASHINGTON – Wanted: Computer hackers. Federal authorities aren't looking to prosecute them, but to pay them to secure the nation's networks. General Dynamics Information Technology put out an ad last month on behalf of the Homeland Security Department seeking someone who could "think like the bad guy." Applicants, it said, must understand hackers' tools and tactics and be able to analyze Internet traffic and identify vulnerabilities in the federal systems. In the Pentagon's budget request submitted last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon will increase the number of cyberexperts it can train each year from 80 to 250 by 2011. With warnings that the U.S. is ill-prepared for a cyberattack, the White House conducted a 60-day study of how the government can better manage and use technology to protect everything from the electrical grid and stock markets to tax data, airline flight systems, and nuclear launch codes. President Barack Obama appointed a former Bush administration aide, Melissa Hathaway, to head the effort, and her report was delivered Friday, the White House said. While the country had detailed plans for floods, fires or errant planes drifting into protected airspace, there is no similar response etched out for a major computer attack. David Powner, director of technology issues for the Government Accountability Office, told Congress last month that the U.S. has no recovery plan for a digital disaster. "We're clearly not as prepared as we should be," he said. Administration officials says the U.S. has not kept pace with technological innovations needed to protect its computer networks against emerging threats from hackers, criminals or other nations looking for national security secrets. U.S. computer networks, including those at the Pentagon and other federal agencies, are under persistent attack, ranging from nuisance hacking to more nefarious assaults, possibly from other nations, such as China. Industry leaders told Congress during a recent hearing that law enforcement and other protections are too outdated to fend off threats from criminals, terrorists and unfriendly foreign nations. Just last week, a former government official revealed that spies had hacked into the U.S. electric grid and left behind computer programs that would let them disrupt service. The intrusions were discovered after electric companies gave the government permission to audit their systems, said the ex-official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. Cyberthreats are also included as a key potential national security risk outlined in a classified report put together by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pentagon officials say they spent more than $100 million in the last six months responding to and repairing damage from cyberattacks and other computer network problems. Nadia Short, vice president at General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, said the job posting for ethical hackers fills a critical need for the government. The analysts keep constant watch on the government networks as part of a surveillance programs called Einstein that was initiated by the Bush administration under the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team. US-CERT is a partnership of the Homeland Security Department, other public agencies and private companies. The Einstein program is an automated process for collecting and sharing security information. Short said the $60 million, four-year contract with US-CERT uses the ethical hackers to analyze threats to the government's computer systems and develop ways to reduce vulnerabilities. Faced with such cyberchallenges, Obama ordered the 60-day review to examine how federal agencies manage and protect their massive amounts of data and what the government's role should be in guarding the vast networks that control the country's vital utilities and infrastructure. Over the past two months, Hathaway met with hundreds of industry leaders, Capitol Hill staff and other experts, seeking guidance on what the federal government's role should be in protecting information networks against an attack. She sought recommendations on how officials should define and report cyberincidents and attacks; how the government should structure its cyberoversight; and how the nation can increase security without stifling innovation. A task force of technology giants, including representatives from General Dynamics, IBM, Lockheed Martin and Hewlett-Packard Co. urged the administration to establish a White House-level official to lead cyberefforts and to develop ways to share information on problems more quickly with the private sector. The administration has struggled with the basics, such as who should control the nation's cyberspace programs. There appears to be some agreement now that the White House should coordinate the overall effort, rejecting suggestions that the National Security Agency take it on — a plan that triggered protests on Capitol Hill and from civil liberties groups worried about giving such control to spy agencies. ___ On the Net: White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems: http://www.gd-ais.com/ U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team: http://www.us-cert.gov/ GAO report: http://tinyurl.com/aczgk6 Jobs in the US without matata. Our graduates should take the opportunity. 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)k90ea.com

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ICANN gets "securitized": What would this mean for the Internet Governance and ICANN?]
by alice 20 Apr '09

20 Apr '09

Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:03:48 +0200 From: Soenke Zehle Subject: Mueller, Securitization of ICANN To: incom-l ICANN gets "securitized" by Milton Mueller on Thu 02 Apr 2009 12:58 PM EDT <http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/4/2/4141451.html> <http://cdt.org/security/CYBERSEC4.pdf> This is no April Fool's joke: here is a bill that is almost a caricature of what the rest of the world fears about U.S. control of the Internet DNS root and ICANN. Legislation unveiled today by Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, would require a Presidentially appointed cybersecurity advisory panel to ensure that national security would not be compromised before approving the renewal or modification of the contract between the U.S. government and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. According to a summary of the bill, it would "make sure that ICANN does not succumb to foreign pressure" to end its relationship with the U.S. government. ICANN is only one part of a comprehensive and authoritarian approach to cybersecurity. According to the Center for Democracy and Technology, "The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 would...give the President unfettered power to shut down Internet traffic in emergencies or disconnect any critical infrastructure system or network on national security grounds." Read the proposed Cybersecurity Act of 2009. -- Regards. -------------------------- Fouad Bajwa @skBajwa Answering all your technology questions http://www.askbajwa.com http://twitter.com/fouadbajwa ____________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: governance-unsubscribe(a)lists.cpsr.org For all list information and functions, see: http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

2 1

Revealing Security Holes vrs "The Rogue Tracker" type of stories
by wesley kiriinya 20 Apr '09

20 Apr '09

I believe that the ICT bill makes it illegal for someone to reveal security holes in IT systems. However doesn't investigative journalism stories like the recent "The Rogue Tracker" reveal 'security holes'? So what makes that legal? If one was to discover a security hole in a system, then one can do their own investigative journalism then reveal everything about the security hole. I believe the tracking system is an IT system. And it seems a security hole was revealed. It's like saying half of the companies that claim to have installed a particular firewall might not really have the firewall installed. Revealing security holes might be a necessary evil. Just like how some people might have lived with the false security about their cars, some people might be living with false security about their personal info in IT systems. Just the other day someone posted that s/he had bought something which was wrapped by paper containing security authentication credentials from a bank. Another post showed the lack of experience of a local bank's website programmers that allowed anyone to get the password of one of the subjects in their database system. Now all the funky possible stuff is left to the hacker's imagination who might be sitting in the middle of Migingo, sorry, Mijinjo. o_O?

2 1

Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT on polls
by Evans J. Nyagah 18 Apr '09

18 Apr '09

Staying with this issue, kenya has the next big opportunity to anticipate inclusion of ICT in electoral process, this will be realized when the electoral body yet to be formed revises the electorate registers- which should include contacts such as mobile and emails. Further a mechanism to have those in the diaspora oncluded will epitomize our development in ICT. Sent from my iPhone On Apr 18, 2009, at 12:08 PM, "kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <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 > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (bitange(a)jambo.co.ke) > 2. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (Gakuru Alex) > 3. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (Solomon Mburu) > 4. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (Gakuru Alex) > 5. Court jails Pirate Bay founders...Worlds most high profile > file sharing website (alice) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:09:17 +0300 (EAT) > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: "Wainaina Mungai" <wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: > <ed68a29c670ed4c654ab14de0670e33e.squirrel(a)mail.jambo.co.ke> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > Wainaina, > Indeed we have made progress in this end. The Lands, Judiciary, Motor > Vhicle, and Pension Dept registries are being prepared for > digitization. > It takes time to go through the procurement process and fighting > resistance from staff. It is not all that easy as I once thought. We > shall not give up though. Parliament has to pass the FOI for all the > digitization to stimulate enterprise. > > Regards > > Ndemo. > > >> A few years back at the Safaricom offices, President Kibaki tasked >> former Info & Comm Minister with implementing such "Digitization" in >> government. What ever happened to that? >> >> **Is PS Ndemo still tasked with implementing digitization? >> >> Regards, >> Wainaina >> >> >> On 4/16/09, wesley kiriinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >>> Well our census is up in a few months. Let's see if technology >>> will be >>> used >>> to verify the truth of the collected data. >>> >>> I believe in a system where everything works like it's supposed >>> to, data >>> from deaths, births, immigration (and whatever affects population >>> size) >>> can >>> be used to update the population statistics, and a census only >>> conducted >>> in >>> areas where there seems to be an abnormal population size change >>> (small-scale census). Technology can go a long way into making >>> this a >>> reality. I believe the cost of maintaining the technology and doing >>> small-scale census would be cheaper than doing an entire census >>> every >>> decade. >>> >>> O_O >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> --- On Thu, 4/16/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >>> >>> >>> From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> >>> Subject: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls >>> To: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com >>> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" >>> <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> Date: Thursday, April 16, 2009, 11:04 AM >>> >>> >>> >>> Not sure if our next "Kivuitu" wants to hear things like below ;-) >>> >>> walu. >>> ~~~~~~ >>> By CHARLES OMOND IPosted Thursday, April 16 2009 at 10:41 >>> >>> In Summary >>> >>> As the rest of the continent dithers, use of information >>> communication >>> technology in South Africa's political processes has enabled >>> thousands >>> of >>> its citizens overseas to vote, a whole week ahead of their home- >>> based >>> compatriots. >>> >>> JOHANNESBURG, Thursday >>> As the rest of Africa dithers, South Africa has moved fast to >>> embrace >>> information communication technology as part of its political >>> processes. >>> And >>> as a result of the revolutionary move, thousands of eligible >>> voters have >>> already cast their ballots away from home and a whole week ahead of >>> their >>> home-based compatriots. >>> >>> Rest of the story... >>> http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/560768/-/13ph0aiz/-/index.html >>> >>> 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… >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> --- >> http://www.bungesms.com >> >> http://www.madeinkenya.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >> >> ---------------------------------------------- >> This message has been scanned for viruses and >> dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is >> believed to be clean. >> --------------------------------------------- >> "easy access to the world" >> >> > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:37:59 +0300 > From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Message-ID: > <1981f3fd0904170837r681702c3w684930526a644a02(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: > >> resistance from staff. ?It is not all that easy as I once thought. ? >> We >> shall not give up though. ?Parliament has to pass the FOI for all the >> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >> > > The Media: > > Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in > government. How does FOI threaten their interests? Why is the > Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What > corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs > declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? > > regards, > > Alex > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:03:40 -0230 > From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Message-ID: > <98099ee50904170933j7df14631l7c7ae19e2e185480(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Dakitari, I believe no matter how much pressure and resistance is > coming from some civil servants, they will have to give in, only when > proper mechanisms and laws are put in place. > > On 17/04/2009, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: >> >>> resistance from staff. ?It is not all that easy as I once >>> thought. ?We >>> shall not give up though. ?Parliament has to pass the FOI for all >>> the >>> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >>> >> >> The Media: >> >> Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in >> government. How does FOI threaten their interests? Why is the >> Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What >> corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs >> declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? >> >> regards, >> >> Alex >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: solo.mburu(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/solo.mburu%40gmail.com >> > > > -- > Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all > the same way to the side of a hill! > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:37:36 +0300 > From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: mwangi(a)wamae.com > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Message-ID: > <1981f3fd0904170937m7816ee45m68e54d9a4a252f32(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Wasalaale! Please stop suspecting here's hard truth. Nowadays the > 'real' money is in procurement. > <http://www.ppoa.go.ke/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=47>. You > recall the time all 3,000 were sacked some years back.. > > Since the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 came into effect. > They changed tact and they put every hurdle in availing information > that would enable open tendering. Most of the costly ads are for PR.. > An example? One of them recently called me asking me to inform a group > of SMEs I was lobbying they get government business, to go collect > tender documents from their procurement department at 6 pm. The > deadline for submission was 9 am the following morning. You get what I > am saying? You don't suppose that person sat on that information 'by > accident' all the while? > > FOI would mean that anyone can go back and demand, for example, all > communication, call logs etc that Civil Servant had prior to the > tender award? Should pattern be established than impling that the law > was broken, then that somebody would find themselves on the other side > of the law. Just one example. > > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 7:16 PM, <mwangi(a)wamae.com> wrote: >> Alex: >> >> I suspect that civil servants are not anti the FOI per se, but >> afraid that digitization will lead to job cuts and, to be somewhat >> cynical, reduce their ability to exact "rents" from their jobs. >> >> -Mwangi, Jhb >> Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> >> >> Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:37:59 >> To: <mwangi.wamae(a)gmail.com> >> Cc: <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls >> >> >> On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, ?<bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: >> >>> resistance from staff. ?It is not all that easy as I once >>> thought. ?We >>> shall not give up though. ?Parliament has to pass the FOI for all >>> the >>> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >>> >> >> The Media: >> >> Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in >> government. How does FOI ?threaten their interests? Why is the >> Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What >> corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs >> declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? >> >> regards, >> >> Alex >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: mwangi.wamae(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwangi.wamae%40gmail.c… >> > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:34:34 +0300 > From: alice <alice(a)apc.org> > Subject: [kictanet] Court jails Pirate Bay founders...Worlds most high > profile file sharing website > To: Kenya ICT Action Network - KICTANet > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: <49E9120A.7070005(a)apc.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Coming to Kenya soon > > ---------------- > Court jails Pirate Bay founders > > Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde, speaking on his website: 'We cannot and > wouldn't pay' > > A court in Sweden has jailed four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the > world's most high-profile file-sharing website, in a landmark case. > > Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde > were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a > year > in jail. > > They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (?3m) in damages. > > Record companies welcomed the verdict but the men are to appeal and > Sunde said they would refuse to pay the fine. > > Speaking at an online press conference, he described the verdict as > "bizarre". > > "It's serious to actually be found guilty and get jail time. It's > really > serious. And that's a bit weird," Sunde said. > > "It's so bizarre that we were convicted at all and it's even more > bizarre that we were [convicted] as a team. The court said we were > organised. I can't get Gottfrid out of bed in the morning. If you're > going to convict us, convict us of disorganised crime. > > "We can't pay and we wouldn't pay. Even if I had the money I would > rather burn everything I owned, and I wouldn't even give them the > ashes." > > > It is almost certain that The Pirate Bay will keep on sailing, long > after today's court judgement > > > The damages were awarded to a number of entertainment companies, > including Warner Bros, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Columbia > Pictures. > > However, the total awarded fell short of the $17.5m in damages and > interest the firms were seeking. > > Speaking to the BBC, the chairman of industry body the International > Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) John Kennedy said the > verdict sent out a clear message. > > "These guys weren't making a principled stand, they were out to line > their own pockets. There was nothing meritorious about their > behaviour, > it was reprehensible. > > "The Pirate Bay did immense harm and the damages awarded doesn't even > get close to compensation, but we never claimed it did. > > "There has been a perception that piracy is OK and that the music > industry should just have to accept it. This verdict will change > that," > he said. > > The Pirate Bay's first server is now a museum exhibit in Stockholm > > The four men denied the charges throughout the trial, saying that > because they did not actually host any files, they were not doing > anything wrong. > > Speaking on Swedish Radio, assistant judge Klarius explained how the > court reached its findings. > > "The court first tried whether there was any question of breach of > copyright by the file-sharing application and that has been proved, > that > the offence was committed. > > "The court then moved on to look at those who acted as a team to > operate > the Pirate Bay file-sharing service, and the court found that they > knew > that material which was protected by copyright but continued to > operate > the service," he said. > > A lawyer for Carl Lundstrom, Per Samuelson, told journalists he was > shocked by the guilty verdict and the severity of the sentence. > > "That's outrageous, in my point of view. Of course we will appeal," he > was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. "This is the first word, > not the last. The last word will be ours." > > Political issue > > Rickard Falkvinge, leader of The Pirate Party - which is trying to > reform laws around copyright and patents in the digital age - told the > BBC that the verdict was "a gross injustice". > > "This wasn't a criminal trial, it was a political trial. It is just > gross beyond description that you can jail four people for providing > infrastructure. > > Mark Mulligan from Forrester Research says what was different about > Pirate Bay > > "There is a lot of anger in Sweden right now. File-sharing is an > institution here and while I can't encourage people to break copyright > law, I'm not following it and I don't agree with it. > > "Today's events make file-sharing a hot political issue and we're > going > to take this to the European Parliament." > > The Pirate Bay is the world's most high profile file-sharing website > and > was set up in 2003 by anti-copyright organisation Piratbyran, but for > the last five years it has been run by individuals. > > Millions of files are exchanged using the service every day. > > No copyright content is hosted on The Pirate Bay's web servers; > instead > the site hosts "torrent" links to TV, film and music files held on its > users' computers. > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > End of kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 25 > **************************************** ##################################################################################### Scanned by MailMarshal - Marshal's comprehensive email content security solution. 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Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 25
by Evans J. Nyagah 18 Apr '09

18 Apr '09

Sent from my iPhone On Apr 18, 2009, at 12:08 PM, "kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <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 > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (bitange(a)jambo.co.ke) > 2. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (Gakuru Alex) > 3. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (Solomon Mburu) > 4. Re: South Africa embraces ICT in polls (Gakuru Alex) > 5. Court jails Pirate Bay founders...Worlds most high profile > file sharing website (alice) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:09:17 +0300 (EAT) > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: "Wainaina Mungai" <wainaina(a)madeinkenya.org> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: > <ed68a29c670ed4c654ab14de0670e33e.squirrel(a)mail.jambo.co.ke> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > Wainaina, > Indeed we have made progress in this end. The Lands, Judiciary, Motor > Vhicle, and Pension Dept registries are being prepared for > digitization. > It takes time to go through the procurement process and fighting > resistance from staff. It is not all that easy as I once thought. We > shall not give up though. Parliament has to pass the FOI for all the > digitization to stimulate enterprise. > > Regards > > Ndemo. > > >> A few years back at the Safaricom offices, President Kibaki tasked >> former Info & Comm Minister with implementing such "Digitization" in >> government. What ever happened to that? >> >> **Is PS Ndemo still tasked with implementing digitization? >> >> Regards, >> Wainaina >> >> >> On 4/16/09, wesley kiriinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >>> Well our census is up in a few months. Let's see if technology >>> will be >>> used >>> to verify the truth of the collected data. >>> >>> I believe in a system where everything works like it's supposed >>> to, data >>> from deaths, births, immigration (and whatever affects population >>> size) >>> can >>> be used to update the population statistics, and a census only >>> conducted >>> in >>> areas where there seems to be an abnormal population size change >>> (small-scale census). Technology can go a long way into making >>> this a >>> reality. I believe the cost of maintaining the technology and doing >>> small-scale census would be cheaper than doing an entire census >>> every >>> decade. >>> >>> O_O >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> --- On Thu, 4/16/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >>> >>> >>> From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> >>> Subject: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls >>> To: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com >>> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" >>> <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>> Date: Thursday, April 16, 2009, 11:04 AM >>> >>> >>> >>> Not sure if our next "Kivuitu" wants to hear things like below ;-) >>> >>> walu. >>> ~~~~~~ >>> By CHARLES OMOND IPosted Thursday, April 16 2009 at 10:41 >>> >>> In Summary >>> >>> As the rest of the continent dithers, use of information >>> communication >>> technology in South Africa's political processes has enabled >>> thousands >>> of >>> its citizens overseas to vote, a whole week ahead of their home- >>> based >>> compatriots. >>> >>> JOHANNESBURG, Thursday >>> As the rest of Africa dithers, South Africa has moved fast to >>> embrace >>> information communication technology as part of its political >>> processes. >>> And >>> as a result of the revolutionary move, thousands of eligible >>> voters have >>> already cast their ballots away from home and a whole week ahead of >>> their >>> home-based compatriots. >>> >>> Rest of the story... >>> http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/560768/-/13ph0aiz/-/index.html >>> >>> 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… >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> --- >> http://www.bungesms.com >> >> http://www.madeinkenya.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >> >> ---------------------------------------------- >> This message has been scanned for viruses and >> dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is >> believed to be clean. >> --------------------------------------------- >> "easy access to the world" >> >> > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:37:59 +0300 > From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Message-ID: > <1981f3fd0904170837r681702c3w684930526a644a02(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: > >> resistance from staff. ?It is not all that easy as I once thought. ? >> We >> shall not give up though. ?Parliament has to pass the FOI for all the >> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >> > > The Media: > > Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in > government. How does FOI threaten their interests? Why is the > Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What > corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs > declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? > > regards, > > Alex > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:03:40 -0230 > From: Solomon Mburu <solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Message-ID: > <98099ee50904170933j7df14631l7c7ae19e2e185480(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Dakitari, I believe no matter how much pressure and resistance is > coming from some civil servants, they will have to give in, only when > proper mechanisms and laws are put in place. > > On 17/04/2009, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: >> >>> resistance from staff. ?It is not all that easy as I once >>> thought. ?We >>> shall not give up though. ?Parliament has to pass the FOI for all >>> the >>> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >>> >> >> The Media: >> >> Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in >> government. How does FOI threaten their interests? Why is the >> Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What >> corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs >> declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? >> >> regards, >> >> Alex >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: solo.mburu(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/solo.mburu%40gmail.com >> > > > -- > Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all > the same way to the side of a hill! > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:37:36 +0300 > From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > To: mwangi(a)wamae.com > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Message-ID: > <1981f3fd0904170937m7816ee45m68e54d9a4a252f32(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Wasalaale! Please stop suspecting here's hard truth. Nowadays the > 'real' money is in procurement. > <http://www.ppoa.go.ke/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=47>. You > recall the time all 3,000 were sacked some years back.. > > Since the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 came into effect. > They changed tact and they put every hurdle in availing information > that would enable open tendering. Most of the costly ads are for PR.. > An example? One of them recently called me asking me to inform a group > of SMEs I was lobbying they get government business, to go collect > tender documents from their procurement department at 6 pm. The > deadline for submission was 9 am the following morning. You get what I > am saying? You don't suppose that person sat on that information 'by > accident' all the while? > > FOI would mean that anyone can go back and demand, for example, all > communication, call logs etc that Civil Servant had prior to the > tender award? Should pattern be established than impling that the law > was broken, then that somebody would find themselves on the other side > of the law. Just one example. > > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 7:16 PM, <mwangi(a)wamae.com> wrote: >> Alex: >> >> I suspect that civil servants are not anti the FOI per se, but >> afraid that digitization will lead to job cuts and, to be somewhat >> cynical, reduce their ability to exact "rents" from their jobs. >> >> -Mwangi, Jhb >> Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> >> >> Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:37:59 >> To: <mwangi.wamae(a)gmail.com> >> Cc: <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls >> >> >> On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, ?<bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: >> >>> resistance from staff. ?It is not all that easy as I once >>> thought. ?We >>> shall not give up though. ?Parliament has to pass the FOI for all >>> the >>> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >>> >> >> The Media: >> >> Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in >> government. How does FOI ?threaten their interests? Why is the >> Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What >> corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs >> declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? >> >> regards, >> >> Alex >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: mwangi.wamae(a)gmail.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwangi.wamae%40gmail.c… >> > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:34:34 +0300 > From: alice <alice(a)apc.org> > Subject: [kictanet] Court jails Pirate Bay founders...Worlds most high > profile file sharing website > To: Kenya ICT Action Network - KICTANet > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Message-ID: <49E9120A.7070005(a)apc.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Coming to Kenya soon > > ---------------- > Court jails Pirate Bay founders > > Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde, speaking on his website: 'We cannot and > wouldn't pay' > > A court in Sweden has jailed four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the > world's most high-profile file-sharing website, in a landmark case. > > Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde > were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a > year > in jail. > > They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (?3m) in damages. > > Record companies welcomed the verdict but the men are to appeal and > Sunde said they would refuse to pay the fine. > > Speaking at an online press conference, he described the verdict as > "bizarre". > > "It's serious to actually be found guilty and get jail time. It's > really > serious. And that's a bit weird," Sunde said. > > "It's so bizarre that we were convicted at all and it's even more > bizarre that we were [convicted] as a team. The court said we were > organised. I can't get Gottfrid out of bed in the morning. If you're > going to convict us, convict us of disorganised crime. > > "We can't pay and we wouldn't pay. Even if I had the money I would > rather burn everything I owned, and I wouldn't even give them the > ashes." > > > It is almost certain that The Pirate Bay will keep on sailing, long > after today's court judgement > > > The damages were awarded to a number of entertainment companies, > including Warner Bros, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Columbia > Pictures. > > However, the total awarded fell short of the $17.5m in damages and > interest the firms were seeking. > > Speaking to the BBC, the chairman of industry body the International > Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) John Kennedy said the > verdict sent out a clear message. > > "These guys weren't making a principled stand, they were out to line > their own pockets. There was nothing meritorious about their > behaviour, > it was reprehensible. > > "The Pirate Bay did immense harm and the damages awarded doesn't even > get close to compensation, but we never claimed it did. > > "There has been a perception that piracy is OK and that the music > industry should just have to accept it. This verdict will change > that," > he said. > > The Pirate Bay's first server is now a museum exhibit in Stockholm > > The four men denied the charges throughout the trial, saying that > because they did not actually host any files, they were not doing > anything wrong. > > Speaking on Swedish Radio, assistant judge Klarius explained how the > court reached its findings. > > "The court first tried whether there was any question of breach of > copyright by the file-sharing application and that has been proved, > that > the offence was committed. > > "The court then moved on to look at those who acted as a team to > operate > the Pirate Bay file-sharing service, and the court found that they > knew > that material which was protected by copyright but continued to > operate > the service," he said. > > A lawyer for Carl Lundstrom, Per Samuelson, told journalists he was > shocked by the guilty verdict and the severity of the sentence. > > "That's outrageous, in my point of view. Of course we will appeal," he > was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. "This is the first word, > not the last. The last word will be ours." > > Political issue > > Rickard Falkvinge, leader of The Pirate Party - which is trying to > reform laws around copyright and patents in the digital age - told the > BBC that the verdict was "a gross injustice". > > "This wasn't a criminal trial, it was a political trial. It is just > gross beyond description that you can jail four people for providing > infrastructure. > > Mark Mulligan from Forrester Research says what was different about > Pirate Bay > > "There is a lot of anger in Sweden right now. File-sharing is an > institution here and while I can't encourage people to break copyright > law, I'm not following it and I don't agree with it. > > "Today's events make file-sharing a hot political issue and we're > going > to take this to the European Parliament." > > The Pirate Bay is the world's most high profile file-sharing website > and > was set up in 2003 by anti-copyright organisation Piratbyran, but for > the last five years it has been run by individuals. > > Millions of files are exchanged using the service every day. > > No copyright content is hosted on The Pirate Bay's web servers; > instead > the site hosts "torrent" links to TV, film and music files held on its > users' computers. > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > End of kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 25 > **************************************** ##################################################################################### Scanned by MailMarshal - Marshal's comprehensive email content security solution. 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Court jails Pirate Bay founders...Worlds most high profile file sharing website
by alice 18 Apr '09

18 Apr '09

Coming to Kenya soon ---------------- Court jails Pirate Bay founders Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde, speaking on his website: 'We cannot and wouldn't pay' A court in Sweden has jailed four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the world's most high-profile file-sharing website, in a landmark case. Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a year in jail. They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages. Record companies welcomed the verdict but the men are to appeal and Sunde said they would refuse to pay the fine. Speaking at an online press conference, he described the verdict as "bizarre". "It's serious to actually be found guilty and get jail time. It's really serious. And that's a bit weird," Sunde said. "It's so bizarre that we were convicted at all and it's even more bizarre that we were [convicted] as a team. The court said we were organised. I can't get Gottfrid out of bed in the morning. If you're going to convict us, convict us of disorganised crime. "We can't pay and we wouldn't pay. Even if I had the money I would rather burn everything I owned, and I wouldn't even give them the ashes." It is almost certain that The Pirate Bay will keep on sailing, long after today's court judgement The damages were awarded to a number of entertainment companies, including Warner Bros, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Columbia Pictures. However, the total awarded fell short of the $17.5m in damages and interest the firms were seeking. Speaking to the BBC, the chairman of industry body the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) John Kennedy said the verdict sent out a clear message. "These guys weren't making a principled stand, they were out to line their own pockets. There was nothing meritorious about their behaviour, it was reprehensible. "The Pirate Bay did immense harm and the damages awarded doesn't even get close to compensation, but we never claimed it did. "There has been a perception that piracy is OK and that the music industry should just have to accept it. This verdict will change that," he said. The Pirate Bay's first server is now a museum exhibit in Stockholm The four men denied the charges throughout the trial, saying that because they did not actually host any files, they were not doing anything wrong. Speaking on Swedish Radio, assistant judge Klarius explained how the court reached its findings. "The court first tried whether there was any question of breach of copyright by the file-sharing application and that has been proved, that the offence was committed. "The court then moved on to look at those who acted as a team to operate the Pirate Bay file-sharing service, and the court found that they knew that material which was protected by copyright but continued to operate the service," he said. A lawyer for Carl Lundstrom, Per Samuelson, told journalists he was shocked by the guilty verdict and the severity of the sentence. "That's outrageous, in my point of view. Of course we will appeal," he was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. "This is the first word, not the last. The last word will be ours." Political issue Rickard Falkvinge, leader of The Pirate Party - which is trying to reform laws around copyright and patents in the digital age - told the BBC that the verdict was "a gross injustice". "This wasn't a criminal trial, it was a political trial. It is just gross beyond description that you can jail four people for providing infrastructure. Mark Mulligan from Forrester Research says what was different about Pirate Bay "There is a lot of anger in Sweden right now. File-sharing is an institution here and while I can't encourage people to break copyright law, I'm not following it and I don't agree with it. "Today's events make file-sharing a hot political issue and we're going to take this to the European Parliament." The Pirate Bay is the world's most high profile file-sharing website and was set up in 2003 by anti-copyright organisation Piratbyran, but for the last five years it has been run by individuals. Millions of files are exchanged using the service every day. No copyright content is hosted on The Pirate Bay's web servers; instead the site hosts "torrent" links to TV, film and music files held on its users' computers.

1 0

Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls
by Gakuru Alex 17 Apr '09

17 Apr '09

Wasalaale! Please stop suspecting here's hard truth. Nowadays the 'real' money is in procurement. <http://www.ppoa.go.ke/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=47>. You recall the time all 3,000 were sacked some years back.. Since the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 came into effect. They changed tact and they put every hurdle in availing information that would enable open tendering. Most of the costly ads are for PR.. An example? One of them recently called me asking me to inform a group of SMEs I was lobbying they get government business, to go collect tender documents from their procurement department at 6 pm. The deadline for submission was 9 am the following morning. You get what I am saying? You don't suppose that person sat on that information 'by accident' all the while? FOI would mean that anyone can go back and demand, for example, all communication, call logs etc that Civil Servant had prior to the tender award? Should pattern be established than impling that the law was broken, then that somebody would find themselves on the other side of the law. Just one example. On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 7:16 PM, <mwangi(a)wamae.com> wrote: > Alex: > > I suspect that civil servants are not anti the FOI per se, but afraid that digitization will lead to job cuts and, to be somewhat cynical, reduce their ability to exact "rents" from their jobs. > > -Mwangi, Jhb > Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> > > Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:37:59 > To: <mwangi.wamae(a)gmail.com> > Cc: <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls > > > On Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:09 PM, <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: > >> resistance from staff. It is not all that easy as I once thought. We >> shall not give up though. Parliament has to pass the FOI for all the >> digitization to stimulate enterprise. >> > > The Media: > > Please help in exposing more Civil Servants frustrating openness in > government. How does FOI threaten their interests? Why is the > Official Secrets Act their continued corruption cover-up. What > corruption perpetuating networks and cartels exist? Tally which MPs > declare their support for FOI if tabled in parliament today? > > regards, > > Alex > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: mwangi.wamae(a)gmail.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwangi.wamae%40gmail.c… >

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Re: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls
by wesley kiriinya 17 Apr '09

17 Apr '09

Well our census is up in a few months. Let's see if technology will be used to verify the truth of the collected data. I believe in a system where everything works like it's supposed to, data from deaths, births, immigration (and whatever affects population size) can be used to update the population statistics, and a census only conducted in areas where there seems to be an abnormal population size change (small-scale census). Technology can go a long way into making this a reality. I believe the cost of maintaining the technology and doing small-scale census would be cheaper than doing an entire census every decade. O_O --- On Thu, 4/16/09, John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [kictanet] South Africa embraces ICT in polls To: kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Thursday, April 16, 2009, 11:04 AM Not sure if our next "Kivuitu" wants to hear things like below ;-) walu. ~~~~~~ By CHARLES OMOND IPosted Thursday, April 16 2009 at 10:41 In Summary As the rest of the continent dithers, use of information communication technology in South Africa's political processes has enabled thousands of its citizens overseas to vote, a whole week ahead of their home-based compatriots. JOHANNESBURG, Thursday As the rest of Africa dithers, South Africa has moved fast to embrace information communication technology as part of its political processes. And as a result of the revolutionary move, thousands of eligible voters have already cast their ballots away from home and a whole week ahead of their home-based compatriots. Rest of the story... http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/560768/-/13ph0aiz/-/index.html 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…

5 4

Kenya IGF Review Forum
by Solomon Mburu 16 Apr '09

16 Apr '09

Dear All, These are photos which I took during the Kenya Internet Governance Review Forum held at the Jacaranda Hotel on 15th April 2009. Thank you KENIC for the invitation. Regards, Solomon Mburu DSC06874.JPG DSC06875.JPG DSC06876.JPG DSC06877.JPG DSC06878.JPG DSC06879.JPG DSC06880.JPG DSC06881.JPG DSC06882.JPG DSC06884.JPG DSC06885.JPG

2 2

Blended Learning course on e-Content Development
by Gakiria 16 Apr '09

16 Apr '09

Dear All, I would like to respond to the comments posted on this list on e-Content development by forwarding information on a blended learning course that we have been offering since 2007. there are still a few slots rermaining for those who might be interested. Regards Andrew ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Dear Partners in eLearning: On behalf of InWEnt, Germany, Kenya eLearning Centre (KeLC), The Namibian Open Learning Network Trust (NOLNet eLC), and the University of Western Cape invites all interested partners in COMESA member countries to nominate participants for the eLearning in Practice blended learning course (e-LiP 3), to be launched in April 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya. This is the first ina series of blended learning courses planned for this year. The eLiP Course is an on demand course targeting participants seeking specialization in a particular area of e-Learning, either as an: • e-Learning Manager, • Instructional Designer, • e-Learning Course Producer or • e-Learning Facilitator and tutor. The eLiP course comprises of 4 online modules as below: • Management in Practice (MiP), • Instructional Design in Practice (IDiP), • Content Development in Practice (CDiP) and • Tutoring in Practice (TiP), Using the blended learning approach, each module runs for 3 weeks online, with two face-to-face workshops. Workshop 1, which is the start-up to the course, is two (2) days in duration and workshop 2, after completion of the online phase, is five (5) days in duration. After an eLiP Course there will be further online support for graduating participants in the afore-mentioned areas of specialization and as eLiP Alumni. Note that there are very limited places, and a strict adherence to the nomination criteria will be observed. Course Fee: There is a course fee of 600.00 Euro for participation in an eLiP Course. The mode for payment is as specified in the application form. All course fees must be paid before the workshop commences. All related costs will be covered by the sponsors, such as venue, accommodation, meals and local transfers. Daily allowances will NOT be paid and participants will be expected to cover their own private expenses This eLiP Course will be launched in a face to face workshop on 23-24 April 2009, in Nairobi, Kenya. Deadline for applications is 18th April 2009. Please read more on the course requirements for participation and a more detailed description in the attached document called eLiP Information. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the call for participation, please do not hesitate to drop me line. Andrew Gakiria gakiria(a)kelc.org -- Gakiria Andrew Coordinator Kenya eLearning Centre Nairobi, KENYA

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South Africa embraces ICT in polls
by John Walubengo 16 Apr '09

16 Apr '09

Not sure if our next "Kivuitu" wants to hear things like below ;-) walu. ~~~~~~ By CHARLES OMOND IPosted Thursday, April 16 2009 at 10:41 In Summary As the rest of the continent dithers, use of information communication technology in South Africa's political processes has enabled thousands of its citizens overseas to vote, a whole week ahead of their home-based compatriots. JOHANNESBURG, Thursday As the rest of Africa dithers, South Africa has moved fast to embrace information communication technology as part of its political processes. And as a result of the revolutionary move, thousands of eligible voters have already cast their ballots away from home and a whole week ahead of their home-based compatriots. Rest of the story... http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/560768/-/13ph0aiz/-/index.html walu.

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KEN Irema Cia Wendo: Gikuyu Movie on Africa Magic+ (DSTV)
by Mwangi Wamae 15 Apr '09

15 Apr '09

I was surfing channels and I came across a Gikuyu movie on DSTV. This is the first Gikuyu movie I have ever seen! It is a well produced movie and, well, it *spoke* to me. It is astounding that in 40-something years I have never seen a full production movie in my vernacular. The power of language is amazing, I commend the *Kenya Film Commission* and all those who made it possible. I was so captivated that I strongly advocate more movies in local languages -- I watch French, Italian and German movies with subtities, I am sure that I would have no problem with sub-titled movies in Dholuo, Maragoli or Kisii. -Mw, Cape Town

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Ugandan Students Invent Car
by Brian Munyao Longwe 14 Apr '09

14 Apr '09

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/04/move-over-tata.html Talk about innovation. I like this.... and the fact that the University is both encouraging as well as supporting the initiative... Regards, Brian

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Fwd: IGF 2008 Highlights - Reminder
by mwende njiraini 14 Apr '09

14 Apr '09

Dear all Below are Highlights of the IGF held in Hyderabad sent to the mailing list last year. regards Mwende ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> Date: Dec 10, 2008 11:49 AM Subject: Re: IGF 2008 Highlights - Day 2 To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> *Day 2: 4th December 2008* * * *Theme: Promoting Cybersecurity and Trust * * * *0930-1100 Panel discussions: Dimensions of Cybersecurity and Cybercrime* The internet was not originally designed with security features however with increased use of the internet security considerations arise. It is important to recognize regional, local and cultural issues that may affect cyber security and develop a relationship of trust in order to develop a framework that determines - what happens in a crisis, how to engage in law enforcement. This is important as security issues need to be addressed before there is a crisis and should be done at all levels. *Computer Emergency Response Team* * * The use of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at a regional and national level based on the framework developed by the Carnegie Mellon University (www.cert.org) as follows: 1. *Organisational * At an organisational level there should be a person responsible for security – the response to security threats need to be formalized – that is organizational incident response should be formalized. 1. *National* Formation of national CERT is necessary but not sufficient. Channels for relaying of information, mitigating threats need to be organised and tested on a regular basis. The national CERT should work with regional CERT as well as have links with law enforcement organisations. There is need for development of a strategy as well as testing of the system. Any incidents should be reviewed. The goals of CERT should include: - early detection, - short response time, - reduction of impact, - recognition of liability issues, - analysis techniques – which are forensically safe, need to be developed in advance not when time is of the essence - Alignment of with partners ITU-D study group 1 Q 22/1 is studying issues on: *Securing information and communication networks: best practices for developing a culture of Cybersecurity* The security should be implemented without damaging the nature of the internet, and protecting vulnerable groups *Introduction of cybercrime and terrorism* Traditional crime has moved online for example harassment and money laundering however there are new forms of crime in the virtual world including: - phishing, virus/malware, etc - Critical infrastructure threats – banking, transport, banking, energy, government and national security - Terrorist use of the internet to publish ideologies, raise funds, recruit new members The challenges in combating cybercrime and terrorism: - The crime scene and who is in charge with dealing with the threat. - Relevance of geographic distance - Investigative cost and the need to carry out real time investigations - Legal framework - Procedural legal problems - Complex search and seizure laws - Responsibility and data - It complex due to numerous operators involved *Questions and discussions* - Global issue – which needs coordinated effort and cooperation - in order to avoid the development of cyber havens. - Action, feedback and reaction necessary in order to update prevention mechanisms with regard to recent incidents - A relationship of trust important between the CERT and ISPs –ISPs need to provide data – this should a bottom up process - Organisations work in an eco-system –sharing of information – collecting statistics before, during and after an incident - Access (usage and querying) to the data base at the CERT should be controlled – because of privacy issues - A mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and formal structures should be created through a formal bottom-up process. - Network based crime raise issues associated with creating an appropriate balance between the needs of those investigating and prosecuting and rights and interests. - Need for coordination is a challenge to governments because of the lack of expertise – therefore have to rely on academia and private sector - The CERT should be an independent group of experts that should be fully empowered - Appropriate safeguards to protect the functioning of the organisation necessary as they give confidence and ensure business continuity during investigation - New institutional models based on hybrid frameworks – for example Sri-Lanka CERT was set up in June 2006 and involves government as well as skilled incident handlers (http://www.slcert.gov.lk/) - Need for increased cooperation as cyber crime is multi-jurisdiction issue – harmonization of enforcement processes and legislation approach such as that of the council of Europe. * * *Indian CERT* - The internet is used for numerous activities leading to an increase cyber attacks consequently there is a need for training on best practices and implementation. - India's legislation includes computer related offences and is currently being amended to be in line with the European cyber convention. - National CERT operates in partnership with Asia and pacific CERTs - The Indian CERT is a government lead industry initiative – that aims at creating awareness and compliance to best practices - Training of law enforcement officers on analysis of computer related crime a challenge and undertaken through PPP. - A secure national cyberspace – requires collaboration, research in technologies through a bottom-up process. - Areas of conflicting interest need to be addressed as cybercrime is a global phenomenal – these areas include conflict with individual rights, unnecessary censorship and society issues - Establishment of global alliances essential to ensure stability of internet - Sharing to data about cyber attacks is a challenge - Establishment of a CERT takes time – needs to include participation of private sector partners The ITU has identified five pillars with regard to internet security which include: 1. Legal issues 2. Technical procedural issues, Organisational structures including CERTs 3. Capacity building 4. International cooperation There is need for proactive approach to provide an early warning system for example that used in the event of natural disasters as well as need for organisation and cooperation between all stakeholders. With regard to initiating internet security measures – start with an issue where there is a common understanding for example child protection which was the basis of the launch of the child line protection. *Capacity building* *Issues* - Lack of capacity in of ISPs - Inter-south cooperation required as challenges and infrastructure similar - Retention of skilled human resources a challenge - Use of network operator groups for capacity building - Need to utilize the existing educational framework by integration of cybersecurity into curriculum – this creates sustainability in capacity building - Training should be relevant to the environment – appropriate use of technology, cost, concentrate on getting the maximum benefit – innovation in order to derive the maximum value will be based on training received - Need for collaboration platform – so as to continue sharing information - Need to focus on reality on the ground *Kind of training* - technical training - policy issues – IPv4/6 *Technical challenges* - operators need to be profitable – environment liberalized – however still certain monopolized areas – international connectivity – imbalanced competition – therefore profitability issue- cant invest in new technologies – limited investment in training *My comment*: Urgent need create of culture of cybersecurity (end-users, at organisation level and nationally) and establishment of national, regional CERTs. *14:30 - 16:00 Workshop 76 Neutrality Debate Important for You? (Network Neutrality Debate: The Implications for Development) * * * *Technical issues* All networks need to be managed High broadband connectivity principles ( http://www.tiaonline.org/gov_affairs/issues/internet_services_applications/… ) - transparency - ability to attach any device - right to access any legal content - right to download any legal content *Economic issues* Net neutrality has significant micro and macro implications. Broadband investment influenced by the broad economic environment because of the massive investment required - Regulation is viewed more beneficial in view of the current economic crisis - More users create value to the platform - Optimal pricing structure – a possibility - may not want to charge content providers to contribute to access - Mandatory net neutrality/unbundling expected to depress investment in broadband plus may have a significant negative effect on investment NGN. - Centre for European Policy Studies – research titled: "I own the pipes, you call the tune: The net neutrality debate and its (ir) relevance for Europe" available at http://shop.ceps.eu/BookDetail.php?item_id=1755 – argues that the internet is not neutral – pro-neutrality rules/changes being proposed should be evaluated - The analogy of the roads and vehicles was used to describe net neutrality – the roads represent the pipes while the cars represent the packets/traffic – which are not regulated and may be of any shape or size. However there is regulation with regard to speed. - issue of convergence – important for users - internet to drive innovation and economic growth - activism issues are important to understand the issues - slowing down the traffic and packets on internet has a consequence of slowing down the development internet *Issues from a user perspective* - no consensus on the issues exists - Users do not necessarily want free/unlimited control – however what they want is: what they access should not be controlled - They do not want to be forced to buy their store brands or services of preferred service providers of the broadband connectivity provider. - There is no value in packaging/bundling of services – rather it is designed to sell services at a high price - Users question whether a free market would help as suppliers are out to make money – there is an economic motivation to invest – which means there is no one to look out for consumers - Need for establish anti trust/anti monopoly regulations - ISPs must be made to know that users are not willing to give up their rights thus should develop internet usage plans that are favourable to the users - suppliers must listen to consumers - Users have the power to demand what we want if only they demanded it - The investment on the internet should be allowed in all areas – core and edges without fragmenting it - networks should be built using open interfaces - end to end principle protection is significant - Users want the internet to encourage innovation - Use of restaurant analogy where the chairs, tables and food are outsourced - Users should have the ability to have access to the content they want as long as it is connected to open interfaces - Users have concern on the future of the internet; content equality and its ability to deliver content in different ways thus encouraging local innovation *My comment:* significance of net neutrality with reference to developing countries was not addressed – taking into consideration that the motivation for investment in broadband connectivity is socio-economic development thus deployment of both local and international for example submarine cable is being done by governments rather than the private sector. On 12/8/08, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > *5th December 2008* > *930-1100 Panel Discussion Transition from IPv4 to IPv6* > Based on several studies it is projected that IPv4 addresses will be > globally exhausted by 2011 however address space will still be available at > a local level. Seamless take up of IPv6 is expected with the exhaustion of > IPv4 and there is on going discussion – to define policy to facilitate > smooth transition for operators and ensure that new comers have minimum IPv6 > address space allocation to start up business. > > The following issues were discussed from different perspectives: > > *Issues from operators' perspective*: > - Deployment of IPv6 enabled equipment in the core networks should be done > increment – however uptake is low because there is no extra revenue > generated with the implementation of IPv6 i.e. the lack of commercial > drivers. However this is expected to change with the as customer numbers > grow. > > - Need for upgrade – therefore operators from developed countries stand at > an advantage as they have the resources and are nearly exhausted their local > allocations. > > - Getting operational experience is a challenge – there is need to invest > in operational tools to run IPv6 in terms of software configuration > utilities management and trouble shooting > > - Participation in standardization – where users have equipment that > supports only IPv4 – how do they access services that are available only on > IPv6-based networks? The IETF is working on the transition mechanisms > however the co-existence of both protocols is expected for a long time > > - Operators are pushing for IPv6 support in customer premise equipment > (CPE) as well as software that supports the new protocol version. However it > is expected that legacy applications will be available in the foreseeable > future > > *Issues from a vendor perspective* > - Transition has been going on for some time in the vendor world. The > transition has been a long process for vendors and operators – in terms of > getting the technology and standards ready > > - As IP is the core of the internet – transition to ipv6 – is significant > particularly with the increase of IPv6 enabled devices connected to the > internet specifically mobile phones > > - need to understand technology and therefore need for operational and > implementation experience > > - managing customer demand/expectations for IPv6 enabled services and > devices > > - cost of staff training > > - there are mistakes that will be made – therefore need for mutual support > in the implementation of v6 > > *Social and economic perspectives*- > - Transition should be cooperative endeavour with social and economic and > policy considerations > > - Gradual implementation and interoperability between IPv4 and v6 expected > so as to preserve the investment already made > > - There is a general understanding that IPv6 will compliment and supplement > the existing IPv4 as well as provide improved routing, multicasting, > efficient infrastructure. The following questions however arise: > > o The advantages that IPv6 offer are good reasons to invest in the new IP > version. > o Would transition be transparent and would backward compatibility required > > - Users want the stability of the internet to be maintained and hope that > IPv6 will offer opportunities for addition to personality features on the > internet – this is what makes the business case > > - In the India case there are a large number of service providers – and > there is only a 1/8 usage – therefore demand is low – the need to enhance > cultural diversity however provides opportunities to create demand through > local content development including E-government programme and Info-tainment > > - It is important to break the myth that IPv6 is a new internet - It is not > a new internet rather continuation of the internet > > - The main benefit is the address space addition- which may allow for > efficiency > > - There is no need to establish a deadline or regulate the implementation > of IPv6 – as it will be market driven. Additionally users should have rights > to use IPv4 and IETF is working on coexistence > > *Policy perspective* > - With the impending exhaustion of IPv4 – further implementation will be > problematic – as not all players will support transition therefore it is > important to examine measures – for continued use of IPv4 and possible > migration of users to private IPv4 address space > > - creation of action plan to be implemented by 2010 – for example offering > of incentives such as tax exemption and capacity building > > - examination of existing programmes and mechanisms > > - establishment of taskforce of IPv4 exhaustion > > - the messages of ISPs is that they must carry IPv6 > > - IPv4 scarcity and demand for more security are the 2 major challenges > driving the uptake of IPv6 > > - Institution of market transfer or reclamation mechanisms of IPv4 > resources not required by local internet registries to the regional internet > registries when transition to IPv6 is implemented. However this would be a > challenge as RIRs have no contractual authority this may create a grey > market. This challenge may be overcome through a loose membership > association that allows others to use others resources > > - Institution of secure routing objects including PKI to authenticate users > raises governance/control issues – RIRs have centralized control which may > make it efficient and better able to address security issues this makes an > RIR an central governance institution. Membership of security/government > associations in the RIR would result in infiltration of technical, policy > agendas that may make the transition to IPv6 complicated > > - However it is argued that RIRs should remain neutral and trans-national > institutions which: > o maintain a homogenous technical group > o maintain a bottom-up approach in policy making > o guarantee the stability of the internet and business continuity of > members > > - main challenges in the deployment of IPv6 include: > o lack of public education, information and skill > o limited network policy decisions to make deployment happen > o lack of incentive to deploy ipv6 > > *1100-1230 Workshop 59:Building a global capacity building curriculum > framework and premier* > > - Integration of IG capacity building in existing ICT and public policy > courses was advocated. > > - The training may be offered either online, offline or through short term > executive courses. > > - Collaboration between different stakeholders who have different needs is > imperative in order create an understanding of the issues arising from > increased used of the internet particularly those that transcend the > geographical, and cultural borders. > > - internet security awareness programme set up in India > > - Presentations on the Diplo IG capacity building programme ( > www.diplomacy.edu/ig) – including a demonstration of the online platform. > > - The Diplo approach includes the training course (foundation and > advanced), policy research, policy immersion and community interaction. > > - The impact associated with the IG capacity building programme have been > varied and impressive including the establishment of IG governance masters > programme in Srilanka and the use of telecentres to disseminate IG related > information. > > - Diplo has successfully offered the training to professional worldwide for > the last 4 years leading to the establishment of national, regional and > global community > > *1400-1530 Workshop 29: Building confidence and security in the use and > security in the use of ICTs for African countries > > *Main challenges in Africa > - lack of infrastructure > - lack of services > > Therefore opportunity to learn from mistakes in developing countries and > establish of computer emergency response team currently there is only one > active CERT in Africa in Tunisia, South Africa is in the process of setting > up a CERT with the deadline of 2010 before the FIFA world cup. While > countries such as Morocco, Kenya and Ivory Coast are thinking about set in > up CERTs. > > The approach in dealing with Cybersecurity in developing countries > > Success of Cybersecurity is based on 3pillars > > 1. *Technology pillar* – ICT/security tools –including: > o PCs / networks, physical security tools, data tools (storage media and > cryptography), availability of infrastructure and application (redundant > servers and PKI) > > 2. *Methodology pillar* – policy, procedures and regulations on three > levels: > o managerial level (security policy, management procedures and capacity > building, audit) Legislative level (law and regulation) > o operational level (acces control rules, implementation plans, monitoring, > watch, incidence handling) > o continuity of services level ( business continuity plan, crisis > management, drill exercises) > - actors in this pillar include the government, security professionals and > users > > 3. *Social behaviour pillar* – creating a culture of cyber security > o cultivate culture of cyber security through continuous action of raising > awareness using diverse media/channels > o the target audience includes managers, decision makers, security, > children, parents, teachers > > > *Case study: CERT-TCC - Tunisia* > > *The functions of the CERT include*: > > - Watch- collect information from different sources eg CISCO, HP. > Microsoft, network of CERTs, community of hackers > - Training > - Coordination > - Response > - Incidence handling > - Incident analysis > - Awareness > - Warning alert > > *Key issues*: > > • Information, warning and alert – carried out to in collaboration with > ISPs, managers decision makers, internet community through mailing list, > call centre, media > > • Oriented campaign – utilizing prospectus, posters, email, radio, > cartoons, video, attack simulation and guides > > • Incident handling - training in new tools > > • Coordination important in the effective functioning of the CERT – > incident coordination procedures and information including regional CERTs, > other CERTs within the country (for example Brazil has more than one CERT), > ISPs and operators, vendors and integrators, and national authorities. > > Need for the formation of CERTs in Africa however the challenges of lack of > "know how" in IT security need to be overcome through: > - capacity building > - encouragement of the development of national solutions based on open > source components > - improved R&D capabilities and making it more responsive to urgent needs > - encouraging academic research in the important topics of security > (cryptography, methodologies…) > > *The following questions and comments were raised*: > > - the need for social engineering through the creation of a culture of > cyber security to be addressed specifically because of the increased > requirements by government to obligate to provide subscriber identification > information > > - how can African countries start up a cert- through collaboration for > example with existing CERTs > > - in establishing a culture of cybersecurity – consideration should be > given to the fact that there are different social cultures in different > countries however there is consensus on issues such as child pornography, > identity theft > > - how can a regional approach be developed where there are differences in > level of ICT infrastructure and use of infrastructure in the delivery of > services, what tools can be used to encourage decision makers to be involved > in the issues of cyber security? > > o It was recognised that funding and expertise was required for example > AFDB, World Bank and Islamic Bank while ITU have regional workshops on cyber > security > > o As African countries build on infrastructure and services – there is an > opportunity to learn from those that have already developed CERTs. > > - How does the CERT monitor traffic: with the collaboration of ISP and > operators as well as supporting legislation > > - Regulators need to advice the government to use ICT in development – this > is a manifestation of government commitment > > - The role of policy making was emphasized – as it provides government > commitment to using ICT for social economic development and governance and > consequently support for cyber security initiatives – including the > formulation of legislation. > > - There should not use a piece meal approach to cyber security to prevent > ineffectiveness for example Mauritius has electronic transaction act but PKI > not yet established > > > > On 12/5/08, mwende njiraini <mwende.njiraini(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Following our recent online discussions on Internet governance issues in >> Kenya, the Kenya IGF and East African IGF; you may wish to follow the >> discussion currently ongoing at the global IGF 2008 in Hyderabad India at >> http://www.intgovforum.org. >> >> Below are highlights from workshops I attended on Day 1 December 3rd): >> *0930-1100 hrs Workshop 43: Legal aspects of governance critical >> internet Policy issues of public relevance* >> *1st presentation* >> The issues on that have legal implications include: >> • internet security intellectual property rights, infringement, privacy >> and protection mechanisms >> • IP domain name protection, conflicts arising out of data and content >> ownership privacy therefore increasing role of P2P in growth of internet 2 >> • Consumer status and rights in relation to e-commerce cross border and >> domestic online trade >> • Telecom issue viz backbone deployment and interconnection costs >> • Freedom of expression – the extent of censorship and control on online >> content >> >> There is need for capacity building to create meaningful participation of >> individual and SMEs as well as increasing connectivity through building IXPs >> and local content development >> >> The question was raised as to whether there a need of alternative >> institutional mechanism. >> The salient features of the MOU between ICANN and the department of >> commerce (DoC) include: >> - The affirmation of the role of private sector leadership >> - The role of DoC in ensuring transparency and accountability and >> effective GAC participation >> - Ensure accountability and publish by-laws and strategic and operational >> plans >> - Agreement can be terminated in 120 days >> >> The MOU has been criticized because of the following reasons: >> - US governmental control on root server administration >> - Inconsistent with WSIS principle where no single government should have >> a pre-eminent role >> - Domain name allocation policies need better development >> - IPv4 address allocation have been imbalanced need to ensure IPv6 address >> allocation does not suffer the same effects -This assertion was however >> refuted as IP addresses allocation based on need. The need for prudent >> management and keeping barriers low for the transition to IPv6 was >> emphasised. >> >> To overcome this WGIG proposed 4 models: >> - Global policy council >> - Intenational internet council with leading government role to fulfil the >> ICANN/IANA functions >> - GAC to be strengthened with enhanced coordination function >> - Replace US govt role by general internet council or with world ICANN (in >> lieu of GAC) >> >> The common features of these models were the overwhelming government lead >> and the presupposition of the possibility of international treaties. During >> the discussion the viability of these models was questioned given that speed >> is of essence in the management of internet resources. It normally takes a >> long time to negotiate international agreements; including treaties instead >> a set of principles should be endorsed. >> >> The speaker recommended on the management of critical internet >> infrastructure should take into consideration the following >> • Treatment of technical resources of the internet and global economic, >> social and legal aspects arising out the internet should be at par >> • The development and implementation of polices and standards and >> solutions to various internet issues should be done in a coordinated manner >> for example telecommunication standard development is done in a hierarchical >> and predictable way. >> • New structure would be a supreme authority over internet >> >> In conclusion the speaker asked: Does the internet as we know it need to >> be altered radically? Should the status quo be maintained? Should a Red >> Cross model of recognition by international community states be given to an >> international entity like ITU, INTELSAT. However fundamental change is not >> necessary as failure has not been identified. >> >> *My comment*: this presentation was descriptive and despite the fact that >> an alternative model was proposed the principles, mechanisms that would need >> to be put in place in order to make it work were not discussed >> >> *2nd presentation* >> The next speaker spoke about the ccTLDs in latin Amercia which are broadly >> organised into two main groups: non-governmental and governmental >> organisations. A contribution from the floor however clarified that the >> Brazilian ccTLD is a multi-stakeholder – coordinated by government – but on >> a day by day basis operates as a non-governmental organisation. The Indian >> ccTLD is managed by government and private sector – sovereign interest taken >> care of through government representation. >> >> The rules and regulations under which the institutions that manage the >> ccTLDs are managed determinate legal framework under which they operate. >> Consequently ccTLDs are regulated under national law while ICANN regulates >> gTLDs – The possibility of self regulation is based on the assumption that >> private sector would act in the public interest. >> >> In the discussions some felt that there was need for increased attention >> of government in the management of ccTLDs – as it was critical >> infrastructure while on the other hand other felt that there was the risk of >> excessive regulation with increased involvement of government. >> >> *1130 -1200 hrs Workshop 36: Strategies to prevent and fight child >> pornography in developing countries* >> Child pornography in Brazil has grown out of the popularity of social >> networking. However the main challenge has been issues related to >> jurisdiction as content is resident in ISP based in the USA and >> trans-national ISPs like Yahoo, Microsoft and Google which have branches in >> strategic markets and have tailored the services for these markets in terms >> of language and content. >> >> Brazil was therefore unable to deal with serious offences related to >> content – specifically child pornography - committed by Brazilians using >> Brazilian IP addresses. The government has been able to sign an agreement >> with Google to fight child pornography on Google's orkut social network. >> >> The following are consideration taken in drawing up the agreement >> 1. Which criteria should be used to define the ability of a particular >> country to legislate over and sanction conducts committed on the internet? >> - Where the data is located? >> - International law principles (territoriality or nationality) shall be >> used to define the sovereignty of a state regarding – cyber space – which is >> a network of networks >> - Define some reasonable standard – for example managed by Brazilians and >> is local content and local language >> - Access points in Brazil, harmful conduct felt in the country – taken >> obligation under international law to take offence – country of origin >> approach would force thousands of users to unfamiliar rules and travel – >> offence under human rights therefore apply local legislation >> >> 2. It is legitimate to enforce the conduct of local office –as it >> impracticable to send legal request to the US. >> >> >> New tools have been implement that have reduced number of images uploaded >> and increase in number of reported cases- subject to investigation. It was >> inspiring to listen to parliamentarian talk about the need to have >> legislators engaged in the process as they ultimately pass the laws. I >> appreciated the fact that in there is great cooperation between the >> parliament, government, police, civil society and private sector. >> >> The main challenges are: >> • Lack of awareness and participation by parliamentarians who are critical >> in the formulation of legislation >> • how to obligate ISPs to provide information without infringing on >> freedom of expression and privacy, >> • what criteria should be used to deal with these offences >> • the creation of awareness of ISPs in developing countries of the need >> for judicial cooperation as well as social initiatives to deal with cyber >> crime. >> • Insufficient infrastructure to deal with this issue – law enforcement >> does not have the human resources and technology >> • Material produced to fight child pornography are not evaluated – they >> should be inline with the demand >> >> *My comment*: I would have like to know if initiatives have reduced >> offences, what is the success rate registered in prosecution, ability of the >> law enforcement and judicial system to deal with offences. There was no >> mention of where initiatives had been launched to fight child pornography on >> the financial front. >> >> >> *1530-1700 Workshop 45: Opening to diversity and competition of the DNS >> system* >> >> >> >> There were 3 presentations in this session: >> >> >> - *1st presentation* - alternate DNS system used in library systems >> >> >> - *2nd presentation* - implementation of security in the Handle system >> >> >> - *3rd presentation –* discussed the Net4D >> >> >> >> Net4D- provides the technical solution to the political concern on the >> control of root servers. Net4D networks enable the following: >> >> • Empower the second generation of the web: the semantic web. >> >> • Multi-stakeholder governance of DNS >> >> • Net4D classes should be open and interoperable >> >> DNS 1.0 – was a monopoly of ICANN web 1.0 html with USA parentage and >> English only while DNS 2.0 is open allowing for competition including inter >> alia: >> >> • Net4D semantic web >> >> • Open coherent approach to linguistic diversity >> >> • Allow technological innovation with value added services >> >> >> >> Concern was however raised on the: >> >> • Investment/implementation cost required to implementation of different >> DNS systems depending on the BIND implemented and root servers enabled >> >> • relinquishing of the political control of root servers >> >> • Value to end users >> >> • Awareness and understanding of the issues by different stakeholders >> necessary – delivered in a way that they can understand >> >> >> >> *My comment*: the session was technical – I hope the techies on the >> mailing list can help us understand the governance issues associated with >> the introduction of DNS competition and the impact on developing countries >> :)! >> >> >> >> Kind regards >> >> mwende >> > >

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Kenya IGF Review Forum
by vincent＠kenic.or.ke 14 Apr '09

14 Apr '09

<reminder> Dear Colleagues, 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 dot KE for Every Name in Kenya! -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Open Standards for Government Transformation: Enabling Transparency, Security and Interoperability
by Andrew Karanja 14 Apr '09

14 Apr '09

Dear Colleagues, African eDevelopment Resource Centre together with OASIS, the International Open Standards Consortium, the World Bank's Global Information and Communication Technologies Department/e-Development Thematic Group and World Bank Institute invite you to attend a Global Dialogue workshop on Open Standards for Government Transformation: Enabling Transparency, Security and Interoperability on April 17, 2009, 2.15 pm at the Kenya Global Development Learning Centre. This one-day workshop offers a unique opportunity for professionals in public administrations and the private sector to share experiences in using open standards for transforming government. Issues surrounding public financial management, e-procurement, cloud computing, electronic identification, security, and interoperability frameworks will be discussed. This workshop will help practitioners in Washington DC and 8 other cities (as well as online participants) to better understand the different choices they have in order to make better policy, strategy and technology decisions when designing and implementing ICT components of their projects, which will maximize development impact and sustainability of these investments. Open standards allow different systems, platforms, and devices to communicate, and are at the very core of the new ?open? architectures. Open standards provide choice and interoperability between systems. The Internet, based largely on the framework of the TCP/IP and HTML standards, is a strong example of open standards-driven innovation. Leading governments have begun to emphasize open standards as part of their policy frameworks on ICTs. For example the UK has recently come out with a Government Action Plan on "Open Source, Open Standards and Re-Use". Developing countries need to incorporate open-standards while leveraging ICT for development. Open standards and interoperability are important for rolling out convenient 'one-stop' services for citizens and businesses. They are also important for avoiding waste in public expenditure and unnecessary duplication of investments. These issues are particularly relevant in the context of the current economic crisis. For ensuring interoperability across government, it is necessary to focus on organizational structures that help exchange of data and information (organizational interoperability), evolving a common language for understanding various functions of government (semantic interoperability) and dealing with technical aspects to ensure that different systems can talk to each other (technical interoperability). Distinguished speakers from all over the world will examine the relevance and promise of open standards to developing and transition countries in their pursuit of good governance and better service delivery. Onsite attendees will be joined via interactive video links with officials from client countries, including Russia, Moldova, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and many others will join via live webcast. The following questions will be discussed among others: + What should be the institutional structures for ensuring compliance to open standards and interoperability across government? + What mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that interoperability standards/frameworks are kept current in the context of rapid changes in technology? + What arrangements should be put in place for connecting developing and transition countries with international standards bodies and leading public administrations in an era of cross-border interoperability? This workshop is part of the broader Government Transformation Initiative (GTI), a collaboration of World Bank with the private sector and other stakeholders. The initiative focuses on building capacity of government leaders to pursue ICT-enabled public sector transformation. The GTI will develop and promote viable business models and best practices through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and training events. A project development facility to support selected Governments in setting up the enabling environment and initiating concrete related projects is also contemplated. Attendance is free, but registration is required. If interested in attending please send your request to <mailto:wangechi@africanedevelopment.org> wangechi(a)africanedevelopment.org Kindest regards Andrew Karanja 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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A Step Towards Meaningful Participation- EA-IGF
by alice 13 Apr '09

13 Apr '09

http://www.glocom.ac.jp/e/publications/ A Step Towards Meaningful Participation April 10, 2009 A Step Towards Meaningful Participation By Adam Peake, GLOCOM Executive Research Fellow. Now in the fourth year of its initial five-year mandate, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is established as an important arena for international multi-stakeholder dialogue about policy issues affecting the Internet's management, development and deployment. However, an area where it has failed to perform as well as hoped has been attracting the interest and participation of stakeholders from developing countries. With limited knowledge of the issues and discussions, developing countries have too often been under-represented in the global arenas where Internet policies are developed, and also unable to contribute fully to the dialogue at the IGF. Enabling the meaningful participation of developing country partners in the formation of global Internet policy has long been identified as an important priority in achieving an equitable and accessible Information Society. Many of the rules and norms of global information society are being created in forums and processes discussing policies related to the Internet and ICTs, and it is important that all should have the opportunity to shape and influence the direction of these discussions. With this challenge in mind, in 2008 a regional IGF process in East Africa brought together participants from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya to identify, explore and build consensus around common policy priorities. Each country began with an online discussion to identify the Internet policy issues most important to them, followed by a face-to-face national IGF meeting. These multi-stakeholder national processes then fed into the East African Internet Governance Forum (EA-IGF) held over three days in Nairobi, Kenya. The outcomes of the regional forum were then presented and discussed at the 2008 IGF meeting in Hyderabad. I was fortunate to be able to help with the organization of the 2008 EA-IGF, and hope to continue to work with colleagues from what will be five countries –Burundi asked to join the process– on the EA-IGF initiative this year. Contributing to this process is a continuation of work GLOCOM began when we participated in the G8 Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOT Force) where our focus was on recommendations to ensure universal participation in international policy and technical issues raised by ICT and the Internet. We knew at the time that participation had to mean more than simply attending meetings and being in the room where Internet and ICT issues were being discussed; developing country stakeholders had to be able to identify issues important to them, bring those issues to international processes and have the results contribute to local strategies and policies. However, in the seven years since DOT Force made its recommendations, little progress had been made in achieving the goal of "meaningful" participation. Developing countries are still too often under-represented and unable to contribute fully and effectively in the formation of Internet and ICT policies, even in the IGF. National and regional initiatives around the IGF themes and process provide an opportunity to build a local foundation from which to contribute and participate. The multi-stakeholder model developed in East Africa of online discussions, followed by national meetings, culminating in a regional process provides a framework for sharing knowledge, experience and expertise, whether local, national, regional or global. Goals of the 2008 EA-IGF process: * Raise awareness of Internet Governance among policy makers and stakeholders in the East African Region * Establish which Internet Governance issues are relevant to the countries of the region * Build consensus and national and regional positions around relevant Internet Governance issues * Share the outcomes of the regional forum with IGF Hyderabad 2008 And priority areas identified by the 2008 national and regional processes: * Connectivity and infrastructure development * Access including issues of local content development * Representation, inclusiveness and participation through fostering collaboration of all national and regional stakeholders * Capacity building to promote skills growth and general awareness * Policies for the development of local content * Development of legislative frameworks for information society * Cyber-security and setting up national and regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT)/Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) * Critical Internet resources, the transition to IPv6, ccTLDs, new gTLDs and IDNs. These priority issues were shared with global partners in discussions at the 2008 IGF in Hyderabad, and are now the subject of ongoing discussions at the national level as the five East Africa countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda) identify needs, assess progress and develop common positions on an ongoing basis, and continue the regional EA-IGF process in 2009. While the global IGF was established as a non-binding forum and finds it difficult to directly influence policy, the processes in East Africa have no such restrictions. We are beginning to see outcomes relating to the harmonization of ICT policy in the region and more specific results such as progress being made with policy relating to country code top-level domains of Rwanda and Uganda. The first online discussions for the 2009 process are being planned now and once started will continue throughout the year. National face-to-face IGF meetings will be organized and held by the end of July 2009, the regional EA-IGF will be held before the end of September 2009. A recommendation from the 2008 EA-IGF was to develop a capacity building initiative around the issues highlighted by process. A curriculum is being developed based mainly on local East Africa expertise and themes identified by the national and regional processes. The course will target policy-makers and policy-influencers from government, the non-profit sector/NGOs, academia and the private sector, with objectives of: * Providing a deeper understanding of global internet governance issues, institutions and processes * Developing regional perception of Internet governance topics * Enhance use of the Internet in socio-economic development The EA-IGF is being considered as the model for other clusters of national and regional meetings being planned in Africa this year. It is my hope that these national and regional IGFs will help to realize many of the capacity building and development goals of the IGF discussions, as well as creating a sustainable foundation that supports developing nation participation and contributions to Internet policy processes that are shaping the emerging information society.

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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:charlesnduati2002@yahoo.co.uk,cnduati@gmail.com,bm@jkuates.jkuat.ac.ke > 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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Fwd: Fw: Reuters.com - Kenya sees $5-$10 bln ICT investments by 2010
by Margaret Gichuki 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

--- On *Mon, 3/23/09, Reuters_News(a)reuters.com <Reuters_News(a)reuters.com>*wrote: From: Reuters_News(a)reuters.com <Reuters_News(a)reuters.com> Subject: Reuters.com - Kenya sees $5-$10 bln ICT investments by 2010 [image: Reuters] <http://www.reuters.com/> Kenya sees $5-$10 bln ICT investments by 2010<http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idAFLN25512420090323> Mon Mar 23 13:19:15 UTC 2009 * Kenya sees foreign ICT investment booming * Says multinationals interested in back-office operations By Duncan Miriri NAIROBI, March 23 (Reuters) - Kenya expects $5-$10 billion of foreign investment from communication technology firms by next year, a senior government official said on Monday. East Africa's biggest economy is set to link up with the rest of the world via broadband from June through three undersea telecoms cables. "I would comfortably estimate that next year, even with a very poor economy, we will probably see between $5-$10 billion coming," Bitange Ndemo, permanent secretary at the ministry of information and communication, told Reuters in an interview. He said international firms that had expressed interest in investing included Google <GOOG.O>, Accenture <ACN.N> and General Electric <GE.N>. "We are seeing huge interest by multinational companies who want (to) take advantage of these connections and the availability of many youths who are educated to create back offices in this country," he said. Kenya's government is fronting one fibre-optic cable worth $110 million that will link it with the United Arab Emirates. The chief executive of SEACOM, a $700 million private equity venture, said on Monday that sales of bandwidth capacity were going well ahead of its cable's completion in June. [ID:nLN478381] Analysts say enhanced telecoms infrastructure has the same growth potential as mobile telephony, which has grown exponentially in the world's poorest continent in recent years. (Editing by Daniel Wallis; editing by Simon Jessop) This service is not intended to encourage spam. The details provided by your colleague have been used for the sole purpose of facilitating this email communication and have not been retained by Thomson Reuters. Your personal details have not been added to any database or mailing list. If you would like to receive news articles delivered to your email address, please subscribe at www.reuters.com/newsmails © Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world. Quotes and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Thomson Reuters and its data providers shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the quotes or other data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

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Kenya going Open Source route...
by Gakuru Alex 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/Local/Kenya-going-Open-Source-route-185… Questions and comments are most welcome,, Alex

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Ten African countries sign alliance for e-commerce
by alice 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

Balancing Act Ten countries sign alliance for e-commerce Ten African countries have signed up to the "Pan African Alliance for E-Commerce," a new ICT based program launched by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The Alliance hopes to establish and encourage the use of “Single Window” across the continent, which is an electronic platform where traders undertake transactions online. The system is believed to reduce the need for paperwork. The main aim of the alliance is said will intensify cooperation and initiate common projects of interest to African countries and sub-regions. Senegal, Tunisia and Mauritius have such platforms, dramatically reducing the time it takes to clear customs in those countries. So far 10 African countries have signed with the alliance while a number of other countries are expected to join the alliance in the next few months Ibrahim Nour Eddine Diane, president of executive committee of the alliance, told journalists at the launching ceremony this week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Cameron, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Morocco, Gabon, Libya, Togo and Kenya were listed as the 10 countries that have signed with the alliance. It is the first of its kind on the continent, and the signatories hope to encourage more countries to create their own single windows platforms that would become part of the wider network. The Pan-African Alliance on e-Commerce seeks to set up a framework for exchange of Single Window experiences in Africa and establish a mechanism to assist countries in the development of Single Windows. It also plans to ensure Africa’s representation in international forums and contribute to the development of the concept at a global level. Putting in place a platform of resources for facilitating the establishment of regional Single Windows and improving existing projects and facilitating cooperation with other regions of the world, notably through the establishment of pilot paperless projects with countries of Asia, Europe and America is also mentioned as main target of the alliance. In addition, the alliance also acts as focal point for development partners and international institutions active in the promotion of Single Windows in Africa. (Source: Africa News)

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POLE SIGANGA
by charles nduati 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

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:charlesnduati2002@yahoo.co.uk,cnduati@gmail.com,bm@jkuates.jkuat.ac.ke www.jkuat.ac.ke

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Food for thought : ICANN should be reformed before 'privatization']
by alice 23 Mar '09

23 Mar '09

Dear All, This has just been released and is worth reading. Now, where do we, in Africa, stand in this debate? And how best could we promote the voices (if any?) of African business & Industry sectors and the Governments ? Pierre Dandjinou ICANN Should be Reformed Before "Privatization", Says New Study <http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090317_study_icann_reform_before_privatizat…> http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090317_study_icann_reform_before_privatizat… * Mar 17, 2009 4:33 PM PDT * Comments: 1 <http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090317_study_icann_reform_before_privatizat…> * Views: 568 Print <http://www.circleid.com/posts/print/20090317_study_icann_reform_before_priv…> Comment <http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090317_study_icann_reform_before_privatizat…> By *CircleID Reporter* <http://www.circleid.com/members/501/> The Technology Policy Institute (TPI), an IT and communications policy think tank, has just released a paper proposing that "ICANN's governance structure should be dramatically reformed to make it more accountable before the current tie with the U.S. Department of Commerce is allowed to expire." The paper titled /"ICANN At a Crossroads: a Proposal for Better Governance and Performance"/ is written by Thomas M. Lenard, President and Senior Fellow at TPI, along with Lawrence J. White, Professor of Economics at the NYU Stern School of Business. The 52-page study also asserts that ICANN must have a clear focus on encouraging competition with minimal role as a regulator with respect to the creation of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). * * * *Executive Summary* The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)—the non-profit company that is at the center of the Internet—has operated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) since 1998. The MOU was replaced in September 2006 by the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between ICANN and the DOC, which expires in August 2009. At that time, a decision needs to be made about ICANN's future. Should the JPA tie with the U.S. Government be retained? Or should the link be wholly severed, as ICANN advocates? And, in either case, what governance structure would best promote Internet efficiency and innovation? This paper evaluates the structure and governance of ICANN to help inform the upcoming decision. In particular, it reviews ICANN's structure and functions, and also the structures of a number of other organizations that perform a roughly comparable range of private-sector and quasi-governmental coordination and standard-setting functions, to explore what might be applicable to ICANN. We find that although ICANN has control over extremely important aspects of the Internet, it is largely accountable to no one. No organization with ICANN's level of responsibility operates with the independence that ICANN enjoys, even under the current arrangement of nominal oversight by the U.S. Department of Commerce. ICANN's proposal for complete privatization and termination of the DOC's oversight would make the accountability problem worse. Virtually all of the organizations that we reviewed are governed by their direct users, and we believe that this would be a good model for ICANN as well; it would also be consistent with the reduced regulatory role that we envision for ICANN. Governance by its direct users—the registries and the registrars—would provide the external accountability that could allow for eventually ending ICANN's ties with the U.S. Government. However, we recommend that the new structure be permitted to operate for a while, to allow time for evaluation, before severing those ties. We also address the issue of ICANN's status as a de facto regulator. ICANN's recent proposal to expand the number of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) highlights a distinct choice between alternative regulatory approaches: On the one hand, ICANN could proceed under the assumption that the market for gTLDs is not (and perhaps cannot be) at least workably competitive (as the U.S. Government apparently believes). ICANN would then assume greater public-utility type regulatory responsibilities. Alternatively, ICANN could allow relatively free entry into the domain space, in order to bring the benefits of a competitive gTLD market to consumers. We favor the latter approach, which is consistent with our proposal concerning governance reform. For free entry to work well, however, ICANN needs a less costly mechanism for protecting the intellectual property associated with domain names in order to address the problems of defensive registrations and cybersquatting. Our specific recommendations are as follows: * The JPA should be extended beyond its current expiration date. In the absence of changes in governance along the lines that we recommend, the JPA is particularly important. If our recommended changes are adopted, they should be permitted to become established before allowing the JPA to expire. * ICANN should remain as a nonprofit organization, but its governance should be restructured, so that it is governed by and directly accountable to its direct users: the registries and the registrars. Seats on ICANN's board of directors could be rotated among the major operators in a manner that would reflect the diversity of viewpoints among registries and registrars. * ICANN should have a clear mission of encouraging competition. This implies a minimal role as a regulator with respect to the creation of new gTLDs. Instead, ICANN should adopt a relatively automatic way of introducing gTLDs, whereby any entity that meets a set of minimum technical and financial qualifications for being a registry should be able to be certified to become a registry for any gTLD that is not already taken. * For this "open entry" policy to be workable and beneficial, ICANN must also strengthen the protections for incumbent domain name holders, so that they are not subject to "nuisance" or "ransom" demands from new registries; adopting an IP registry and strengthening ICANN's "uniform dispute resolution policy" (UDRP) could be part of these improved protections. These four recommendations are complementary, and combined they would significantly further the goals of Internet efficiency and innovation. * * * *Related Links:* Lenard-White Study [PDF]: ICANN at a Crossroads: A Proposal for Better Governance and Performance <http://www.techpolicyinstitute.org/files/icann%20at%20a%20crossroads1.pdf> Press Release: ICANN Should be Reformed Before "Privatization" - Lenard-White Study Proposes New Governance Structure <http://www.techpolicyinstitute.org/news/show/23120.html> ITU Website: The Technology Policy Institute <http://www.techpolicyinstitute.org/> *Other sources:* UPDATED Mar 19, 2009 12:50 PM PDT ICANN at a Crossroads: Please Choose Carefully <http://blog.pff.org/archives/2009/03/icann_at_a_crossroads_please_choose_ca…> Mike Plage, PFF, Mar.19.2009 *Related topics:* DNS <http://www.circleid.com/topics/dns>, Domain Names <http://www.circleid.com/topics/domain_names>, Internet Governance <http://www.circleid.com/topics/internet_governance>, Policy & Regulation <http://www.circleid.com/topics/policy_regulation>, Top-Level Domains <http://www.circleid.com/topics/top_level_domains>

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