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Fwd: Invitation to join the Africa Youth IGF session planning working group
by Keith Andere 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear Listers, This might of interest to some of you. Regards, Keith. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From:SILLAH Kawsu <kawsu.sillah(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, 2 May 2019, 22:47 Subject: Invitation to join the Africa Youth IGF session planning working group To: KAWSU ESSA SILLAH <kawsu.sillah(a)gmail.com> Cc: Keith Andere <kephand(a)gmail.com> Dear All, I am transmitting this message on behalf of my colleague Mr. Keith Andere, Youth Representative at African Internet Governance Forum <https://afigf.africa/>'s Multi Advisory Group <https://afigf.africa/sites/default/files/2018/Composition%20of%20African%20…> (AfIGF MAG) for 2019-2020. Mr. Andere is currently working on planning the Youth session at upcoming 8th session of African Internet Governance Forum to be held in September 2019 in a location to be determined. Accordingly, Mr. Andere is inviting young people active in the field of ICT/Internet policy related discussions to join the African YouthIGF Working Group. Interested candidates should be between the age of 18-35, and resident in African continent. To join, register your details from this link HERE. <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L-XdZ_A1221TrMzzkZ35vU0e1jCb0Ts7KZv…> Also to a WhatsApp Group. Find link HERE. <https://chat.whatsapp.com/BFHCoywlZOM1kT2KY0rfoT> Kind regards, Kawsu <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L-XdZ_A1221TrMzzkZ35vU0e1jCb0Ts7KZv…> -- Best Regards, [image: --]SILLAH Kawsu [image: https://]about.me/ksillah Website <http://www.auyc.org/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/AYCommission> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/AYCommission/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-youth-commission/about/> M/WhatsApp: +2209865300 Skype: profkawsu

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[strategic inefficiency is what creates a large number jobs] Jobs fall to 6 year low despite GDP "boom".
by Patrick A. M. Maina 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Dear listers, In order to create jobs, the government should move away from policies that focus on increasing efficiency to those that are strategically inefficient. Examples: 1. SMEs, e. g. cottage industries, are inefficient - compared to larger factories, but they can create exponentially more jobs with less tax breaks. Most SMEs also spend all their revenues in Kenya, while promoting other dependent MSMEs.. unlike large corporations which tend to move funds abroad for different reasons (tax, asset protection, hedging, dividends etc). 2. We always see donors (especially, I believe, WB & IMF if I recall correctly) always pushing govt to redirect expenditure from recurrent/wages to "development"/infrastructure (clearly in their own interest as assets can be securitized for their own peace of mind, and more debt can be incurred in dev projects). So they push developing countries to reduce manpower in critical strategic sectors of the economy (less teachers, doctors etc) or to pay below-market wages. What is the impact of such financial efficiency measures? Do they not care that the employees they keep asking to be retrenched are real people with families? Do they not care that manpower reduction means our children get the worst teacher:pupil or doctor:patient or police:civillian ratios? Such recommendations lead to massive hidden costs downstream that cannot be attributed (e.g. low quality education, poor healthcare, increased insecurity due to overloaded+underpaid workers). It just looks like we have endless problems of incompetence but it is not by accident... we follow "weaponised advice", designed to keeps us poor. Efficiency efforts should be limited to enabling high impact service delivery (optimized processes) not financial efficiency. Government should find ways/tactical excuses to ignore callous and unethical requests/pressures for cold blooded fiscal efficiency. Public sector Performance Contract targets need to be linked to a basket of grassroots metrics that reflect the general quality of life for the ordinary population (besides GDP, Inflation, NSE Index & exchange rate). This can be presented in dashboard format on eCitizen so that wanjiku can see what is happening, hold officials to account for not delivering and be motivated to support such initiatives (but the data must be *real* to avoid risk of future backlash). Our "missing middle" problem (i.e. a tiny middleclass) needs to be addressdd. It exists because government incentives for business have focused mainly on Micro enterprises which are too inefficient to be sustainable, and large corporations that are too efficient to fill the jobs gap (and too demanding - always asking for endless concessions just to maintain status quo). If you track current incentives given to large corporations and account for all outflows and hidden costs (many of these corporations are the architects of grand corruption in the country) - you will see a MASSIVE NET LOSS / WEALTH EXTRACTION directly attributable to corporate activities (e.g. encouraging harphazard spending, lobbying for bad laws or poor incentives).. despite the appearance of "gains" on simplistic paper reports that ignore the full impact. A thriving middle class (people who are not rich and not poor - with ability to buy a car, spend regularly on mid-level leisure and even save for luxury spending) is what ends poverty and drives a strong economy. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises SME are the key to a thriving middle class and rapid, large scale jobs creation. They tend to lean towards formality, will often have more educated founders, are inefficient because of scale - but not overly so as to be unsustainable like Micro enterprises, and a few will have potential to grow into mega corporations. De-risked MSEs are what attracts high quality FDI in the form of venture capital. So rather than pitch tax breaks to global investors, the government should pitch de-risked high potential small enterprises (the way Israel and some EU countries are doing) whose business model has been proven in order to attract capital to scale up the businesses. The reality of Tax incentives to big corporations is that they only cannibalize the treasury - and these same corporations will do everything they can to minimize local expenditure (even furniture is imported yet we have skilled carpenters), and extract wealth in all manner of ways (e.g. transfer pricing). Most jobs offered by large factories are low level, while skilled jobs (r&d, conceptualization, design, development) will be outsourced with the (false) excuse that Kenyans are not competent. In reality they just want to prevent HIGH VALUE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER so that locals don't build indigenous alternatives. I know some of the things I write are not supposed to be said because it will spoil some lucrative plunder parties.. but I alsonknow many of you know what I am saying is TRUE because you have seen it being done, heard about it or (God forbid) participated in it . This habit of taming monsters by feeding them with our kids is becoming too much and has to be called out for what it is. The youth are our children. It is our duty to create an enabling ecosystem framework that attracts opportunities and truly rewards them for innovation. We need a Kenyan Steve Jobs or Bill Gates who own their own companies - rather than have them and their ideas gobbled up by monopolistic dinosaur corporations that want to suppress their enterpreneurial dreams supressed in order to delay, the next wave of disruptive innovations. We need hundreds of winning case studies - not tens of mostly foreign owned startups (not that it's a bad thing to have foreign ownership, the key thing is that, given our history of suppressed esteem, our youth desperately need role models they can relate to so that they can start BELIEVING in themselves). We can't just tell youth to be job creators.. that's like telling a starving person to go find food. If they knew how - or where, they would not be starving. The REAL reason we tell the youth to employ themselves - yet we have not created an enabling framework - is because they have caught us napping and we want to deflect responsibility. "We" means anyone over 35 years old whether in privage sector or Government. Our parents didn't give us a gift to keep (the opportunities we enjoyed), they gave us a BATON to pass on in a long term RELAY RACE. Did you drop your baton (I did too)? Pick it up. Ignore the naysayers. Start running. Link: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/news/Formal-jobs-fall-to-6-year-low-des… Warmest regards,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Fwd: [AfrICANN-discuss] [OT] Invitation RightsCon-Tunez: Roundtable discussion about biometrics
by Barrack Otieno 07 Jul '19

07 Jul '19

Listers This is for your information and attention. Best Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From:Katitza <katitza(a)eff.org> Date: Fri, 3 May 2019 00:40 Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] [OT] Invitation RightsCon-Tunez: Roundtable discussion about biometrics To: <africann(a)afrinic.net> Cc: Jennifer Lynch <jlynch(a)eff.org> Dear friends: My colleague Jennifer Lynch, EFF Surveillance Litigation Director,[1] is organizing a strategic roundtable at RightsCon to discuss biometric surveillance. If you are working on the issue and also going to RightsCon, would be great if you can join this conversation. If that's the case, could you please let Jennifer lynch(a)eff.org <jlynch(a)eff.org> knows directly that you’re interested in participating? [1] https://www.eff.org/about/staff/jennifer-lynch <https://www.eff.org/about/staff/jennifer-lynch> Thanks so much! Looking forward to seeting you at RightsCon! Katitza *Session Title: You're Not Just a Pretty Face: Biometric Surveillance Has Moved Beyond Face Recognition - How Do We Stop It?* Session Description: Every day we hear about new developments in face recognition in China, Israel, the US, and other countries - face recognition accuracy has improved exponentially; cameras are being deployed in more and more places; and face recognition is used for more and more services. However, by focusing solely on face recognition, activists, NGOs and lawyers are missing the forest for the trees. Face recognition is now just one of the many technologies incorporated into vast surveillance systems and used to track people. Other technologies in these systems - like object recognition, license plate and text recognition, voice recognition, and gait recognition - combined with cheap cloud storage and machine learning are allowing for tracking on a never-before-seen scale. This session will provide a space to discuss these topics. It will bring in experts to explain how technologies are working and how they are being deployed around the world. It will also encourage interactivity by asking all participants to share stories and contribute ideas for change. Main Goal of Session: The main goal of this session will be to share knowledge about the biometric technologies that governments are using or planning to use to surveil and track their citizens - what are the capabilities of these surveillance systems; which are the companies designing the technologies; what activism has worked to limit the reach of these systems; and how can we strategize and work together to stop them. Translate to Post-Conference Action: This session will translate to a post-conference action by building a community of lawyers and activists who are working together to share knowledge about and fight biometric surveillance. It may also develop principles for companies that are working on these technologies. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/africann

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Data Protection Bill: Portability section
by Rafe Mazer 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

Hi KICTA Net members. I'm Rafe Mazer, a consumer protection in digital financial services specialist working in Kenya the past 5 years (and globally on this toic for 10+ years.) I just saw the new Data Protection Bill within the National Assembly ( http://parliament.go.ke/sites/default/files/2019-07/The%20Data%20Protection…) and wanted to raise a discussion internally about Section 38 on Data Portability to see if KICTA Net may want to engage further on the topic. Specifically there are two aspects that were concerning: 1. The allowance for 30 days to honor a data subject's request for information held on them. In a digital economy, this is an excessively long period, and also quite a blunt instrument to apply across the entire economy, where health records are different from government records are different from financial records, etc. This would also kill the utility of portability in spaces like FinTech. Imagine I want to use my economic history with data controllers to get competing mobile loan offers. It could take up to 30 days to share that information, which is not aligned with the near-instant nature of these products and consumers' expectations on timing. Already the Bill rightly notes portability should only apply where "technically feasible" to exempt low-tech industries or providers, so there is no sense is saying that those who are deemed to be able to comply technically with portability should have up to 30 days to do so. If this language is kept in it will be used to delay--and defacto deny--consumer use of their data for increased choice in digital segments of the economy. Further, since access to information is included in the same section as portability, and they are not explicitly differentiated, you could argue data controllers have not just 30 days to honor a portability request, but to even tell you what data they hold on you the data subject. This is far too long a time to permit for a basic consumer data right. Right now some providers offer financial statements to the data subject much faster than that--in minutes or seconds--but allowing 30 days could encourage setting practices to that standard going forward, reducing consumer access to their own data not improving it. 2. The allowance of a "reasonable fee" to be charged for a portability request could lead to anti-competitive and excessive pricing. "Reasonable" is highly subjective, and we have seen Competition Authority already had to intervene to stop anti-competitive use of wholesale USSD rates in mobile financial services ( https://techweez.com/2017/03/17/cak-wants-safaricom-lower-ussd-charges-mobi…) It is highly likely a "reasonable fee" window would be deployed similarly where beneficial to firms and require ex-post intervention. The original language from the 2018 Bill where this was free of charge seems a much better approach. Curious to hear others' thoughts or context on this section, and how KICTANet could help to fix this section for the final version of the Bill so we don't create an anti-innovation and anti-consumer portability regime that will be the law of the land. Thanks for the chance to share and discuss on this platform, Rafe Mazer

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Call for Topics - Kenya IGF 2019
by Victor Kapiyo 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

Good afternoon Listers, The Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KIGF) is an annual meeting that brings together various stakeholder groups to dialogue on ICT and Internet policy. While the discussions give soft policy outcomes, KIGF is a knowledge sharing platform that informs and inspires policy actors in both the public and private sectors. The national forum also feeds into the regional and global IGFs through a chain of reporting and representation to the regional and global IGFs to ensure a bottom-up Internet policy development processes and a strong link between global internet policies and the national one. This year's event shall be held on *1 August 2018 in Nairobi. *Kindly save the date. Details of the venue and other logistics will be communicated in the coming days. On behalf of the local Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), we'd be interested to hear your views on the issues and topics that you think ought to be discussed during this year's Kenya IGF. We have 3 themes in line with the Global IGF 2019 Themes <https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2019-themes> i.e. Data Governance; Digital Inclusion; and, Security, Safety, Stability and Resilience. Kindly share your input in this *Google Form. <https://forms.gle/VrLBYuwScjjJmixq8> *We'll be happy to receive your feedback by *Sunday, 7 July, 2019. * We shall then compile your input and prepare the topics for the pre-IGF online discussion in the coming weeks and the final IGF Programme. Good day *Victor Kapiyo* MAG 2019 ==================================================== *“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” Zig Ziglar*

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CALL TO PARTICIPATE AT THE 4TH EDITION OF KENYA SCHOOL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE (KESIG)
by mwara gichanga 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

Dear Listers The internet has become a vital platform for social, economic and political development in the world, and more increasing so here in Kenya. These bring about a lot of national interests around internet governance debates across all sectors . The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is pleased to welcome applications from those individuals interested in internet Governance for the 4th Edition of the Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG). KeSIG takes place prior to the Kenya IGF, with the aim of introducing beginners to basic concepts in internet policy making. This is with the goal of creating and increasing the available expertise for participation in local and global internet governance processes. Learn more about KeSIG HERE Whether you are a policy maker, a researcher, a regulator, an engineer, a journalist, an entrepreneur or a human rights defender – if you are interested and want to get involved in internet policy and governance , KeSIG is designed perfectly for you! KeSIG will take place over a 3-day course from the 29th-31st July 2019, with the deadline for submissions closing on 13th July 2019, and announcement of selected participants following soon after. Kindly access application form HERE | | | | | | | | | | | 4TH EDITION OF KENYA SCHOOL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE(KESIG) KICTANet welcomes applications for fellows for the 4th Edition of the Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG... | | | For any further information or clarification , kindly email info(a)kictanet.or.ke or Mwara Gichanga mwaragichanga(a)kictanet.or.ke Warmly Mwara Gichanga Tech Policy Associate KICTANet

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Fwd: "Policy Engagement Alert" for July 2019.
by Barrack Otieno 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

Listers, Might be of interest to those following global Policy issues. Best Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jasper Mangwana, eng <mailer(a)isoc.org> Date: Wed, Jul 3, 2019 at 10:57 PM Subject: "Policy Engagement Alert" for July 2019. To: Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com> "Policy Engagement Alert" for July 2019. Hello Barrack, Dear Colleagues, Please find below our "Policy Engagement Alert" for July 2019. This is a monthly information update, shared with our members to make you aware of forthcoming ISOC submissions, our policy-related engagements, meetings and dialogues, or upcoming policy documents where your input might be sought. We hope that you find the below information useful. Best regards, Carl Gahnberg *Upcoming policy papers or surveys for release or out for comment* The *Policy Brief - Principles for Responsible Data Handling* is now available on the Internet Society website at: https://www.internetsociety.org/policybriefs/responsible-data-handling/ *Engagements (Conferences, National IGFs, etc.) * *7th Annual LAC Telecommunications Congress (CLT), Cordoba, Argentina, 1-5 July *. The seventh edition of the "Congreso Latinoamericano de Telecomunicationes" will be held in Cordoba, Argentina, from 1st to 5th July. Sebastian Bellagamba and Raquel Gatto will be speaking at the event. More information can be found here: www.clt.lat/2019/eng *IGF France, Paris, 4 July* The French version of the IGF will be held on 4 July in Paris, Constance Bommelaer and Konstantinos Komatis will be engaged in discussions relating to regulation and IoT security. More information is available here: https://www.igf-france.fr/ *Taiwan IGF, Taipei, Taiwan July 5-6*. The APAC Bureau will be conducting two sessions, on Internet Consolidation, and on Multistakeholder Policymaking in Practice, at this year's TWIGF. More information can be found here: https://www.igf.org.tw/ *ITU Global Symposium for Regulators, 9-12 July, Vanuatu* The APAC Bureau will speak about inclusive connectivity at the ITU-GSR. Discussions will focus on digital strategies and policies, infrastructure regulation, trust and confidence in a data driven economy, spectrum management policy, and 5G. More information can be found here: www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/GSR/2019/Pages/... <https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Conferences/GSR/2019/Pages/default.aspx> *APAC Regional IGF, Vladivostok, Russia, July 16-19* The APAC Bureau will lead two workshops, one on Internet consolidation and another on IoT security at this year's APrIGF. The Bureau is involved in various committees of the APrIGF Multistakeholder Group, with Raj Singh currently chairing the APrIGF MSG. More information can be found here: https://aprigf.ru/ *7th Africa DNS Foru**m, **Gaborone, Botswana**, 22**-24 July,* The 7th Africa DNS Forum will be taking place in Gaborone, Botswana from the 22nd to 24th of July 2019. The event is now organized by AFTLD and ICANN and ISOC will be attending to make presentations on topics on DNS and security. More about the event here https://dnsforum.africa/ *West Africa Internet Governance Forum, 25 - 26** July**,** 2**019* Economic Commission of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) are leading the West African Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) to establish a real multi-stakeholder platform for discussion on Internet issues. WAIGF meets once a year to discuss public policy issues related to Internet by including all stakeholders. This year is the 11th edition hosted in the Gambia, Banjul, from 25 to 26 July 2019 with the theme "Shared Responsibilities of Stakeholders for a Robust Internet Governance Ecosystem". This will be preceded by the 2nd West African School of Internet Governance (WASIG) from 22 - 24 July 2019. ISOC will be represented by Verengai. For more information please follow http://www.waigf.org/ *Youth IGF-USA Day Zero, July 24. **Washington, DC,* The Internet Society is helping to sponsor an event for youth ahead of the IGF-USA on July 25. The half-day event - being planned by youth for youth - will feature a keynote speaker and interactive conversations surrounding internet governance issues. NARB Summer Research Analyst Anna Higgins is leading the event. *Internet Governance Forum USA,** July 25**, **Washington, DC* The Internet Society North America Regional Bureau will attend IGF-USA for panels and discussions on internet governance issues such as techlash, cybersecurity and resiliency in internet infrastructure, and digital inclusion. Katie Jordan - NARB's Senior Policy Advisor - was on the planning committee for the panel on digital inclusion, which will discuss the digital divide, digital literacy, and innovative solutions to solving disparities in broadband access. Read more about IGF-USA here <https://www.igfusa.us/>. *North America Regional Bureau Chapter Workshop July 26, **Washington, DC,* Chapter representatives will gather in Washington DC to collaborate and plan ISOC mission activities in addition to participating in a masters class on membership recruitment, retention and engagement . *Launch of Indigenous Connectivity Summit Registration, Hilo, Hawaii. * NARB opened up registration for its third Indigenous Connectivity Summit that will take place in Hilo, Hawaii, from November 12-15, 2019. The summit is community-led and brings together Indigenous leaders, community members, community network operators, Internet service providers, researchers and policy makers with a common goal: connecting Indigenous communities to fast, affordable and sustainable Internet. Learn more about ICS 2019 here <https://www.internetsociety.org/events/indigenous-connectivity-summit/2019/> . *Highlights of Recent Activities* *Northwest Territories Tour, June 7-14. * NARB's Katie Jordan and Mark Buell - with the help of Mike West, Spencer Sevilla, and Dustin Phillips - traveled to the Northwest Territories of Canada to speak with communities about the benefits of community networks and the training processes we use. NARB is excited to begin training community members in Ulukhaktok, NWT, Canada, this year. Read more about our visit to Ulukhaktok in NNSL News here <https://nnsl.com/nwtnewsnorth/more-options-for-internet/>. *IG discussion with Francophone Missions, Geneva, 18 June* ISOC and ICANN was invited by the group of francophone ambassadors to the UN in Geneva to discuss emerging policy topics (Consolidation, Security, etc.) as well as Internet governance issues. Constance Bommelaer represented ISOC at this occasion. The discussion showed the importance of fluid discussions between stakeholder groups as policy leaders are more and more engaged in the digital sphere. *UN GGE, European consultations, Brussels, 20 June* The Internet Society participated at the EU Institute for Security Studies' (EUISS) session on the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts in advancing responsible behavior in cyberspace in the context of international security (UN GGE). The 73rd UN General Assembly established the UN GGE (2019-2021) and its first meeting will be held on 9-13 December 2019. The GGE Chair, Ambassador Guilherne Patriota (Brazil) was in attendance. The discussions were focused on the mandate of the UN GGE. The Internet Society was represented at this meeting by Constance Bommelaer *Asia-Pacific ICT Ministerial Meeting, Singapore, 25-26 June* The APAC Bureau participated in the high-level APT-MM, which drew up a five-year plan for ICT development in the region. The resulting ICT Ministerial Statement makes clear references to the multistakeholder model, fostering trust online, free flow of data, interoperability and connectivity for unserved and underserved areas--reflecting our key messages in our sustained engagement with the fora and with individual governments in the region. More information can be found here www.apt.int/2019-APT-MM *Hawaii Chapter Launch. * The North America Regional Bureau team is happy to announce the opening of the US Hawai'i chapter. Read more about the chapter and its mission in this post <https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2019/06/community-dispatch:-new-hawaii…> by Chapter Chair Burt Lum. The US Hawai'i chapter will help coordinate the Indigenous Connectivity Summit <https://www.internetsociety.org/events/indigenous-connectivity-summit/2019/> to be held in Hawai'i this November. Find the chapter website here <http://www.isochawaii.org/>. *Op-ed on internet access and indigenous languages in the Toronto Star. * NARB's Regional Bureau Chief Mark Buell co-wrote an op-ed in the Toronto Star this week on how Internet access can help conserve and revitalize indigenous languages. It called for more work to be done in funding Internet access in indigenous communities. Read the piece here <https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/06/25/internet-access-key…> . *Op-ed on bipartisan solutions for net neutrality in The Hill. * Katie Jordan - NARB's Senior Policy Advisor - published an op-ed in The Hill detailing the need for bipartisan collaboration on net neutrality policy. The op-ed also champions NARB's net neutrality multistakeholder process that wrapped up last month. Read the multistakeholder process report here <https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2019/net-neutrality-process-r…> and the op-ed here <https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/448561-america-needs-bipartisan-solu…> . *IoT Security Framework in **U**ruguay.* On 12 June, ISOC has signed an agreement with AGESIC - Government of Uruguay to develop recommendations for an IoT Security framework, similar to the processes developed in Canada, France and others. The kick-off meeting is expected to happen on mid July, to be organized together with the local Chapter. Information can be found here: www.internetsociety.org/blog/2019/06/... <https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2019/06/uruguay-joins-others-taking-ac…> *2019 Hackathon@AIS**, 19-20 June, Uganda* ISOC and AFRINIC co-organized the 3rd Hackathon@AIS alongside the Africa Internet Summit in Kampala, Uganda. The event attracted more than 100 participants for the two day event held on the 19th and 20th of June. 17 fellows from 12 countries were supported by ISOC to attend the event. 12 expert facilitators lead the participants in covering 5 main topics related to open Internet Standards development. To learn more about the event, please visit the event webpage here https://hackathon.internetsummitafrica.org *ISOC ARB Participates in the 2nd GFCE Triple I workshop in Kampala, 19 June 2019, Uganda * This workshop is initiated by the Global Forum for Cyber Expertise ( https://www.thegfce.com) and is supported by AfriNIC (https://afrinic.net/) AfricaCERT (https://www.africacert.org) AFNOG https://www.afnog.org/) (WACREN (https://www.wacren.net) ICANN (http://www.icann.org) the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate and the Internet Society. The workshop covered topics on open Internet Standards, security and encryption and also best practices to help improve Internet reliability. Sessions on IoT and MANRS were lead by ISOC at the event. *G20 Leaders Summit, 28-29 June, Osaka, Japan* G20 Heads of State and invited International Organizations leaders met in Japan to find common agreement under the 8 key thematic areas: Global Economy, Trade and Investment, Innovation, Environment and Energy, Employment, Women's Empowerment, Development and Health. They've released 2 outcomes documents: G20 Osaka Leaders' Declaration <https://g20.org/pdf/documents/en/FINAL_G20_Osaka_Leaders_Declaration.pdf>which mentions the benefits of technology and exchange of best practices, including the value of security in digital economy and the importance of bridging the digital divide; and G20 Osaka Leaders' Statement on preventing exploitation of the Internet for terrorism and violent extremism conducive to Terrorism (VECT) <https://g20.org/pdf/documents/en/FINAL_G20_Statement_on_Preventing_Terroris…> which builds on the Christchurch Call statement calling for online platforms to take action. *The Future of Tech Policy in India, Delhi, India, June 27*. The APAC Bureau supported discussions organised by Medianama to identify concerns and opportunities brought by various technology policies, including encryption and cybersecurity, in India. More information can be found here: www.medianama.com/2019/06/... <https://www.medianama.com/2019/06/223-announcing-policynext-on-the-future-o…> *1st Africa Region Data Protection and Privacy Conference, 23-27 June 2019 * ISOC participated in the Network of African Data Protection Authorities and Ghana Data Protection Commission hosted the Africa Data Protection and Privacy Conference, from June 23rd– June 27th 2019 in Accra, Ghana. The Africa Data Protection and Privacy Conference convened established Authorities in Africa and Global North counterparts for thought leadership, insight, best practice, high level strategic content and networking, providing a critical platform for promoting Africa's drive for Data Protection and Privacy laws in Africa. For more information visit the link, https://ardppc.com/ *OECD CDEP and Going Digital Project Phase II, Paris, 1-3 July, Paris, France* The CDEP will convene at OECD HQ in Paris to discuss upcoming work and new directions for the OECD's cross-sectoral initiative "Going Digital Phase II", discussing among other things the role of online platforms. ISOC participates in these processes through the Internet Technical Advisory Committee to the OECD (ITAC). Constance Bommelaer and Carl Gahnberg have participated in the event. ------------------------------ gahnberg(a)isoc.org Note: replies will be sent to the full discussion group. ------------------------------This is where your email content will go. Sincerely, [image: Internet Society] Don't miss a thing. Twitter <https://twitter.com/internetsociety> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/InternetSociety> | LinkedIn <https://ca.linkedin.com/company/internet-society> | YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/user/InternetSocietyVideo> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/internetsociety/> This message was sent to Barrack Otieno by the Internet Society. Please add us to your safe list to ensure delivery. Unsubscribe <http://portal.internetsociety.org/622619/Email/Unsubscribe?Eid=aa96fa0c-c68…> | Unsubscribe via email <globalmembership(a)isoc.org> | Update your preferences <http://portal.internetsociety.org/622619/emailpreferences/edit?EntityId=aa9…> | Privacy Policy <https://www.internetsociety.org/privacy-policy/> | Contact Us <https://www.internetsociety.org/contact-us/> © Copyright 2019 Internet Society 11710 Plaza America Drive, Suite 400, Reston, VA 20190-5108 USA +1 703-439-2120 Quai de l’île 13, CH-1204 Geneva, Switzerland +41 22 807 1444 Have questions? Contact globalmembership(a)isoc.org -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Re: [kictanet] [who are the sponsors? Managing indoctrination risks...] CALL TO PARTICIPATE AT THE 4TH EDITION OF KENYA SCHOOL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE (KESIG)
by Grace Bomu 04 Jul '19

04 Jul '19

1. Let's agree to disagree. I respect your views but do not want to lose a great idea like KeSIG to semantics and tradition. 2. KICTANet is donor funded. The theory of change is people centred ICT policy reforms in a multistakeholder space. Any donor who gives money understands that the network is made up of diverse views. Donors do not dictate content, they support programmes or activities. 3. Please read the book then we can discuss further. I find Dr. Kurbalija's organisation of internet governance issues genius as it helps beginners to make sense of a field that is full of jargon which may scare many away. 4. KICTANet is registered as a trust. The registered trustees have been petitioning for incorporation since 2016. This has been a difficult journey as it is at the discretion of the Minister (for lands). There is a plan for staggered succession. I guess all the energy has been directed at getting the incorporation so that there can be an proper organisation separate from the volunteers who are setting it up. There was an assessment of KICTANet in 2007 where options for registration of the organisation were floated. The urgency to formalise the organisation became apparent after the new Constitution when public participation was made mandatory. A group of us volunteered to pursue the registration in 2015 after the Kenya IGF. We consulted the founding members and got their blessing to go ahead. At the end of every year we have a state of ICT event. During this, people review the year and give suggestions for the next year's projects. Fundraising is on the basis of these suggestions. The gist of KICTANet has been a space for everyone interested in ICT policy development. Examples of policy issues that have been worked on from a proactive approach in the recent past include blockchain, elections technology and data protection. I believe the policy research is on the website and you can see the names of all the people who were involved. 5. It is easy to become an "insider". Just volunteer for a task/programme for example KeSIG and KIGF which are currently being planned. You can also bring an issue you care about and use the KICTANet brand we have built to work on it. This is how we got into the programme on community networks. 6. There has been thought about an organisational structure. It is envisaged that once incorporated (and funded), the trust will have employees who will run the programmes while trustees will be a board for governance. But all these are still visions. For the time being we have a convenor who provides strategic leadership and a steering team made of trustees and associates. Yes, volunteers are paid stipends and honoraria whenever the funding permits. I am not aware of any complaints from members/officials and would be happy to channel them to whoever can address them. I believe KICTANet has built a reputation in policy making circles locally, regionally and globally. Please understand that locally, we are working in an environment where most public bodies do not have proper public participation policies. Sometimes they send notices for public participation just a few days before expiry of the input period. I know many here would want more meaningful public participation, for example proactive participation. That said, it is the duty of everyone to notify the network when they see a relevant opportunity for public participation. Moderators do not have to be neutral, all stakeholders have different interests and backgrounds. Moderators have to be objective and inclusive. I am assuming that you are referring to moderated debates? 7. Yes, we have students assisting to run projects. We also have other groups of people who are learning, even though formally. I am hoping that they will come here and introduce themselves to you. Though between you and I, your style can be a bit intimidating. See how you tore apart an innocent message from a young Kenyan announcing KeSIG :) With regard to documents, there was a revamping of the website and I have also noted that I can't see all the annual reports, state of ICT/End year reports as well as the strategic report, which talks about the organisational structure that you are interested in. Let me look for them and get them posted. Yours, On Thu, 4 Jul 2019 at 22:28, Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Thank you Grace for the detailed response and for acknowledging that the > issues that I raised are valid. Unfortunately your response seems to be > quite generalized/vague and that raises even more questions and/or > observations... > > 1. On the use of "school" to denote an event: Is it really an issue for a > "global" entity (I suppose you mean donors) to address? Do we not have our > own values as Kenya(ns) - or are they imposed on us? Shouldn't decisions on > core principles and values be made by local chapters? > > Disruption does not mean the use of deceptive tactics. To understand the > concept of disruption, please look up Clayton Christensen's extensive > work on the subject (see link #1). > > 2. Does KICTANet have a policy on sources of funding (e.g. to avoid > conflicts of interest or getting captured by vested interests via > dependency)? Recognizing that whoever pays the piper calls the tune, how > is this challenge managed? What about the perceptions of receiving money > from scandal ridden companies that are known for aggressive lobbying / > lawbreaking? > > While I appreciate your personal assurances, it is better to have > formalized institutional checks and balances as they are much more robust > (continuity, consistency, verifiability, documented expectations etc). I > shouldn't even be making this argument because the need for institutions > and systems approach is so obvious in Kenya given the pervasiveness of > corruption. > > 3. Isn't a taxonomy too abstract (more of a contextual lexicology guide) > to be considered as the basis for a training program? But what about the > actual course content? Where can it be viewed/downloaded from? How was it > developed? What quality assurance processes were applied? and so on... > > 4. KICTANet was registered in 2016? Noted. What type of organization is > KICTANet formally registered as? Is it an NGO? > > Three years looks like a long time for such an important organization to > operate without formal governance or institutionalized accountability...? > > Who are the current leadership team and for how long have they served? How > are/were they selected? Are they willing to embrace democratic ethos in > multi-stakeholder leadership (e.g. via annual elections and paving way for > new elected leaders)? > > Where do we get the audited (or unaudited) financial accounts for the 3 > years that the organization has been in existence - in the spirit of > transparency and accountability? > > What about the budget and planned programs for this year? I couldn't > locate them online. I remember requesting for this some months ago and I > believe there was an assurance that it would be published? > > 5. The idea of "outsider" vs "insider" perspectives has come up previously > as well. Perhaps it points to the need for more transparency about the > organization. So who are the insiders? How does one become one? What is the > basic knowledge that they should know and where do they get it? Perhaps an > insider on-boarding guide can be published so that all stakeholders get to > be insiders? > > 6. Please kindly share KICTANet's current org structure (does not have to > be a diagram) and who is in what role? How many commitees currently exist > and what are they working on? Who are volunteers and who are paid (stipends > / honorariums etc)? This knowledge can help manage stakeholder > expectations. > > If the team is adequate and diverse, why do we occasionally see complaints > from some members/officials about a growing list of pending items (some > have even been overtaken by events)? Also why does KICTANet seem to have > low influence in policy circles (e.g. members not notified of opportunities > for public participation or notified late as to negate meaningful > participation)? Is there a leadership challenge? > > How is moderator neutrality ensured in the platform? Some messages on the > platform go through but it seems like others don't (and yet others seem to > go to a limited set of individuals)? Can you shed more light on how that > works and what is the basis + oversight for it? > > 7. Do you have tertiary level students represented in senior and top > leadership roles (would be answered by #4 & #6)? Which Universities and > TVETs? > > Thanks again and I appreciate your taking time from your very busy > schedule to give a response. If governance can be ironed out, the > organization will be much more robust, effective and impactful - hence the > value of this discussion. > > Enjoy your evening & be blessed! > > Brgds, > Patrick > > Patrick A. M. Maina > [Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous > Innovations] > > *Links / References:* > > 1. Christensen et al; What Is Disruptive Innovation? > https://hbr.org/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation > > > > On Thursday, July 4, 2019, 8:19:34 PM GMT+3, Grace Bomu < > nmutungu(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > Patrick, > 1. You raise high level policy issues which I will share with colleagues > in the global SIGs movement. Why do we use the word school? Why are we > non-conforming to the traditional methods of accreditation for training? I > think this comes from the (disruptive) history of internet policy making. > 2. As regards the sources of funding, I totally get your fears. However, > we live in this community where each of the stakeholders is differently > abled. What we have is an understanding that KICTANet's role is to convene > meetings while the funders is to resource. I can assure you that there is > independence between the funders and content of the meetings. Indeed, the > KeSIG and KIGF strive for inclusive and meaningful views from all > stakeholder groups, including those that do not contribute resources. > Contribution in terms of policy ideas is just as highly regarded. > 3. Our programme is based on Diplo Foundation's taxonomy of internet > governance issues with local adaptation. Please check out An Introduction > to Internet Governance by Jovan Kurbalija. If you read the 2016 KeSIG > report, you will also find the rationale for starting KeSIG- we had a lot > of people interested in internet governance who needed to learn the basics- > what is the internet, its history, Kenya's role in global policy making, > the actors etc. > 4. Yes to all that. KICTANet as a network is about 10 years old but > KICTANet as an organisation is barely 3 years old. The current steering > team is doing great work in setting up the organisational structures with > the assistance of donors. Please check each KICTANet report for the > specific donors. As someone who has worked in this team, I am struck by the > strategy to get local companies to also support policy making work. > Although so far we have only received project based grants, I am sure that > future teams will be able to get more core support from these companies. > After all, this is our country and world to build. > 5. absolutely. Please check KICTANet website for publications. You will > note that they are all enabled by the generosity of our partners. I am also > glad to note that the new kids of KICTANet are adopting video and other > more interesting methods to curate our experiences. PS: The new kids > introduced the idea of video while volunteering in the committees. They are > also very active and more comfortable with discussing policy on social > media as opposed to here. > 6 &6. I am aware that the current team has been planning/looking for > resources for a community summit for the KICTANet community to meet and > discuss among others: organisational structure, succession and > sustainability. Look out for this. I welcome you to think of other models > for financial resource mobilisation. Should KICTANet community membership > be subscription based? What then do we do with members who have other > resources eg critical analysis? We also need policy makers because they > need to hear ideas as they develop even before they are formally presented > to them as policy proposals. Remember the diversity of stakeholders is > what makes KICTANet what it is. > 7. We do have a lot of students at KICTANet, thanks to the many lecturers > who send them our way. Other students find their way from these calls we > make here. But our diversity is not limited to students. We also have > artistes (credit to them for videos), self taught programmers, designers > and other new age professionals. Please please come to KeSIG and see > KICTANet in action. I am sure you will appreciate some of the inner > workings more. > > All the issues you raise are valid. But I also find that you are coming > from a sort of outsider perspective. This is by no means a disadvantage. On > the contrary, it would be great if you could contribute some time towards > the backend and bring your fresh ideas to work. So again, I invite you to > join one of the working groups or committees and share ideas for ongoing > programmes. But I warn you, it takes a lot of hours and dedication to > execute a programme. Infact, this is the reason I could not answer you > sooner. > > I hope this sheds more light on your questions. > > Warmly, > > On Thu, 4 Jul 2019 at 09:02, Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> > wrote: > > Thank you Grace for the constructive and calm response. > > The idea of offering training on policy is a good one - in principle - > because, if properly implemented, it can help promote broader, > intellectually diverse and meaningful engagement on important policy issues. > > My *good-faith concerns* are with the approach taken by certain > initiatives - perhaps with "SIG" as an example. Let me offer some > constructive suggestions to help build on the underlying idea and improve > it (as well as ideas for broader improvements to KICTANet's governance > framework): > > *1. Using the word "school" to market and EVENT can convey deceptive > intent:* The word "school" has certain connotations (and its use may have > legal implications); it creates certain automatic impressions, assumptions > and expectations in peoples minds. Using the word to lends an aura of *pedagogical > robustness* and *institutional credibility* to what appears to be > essentially a partisan event/forum. This can be interpreted as deceptive > advertising and might also be in conflict with education laws / regulations > (lawyers can advise). > > Is it really necessary to rely on deception to attract participants? Why > go to such lengths? The choice of deceptive branding (coupled with > historical support from scandal ridden corporations) can send legitimate > signals that the intention is to brainwash / indoctrinate participants - > especially in the context of policy agendas. > > Unless I'm missing something... Could you please clarify the historical > rationale for calling it a "school" and whether, in view of the above > considerations, it would make sense to drop the word "school" and just call > it what it really is: a potentially partisan discussion forum? > > Participants should be given a written *conflict of interest advisory* > prior to the event so that they can contextualize the content's point of > view (if there have not been any robust quality controls). This helps > promote transparency. > > *2. The source of funding matters: * > > Examples: > *a.* Consider the debate of whether religious institutions, the supposed > custodians of our "core values", should accept contributions from dubious > sources. Accepting the funds compromises the perceived moral authority of > the institution thus destroying its credibility. It is also a form of moral > laundering. Civil Society / Non-profits also face these challenges. They > rely on donations to survive - but what happens when there is a conflict of > values e.g. in cases where the donor is a known lawbreaker who pursues > profit with disregard for ethics and against public-interest values? > > *b.* There is a saying: "whoever pays the piper calls the tune": It is > fair to question the ethics of civil society / non-profits accepting > funding from companies that are notorious for deceptive and illegal > activities - to the extent that even governments have labelled some as > "digital gangsters". These companies are known for aggressively seeking to > corrupt/influence policy and regulations all over the world to legitimize > their harmful and exploitative practices. The companies are also known for > purposefully applying unethical brainwashing techniques on mass scale to > achieve their selfish ends. What is the perception created (and what are > the risks) when such brands sponsor internet governance training? > > So unless we are saying it is OK for, say, as an illustrative example - > NACADA (National Agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse) to accept > funding and partnership from Chang'aa dealers and Colombian drug lords to > help deliver training on how to influence policies on illegal drugs... see > what I mean? > > *3. Training Content, Pedagogical Quality and Delivery matters:* A > training course on policy matters should be robustly and professionally > developed (not just random calls for content), put through quality > assurance controls (e.g. peer, industry and public reviews), followed by > accreditation by credible institutions. It should also be delivered by > qualified and credible instructors. > > To maximize its reach (and transparency), the course should delivered (or > posted) online (videos + presentations + reference lists + graphics etc) on > a freely accessible website/platform that allows learners to make public > reviews and/or debates on the content. This user feedback can then feed > into cycles of transparent and professional content improvement. > > This is different from simply publishing a post-event report (perhaps > intended for donors so that more funding can be obtained?). > > *4. Transparency matters: *KICTANet being a multi-stakeholder forum that > advocates for good governance on ICT related issues, should strive to live > its own values. Besides being seen to be open to good-faith criticism, > diversity of thought and freedom of expression, there should be visible > efforts to demonstrate transparency, accountability and democratic ideals > within its governance framework. This includes publishing annual plans, > budgets (anticipated sources of funds and planned expenditure), annual > audited accounts, and annual independent audit of governance structures. > > *5. Accountability matters:* It appears that KICTANet routinely receives > funding from various sources. Where can we find KICTANet's audited transparency > reports? The best practice for Non-profits is to publish audited > Transparency Reports that show the sources and use funds. This helps > identify potential conflicts of interest where there is risk of > compromising values or neutrality. It also helps address corruption risks > (e.g. turning public-interest initiatives into personal cash cows or > officials being bribed to push hidden agendas that corrupt what would > otherwise be good initiatives). > > *6. Conflict of interest matters:* To avoid perceptions that a > multi-stakeholder organization has been hijacked by duplicitous agendas, or > perceptions that officials may be using an organization (or its brand) to > enrich themselves with sponsorship and donor funding, there need to be > conflict of interest audits of the organization, its officials and its > initiatives. No institution (whether public, private or non-profit) is > immune to corruption - hence the need for institutionalized checks and > balances. Also publicity initiatives should be seen to focus more on the > message (or participants) and less on promoting the officials' personal > brands. > > *6. Sustainability matters: *Let us use technology to promote > re-usability and sustainability. Public-interest training courses should be > digitized and published online for anyone to access. > > One major challenge with donor-funded initiatives is that they are always > at risk of being turned into corruption cash cows - to the detriment of > intended objectives. This leads to deceptive exploitation of other people's > misfortunes - which is a cruel way of acquiring wealth. > > Other than lack of transparency and accountability, another sign of > possible corruption in the non-profit sector is failure to implement *fairly > obvious* sustainability measures (or ignoring advice to do so) - because, > obviously, if a problem is solved there will be no more funding. This is > why slums like Kibera / Mukuru etc never go away and why some NGOs are > happy to deliver tablets to mud-walled/tin-structure schools that don't > have desks or chairs or proper toilets or green playgrounds and have > underpaid teachers and malnourished pupils. > > *7. Democracy matters in multi-stakeholder forums:* Sometimes, when > officials serve for too long, they may perceive the organization as an > extension of themselves (or as personal property) and become very sensitive > to legitimate criticism - to the extent that they censor / clamp down on > debate or aggressively muzzle their critics (e.g. via personal attacks or > attempts to discredit the source). > > Usually this occurs there are no democratic governance structures or > continued efforts to promote diversity of interests as well as diversity of > thought within leadership. > > We need to start *honest conversations* about the need for *multi-stakeholder > governance* in KICTANet via democratic ethos where governance, officials > and roles are a fair representation of the *diversity *of > multi-stakeholder settings. New leaders come in with fresh ideas, fresh > strategies and new approaches. > > We also need to discuss the idea of student representation in the KICTANet > leadership/trusteeship (one from TVET and one from University) - as a way > of grooming future leaders - as well as representation from MSMEs that are > not affiliated or dependent on corporations. > > This will help the network grow to new heights and achieve even more. > > Thank you and I look forward to a fruitful, and issues-focused discussion. > Good day! > > Brgds, > Patrick. > > Patrick A. M. Maina > [Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous > Innovations] > > > On Wednesday, July 3, 2019, 7:42:23 PM GMT+3, Grace Bomu < > nmutungu(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > In case you missed the link. Here it is. > https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?page_id=40115 > You will find all the previous KeSIG reports. > > A brief background: Schools of internet governance (SIGs) are an offshoot > of Internet Governance Fora (IGF). Internet governance fora are national > and regional events that feed into the global UN hosted IGF. IGF is an > annual soft law making event. It is multi stakeholder in its organisation > and discussions. > > The Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG) is being held prior to the > Kenya IGF. KeSIG runs from 29th -31st July while KIGF will be on 1st > August. Like the global events, KeSIG and KIGF are also multistakeholder, > bringing together the local community. While the event is sponsored by > multiple stakeholders, it is convened by KICTANet.Infact, I am sure you > will feature in the programme, should you have the time as you always bring > a fresh view to our debates here. Please also see previous emails calling > for volunteers to the KeSIG steering > <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2019-June/034691.html>committee > and KIGF > <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2019-June/034680.html>. > There is also a call for KIGF topics > <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2019-July/034717.html>. > > Finally, we are very proud of Mwara, our Tech Policy Associate, whose > journey begun from being a fellow at KeSIG. She is now the administrative > lead in the 4th edition of the school. So KeSIG is also a training ground > for youth. > > Warm regards, > > > On Wed, 3 Jul 2019 at 19:20, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > Dear listers, > > When it comes to topics that can influence thought on policy issues, the > line between training and indoctrination or brainwash becomes very thin - > hence the need for vigilance, close scrutiny, transparency and *neutrality > assurance* of (all) policy-related training initiatives. > > Some of the companies known to sponsor such events worldwide are notorious > for aggressive lobbying on policy or governance issues, ostensibly: > > a. to try avoid impending regulation of their harmful/anti-social business > models (or to distort accountability and responsibility narratives); > > b to try gain unfair advantage over government policy (and/or procurement) > by corrupting rules, infiltrating and subverting public sector initiatives, > or by peddling influence; > > c. to institutionalize, launder and/or officially entrench their > socially/economically damaging profit models. > > A number of them have been accused by multiple governments, regulators, > civil society, journalists, intellectuals, internet users (via class action > lawsuits) and even their own former executives of using either unlawful or > dishonest / grossly unethical business practices in ruthless pursuit of > profit. Examples of these dubious practices include purposefully developing > harmful/addiction-forming radicalizing online products targeted at young > people, using deceptive tactics to grow or protect their businesses, > infiltrating and subverting public education systems, subverting economies > by capturing workers and learners attention, brazen disregard for people's > privacy, unethical exploitation of private info, brazenly breaking laws or > aggressively exploiting weak laws, exploiting public ignorance for profit > and using predatory commercial strategies that are harmful to the public. > > The same companies, despite having BILLIONS in revenue, *agressively > avoid* contributing their FAIR SHARE of taxes (sometimes to the extent of > operating illegally, with impunity, in poor countries) - thus unfairly > increasing the burden on governments and taxpayers to fund remediation for > the indirect damage that these rogue companies cause e.g. damage to public > health, subverting education, political instability, extremism and economic > sabotage. These indirect, hidden burdens (negative externalities) can be > socio-economically devastating - especially in developing economies, but > are seldom recognized, highlighted, mitigated or attributed to the > companies that are creating/amplifying them. The same companies then > chicanerously manipulate the civil society (e.g. via training & > sponsorship) to defend their commercial products as a "human right"! > > So depending on the sponsor(s), curriculum and governance framework, a > training initiative could either be seen as legitimate training or a kind > of backdoor indoctrination. > > This is why it is important to have full transparency and independent > vetting of such sensitive initiatives (including sponsors, curriculum, > tutors, accreditation etc). > > Also the use of the word "school" suggests an institution that has > undergone formal vetting and accreditation. Yet when I look at the website, > it ostensibly reads as if the "school" is an event. Questions: > > 1. Is it a school or is it an event? > > 2. Where is the school based? > > 3. Is it registered with relevant training oversight bodies? > > 4. Who are the lecturers and what are their credentials? > > 5. Who developed the coursework & what process was used? This is in view > of high risk of content subversion due to powerful business interests > having high conflicts of interest on policy and governance issues. > > 6. Is the school & coursework accredited? By which bodies? > > 7. Does it issue certificates? > > 8. How is the school/course funded? Does it have transparency reports? > Where can they be found? > > 9. Who are the sponsors of this event/course? > > 10. How is conflict of interest avoided (currently and in the past)? Who > audits & certifies neutrality? > > 11. By now such kinds of (potentially subjective) public-interest courses > should have been put somewhere online for free and open access. This also > allows for independent public scrutiny of the course content. How come this > more transparent (and more pro-internet) approach has not yet been taken > (despite big sponsors)? > > This is not to cast aspersions on this specific initiative but to point > out, in good faith and in public interest, possible areas of risks or > concern, so that they can be addressed or clarified. The issues above > generally apply to any initiative(s) purporting to train stakeholders on > policy and governance. > > Perhaps KICTANet officials can shed more light on the above issues please > or point us to online resources that have the answers for each question > above? > > Many thanks & have a blessed day. > > Patrick. > > Patrick A. M. Maina > [Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous > Innovations] > > On Wednesday, July 3, 2019, 12:24:28 PM GMT+3, mwara gichanga via kictanet > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > > Dear Listers > > The internet has become a vital platform for social, economic and > political development in the world, and more increasing so here in Kenya. > These bring about a lot of national interests around internet governance > debates across all sectors . > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is pleased to welcome applications > from those individuals interested in internet Governance for the 4th > Edition of the Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG). KeSIG takes > place prior to the Kenya IGF, with the aim of introducing beginners to > basic concepts in internet policy making. This is with the goal of creating > and increasing the available expertise for participation in local and > global internet governance processes. > > Learn more about KeSIG HERE <https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?page_id=40115> > > Whether you are a policy maker, a researcher, a regulator, an engineer, a > journalist, an entrepreneur or a human rights defender – if you are > interested and want to get involved in internet policy and governance , > KeSIG is designed perfectly for you! > > KeSIG will take place over a 3-day course from the 29th-31st July 2019, > with the deadline for submissions closing on 13th July 2019, and > announcement of selected participants following soon after. > > Kindly access application form HERE <https://forms.gle/vCncJuuGSnowFUhNA> > > 4TH EDITION OF KENYA SCHOOL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE(KESIG) > > KICTANet welcomes applications for fellows for the 4th Edition of the > Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG... > <https://forms.gle/vCncJuuGSnowFUhNA> > > > For any further information or clarification , kindly email > info(a)kictanet.or.ke or Mwara Gichanga mwaragichanga(a)kictanet.or.ke > > Warmly > > Mwara Gichanga > > Tech Policy Associate > > KICTANet > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/nmutungu%40gmail.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > -- > Grace Mutung'u > Skype: gracebomu > @Bomu > PGP ID : 0x33A3450F > > > > -- > Grace Mutung'u > Skype: gracebomu > @Bomu > PGP ID : 0x33A3450F > > -- Grace Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu @Bomu PGP ID : 0x33A3450F

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Re: [kictanet] [who are the sponsors? Managing indoctrination risks...] CALL TO PARTICIPATE AT THE 4TH EDITION OF KENYA SCHOOL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE (KESIG)
by Grace Bomu 04 Jul '19

04 Jul '19

Patrick, 1. You raise high level policy issues which I will share with colleagues in the global SIGs movement. Why do we use the word school? Why are we non-conforming to the traditional methods of accreditation for training? I think this comes from the (disruptive) history of internet policy making. 2. As regards the sources of funding, I totally get your fears. However, we live in this community where each of the stakeholders is differently abled. What we have is an understanding that KICTANet's role is to convene meetings while the funders is to resource. I can assure you that there is independence between the funders and content of the meetings. Indeed, the KeSIG and KIGF strive for inclusive and meaningful views from all stakeholder groups, including those that do not contribute resources. Contribution in terms of policy ideas is just as highly regarded. 3. Our programme is based on Diplo Foundation's taxonomy of internet governance issues with local adaptation. Please check out An Introduction to Internet Governance by Jovan Kurbalija. If you read the 2016 KeSIG report, you will also find the rationale for starting KeSIG- we had a lot of people interested in internet governance who needed to learn the basics- what is the internet, its history, Kenya's role in global policy making, the actors etc. 4. Yes to all that. KICTANet as a network is about 10 years old but KICTANet as an organisation is barely 3 years old. The current steering team is doing great work in setting up the organisational structures with the assistance of donors. Please check each KICTANet report for the specific donors. As someone who has worked in this team, I am struck by the strategy to get local companies to also support policy making work. Although so far we have only received project based grants, I am sure that future teams will be able to get more core support from these companies. After all, this is our country and world to build. 5. absolutely. Please check KICTANet website for publications. You will note that they are all enabled by the generosity of our partners. I am also glad to note that the new kids of KICTANet are adopting video and other more interesting methods to curate our experiences. PS: The new kids introduced the idea of video while volunteering in the committees. They are also very active and more comfortable with discussing policy on social media as opposed to here. 6 &6. I am aware that the current team has been planning/looking for resources for a community summit for the KICTANet community to meet and discuss among others: organisational structure, succession and sustainability. Look out for this. I welcome you to think of other models for financial resource mobilisation. Should KICTANet community membership be subscription based? What then do we do with members who have other resources eg critical analysis? We also need policy makers because they need to hear ideas as they develop even before they are formally presented to them as policy proposals. Remember the diversity of stakeholders is what makes KICTANet what it is. 7. We do have a lot of students at KICTANet, thanks to the many lecturers who send them our way. Other students find their way from these calls we make here. But our diversity is not limited to students. We also have artistes (credit to them for videos), self taught programmers, designers and other new age professionals. Please please come to KeSIG and see KICTANet in action. I am sure you will appreciate some of the inner workings more. All the issues you raise are valid. But I also find that you are coming from a sort of outsider perspective. This is by no means a disadvantage. On the contrary, it would be great if you could contribute some time towards the backend and bring your fresh ideas to work. So again, I invite you to join one of the working groups or committees and share ideas for ongoing programmes. But I warn you, it takes a lot of hours and dedication to execute a programme. Infact, this is the reason I could not answer you sooner. I hope this sheds more light on your questions. Warmly, On Thu, 4 Jul 2019 at 09:02, Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Thank you Grace for the constructive and calm response. > > The idea of offering training on policy is a good one - in principle - > because, if properly implemented, it can help promote broader, > intellectually diverse and meaningful engagement on important policy issues. > > My *good-faith concerns* are with the approach taken by certain > initiatives - perhaps with "SIG" as an example. Let me offer some > constructive suggestions to help build on the underlying idea and improve > it (as well as ideas for broader improvements to KICTANet's governance > framework): > > *1. Using the word "school" to market and EVENT can convey deceptive > intent:* The word "school" has certain connotations (and its use may have > legal implications); it creates certain automatic impressions, assumptions > and expectations in peoples minds. Using the word to lends an aura of *pedagogical > robustness* and *institutional credibility* to what appears to be > essentially a partisan event/forum. This can be interpreted as deceptive > advertising and might also be in conflict with education laws / regulations > (lawyers can advise). > > Is it really necessary to rely on deception to attract participants? Why > go to such lengths? The choice of deceptive branding (coupled with > historical support from scandal ridden corporations) can send legitimate > signals that the intention is to brainwash / indoctrinate participants - > especially in the context of policy agendas. > > Unless I'm missing something... Could you please clarify the historical > rationale for calling it a "school" and whether, in view of the above > considerations, it would make sense to drop the word "school" and just call > it what it really is: a potentially partisan discussion forum? > > Participants should be given a written *conflict of interest advisory* > prior to the event so that they can contextualize the content's point of > view (if there have not been any robust quality controls). This helps > promote transparency. > > *2. The source of funding matters: * > > Examples: > *a.* Consider the debate of whether religious institutions, the supposed > custodians of our "core values", should accept contributions from dubious > sources. Accepting the funds compromises the perceived moral authority of > the institution thus destroying its credibility. It is also a form of moral > laundering. Civil Society / Non-profits also face these challenges. They > rely on donations to survive - but what happens when there is a conflict of > values e.g. in cases where the donor is a known lawbreaker who pursues > profit with disregard for ethics and against public-interest values? > > *b.* There is a saying: "whoever pays the piper calls the tune": It is > fair to question the ethics of civil society / non-profits accepting > funding from companies that are notorious for deceptive and illegal > activities - to the extent that even governments have labelled some as > "digital gangsters". These companies are known for aggressively seeking to > corrupt/influence policy and regulations all over the world to legitimize > their harmful and exploitative practices. The companies are also known for > purposefully applying unethical brainwashing techniques on mass scale to > achieve their selfish ends. What is the perception created (and what are > the risks) when such brands sponsor internet governance training? > > So unless we are saying it is OK for, say, as an illustrative example - > NACADA (National Agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse) to accept > funding and partnership from Chang'aa dealers and Colombian drug lords to > help deliver training on how to influence policies on illegal drugs... see > what I mean? > > *3. Training Content, Pedagogical Quality and Delivery matters:* A > training course on policy matters should be robustly and professionally > developed (not just random calls for content), put through quality > assurance controls (e.g. peer, industry and public reviews), followed by > accreditation by credible institutions. It should also be delivered by > qualified and credible instructors. > > To maximize its reach (and transparency), the course should delivered (or > posted) online (videos + presentations + reference lists + graphics etc) on > a freely accessible website/platform that allows learners to make public > reviews and/or debates on the content. This user feedback can then feed > into cycles of transparent and professional content improvement. > > This is different from simply publishing a post-event report (perhaps > intended for donors so that more funding can be obtained?). > > *4. Transparency matters: *KICTANet being a multi-stakeholder forum that > advocates for good governance on ICT related issues, should strive to live > its own values. Besides being seen to be open to good-faith criticism, > diversity of thought and freedom of expression, there should be visible > efforts to demonstrate transparency, accountability and democratic ideals > within its governance framework. This includes publishing annual plans, > budgets (anticipated sources of funds and planned expenditure), annual > audited accounts, and annual independent audit of governance structures. > > *5. Accountability matters:* It appears that KICTANet routinely receives > funding from various sources. Where can we find KICTANet's audited transparency > reports? The best practice for Non-profits is to publish audited > Transparency Reports that show the sources and use funds. This helps > identify potential conflicts of interest where there is risk of > compromising values or neutrality. It also helps address corruption risks > (e.g. turning public-interest initiatives into personal cash cows or > officials being bribed to push hidden agendas that corrupt what would > otherwise be good initiatives). > > *6. Conflict of interest matters:* To avoid perceptions that a > multi-stakeholder organization has been hijacked by duplicitous agendas, or > perceptions that officials may be using an organization (or its brand) to > enrich themselves with sponsorship and donor funding, there need to be > conflict of interest audits of the organization, its officials and its > initiatives. No institution (whether public, private or non-profit) is > immune to corruption - hence the need for institutionalized checks and > balances. Also publicity initiatives should be seen to focus more on the > message (or participants) and less on promoting the officials' personal > brands. > > *6. Sustainability matters: *Let us use technology to promote > re-usability and sustainability. Public-interest training courses should be > digitized and published online for anyone to access. > > One major challenge with donor-funded initiatives is that they are always > at risk of being turned into corruption cash cows - to the detriment of > intended objectives. This leads to deceptive exploitation of other people's > misfortunes - which is a cruel way of acquiring wealth. > > Other than lack of transparency and accountability, another sign of > possible corruption in the non-profit sector is failure to implement *fairly > obvious* sustainability measures (or ignoring advice to do so) - because, > obviously, if a problem is solved there will be no more funding. This is > why slums like Kibera / Mukuru etc never go away and why some NGOs are > happy to deliver tablets to mud-walled/tin-structure schools that don't > have desks or chairs or proper toilets or green playgrounds and have > underpaid teachers and malnourished pupils. > > *7. Democracy matters in multi-stakeholder forums:* Sometimes, when > officials serve for too long, they may perceive the organization as an > extension of themselves (or as personal property) and become very sensitive > to legitimate criticism - to the extent that they censor / clamp down on > debate or aggressively muzzle their critics (e.g. via personal attacks or > attempts to discredit the source). > > Usually this occurs there are no democratic governance structures or > continued efforts to promote diversity of interests as well as diversity of > thought within leadership. > > We need to start *honest conversations* about the need for *multi-stakeholder > governance* in KICTANet via democratic ethos where governance, officials > and roles are a fair representation of the *diversity *of > multi-stakeholder settings. New leaders come in with fresh ideas, fresh > strategies and new approaches. > > We also need to discuss the idea of student representation in the KICTANet > leadership/trusteeship (one from TVET and one from University) - as a way > of grooming future leaders - as well as representation from MSMEs that are > not affiliated or dependent on corporations. > > This will help the network grow to new heights and achieve even more. > > Thank you and I look forward to a fruitful, and issues-focused discussion. > Good day! > > Brgds, > Patrick. > > Patrick A. M. Maina > [Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous > Innovations] > > > On Wednesday, July 3, 2019, 7:42:23 PM GMT+3, Grace Bomu < > nmutungu(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > In case you missed the link. Here it is. > https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?page_id=40115 > You will find all the previous KeSIG reports. > > A brief background: Schools of internet governance (SIGs) are an offshoot > of Internet Governance Fora (IGF). Internet governance fora are national > and regional events that feed into the global UN hosted IGF. IGF is an > annual soft law making event. It is multi stakeholder in its organisation > and discussions. > > The Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG) is being held prior to the > Kenya IGF. KeSIG runs from 29th -31st July while KIGF will be on 1st > August. Like the global events, KeSIG and KIGF are also multistakeholder, > bringing together the local community. While the event is sponsored by > multiple stakeholders, it is convened by KICTANet.Infact, I am sure you > will feature in the programme, should you have the time as you always bring > a fresh view to our debates here. Please also see previous emails calling > for volunteers to the KeSIG steering > <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2019-June/034691.html>committee > and KIGF > <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2019-June/034680.html>. > There is also a call for KIGF topics > <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2019-July/034717.html>. > > Finally, we are very proud of Mwara, our Tech Policy Associate, whose > journey begun from being a fellow at KeSIG. She is now the administrative > lead in the 4th edition of the school. So KeSIG is also a training ground > for youth. > > Warm regards, > > > On Wed, 3 Jul 2019 at 19:20, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > Dear listers, > > When it comes to topics that can influence thought on policy issues, the > line between training and indoctrination or brainwash becomes very thin - > hence the need for vigilance, close scrutiny, transparency and *neutrality > assurance* of (all) policy-related training initiatives. > > Some of the companies known to sponsor such events worldwide are notorious > for aggressive lobbying on policy or governance issues, ostensibly: > > a. to try avoid impending regulation of their harmful/anti-social business > models (or to distort accountability and responsibility narratives); > > b to try gain unfair advantage over government policy (and/or procurement) > by corrupting rules, infiltrating and subverting public sector initiatives, > or by peddling influence; > > c. to institutionalize, launder and/or officially entrench their > socially/economically damaging profit models. > > A number of them have been accused by multiple governments, regulators, > civil society, journalists, intellectuals, internet users (via class action > lawsuits) and even their own former executives of using either unlawful or > dishonest / grossly unethical business practices in ruthless pursuit of > profit. Examples of these dubious practices include purposefully developing > harmful/addiction-forming radicalizing online products targeted at young > people, using deceptive tactics to grow or protect their businesses, > infiltrating and subverting public education systems, subverting economies > by capturing workers and learners attention, brazen disregard for people's > privacy, unethical exploitation of private info, brazenly breaking laws or > aggressively exploiting weak laws, exploiting public ignorance for profit > and using predatory commercial strategies that are harmful to the public. > > The same companies, despite having BILLIONS in revenue, *agressively > avoid* contributing their FAIR SHARE of taxes (sometimes to the extent of > operating illegally, with impunity, in poor countries) - thus unfairly > increasing the burden on governments and taxpayers to fund remediation for > the indirect damage that these rogue companies cause e.g. damage to public > health, subverting education, political instability, extremism and economic > sabotage. These indirect, hidden burdens (negative externalities) can be > socio-economically devastating - especially in developing economies, but > are seldom recognized, highlighted, mitigated or attributed to the > companies that are creating/amplifying them. The same companies then > chicanerously manipulate the civil society (e.g. via training & > sponsorship) to defend their commercial products as a "human right"! > > So depending on the sponsor(s), curriculum and governance framework, a > training initiative could either be seen as legitimate training or a kind > of backdoor indoctrination. > > This is why it is important to have full transparency and independent > vetting of such sensitive initiatives (including sponsors, curriculum, > tutors, accreditation etc). > > Also the use of the word "school" suggests an institution that has > undergone formal vetting and accreditation. Yet when I look at the website, > it ostensibly reads as if the "school" is an event. Questions: > > 1. Is it a school or is it an event? > > 2. Where is the school based? > > 3. Is it registered with relevant training oversight bodies? > > 4. Who are the lecturers and what are their credentials? > > 5. Who developed the coursework & what process was used? This is in view > of high risk of content subversion due to powerful business interests > having high conflicts of interest on policy and governance issues. > > 6. Is the school & coursework accredited? By which bodies? > > 7. Does it issue certificates? > > 8. How is the school/course funded? Does it have transparency reports? > Where can they be found? > > 9. Who are the sponsors of this event/course? > > 10. How is conflict of interest avoided (currently and in the past)? Who > audits & certifies neutrality? > > 11. By now such kinds of (potentially subjective) public-interest courses > should have been put somewhere online for free and open access. This also > allows for independent public scrutiny of the course content. How come this > more transparent (and more pro-internet) approach has not yet been taken > (despite big sponsors)? > > This is not to cast aspersions on this specific initiative but to point > out, in good faith and in public interest, possible areas of risks or > concern, so that they can be addressed or clarified. The issues above > generally apply to any initiative(s) purporting to train stakeholders on > policy and governance. > > Perhaps KICTANet officials can shed more light on the above issues please > or point us to online resources that have the answers for each question > above? > > Many thanks & have a blessed day. > > Patrick. > > Patrick A. M. Maina > [Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous > Innovations] > > On Wednesday, July 3, 2019, 12:24:28 PM GMT+3, mwara gichanga via kictanet > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > > Dear Listers > > The internet has become a vital platform for social, economic and > political development in the world, and more increasing so here in Kenya. > These bring about a lot of national interests around internet governance > debates across all sectors . > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is pleased to welcome applications > from those individuals interested in internet Governance for the 4th > Edition of the Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG). KeSIG takes > place prior to the Kenya IGF, with the aim of introducing beginners to > basic concepts in internet policy making. This is with the goal of creating > and increasing the available expertise for participation in local and > global internet governance processes. > > Learn more about KeSIG HERE <https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?page_id=40115> > > Whether you are a policy maker, a researcher, a regulator, an engineer, a > journalist, an entrepreneur or a human rights defender – if you are > interested and want to get involved in internet policy and governance , > KeSIG is designed perfectly for you! > > KeSIG will take place over a 3-day course from the 29th-31st July 2019, > with the deadline for submissions closing on 13th July 2019, and > announcement of selected participants following soon after. > > Kindly access application form HERE <https://forms.gle/vCncJuuGSnowFUhNA> > > 4TH EDITION OF KENYA SCHOOL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE(KESIG) > > KICTANet welcomes applications for fellows for the 4th Edition of the > Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG... > <https://forms.gle/vCncJuuGSnowFUhNA> > > > For any further information or clarification , kindly email > info(a)kictanet.or.ke or Mwara Gichanga mwaragichanga(a)kictanet.or.ke > > Warmly > > Mwara Gichanga > > Tech Policy Associate > > KICTANet > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/nmutungu%40gmail.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > -- > Grace Mutung'u > Skype: gracebomu > @Bomu > PGP ID : 0x33A3450F > > -- Grace Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu @Bomu PGP ID : 0x33A3450F

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Germany fines Facebook €2 million for violating hate speech law
by Alice Munyua 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

Interesting what is happening in Europe. FB has just been fined in Germany for failure to comply with transparency requirements. ————————————- Germany fines Facebook €2 million for violating hate speech law -- By Janosch Delcker 7/2/19, 3:47 PM CET | View in your browser BERLIN — Germany has fined U.S. tech giant Facebook for violating the country’s law to combat hate speech online, officials said today. The Federal Office for Justice (BfJ,) a subdivision of the German justice ministry, announced that it had issued Facebook a fine of €2 million for failing to meet the requirements of Berlin’s Network Enforcement Act, a law against illegal content, in its transparency report for the first half of 2018. The fine is a small amount compared to Facebook’s first-quarter revenues of more than $15 billion. But it has symbolic weight, marking the first time that a European country has sanctioned an American social media giant for failing to be transparent about the way it handles hate speech. “In the penalty charge notice, the BfJ reprimands in particular that in the released report, the number of received complaints about unlawful content is incomplete,” the office said in its announcement, adding that this “is creating a distorted image in the public about the extent of unlawful content [on the platform] and the way the social network is dealing with it.” Facebook can still lodge an appeal to the fine, the BfJ said. Under the law, which is known as NetzDG and took effect on January 1, 2018, companies are required to publish a report twice a year in German regarding complaints they have received. The law is considered the most far-reaching effort by a Western democracy to control what appears on social media, demanding that social media giants promptly remove potentially illegal material or face fines of up to €50 million. “Digital platforms have a clear responsibility for the content that is posted on their sites,” Germany’s new Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a written statement released shortly after the fine was announced. “What has to be clear is that Facebook’s so-called ‘community standards’ are not above German law.” Related stories on these topics: Cybercrime, Illegal content, Platforms (in Data and Digitization), Platforms (in Technology), Regulation (in Data and Digitization), Regulation (in Technology), Social Media, Germany (in Data and Digitization), Germany (in Technology), Facebook (in Data and Digitization), Facebook (in Technology) To update your POLITICO Pro notification preferences, visit www.politico.eu/notification ** Tell us what you think: Was this Pro content helpful? Yes | No ** View the Pro calendar at www.politico.eu/calendar. Submit an event here. This email alert has been sent for your exclusive use as a POLITICO Pro subscriber. Forwarding or reproducing the alert without the express, written permission of POLITICO Pro is a violation of the POLITICO Pro license agreement. This email was sent to obennett(a)mozilla.com Adjust your Pro subscription settings, or unsubscribe from all POLITICO SPRL emails POLITICO SPRL · Rue de la Loi 62 · Brussels1040 · Belgium

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In America’s indictment of Huawei some conversations...
by Ali Hussein 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

Listers As an ICT Policy practitioner and avid follower of #GeoPolitics the #HuaweiDebacle has great interest to me. Recently our CS ICT, Joseph Mucheru tasked ATU to probe alleged security risks on Huawei and ZTE Equipment. In America’s indictment of Huawei Technologies some interesting conversations:- 1. The Global Cop routine is sort of wearing thin and portraying it not as a force for good but as a bully. 2. Are Chinese companies so dependent on America that a ban by America can kill them? The case of the almost collapse of ZTE Corporation is instructive.. Only a surprise last minute reprieve from #TheDonald saved it from total collapse. 3. Could Huawei Technologies survive a ban by America? Intel Corporation, Seagate Technology and Qualcomm are major suppliers to Huawei Technologies. How will this affect their ability to deliver cutting edge technology to their customers? This last point brings me to wonder how much of the Chinese Technology renaissance is dependent on America? Read on and follow the conversation on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6496196045268090880 Ali Hussein Principal AHK & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle Sent from my iPad

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Re: [kictanet] Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore Passes on
by Barrack Otieno 01 Jul '19

01 Jul '19

Dear Listers, We have learnt with deep sorrow the passing on of Bob Collymore the Safaricom Chief Executive Officer in the morning of 1st July 2019. As stakeholders and members of the Kenyan ICT fraternity we have lost a great Champion. As the Kenya ICT Action Network, we condole with Bob's family as well as our friends and colleagues from Safaricom PLC, a key partner and member of the network. May Bobs soul rest in Peace. We will miss him. Best regards Barrack Otieno

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Save the date: www.dnsforum.africa July 22-24, Gaborone, Botswana
by Barrack Otieno 01 Jul '19

01 Jul '19

Listers, Please note that the Africa DNS Forum 2019 will take place from July 22-24, 2019 in Gaborone (Botswana) . For more information , kindly visit www.dnsforum.africa. If you require a VISA kindly ensure that you register online on or before 10th July 2019. Best Regards -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Financial transactions should be private by default
by Alice Munyua 01 Jul '19

01 Jul '19

> > > > > > > > Hey, > > 🍕🥓🍩 = 💸 > > What if all your guilty pleasures were on display for the whole world to see? If you use Venmo, a popular app that lets people send and collect money, there's a good chance they already are. > > Venmo's settings are public by default, so millions of transactions are available for anyone on the web to find. > > Everyone knowing who you shared pizza with last week might seem innocuous enough, but with millions of transactions publicly available there is a huge risk that this data could be used for nefarious purposes. Venmo has transformed the way Americans settle personal debts, and with as many as an estimated 10 million monthly users, how it handles privacy could be the standard for other financial apps.1 > > Sign our petition to tell Venmo that financial transactions should be private. > > Last year, researcher and Mozilla Fellow Hang Do Thi Duc exposed the serious implications of Venmo's settings by uncovering how countless Venmo users' drug habits, junk food vices, personal finances, and fights with significant others are available for all to see.2 > > Under pressure from the slew of news covering Do Thi Duc's work and a Mozilla campaign calling for the company to change its public by default setting, Venmo made a few small changes and restricted the rate at which information could be pulled from its public database of transactions (called an API).3 This change means that sensitive data about your transactions can still be extracted exactly the same way, it will just take a bit longer.4 > > This is not a fix. The privacy of Venmo users remains at risk. Last week, news surfaced that one researcher was able to collect data on 7 MILLION new transactions.5 With this renewed focus again exposing Venmo's terrible privacy practices, we have the opportunity to push the company to finally fix the problem and make privacy its default setting. > > Will you join 25,000 privacy advocates who have already signed our petition telling Venmo to make financial transactions private? Click here to add your name. > > Thank you for helping hold Venmo accountable, > The Mozilla Team > > References: > > Kaya Yurieff, "A researcher studied a year of public Venmo transactions. Here's what she learned," CNN Money, July 17, 2018. > Olivia Solon, "Venmo: how the payment app exposes our private lives," The Guardian, July 17, 2018. > Sarah Perez, "Mozilla pushes PayPal to make Venmo transactions private by default," TechCrunch > Dell Cameron, "Millions of Transactions Scraped in Latest Demonstration of Venmo's Absurd Privacy Policy," Gizmodo, June 17, 2019. > Ibid. > > > > > > Connect with us > > > > Thanks for reading! > You're receiving this email because we think you’re neat, AND you subscribed to hear from us. If our emails aren’t sparking joy, we’ll understand if you unsubscribe. > > You can also update your email preferences at any time. > > > > Donate to Mozilla | Download Firefox > > 331 E. Evelyn Avenue Mountain View CA 94041 > Legal • Privacy

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[ideas] Is there a way we can use our skills/talents to try and help turn our local politics into something more healthy and inclusive?
by Patrick A. M. Maina 28 Jun '19

28 Jun '19

Dear listers, Is there a way we can use our skills/talents to try and help turn our local politics into something more healthy and inclusive? Somalia's 20+ years of lawlessness is a grim reminder that toxic politics can backfire massively in an unpredictable and uncontrollable way that does not yield any winners over very long periods of time. There is no human society that is immune to the dangers of toxic politics, therefore it is important for stakeholders (be they professionals, business people, politicians and/or intellectuals) to voice their good-faith concerns against toxic politics, ideally in good time - when there is still a good chance for the country/leaders to change course, because ultimately we all get to bear the heavy socioeconomic costs associated with political uncertainty and volatility. To quote UNDP (see link #1): "Societies whose political institutions are more inclusive and participatory tend to be more peaceful and resilient, just as societies practicing exclusion tend to be more vulnerable to fragility and conflict." As long as leadership and/or resource/opportunity allocation is associated with ethnic identity, and/or an exclusive mindset, there will always be discontent among the have-nots, which leads to aggressive political competition as different ethnic communities clamor for their "turn to eat". It is therefore in our best interest, as a country that desires stability and prosperity, to push towards inclusive and participatory frameworks of governance (see link #2). Let me open the floor with some ideas / suggestions based on the above-mentioned themes. Hoping we can have a non-partisan idea-focused discussion in the spirit of searching for creative solutions to a shared problem. IDEAS / SUGGESTIONS:-------------------------------- 1. Our country needs moments of guaranteed pause in our politics where everyone (including media) gets to take a break from elective politics and focus on development: doing things that create opportunities and prosperity for all. What if election laws were amended to make campaigning illegal unless it occurs within 18 months prior to an election? 2. What if promises for maendeleo (development) were limited to election time only - and required in writing (lodged at the registrar), with measurable pledges and indicators (e.g. x number of jobs annually) such that the promises form a performance contract between the (winning) politician and voters across the whole country? 3. What if politicians agreed that failure to achieve x% of the committed pledges/targets, without credible extenuating circumstances, would be deemed a fair and reasonable ground for impeachment/recall. This would help minimizefalse/unrealistic promises and help reshape the perceptions of leadership from the more toxic "opportunity to rule", into the healthier opportunity to serve the country. 4. What if politician salaries were pegged to the median salary in the country - and any extra perks (e.g. performance bonus) to be linked, via a tiered system, to the delivery of agreed socio-economic performance targets and paid lumpsum at the end of the political term? This would incentivize a growth mindset and also minimize the perception that politics is a shortcut to easy wealth (meaning politics would attract people who truly want to make a difference; stakes would be lower during elections and we would have more of in-touch leadership styles). 5. What if political leaders and senior administrators were offered actual housing (instead of a monetary allowance) in median level neighborhoods (e.g. Eastlands) - to avoid their developing the out-of-touch elitism that seems to comes with moving to places like Karen or Muthaiga? What if government only offered them cover limited to public health services (I've seen this being discussed in the news)? Perhaps our country will be transformed much faster if our leaders lived among the median demographics and had a personal stake in improving the median standards of living? 6. What if political campaigns were about winning support for a written socio-political strategy and plan; i.e. a competition of ideas - instead of personalities? What if elections were about perceived merits of ideas, implementation strategies or preferred economic direction that the country should take - instead of identities and/or unrealistic promises? 7. All Kenyans have common problems that they would like to hear politicians talking about all the time such as JOBS CREATION and ABUNDANT OPPORTUNITIES for ENTREPRENEURSHIP. I think ICT, manufacturing and agriculture are high-potential drivers where quick results can be attained. How can we encourage politicians to focus on these issues within a nationally inclusive framework? 8. Can/should advertisers influence the News Media to stop fanning divisive narratives, mediocrity, ethnic chauvenism, identity politics and other banal inanities - and focus instead on responsibly shaping the national agenda towards issues that bring growth and prosperity? Can media self-regulate and refocus the Kenyan masses towards sustainable agendas (like entrepreneurship and excellence)? If our media moguls are in doubt about the business case of responsible journalism, I would urge them to study how Somalia's media industry has been performing over the last ~28 years. I think if the clock was pulled back, Somalia's media would think very carefully about the narratives that they want to shape their national discourse. Short term profits can come with a heavy long-term cost. Please consider this. 9. Serializing national goals to maximize focus, prioritize and leverage the domino effect of cumulative wins: Do we really have the capacity to make massively bold and audacious goals that are to be implemented concurrently or are we setting ourselves - and our leaders - up for failure by overreaching far beyond our realistic capabilities and stretching ourselves way too thin? Our economic/policy advisors need to accept the reality - that we are a poor, debt ridden country with crippling levels of corruption, institutionalized mediocrity, short sighted orientation and greater levels of incompetence than competence; a country that seems to be always tittering on the edge of a precipitous political/economic cliff - thus urgently in need of credible stabilizing plans and strategies. I would like to propose the idea of a serial, bite-sized approach to strategic national initiatives, where the main goals (which can still be big and audacious) are smartly serialized for domino effect and pursued, with laser focus, one at a time. For example we can have the entire nation's development agenda focus on creating jobs and opportunities - and nothing else - for the first 5 years, then in the subsequent 5 years the focus can change to boosting growth and efficiency, say via infrastructure upgrades/enhancements. This makes it easy for political manifestos to be guided by realistic 20-30 year economic master-plans (that already have national concensus), rather than arbitrary perceptions about what is popular at election time. It can also help decouple the economy from political transition cycles which would attract high quality FDI. Attempting very wide scope goals in parallel significantly increases costs - without giving the economy time to catch up and create domino effects; it compounds complexity - yet we have limited capacity to manage significant complexity; it increases the likelihood of mega corruption due to greater ambiguity + an overstretched Monitoring and Evaluation framework; it consumes a counterproductive amount of leadership bandwidth - such that unexpected events become more of a challenge than would otherwise be; and it magnifies risk of failing to attain ALL the audacious goals to near certainty levels. CONCLUSION: If we serialize our national goals, we will avoid biting more than we can chew and stretching our resources (or bandwidth) too thin. Being focused will minimize the risk of goal-capture by corruption cartels. By prioritizing wealth creation initiatives, we will give our economy a chance to develop domino effects - building a viable case for increasing capacity via infrastructure enhancements. A period of guaranteed pause in politics will allow the country to focus on development. Elections should be about issues - rather than identity. Performance-linked manifestos will encourage politicians to make realistic promises that they intend (and are able) to keep and be held accountable for their attainment. Media is key to ending negative/exclusive ethnicity as it can shape the national discourse towards less toxic narratives. Research suggests that inclusive, participatory governance models are superior to exclusive ones. Inclusivity creates the right socio-political conditions for sustainable stability and prosperity. Welcoming your thoughts / more ideas on the same. My only request, please, is that we try to have a non-partisan, intellectually honest exchange of creative ideas. Good evening. Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] Links / References: 1. Inclusive political processes https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/2030-agenda-for-sustainable-devel… 2. Sustainability and Public Participation: Toward an Inclusive Model of Democracy on JSTOR https://www.jstor.org/stable/25610875?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

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Fwd: [At-Large] GDPR A Year Later in European Jurisdictions
by Barrack Otieno 26 Jun '19

26 Jun '19

Might be of interest. Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Carlton Samuels* <carlton.samuels(a)gmail.com> Date: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 Subject: [At-Large] GDPR A Year Later in European Jurisdictions To: At-Large Worldwide <at-large(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org>, " lac-discuss-en(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org" < lac-discuss-en(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org>, CPWG <cpwg(a)icann.org> The Eurobarometer 487a report offers insight on citizen awareness of the GDPR, individuals’ rights under it, their perception of their ability to control their personal data and their sense of and understanding of the enforcement mechanisms and actors. Read it here: http://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/ index.cfm/ResultDoc/download/DocumentKy/86886 Carlton ============================== *Carlton A Samuels* *Mobile: 876-818-1799Strategy, Process, Governance, Assessment & Turnaround* ============================= -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Data Visualization through the Use of Excel
by Tracy Nyatoro Weru 26 Jun '19

26 Jun '19

@LabAfrica,Strathmore university in partnership with Sunesis Consulting Limited is organizing a 3-day training course on Excel as a Business Intelligence Tool (Dashboard Reporting). The program will take place @iLabAfrica on 17th - 19th July 2019 at 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This is a 3-day training that aims at providing business personnel with skills to transform data into decisions using a cost effective tool. The training course is open to all personnel in business related fields who want to leverage on the power of Excel as a Business Intelligence tool. We would be honored to have you participate in this training. If you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the event coordinator Getrude on her email address: ggichuhi(a)strathmore.edu <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/1?ta…> The course will help you to: - Explore top 15 advanced data analysis functions that will save your report generation turn-around time! - Move from static, dull reports to interactive and insightful dashboards -learn to apply form controls, slicers, pick lists, and camera tool to create interaction - Show top performers using formulas and YoY% by a click of a mouse - Achieve more with advanced analytical charts -Pareto chart, Scrolling charts, Gauge Charts - Easily spot trends and patterns in your data by using icon sets, traffic lights, Sparklines and Custom Number formats - Creating a dashboard in Excel step-by-step Suitability: - This course is definitely NOT for you if locking cells ($ sign), VLOOKUP & PivotTables are news to you! - You need to have been a regular user of Excel (at least 40% usage in a week), and are comfortable with creating simple lookup formulas and charts, as well as customizing them. - *This course is not suitable for Absolute Beginners in Microsoft Excel.* If you are a beginner, we recommend that you start with less advanced Excel courses. You send an email to Getrude on ggichuhi(a)strathmore.edu <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/2?ta…> with your inquiry. Fee information: Ksh 66,500 which covers the training fee, lunch and refreshments for the three days, as well as the certificate.. -- *Kind Regards,* Tracy Weru Program Manager @iLabAfrica Research Centre Email: tweru(a)strathmore.edu <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/3?ta…> Direct Line: +254 (0) 703 034 621 Ext: 2621 Cell: +254 (0) 724239020 Enquiries: +254 (0) 703-034000/200/300 www.strathmore.edu <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/4?ta…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/5?ta…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/6?ta…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/7?ta…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/8?ta…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/9?ta…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/10?t…> <https://link.aeusercontent.com/mt/lt/D355BBBAC67B2DCE36571561528960260/11?t…> -- *Note: *All emails sent from Strathmore University are subject to Strathmore’s Email Terms & Conditions. Please click here <http://www.strathmore.edu/en/email-policy> to read the policy. * * "Visit our Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/StrathmoreUniversity>Page and Twitter <https://twitter.com/StrathU>Account".

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Re: [kictanet] [Fair Competition Laws will Promote Innovation and Reduce Unfair Market Practices - the bill is not targeting a particular company or product] Safaricom to be compelled to split m-pesa business in new bill
by Patrick A. M. Maina 25 Jun '19

25 Jun '19

Hi Ali, Here we go again... My comment was fair because your points appear to be contradicting themselves - which suggests a limited understanding, either of the overall topic or of the point(s) that you are making. If this is not an accurate assessment, I invite you please to rephrase and present your ideas more congruently to avoid being misundersood. Taking note of past interactions, I am detecting a pattern where you repeatedly claim, without substantiating, to be offended or attacked by intellectually fair comments (e.g. when sincerely called out for contradicting your own points or for demolishing your own arguments) and that makes it quite challenging to debate with you with intellectual candor. Your decision to draw conclusions about a particular entity based on ONE WORD on the subject line does not make sense to me because my plain language *insertions* and use of plural terms in the message body (including the section you quoted) clearly suggests a general discussion. Latching onto one word or phrase while completely ignoring the overall context is not an intellectually honest way to debate. So Ali, the onus is still on you to offer a more substantive substantiation as to why you chose to associate one specific entity with what is clearly a general paragraph, and which you excerpted from what is clearly a general discussion. Debating experts generally advise that participants who take diversionery paths instead of focusing on robust, congruent ideas have no intention to engage in genuine debate but just want create certain perceptions for the moderator/observers or create a dramatic distraction so that important ideas are hidden (muzzled) by the noise. Rather than prevail with the strength of their ideas, intellectually dishonest (or unskilled) debaters try to "win" by muzzling or supressing opposing ideas. This is a troubling pattern that I am detecting in your debating style Ali. Productive mature debating is a skill that can be learned. To learn more about how to have an intellectually honest debate, please read the following articles as a starting point, and then search online for more. https://hbr.org/2019/01/how-to-debate-ideas-productively-at-work https://shane.substack.com/p/how-to-stop-being-intellectually Hope that helps. :-) Please let us be open to diverse opinions, fresh ideas and new ways of thinking. Suppressing ideas when discussing public-interest policy issues is counterproductive because it leads to sub-optimal outcomes. Try not to take an intellectual challenge as a personal affront, or use victimhood as a tactic, otherwise you will miss valuable opportunities to engage in, and learn from, high-quality intellectually honest debates on complex, public-interest topics. Enjoy your day. Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 8:37:45 AM GMT+3, Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> wrote: Patrick Do you always have to turn a conversation into a personal affront/attack? My limited understanding of State Capture? I will not deign to respond to personal attacks because in my responding I will be making an assumption that you are an expert in the subject of State Capture. Let me instead respond to your question below:- "Perhaps Ali, you can shed more light as to why the name of a particular company - and not any other(s) - came into your mind after reading my general comments about ruthless anti-competitive, anti-poor practices by monopolistic entities. Is there something you have observed or heard about their activities and/or practices?" Simple Patrick. The title of this email thread specifically mentions Safaricom and so the assumption is understandable that you are singling them out. Perhaps you care to respond to that instead of deflecting? I asked a specific question on this. Focus on that, perhaps? AliHussein Principal AHK & Associates Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Mon, Jun 24, 2019 at 9:36 PM Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: Greetings Ali, and many thanks for your thoughts. One key attribute of high value debates is the presence of two (or more) opposing perspectives because diversity of thought often leads to a multi-dimensional understanding of complex issues, which (if leveraged with good intentions) can lead to high quality inputs for policies, strategies, regulations and/or decisions. So I truly welcome and appreciate your counter-perspective and rebuttal efforts. :-) Let me start with an African saying made famous by Chinua Achebe: "An elderly person is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb." Perhaps Ali, you can shed more light as to why the name of a particular company - and not any other(s) - came into your mind after reading my general comments about ruthless anti-competitive, anti-poor practices by monopolistic entities. Is there something you have observed or heard about their activities and/or practices? Why would public-interest regulation be interpreted as targeting specific companies - unless it is some kind of admission or assertion that those companies could indeed be acting (or causing negative externalities) against public interest? Retrogressive externalities could be an unforeseen and/or unintentional by-product of a sub-optimized network-effects success model and poor economic master-planning (see links #1-7). Furthermore corporations, in different parts of the world, have also been known for purposeful malevolent activities when they fear of competition/disruption especially when operating within a weak / outdated institutional / antitrust framework. Specifics would need to be studied on a case by case basis. Have you considered the timing of the bill (in context of recent industry developments)? The proposed rules could actually *benefit* the very local corporate entities that would supposedly be motivated to resist them. In the global scale, our "tech giants" are like MSMEs and they get to be on the receiving end of mega-scale cross-border corporate tyranny. There is an interesting story of certain well known CEO's visit to Africa. A lot of people thought he was coming to look for investment opportunities and they cheerfully welcomed him (full VVIP+ treatment), took him on tours, demoed innovations, snapped selfies and eagerly answered his questions - hoping to dazzle, awe and impress him. Kumbe he was on a mission to gather economic intelligence - and he openly stated so (meaning you can't claim illegality) - leaving people to form their own self-deluded conclusions as to why he was doing it. Several years later, his company launches a product that will directly compete with ours at an unprecedented game-changing scale! There are so many stories like this in Africa, the script remains the same, only the actors, props and victims keep changing. It is quite embarrassing just how easy we make it for others to *repeatedly* plunder our ideas/insights or compete with us unfairly - to our own collective detriment - yet we always speak of a "knowledge economy" without taking time to understand what that *really* means. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." - old proverb. Africa's centuries-old commitment to gullibility and ignorance is unparalleled and quite disturbing (see links #8-15). We are among the very few (if not the only) modern-day societies that never seem to learn from history. We welcome plunderers / economic spies with pomp, ceremony and color, and we happily give them everything they need to subjugate and impoverish us. Like little children, we accept sweet words as proof of benevolent intent and our shallow vanity makes us take pride that everyone is interested in learning from us (surely that means we are very important and smart - if others want to study us and everything we know, right?), yet we don't take as much - or more - interest in learning from them or asking ourselves uncomfortable questions, such as: "why is the student always teaching the teacher?"... and most worryingly, we see voices of reason, desperately scrambling to wake us up - as party-pooping troublemakers. Quite depressing, but I digress.. Ali, your argument on state capture suggests a limited understanding on how state capture comes about or what really it is (see links #8-15). Essentially you are contradicting yourself because it is good (uncorrupted) public-interest regulations, strong government institutions (not beholden to a few private interests) and a socio-political commitment to fair and sensible rules - motivated by public-interest - that minimize the risk of state capture. State capture is enabled by corruption, unchecked corporate power and corporate lobbying against public interest, which leads to regulatory (and market) failure e.g. due to bad laws that have loopholes purposefully designed in to them - or good laws getting blocked from enactment. I urge you to read more on the topic if you are interested in it (there are some good links below that you can start with) to gain a better understanding so you can offer more robust arguments/rebuttals without unwittingly demolishing or contradicting your main argument. Have a great evening. Brgd,Patrick Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] Links / References: 1. Understanding Network Effects https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_information-systems-a-managers-guide-to… 2. The Dangers of Platform Monopolies https://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/the-dangers-of-platform-monop… 3. UNCTAD: Why competition and consumer protection matter https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CompetitionLaw/why-competition-matters.aspx 4. Apr. 2016: MIT News: How network effects hurt economieshttp://news.mit.edu/2016/network-effects-hurt-economies-0406 5. Regulating Anticompetitive Behavior – Principles of Economics https://opentextbc.ca/principlesofeconomics/chapter/11-2-regulating-anticom… 6. Monopolies are Destroying our Economy (US centric - but contains valuable insights) https://intpolicydigest.org/2018/05/23/monopolies-are-destroying-our-econom… 7. Apr. 2019: IMF warns that tech giants stifle innovation and threaten stability https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/apr/03/imf-warns-that-tech-giants… 8. 2017: UN Speakers Stress Need to Address Exploitation of Africa’s Resources, Urging Paradigm Shift, as Economic and Social Council Concludes Segment | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/ecosoc6831.doc.htm 9. Why the richest continent is the poorest https://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/18/africa/looting-machine-tom-burgis-africa… 10. Culture and social environment in the pre-colonial era http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0041-476X200900… 11. Why no African country is truly free or independent - THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! https://www.theafricancourier.de/opinion-analysis/neo-colonialism-in-africa… 12. Exploiting gullible people is a modern form of mininghttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/07/exploiting-gulli… 13. Universities and the “democracy of the gullible” https://en.unesco.org/courier/2018-1/universities-and-democracy-gullible 14. The Age of Gullibility https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/one-among-many/201806/the-age-gulli… 15. The Science Of Gullibility: Why We Get Duped https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=99160094 16. Corporations and Regulators: The Game of Influence in Regulatory Capture https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257246830_Corporations_and_Regulat… 17. Corruption, Lobbying and State Capture https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304479012_Corruption_Lobbying_and_… 18. Rent-Seeking and Regulatory Capture https://www.e-education.psu.edu/ebf200/book/export/html/160 On Monday, June 24, 2019, 7:57:38 AM GMT+3, Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> wrote: Patrick >From the context of this headline, I'm curious to see how Safaricom contributes to your quote below:- "...OK to drive mama mbogas (small vegetable sellers), youth-founded startups, indigenous innovators and other MSMEs out of business, by leveraging legal/regulatory loopholes that allow them to distort market forces using their mass-scale market power. " Whilst I generally agree with your thesis below I think it's fair that when we make such accusations in relation to a specific company we quote specific examples. I'm all for ensuring a level playing field across the board and contend that this is a collective effort of Good Citizenry by corporates (which by the way is good for business long term) and robust but fair policies and regulation by government. The world is full of examples where breaking up companies has never achieved the desired effect of creating a level playing field (Standard Oil is probably the best example. Years later these baby Standard Oils are mostly back together in the form of Exxon Mobil. And by the way, the breakup may have made the Rockefellers even more fabulously wealthy). Rather than breaking up companies, the world should address the elephant in the room. State Capture. Boeing is probably the most current example of how government regulation was completely corrupted by a company, resulting in a colossal loss of life. One of my best examples of how governments can reign in bad players is how the fear of breaking up Microsoft and other tech giants in the 90s contributed to the rise of the current #BigTech companies. Maybe the cycle needs to be repeated? Let me reiterate. I'm in general agreement with your post, I'm just concerned we don't specifically target an organization without specific evidence to back it up. Regards AliHussein Principal AHK & Associates Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Sun, Jun 23, 2019 at 1:14 AM Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Fair competition laws are long overdue and should be very welcome because, if properly formulated and implemented, such laws will rapidly stimulate economic growth and create millions of new jobs. An objective observer will agree that there is something fundamentally wrong about billion-dollar-revenue companies operating in poverty-ridden low-income countries that find it OK to drive mama mbogas (small vegetable sellers), youth-founded startups, indigenous innovators and other MSMEs out of business, by leveraging legal/regulatory loopholes that allow them to distort market forces using their mass-scale market power. Instead of celebrating a few concentrated pockets of super-profits - we should be concerned as to why such "stellar" performance does not match the overall sector's competitive landscape (especially if everyone else in the sector is making losses) - as well as, the general state of the rest of the economy. Hopefully the relevant parties in legislature will do the right thing for opportunities-starved wananchi and for the struggling economy by passing fair competition laws (I am also hoping that wananchi, politicians, public interest NGOs and activists will add weight to such beneficial initiatives as/when necessary). There is still room for more to be done, however, especially in the six areas below (which if addressed, will create an environment that is even more conducive for prosperity and growth): 1. Contextualized Intellectual Property Protection: This area needs urgent attention to address rampant theft of IP due to obsolete, non-contextualized laws that favor corporate tyranny and plunder. Compelling data-based evidence (see link #1-2) shows that a laissez faire attitude to IP is a top contributor to poverty and low quality FDI in low income countries. Wealthy nations zealously defend their indigenous IP as a critical economic resource that is part of their national security (equivalent importance to oil, mining and financial sectors). Did you know that the top 10 most valuable companies in the world are IP-based (see link #3) and none of them is in oil / gas /precious stones or minerals? Extraction is no longer the secret to prosperity (in fact it only attracts chaos instead nowadays)! Did you know that Apple, the world's most valuable company overall, does not own a single factory (see link #4)? Apple is an IP and distribution company (not a manufacturer) - it is in the business of selling ideas! This should be very interesting for Africa, the fact that high value ICT corporations can be based on ideas, IP and distribution networks alone. Wake up brothers and sisters. We don't have to build physical factories to plug into the global ecosystem. We just need a good framework for monetizing great ideas! Even if we are to choose the harder 19th/20th Century path of traditional own-factory manufacturing (instead of the easier and more profitable logistics-driven 21st Century alternative) path, a conducive IP protection framework still remains an essential must-have prerequisite. Global clients will need strong credible guarantees that there wont be leakage of their designs / prototypes / proprietary tooling etc. 2. Preventing Deceptive PR and Marketing Practices: Weak regulation/enforcement encourages corporations to engage in deceptive PR campaigns (e.g. fake partnership offers or deceptive innovation "competitions" / "boot-camps" / "demo-day" events whose purpose is to facilitate the theft/plunder of IP. We also have anti-poor / anti-socialcompanies which brazenly deceive the public by masquerading as pro-poor / pro-social via dishonest marketing and CSR.). 3. Fast-tracked MSME friendly dispute resolution: Judiciary should consider a dedicated court to handle and fast-track commercial disputes that involve MSMEs v/s large corporations with affirmative action in favor of MSMEs (e.g. state provides litigation assistance and cushions the MSME from legal fees). Currently corporations use their resource-power to bully and steal from MSMEs because the current legal framework has loopholes which allows corporations to subvert justice (e.g. companies steal BILLIONS by delaying MSME invoices to accumulate debt then they declare bankruptcy. This is theft - plain and simple - but the law does not treat it as such. Other corporations use legal technicalities to unjustly drag court proceeding for years - hoping that litigants will run out of resources or give up even if they have a strong case. These kind of dispute resolution loopholes cause great harm to MSMEs. 4. Anti-Price Gouging regulations: Companies that provide essential services to the public (e.g communication / data / e-money) should not price them exorbitantly in order to exploit the must-have nature of the product. This should especially apply when there is limited / ineffective competition or indicators of cartel-like collusion within an industry. Dominant / monopolistic entities that offer essential services to the public should be compelled to publish their audited pricing methodologies every month in a way that shows the profit margin percentage for each product line (after factoring in scale and piggybacking advantages). 5. Anti-predation, anti-usury laws: I believe there are ongoing efforts in this area. The public should not be enticed into odious debt or induced to take on debt that they cannot manage; and the CRB should not be used as a financial weapon for oppressing the poor or entrenching poverty. Maintaining a record for 5 years after someone has cleared a loan is disproportionately punitive and shows a lack empathy with the ordinary mwananchi's economic struggles. CRB rules are anti-poor and punish people for lack of opportunity and a poor education - i.e. things that are not wholly of their own making, in favor of predatory corporations. The financial sector needs more empathy and less greed. By punitively and unreasonably denying people access to opportunities, they unwittingly limit their own growth potential. 6. Regulating non-profit foundations associated with for-profit companies: to limit conflicts of interest. Many (if not all) of these companies are covert vehicles for corruption, lobbying and influence peddling. They subvert agendas in sectors like education, finance, agriculture and health with the goal of creating new markets for affiliated corporations, winning government tenders or creating rent seeking avenues contrary to public interest. Ultimately the country loses because the net effect is wealth extraction. The left hand gives with a big show, and pompous ceremony where everyone is invited, but then, once the lights and cameras go off, the right hand quietly takes it all back, and then takes a lot more (leading to a net-loss). Economic analysts should start conducting net-effect analysis of charitable/donor activities to confirm the growing sense of awareness across Africa that something is not right with the charity/donor model. How can we receive so much "assistance" and yet we never seem to take off? How can countries that literally know everything important that happens within our territory (even before it happens) be completely inept and clueless when it comes to preventing proceeds of corruption from being laundered in their countries? Their economies benefit greatly from our fatuous practices.. could it be that some of them actually want us to stay corrupt? Food for thought. Modern day monopolies do not have to overtly abuse their dominance in order to damage the economy. Any mass-scale business model that is based on network effects is inherently anti-competitive because it locks-in millions of customers to one brand and its associated platforms or products - thereby severely limiting choice, stifling competition and blocking startups with better solutions from gaining market traction due to gatekeeper-effect (which prevents the rise of new ICT-related industries). This has a cascading effect of blocking TRILLIONS in high quality FDI that would have eventually come in via Venture Capital; it also limits the ability of the economy to create an export market - to beef up foreign reserves; limits the number of high-value formal jobs; reduces opportunities to lower government's reliance on debt for budget support; and suppresses the growth of a healthy middle class that is essential for economic and political stability. Anti-competitive practices also contribute to increased economic hardships for citizens (by limiting opportunities to a few connected individuals) and prevent governments from fulfilling their campaign promises to the people (thereby stirring dissent and political volatility risks). Products from dominant companies are priced using anti-poor (zero empathy) methodologies which makes them disproportionately expensive to the poor who comprise the majority (and who often have to make food v/s airtime decisions on a daily basis). The same companies offer exponentially better value for money to the rich (less than 1% of the population) to whom the discount has minimal life impact and who can afford to pay a premium anyway! Yet these companies brand themselves as pro-poor and pro-wananchi (which is evidence of a loophole in advertising regulations that allows for deceptive PR practices). Having concentrated points of failure in critical applications, like Mobile Money, puts our increasingly digital economy at significant risk. There needs to be innovations that decentralize mobile money and disrupt the current rent-seeking / price gouging model which offers ridiculous and unjust margins to companies that are already wealthy anyway. Money is not a product - even in digital form. Exchange of digital cash should be 100% free, with no rent-seeking intermediaries taking an undeserved "private tax" cut off every transaction; money should serve its proper purpose as an economic store of value and trade enabler. With the right framework, such socially beneficial innovations will have room to emerge. Economies grow when innovative MSMEs are given room to bloom, grow and thrive without being crushed by anti-competitive dinosaurs who themselves had benefited from state protection and preferential regulation when they were startups e.g. telecomms operators initially benefited legal limits on the number of competing mobile operator licenses - which gave them breathing room to reach scale and discover a working business model. Dominant corporations have highly competent teams that (ought to) understand the cyclical nature of markets and innovation. They are therefore not sincere when they play "victim" to block public-interest regulation that would be exceedingly beneficial to the overall economy. A big THANK YOU to all government stakeholders who are committed to doing the right (and smart) things for the economy and for wananchi in general. You are the true heroes that our country needs and your efforts are truly appreciated! Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] References / Links: 1. Nunnenkamp P, Spatz J; 2004: Intellectual Property Rights and Foreign Direct Investment: A Disaggregated Analysis https://www.jstor.org/stable/40283951?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents 2. Contribution of IP in growth of FDI's in India https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fa4da9e0-029d-4f0a-9f61-bf42… 3. The World's Most Valuable Brands https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/ 4. Apple's Supply Chain From the Factory Floor to Retail Stores http://s354933259.onlinehome.us/mhi-blog/apples-supply-chain-factory-floor-… On Saturday, June 22, 2019, 5:08:51 PM GMT+3, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: The Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill 2019, which is sponsored by Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo, is seeking to compel mobile phone companies to form separate arms to manage any other business they engage in outside telecommunications services. They will also be required to "legally split or separate the telecommunciations business from such other business. Besides separating the revenue streams, telcos will also be required to compensate consumers for dropped calls at the rate of Sh10 for every call dropped for up to three dropped calls a day. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/news/MPesa-Airtel-Money-set-for-split/5… _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

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Save the Date: the Kenya Internet Governance Forum 2018 (July 19, 2018)
by Grace Githaiga 25 Jun '19

25 Jun '19

Listers Greetings! This is to let you know that the Kenya Internet Governance Forum 2018 is planned to take place on Thursday July 19, 2018. I will send a call shortly to invite volunteers to help in organizing the forum. The organising committee lead by Victor Kapiyo (he will Chair for the 2nd term) will share further details on venue, topics, speakers with us as the process evolves. Looking forward to seeing as many of you on that day. Best regards Githaiga, Grace Co-Convenor Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) Twitter:@ggithaiga Tel: 254722701495 Skype: gracegithaiga Alternate email: ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracegithaiga www.kictanet.or.ke "Change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged and come together to demand it. I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change – but in yours"---Barrack Obama.

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Safaricom to be compelled to split m-pesa business in new bill
by Mwendwa Kivuva 25 Jun '19

25 Jun '19

The Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill 2019, which is sponsored by Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo, is seeking to compel mobile phone companies to form separate arms to manage any other business they engage in outside telecommunications services. They will also be required to "legally split or separate the telecommunciations business from such other business. Besides separating the revenue streams, telcos will also be required to compensate consumers for dropped calls at the rate of Sh10 for every call dropped for up to three dropped calls a day. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/news/MPesa-Airtel-Money-set-for-split/5…

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Re: [kictanet] Fair Competition Laws will Promote Innovation and Reduce Unfair Market Practices
by Jimmy Gitonga 24 Jun '19

24 Jun '19

Greetings Patrick, Thank you for the robust and thoroughly enlightening discussion / writeup. I have been schooled anew. One day, when (not if) Kenya comes out of this period of blatant state capture, you will be of great use to us. Best Regards, Jimmy Gitonga Web Software Design and Development LinkedIn: Jimmy Gitonga | Twitter: @Afrowave ______________________________________ Web: afroshok.com <http://afroshok.com/> > On 24 Jun 2019, at 9:39 PM, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > > From: "Patrick A. M. Maina" <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com <mailto:pmaina2000@yahoo.com>> > To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>>, > Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke <mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke>> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] [Fair Competition Laws will Promote Innovation > and Reduce Unfair Market Practices - the bill is not targeting a > particular company or product] Safaricom to be compelled to split > m-pesa business in new bill > Message-ID: <244168600.1182915.1561401395341(a)mail.yahoo.com <mailto:244168600.1182915.1561401395341@mail.yahoo.com>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Greetings Ali, and many thanks for your thoughts. > > One key attribute of high value debates is the presence of two (or more) opposing perspectives because diversity of thought often leads to a multi-dimensional understanding of complex issues, which (if leveraged with good intentions) can lead to high quality inputs for policies, strategies, regulations and/or decisions. So I truly welcome and appreciate your counter-perspective and rebuttal efforts. :-) > > Let me start with an African saying made famous by Chinua Achebe: "An elderly person is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb."? > > Perhaps Ali, you can shed more light as to why the name of a particular company - and not any other(s) - came into your mind after reading my general comments about ruthless anti-competitive, anti-poor practices by monopolistic entities. Is there something you have observed or heard about their activities and/or practices? > > Why would public-interest regulation be interpreted as targeting specific companies - unless it is some kind of admission or assertion that those companies could indeed be acting (or causing negative externalities) against public interest? > > Retrogressive externalities could be an unforeseen and/or unintentional by-product of a sub-optimized network-effects success model and poor economic master-planning (see links #1-7). Furthermore corporations, in different parts of the world, have also been known for purposeful malevolent activities when they fear of competition/disruption especially when operating within a? weak / outdated institutional / antitrust framework. Specifics would need to be studied on a case by case basis. > > Have you considered the timing of the bill (in context of recent industry developments)? The proposed rules could actually *benefit* the very local corporate entities that would supposedly be motivated to resist them. In the global scale, our "tech giants" are like MSMEs and they get to be on the receiving end of mega-scale cross-border corporate tyranny. > > There is an interesting story of certain well known CEO's visit to Africa. A lot of people thought he was coming to look for investment opportunities and they cheerfully welcomed him (full VVIP+ treatment), took him on tours, demoed innovations, snapped selfies and eagerly answered his questions - hoping to dazzle, awe and impress him. Kumbe he was on a mission to gather economic intelligence - and he openly stated so (meaning you can't claim illegality) - leaving people to form their own self-deluded conclusions as to why he was doing it. Several years later, his company launches a product that will directly compete with ours at an unprecedented game-changing scale! There are so many stories like this in Africa, the script remains the same, only the actors, props and victims keep changing. > > It is quite embarrassing just how easy we make it for others to *repeatedly* plunder our ideas/insights or compete with us unfairly - to our own collective detriment - yet we always speak of a "knowledge economy" without taking time to understand what that *really* means. > > "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." - old proverb. > > Africa's centuries-old commitment to gullibility and ignorance is unparalleled and quite disturbing (see links #8-15). We are among the very few (if not the only) modern-day societies that never seem to learn from history. We welcome plunderers / economic spies with pomp, ceremony and color, and we happily give them everything they need to subjugate and impoverish us. Like little children, we accept sweet words as proof of benevolent intent and our shallow vanity makes us take pride that everyone is interested in learning from us (surely that means we are very important and smart - if others want to study us and everything we know, right?), yet we don't take as much - or more - interest in learning from them or asking ourselves uncomfortable questions, such as: "why is the student always teaching the teacher?"... and most worryingly, we see voices of reason, desperately scrambling to wake us up - as party-pooping troublemakers. Quite depressing, but I digress.. > > Ali, your argument on state capture suggests a limited understanding on how state capture comes about or what really it is (see links #8-15). Essentially you are contradicting yourself because it is good (uncorrupted) public-interest regulations, strong government institutions (not beholden to a few private interests) and a socio-political commitment to fair and sensible rules - motivated by public-interest? - that minimize the risk of state capture. > > State capture is enabled by corruption, unchecked corporate power and corporate lobbying against public interest, which leads to regulatory (and market) failure e.g. due to bad laws that have loopholes purposefully designed in to them - or good laws getting blocked from enactment. > > I urge you to read more on the topic if you are interested in it (there are some good links below that you can start with) to gain a better understanding so you can offer more robust arguments/rebuttals without unwittingly demolishing or contradicting your main argument. > Have a great evening. > > Brgd,Patrick > > Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] > Links / References:

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] Is Facebook's proposed cryptocurrency a bad idea?
by Barrack Otieno 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

Listers, Might be of interest. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Richard Hill via InternetPolicy <internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> Date: Thu, Jun 20, 2019 at 9:43 AM Subject: [Internet Policy] Is Facebook's proposed cryptocurrency a bad idea? To: <internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> Here is the white paper explaining Facebook’s cryptocurrency: https://libra.org/en-US/white-paper/. Here is an article criticising it: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/opinion/facebook-currency-libra.html : ‘Launching a Global Currency Is a Bold, Bad Move for Facebook The way we structure money and payments is a question for democratic institutions, not technology companies. *By Matt Stoller* Mr. Stoller is a fellow at the Open Markets Institute. · June 19, 2019 · _______________________________________________ To manage your Internet Society subscriptions or unsubscribe, log into the Member Portal at https://admin.internetsociety.org/622619/User/Login and go to the Interests tab within your profile. - View the Internet Society Code of Conduct: https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/ -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Call for volunteers- 2019 KeSIG steering committee
by Grace Bomu 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

Afternoon listers, KICTANet wishes to invite volunteers to the steering committee of the Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG). Now in its fourth edition, KeSIG takes place prior to the Kenya IGF, with the aim of introducing beginners in internet governance to basic concepts in internet policy making. This is with the goal of creating and increasing the available expertise for participation in local and global internet governance processes. KeSIG is slotted for 29th to 31st July 2019. Please write to info(a)kictanet.or.ke , with the subject *2019 KeSIG steering committee* if interested in collaboratively organising the school, explaining your interest. Membership to the team is on volunteer basis and we aim to have representation of diverse groups. Find more information on KeSIG <https://kigf.or.ke/kesig/> here. KeSIG Steering Team TORs <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-TzXUlOI6gIeTK4_fhpzanb6Y8Y-B1rmibSEFfG…> Looking forward to collaboration, Grace B -- Grace Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu @Bomu PGP ID : 0x33A3450F

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Fwd: IGF 2019 Call for Travel Support
by Barrack Otieno 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

Dear Listers, This is for your information, attention and action. Best Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Secretariat AfIGF <africanigf(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 1:08 PM Subject: Fwd: IGF 2019 Call for Travel Support To: Dear Stakeholders, Below kindly find a call for travel support from the Internet Governance Forum Secretariat to take part in IGF 2019 to be held in Berlin, Germany from 25-29 November 2019. Deadline is fast approaching. Kind regards, ------------------------------------------- The African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) Secretariat, African Union Le Secrétariat du Forum sur la Gouvernance de l'Internet (AfIGF), Union Africaine Email: Africanigf(a)gmail.com *From:* IGF Secretariat Date: Fri, May 31, 2019 at 7:46 AM *Subject:* IGF 2019 Call for Travel Support Dear All, The 14th annual IGF meeting will be hosted by the Government of Germany in Berlin from 25 – 29 November 2019. With this email, the IGF Secretariat would like to inform that the Call for Travel Support to attend the 14th annual IGF meeting <https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/supporting-participation-a…> is open until 30 June 2019: https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/supporting-participation-a… Supporting participation at the IGF 2019 annual meeting Call for Travel Support to attend the 14th annual meeting of the IGF The mandate of the Internet Governance Fo... <https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/supporting-participation-a…> *Background* During the IGF 2018 meeting in Paris, the United Nations Secretary-General has called for action to increase inclusiveness in the IGF processes. Specifically, it was called for a* ‘dedicated effort to include and amplify the weak and missing voices’*, as well as for the IGF to evolve toward a more multidisciplinary framework (see full speech <http://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2018-address-to-the-int…> ). IGF 2018 Address to the Internet Governance Forum by UN SG António Guterres Mesdames et Messieurs, Nous sommes réunis aujourd’hui à Paris, en France, où la créativité et le génie humains... <http://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2018-address-to-the-int…> Historically, the IGF community has also advised to increase diversity in the IGF processes. For these reasons, the IGF 2019 Host Country, Government of Germany, will support eligible stakeholders to participate at the 14th annual IGF meeting in Berlin, from 25 – 29 November 2019. *Application and Selection Process* All interested stakeholders are invited to submit their expressions of interest through a dedicated form <https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2019-call-for-travel-s…> on the IGF website by 30 June 2019. The IGF Secretariat/UNDESA will collaborate with the multistakeholder organizing committees of the national, regional and youth IGF initiatives (NRIs) in order to identify the most suitable candidates that will enrich the IGF 2019 processes, but also bring long-term benefits to their respective communities from gained experience. Potential applicants are kindly advised to consult the IGF website and review all information about the application and evaluation procedure, before submitting requests. Best regards, IGF Secretariat -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Enter Libra; new rails for value movement
by Mbugua Njihia 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

Open source roots to support inclusive innovation, a strong viral coefficient, trusted partner framework, stable coin model, wide base of possible interoperable utility and an ambitious shared roadmap point to a strong transformative offering - http://www.mbuguanjihia.com/business/enter-libra-new-rails-for-value-moveme… ᐧ

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Call for Volunteers for the 2019 Kenya IGF Steering Team
by Victor Kapiyo 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

Good morning listers, KICTANet wishes to invite volunteers from the different stakeholder groups to assist in the preparation of the *Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KIGF) 2019*, which will be held on *Thursday, 1 August 2019. * The Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KIGF) is an annual meeting that brings together various stakeholder groups to dialogue on ICT and Internet policy. The Steering Team otherwise known as the Multistakeholder Advisory Group ( MAG) role is to assist in convening the Kenya IGF by preparing the programme and schedule and to improve the IGF process through community consultations, outreach and stakeholder engagement. MAG members volunteer and serve in their personal capacity, and are expected to have established linkages with their respective stakeholder groups. Please review the MAG TOR <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1npYjF9XHg79tWL24krEkaRZL9bNpCzV-TIpa0tR…> . To express interest, please send an email to *info(a)kictanet.or.ke <info(a)kictanet.or.ke>* with the subject line "*Kenya IGF 2019 MAG*" indicating your stakeholder group, expertise and why you are interested in joining the steering committee of KIGF 2019 by* Tuesday, June 25 2019. * Membership to the steering team is voluntary and all materials produced by KICTANet are published under creative commons licenses. Organisations from various stakeholder groups are encouraged to nominate representatives. For more information or clarification, feel free to get in touch. Best regards, *Victor Kapiyo*

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Fwd: [afnog] UCC Licensing Framework for IXPs
by Barrack Otieno 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

I hope this doesn't become a Regional Trend. Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mike Barnard <mike.barnardq(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2019 17:09:10 +0300 Subject: [afnog] UCC Licensing Framework for IXPs To: Afnog Mailing List <afnog(a)afnog.org> The Uganda IXP (https://uixp.co.ug) recently received a letter from the government (UCC) which announces that they intend to establish a licensing framework for IXPs. The letter includes a detailed draft of the proposed framework text (see attached). While we think it is wise for the government to continuously reconsider its role in this evolving industry in order to support its development, the UCC's proposed licensing framework would ironically prohibit further market development by effectively nationalizing the network interconnection service. As written, the framework: 1) Establishes a government controlled monopoly IXP called the “Designated National Internet Exchange Point” and requires all other IXPs to function as edge nodes for it. The framework accomplishes this by requiring all IXPs to connect to the DNIXP, and by giving government control over the contracts between IXPs and their members. See 7.4.b; 8.2.a; 9.e.iii; 9.j. 2) Includes vague language which could lead to problematic interpretations. For example: Clause 9.h could mean that the government intends for the DNIXP to establish itself by expropriating the UIXP’s infrastructure. 3) Allows the government to inspect, copy, or remove any data related to any IXP without a court order. This could include proprietary information. See 7.5.b.ii. 4) Turns IXPs into potential surveillance hubs by requiring them to report any unlawful activity observed in member networks to the government. See 7.3.e.iv. 5) Introduces other significant barriers to entry for new market entrants. Our view is that this licensing framework should either be (a) scrapped entirely, as it can be argued that it is counterproductive to license IXPs in the first place or (b) significantly revised such that it no longer includes any language which would create a monopoly or otherwise hinder the emergence of true competition in this industry. The UCC has called for written feedback to be submitted by July 5th, 2019 and we need your help to avoid disaster. Please take a few minutes to review the attached document and submit your comments in writing before the deadline. If you cannot submit feedback to the UCC directly, please send it to us (board(a)uixp.co.ug) and we will ensure that it gets delivered to the UCC in writing. Thank you. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Israel lessons on how to fund profitable start-ups
by S.M. Muraya 19 Jun '19

19 Jun '19

Dear Listers, December 2017, there was no comment on KICTANET for this article. Singapore vs. Israel: Who’s the better role model? https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?p=36145 Like we have said on this list, KES 100 Bln, per annum, can do wonders in Kenya.. https://www.kictanet.or.ke/?p=37640 Now that a foreign diplomat has spoken on how they (Israel) fuelled start ups, will this particular go.ke respond & provide budgetary support next year? https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/markets/marketnews/Israel-lessons-on-ho… *Israel lessons on how to fund profitable start-ups* By JAMES KARIUKI, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 19:20 SUMMARY - Kenya must generate internal funds that startups can draw from in order to thrive. - Israeli is closely working with Kenya to formulate a partnership deal that will see Kenyan and Israeli companies collaborate in trade. An Israeli diplomat has advised Kenya to provide seed capital to startups to ignite a culture of innovation. Speaking in Nairobi, Israel Embassy head of economic mission, Arnon Abel said Kenya must generate internal funds that startups can draw from in order to thrive. “In the nineties, the Israeli government injected Sh100 billion which helped many startups implement their ideas. In some cases, the government suffered losses but in other projects that succeeded, the government got back its money,” he said. He told a Startup Ecosystem Forum held in Nairobi that emergence of a vibrant startups ecosystem attracted multinational players that established research and development centres across Israel, which serve as incubation hubs for startups. Israeli is closely working with Kenya to formulate a partnership deal that will see Kenyan and Israeli companies collaborate in trade. “In Israel, the military, government, private businesses, academia and multinationals among other entities actively fund startups as a way of seeking new strategies to improve their businesses and be ahead of the pack. “The research and development centres (Cyberhubs) enjoy funding from global multinationals keen on learning firsthand how to improve their products or service delivery channels,” he said. Finland ambassador for innovations, Jarmo Sareva said failure of startup projects should not lead to despair in funding new enterprises. “Governments and companies must support startup forums to spur networking among innovators. Companies use the forums to present problems that startups spend time seeking commercial solutions,” he said.

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Vodafone denies Huawei Italy security risk
by Adam Lane 03 May '19

03 May '19

Dear Patrick Please note that Vodafone have responded to the inaccurate report from Bloomberg. The report is https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48103430 and copied below. You may also be interested in reading this report: https://www.zdnet.com/article/cisco-removed-its-seventh-backdoor-account-th… explaining that Cisco has already found seven “backdoors” into its equipment just this year alone. This is not a Huawei issue, or an espionage issue. It is a global ICT security issue that all companies are constantly struggling with. As you can read (or ask a technical expert), there are many bugs in many products (your apps on your phone are probably being updated on a weekly basis…) due to the nature of software development which are constantly being found and addressed; companies like Cisco and Huawei (along with customers like Vodafone) to the tests and find these (usually) before going to market (though sometimes afterwards) and address them urgently. I am not sure how this issue of bugs in software relates to multinationals illegally collecting and selling business insights. I am sure the local companies have just as many bugs in their software too, and all of us need to collaborate to address them, improve software development standards, and raise the bar. This is not a policy issue, it is a technical issue. You are certainly right that trust is good for business; unfortunately poor journalism such as that by Bloomberg which published before getting the “other side of the story” from Vodafone itself is not helping. I appreciate that you understand this, as you also referenced the ZDnet article which is much better reporting than Bloomberg, including Instead, Huawei says it was "technical flaws in equipment" which were fixed. "These were technical mistakes in our equipment, which were identified and corrected," the spokesperson said. 'The accepted definition of' backdoors' is deliberately built-in vulnerabilities that can be exploited -- these were not such. They were mistakes which were put right." Regards Adam https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48103430 Vodafone denies Huawei Italy security risk Vodafone has denied a report saying issues found in equipment supplied to it by Huawei in Italy in 2011 and 2012 could have allowed unauthorised access to its fixed-line network there. A Bloomberg report said that Vodafone spotted security flaws in software<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/vodafone-found-hidden-ba…> that could have given Huawei unauthorised access to Italian homes and businesses. The US refuses to use Huawei equipment for security reasons. However, reports suggest the UK may let the firm help build its 5G network. This is despite the US wanting the UK and its other allies in the "Five Eyes" intelligence grouping - Canada, Australia and New Zealand - to exclude the company. Australia and New Zealand have already blocked telecoms companies from using Huawei equipment in 5G networks, while Canada is reviewing its relationship with the Chinese telecoms firm. In a statement, Vodafone said: "The issues in Italy identified in the Bloomberg story were all resolved and date back to 2011 and 2012. "The 'backdoor' that Bloomberg refers to is Telnet, which is a protocol that is commonly used by many vendors in the industry for performing diagnostic functions. It would not have been accessible from the internet. "Bloomberg is incorrect in saying that this 'could have given Huawei unauthorised access to the carrier's fixed-line network in Italy'. "In addition, we have no evidence of any unauthorised access. This was nothing more than a failure to remove a diagnostic function after development. "The issues were identified by independent security testing, initiated by Vodafone as part of our routine security measures, and fixed at the time by Huawei." A Huawei spokesperson said: 'We were made aware of historical vulnerabilities in 2011 and 2012 and they were addressed at the time. "Software vulnerabilities are an industry-wide challenge. Like every ICT [information and communications technology] vendor, we have a well-established public notification and patching process, and when a vulnerability is identified, we work closely with our partners to take the appropriate corrective action." Several European telecoms operators are considering removing Huawei's equipment from their networks. But the firm's cyber-security chief, John Suffolk, has described the firm as "the most open [and] transparent company in the world". In January, Vodafone "paused" the deployment of Huawei equipment in its core networks in Europe until Western governments resolved their security concerns about the company. Huawei has been accused of being a potential security risk and of being controlled by the Chinese government - allegations it has always firmly denied. With the introduction of the 5G network in the UK approaching, telecoms operators say the way it would work, in a highly integrated system alongside 4G, means that excluding Huawei is not realistic without significant cost and delay, That would include potentially removing existing hardware, leading to the UK falling behind other countries. The company is the world's third-largest supplier of mobile phones, behind Samsung and Apple. Senior Director, Public Affairs Huawei Southern Africa Mobile: +254-7909-85886 Read Huawei Kenya’s First Ever Sustainability Report here<https://www.huawei.com/minisite/explore-kenya/pdf/huawei_kenya_csd_report.p…> From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+adam.lane=huawei.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2019 8:59 PM To: Adam Lane <adam.lane(a)huawei.com> Cc: Patrick A. M. Maina <pmaina2000(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [kictanet] [Economic Espionage Risks] Vodafone has 'acknowledged' that it Found Hidden Backdoors in Huawei Equipment (but says the issues were resolved). Dear Listers, These kinds of global reports should concern Kenyan business CEOs and Boards in all sectors (as well as economic / technology policymakers) - unless Kenya has little or no interest in competing regionally or internationally to generate new streams of foreign exchange; and even then, are we able to protect our local "home turf" competitive advantage, should multinational actors decide to illegally collect and sell (or leverage) unfairly acquired local business insights, in order to give affiliated new entrants unfair advantage over local enterprises? These are legitimate and global policy concerns. If such things are happening in advanced, tech-savvy economies, what about here in Africa? Is the world having a party at our expense? Trust is good for business - but its is not wise to trust blindly. If we refuse to learn from others, or from history, it will be difficult for us to hand over to our children/youth a future that proves that we played our part responsibly as present-day custodians. We need to start thinking of our existence in less selfish terms: as a relay race, where it is our duty to ensure that we pass on a better future to our children/youth. Let's wake each other up. We must start BELIEVING in ourselves and LOVING ourselves so that our children can believe in, and love themselves as well. Excerpts below: ------------------------------- Reported by Bloomberg today (30th April 2019): "[Vodafone] identified hidden backdoors in the software that could have given Huawei unauthorized access to the carrier’s fixed-line network in Italy, a system that provides internet service to millions of homes and businesses, according to Vodafone’s security briefing documents from 2009 and 2011 seen by Bloomberg, as well as people involved in the situation. Vodafone asked Huawei to remove backdoors in home internet routers in 2011 and received assurances from the supplier that the issues were fixed, but further testing revealed that the security vulnerabilities remained, the documents show. Vodafone said Huawei then refused to fully remove the backdoor, citing a manufacturing requirement. The April 2011 document was authored by its Chief Information Security Officer at the time, Bryan Littlefair. 'What is of most concern here is that actions of Huawei in agreeing to remove the code, then trying to hide it, and now refusing to remove it as they need it to remain for ‘quality’ purposes,' Littlefair wrote. 'There’s no specific way to tell that something is a backdoor and most backdoors would be designed to look like a mistake,' said Stefano Zanero, an Associate Professor of Computer Security at Politecnico di Milano University. 'That said, the vulnerabilities described in the Vodafone reports from 2009 and 2011 have all the characteristics of backdoors: deniability, access and a tendency to be placed again in subsequent versions of the code,' he said. Vodafone also identified backdoors in parts of its fixed-access network known as optical service nodes, which are responsible for transporting internet traffic over optical fibers, and other parts called broadband network gateways, which handle subscriber authentication and access to the internet... In Vodafone’s case, the risks included possible third-party access to a customer's personal computer and home network, according to the internal documents. However, Vodafone’s account of the issue was contested by people involved in the security discussions between the companies. [who allege that] Vulnerabilities in both the routers and the fixed access network remained beyond 2012 and were also present in Vodafone’s businesses in the U.K., Germany, Spain and Portugal. Vodafone stuck with Huawei because the services were competitively priced, they said." Links: 1. Vodafone found Hidden Backdoors in Huawei Equipment https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/vodafone-found-hidden-ba… 2. Huawei denies existence of ‘backdoors’ in Vodafone networking equipment https://www.zdnet.com/article/huawei-denies-existence-of-backdoors-in-vodaf… Best regards, Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina [Cross-domain Innovator | Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

5 6

Re: [kictanet] ict practitioners bill is back
by Ali Hussein 02 May '19

02 May '19

Dear Bwana CS KICTANet NEVER asked KEPSA to handle engagements on our behalf. We engaged KEPSA to work as a team. Period. Never, did we abdicate our responsibilities to KEPSA because we are not KEPSA members. If KEPSA gave you that belief then I'm afraid that you were misled. And KEPSA should apologise for misleading you. *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Sun, Dec 17, 2017 at 4:53 PM, Joseph Mucheru via kictanet < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Ali Hussein, > > This is the reason I keep off this list. You are calling me a liar and yet > your team asked KEPSA to handle the engagements in this matter. > > With all respect going forward let's follow the agreed engagements between > government and private sector. > > Ahsante Sana! > > JM > > > On 17 Dec 2017 11:17, "Ali Hussein via kictanet" < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > Bwana CS > > With all due respect. You are a senior government official and shouldn’t > peddle untruths. > > KICTANet HAS NEVER BEEN PART OF KEPSA. > > We have collaborated only once on the ICT BIll. Most of us don’t believe > KEPSA is representative of the wider ICT Industry. > > We welcome dialogue with your ministry and KEPSA on this. We are happy to > be included in the conversation. We however CANNOT endorse a dialogue and > discussions we are not party to. > > *Ali Hussein* > *Principal* > *Hussein & Associates* > +254 0713 601113 <+254%20713%20601113> > > Twitter: @AliHKassim > > Skype: abu-jomo > > LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim > > "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a > habit." ~ Aristotle > > > Sent from my iPad > > On 17 Dec 2017, at 9:04 AM, Julius Njiraini via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > Digital forensic expert is involved in investigation of fraud, abuse, > embezzlement, larceny, conversion of any digital device, records and > process. The report is supposed to be presented in courtroom and testify as > expert witness. He is also supposed to corroborate evidence with other > segment of crime scene using relevant laws including evidence act, criminal > procedures code and cyber crime laws as best international laws in other > countries > On Dec 17, 2017 8:32 AM, "Julius Njiraini" <njiraini2001(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Thanks for your enlightenment. Am just concerned about new emerging >> fields like information security and forensics which is mainly concerned >> with digital cyber crime and evidence presentation in courtroom. These is >> especially concerns for computer security and forensics professionals >> On Dec 17, 2017 6:12 AM, "Joseph Mucheru via kictanet" < >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >> >>> The absence of dialogue and relying on media reports is a recipe for >>> discord. The current views, sentiments and concerns raised in the group are >>> justified only because there is no dialogue. Kicktanet is part of KEPSA >>> <https://kepsa.or.ke> who we are in constant dialogue even on this >>> topic. Going forward, the need to dialogue through the agreed channels is >>> key; >>> >>> So let me try and give a position on where we are; >>> >>> - I did state that we will need a Practitioners Bill and even >>> clarified to media it would not be the current one >>> - There is currently NO Bill in parliament. The last one lapsed and >>> we would need to start afresh >>> - The bill identified a need/gap in our sector that requires some >>> action, especially since ICT is at the heart of the Governments development >>> agenda >>> - The Industry was opposed with the method/solutions proposed by the >>> Bill but not the fact there is a gap >>> - Other Industries have self regulating bodies and if our sector is >>> to grow, we need to get organised and set this up. Why should government >>> have to do it? >>> - We are exporting our skills regionally and internationally and a >>> need to standardise and demonstrate our skills is key. This is because we >>> are not working in isolation, we are competing with other countries and >>> Kenya must be able to demonstrate consistent and quality skills -- today we >>> are blacklisted on various online jobs platforms because of a few bad >>> apples, while we know we have some of the best talents, we are also losing >>> tenders and business because we have not conformed to specific >>> international standards and so the rating of our products/services falls >>> short. (KBS is working on the standards) >>> >>> And for the accusations... >>> >>> - It was a private members bill and not sponsored by Government (We >>> opposed it in its current form - you know that, otherwise google it). >>> - Responding to questions from the sector does not amount to a >>> "roadside decision", considering the level of engagement we have had on >>> this issue >>> - The Government is there to serve the people of Kenya and not just >>> the sector in isolation >>> - Skills Rating systems used by platforms such as Kuhastle.com, >>> upwork.com., cloudfactory.com, monster.com..etc are examples of ways >>> people are able to build and demonstrate skills both technical and otherwise >>> - I have had engagements on this topic with KEPSA (ICT Sector >>> Committee <https://kepsa.or.ke/sector-comittees/>) - Mike Macharia >>> being the Chair >>> - I saw in social media many of you opposed to ICTAK >>> <http://www.ictak.or.ke/> being enjoined in the supreme court >>> presidential petition, but none came out (Kicktanet included) to >>> support/represent the sector, which was at the heart of the dispute. At the >>> very least ICTAK <http://www.ictak.or.ke/> was willing to come >>> forward. >>> - Similar to the Law Society, The Supreme Court should have chosen >>> the ICT experts from the ICT Industry body? >>> >>> My advice would be for the sector to take the lead and suggest how this >>> need/gap of* "SKILLS RATING" standards etc.. *can be addressed. We are >>> on the same side. If industry does not take the lead, then Government will >>> step in. As it stands, industry has various bodies and you need to agree on >>> how to engage amongst yourselves. We are going to be successful and so let >>> us push in the same direction. >>> >>> Finally, today the official engagement between government and the ICT >>> sector is through KEPSA <https://kepsa.or.ke/> . (KICTAnet, TESPOK, >>> KITOS etc.. are members and even when we engaged on the ICT Practitioners >>> bill, the sector was represented by KEPSA, when we met MPs). >>> >>> The last discussion on Tuesday 14th December 2017 between KEPSA and the >>> Ministry covered the following topics; >>> >>> 1. ICT Policy >>> 2. Kick-off Industry meetings >>> 3. Bills / Opinions - ICT Practitioners Bill >>> 4. PDTP <http://icta.go.ke/digitalent/> + Ajira Digital >>> <http://ajiradigital.go.ke/> (Jobs) >>> 5. Flagship Projects >>> 6. Constituency Development Hubs >>> <http://www.ict.go.ke/constituency-to-get-an-innovation-hub/> >>> 7. ICTA Engagement with Counties >>> 8. Enterprise Kenya >>> 9. Blockchain >>> >>> Thank you! >>> >>> On Sun, Dec 17, 2017 at 3:07 AM, Andrew Alston via kictanet < >>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi All, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> So – having seen an article in the standardmedia in which elements of >>>> what I stated below were quoted – and to which there seem to have been >>>> responses – I now need to comment further: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> (Article found at: https://www.standardmedia.co.k >>>> e/business/article/2001263257/techies-oppose-move-to-introdu >>>> ce-new-ict-watchdog) >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Mucheru, however, denies that the Bill will lock out experts without >>>> formal training insisting the reverse will be the case. “This Bill will >>>> benefit the people who have been working in technical capacity for years >>>> but have not acquired certificates,” he explained. “If they can demonstrate >>>> their proficiency to the Institute then they can get certified and widen >>>> the scope of jobs they can bid or apply for.” * >>>> >>>> So – I have a question – What will be the method of demonstrating >>>> proficiency and how will this be tested – and what will it cost – and how >>>> long will it take. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Now – let me break the questions down a bit >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1. The ICT field is vast – are you going to test proficiency in >>>> programming? In networking? In security? In database administration? In >>>> desktop support? In Linux? Freebsd? Microsoft? Solaris? AIX? What is the >>>> test going to be – and who is going to administer these tests >>>> 2. What makes an industry body more capable of testing proficiency >>>> than Cisco, Juniper, Huawei or any of the other vendors – the bill does * >>>> *NOT** cater for industry standard certification outside of formal >>>> education – it simply is not in there – and if you are not going to accept >>>> these and are going to have this industry body determine proficiency – we >>>> need to know how this will be done and how the people testing proficiency >>>> will be qualified to do it – and in what fields they are qualified to test >>>> proficiency. >>>> 3. What is the cost of this testing of proficiency – does an >>>> individual who has certified as a CCIE at the cost of thousands – and in >>>> some cases tens of thousands – of dollars suddenly need to pay more to >>>> demonstrate something that he has clearly already demonstrated? Who will it >>>> be paid for? How will the money be utilized? Will this be included in the >>>> license fee for the first year? Or will this suddenly cost extra so >>>> someone can make some money? >>>> 4. How does does it take to “demonstrate proficiency” – and if I >>>> bring in someone from outside to train my staff in a new field of >>>> technology – is he going to be made to sit some kind of exam? Or pay some >>>> kind of fee before he can upskill Kenyans? Because – lets be real – that is >>>> not going to happen – it will be the death of bringing in people to impart >>>> knowledge. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Let me be blunt – more than half the authors of the RFC’s within the >>>> IETF would not qualify under the bill as it stands – this means they would >>>> have to “demonstrate” their proficiency – despite the fact that they have >>>> their names on Internet standards – and if people expect these individuals >>>> to sit exams or prove to people that they know what they are doing – >>>> despite the knowledge having been clearly demonstrated (which is why they >>>> are being flown in in the first place, to train Kenyans in skills that are >>>> not available in the country so that those Kenyans can continue to further >>>> upskill and lift up the industry) – you can kiss goodbye to having cutting >>>> edge people coming into this country – it simply won’t happen – and it will >>>> be Kenya that loses out. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Then to comment on this: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Mucheru adds that the Government has held several engagements with >>>> practitioners in the sector on the provisions of the Bill. * >>>> >>>> Correct – there was massive engagement – and the bill was largely >>>> defeated after the industry said it was broken – after people on this list >>>> said it was broken – after it was slammed left right and centre – so yes – >>>> there was engagement – but the article is wrong about the fact that the >>>> engagement agreed that this bill in its current form was a good idea or >>>> represented the correct solution. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *“There was consensus that we need to establish a professional body to >>>> regulate the industry,” he said. * >>>> >>>> I have no problem with the concept of a professional body – I have >>>> major problems with forcing a situation where people who have potentially >>>> decades of experience have to suddenly “prove” their skills via some >>>> entirely undefined means at some undefined cost to a bunch of people who >>>> may or may not have anywhere close to the experience or knowledge of the >>>> person being tested. If we said that we had a professional body that people >>>> could register to – and they needed to be registered – and in the event of >>>> *substantiated* complaints the individual could be deregistered and >>>> blacklisted – I would have no problem. It is the arbitrary and >>>> unsubstantiated and undefined criteria for registration that I take >>>> exception to – and that I believe could result in expensive legal >>>> challenges. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Please – do not get me wrong – I do not begrudge anyone who has a >>>> desire to genuinely root out the bad apples and clean up the industry and >>>> remove scam artists and fraudsters. I think that is a noble and pure >>>> objective that should be pursued. I however dispute the fact that this >>>> bill is the right way to go about it – and I dispute the fact that >>>> university degrees have anything to do with competence in this industry – >>>> particularly with the rate that technology evolves – because an individual >>>> doing a 3 year degree who is learning specific technologies in his first >>>> year – by the time he graduates – those technologies are history – and when >>>> he walks into the industry – he is having to self study it all again >>>> ANYWAY. Let me give you examples of technologies that did not exist a year >>>> ago in any real form: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1. Segment routing – the foundation of network routing going >>>> forward and the replacement to MPLS – how do I know this – because I’ve had >>>> my hands in crafting the specifications and doing a lot of the beta testing >>>> for it – so who is going to test proficiency here – it changes the game – >>>> and the only people qualified to teach it – or gauge the proficiency in it >>>> – do not themselves qualify under this bill to be registered. >>>> 2. Network telemetry processing – first introduced in limited form >>>> in Q3 2015 – and only now becoming main stream – but within a year of it >>>> being main stream – it will replace standard network monitoring entirely – >>>> who is going to teach that with a university degree? >>>> 3. Which university degree teaches BGP? BGP-LU? ISIS? Network >>>> segmentation? IPv6 addressing? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The list is endless – these are things that cannot be learnt through a >>>> degree – they are learnt through industry standard certification or >>>> self-skilling by reading documentation. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> So, Mr Mucheru – please – do not read me wrong – I have tremendous >>>> respect for the regulator in this country – and it is testament to how well >>>> the Kenyan industry and the regulatory environment here works that today – >>>> Kenya has higher average mobile broadband speeds than either the US or >>>> South Africa or a lot of other places. It is testament to the regulatory >>>> environment here that we have the high-speed networks we do – and that the >>>> pricing is as low as it is – because the industry is competitive and open >>>> and innovative. This list of things the regulator has gotten right in this >>>> country is long - I do however plead with you, the bill as it stands would >>>> break the industry that all of us – yourself – myself – and so many others >>>> have worked so hard to build. I am NOT against a professional body – I am >>>> NOT against formalizing things – but I beg you – do not walk down the road >>>> of this current bill in its current form – it will be death to this >>>> industry in this country. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Andrew Alston >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *From: *Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston(a)liquidtelecom.com> >>>> *Date: *Monday, 4 December 2017 at 01:24 >>>> *To: *KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >>>> *Cc: *Liz Wanjiru <lizwanjiru(a)gmail.com> >>>> *Subject: *RE: [kictanet] ict practitioners bill is back >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I have to say – personally I cannot think of a worse piece of >>>> legislation that I have seen in recent history. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Let us look at the net effects of this and the problems with it: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1. Large companies bring in consultants or external people where >>>> necessary to supplement capacity, to train and upskill Kenyan staff etc, >>>> while those guys are here, even for a week or two, they are compensated, >>>> and my reading of this bill is – this would be illegal – because you’d have >>>> to get every consultant you bring in accredited and licensed first – which >>>> is impractical in the extreme >>>> 2. The list of highly skilled people with 20+ years experience who >>>> would not qualify for accreditation under this bill is extensive, globally >>>> and within Kenya – this bill completely stops any form of knowledge >>>> transfer from those individuals and in fact will force a situation where >>>> Kenyan’s who wish to learn from some of the biggest names in the industry >>>> would be forced to go internationally to get that knowledge, rather than >>>> bringing those people in to train locally >>>> 3. It forces Kenyans who have spent years learning and honing their >>>> skills without university qualifications out of work and could well result >>>> in large scale job losses looking at the number of highly skilled >>>> individuals I know of who are working without qualifications >>>> 4. It prevents private companies from making what are normal >>>> business decisions – who they hire and who they pay. That is problematic >>>> in the extreme – in any normal situation if a private company hires staff >>>> that don’t perform – those staff either get fired or the market rejects the >>>> company and the company disappears – standard market dynamics – in this >>>> case – if a company finds extremely talented people they may be forced into >>>> a position where they have to hire less skilled people because someone >>>> can’t meet some accreditation requirement. >>>> 5. The bill has no recognition of prior experience – no recognition >>>> of those who have published papers and are world recognized experts – does >>>> not specify what the “recognized” universities are – does not take into >>>> account industry standard certification (CISSP/CCNA/CCIE/CCDP/JNCIE/JNCIP/JNCIA, >>>> the list is endless) >>>> 6. May well end up in the constitutional court when it deprives a >>>> host of people who have spent their lives working in this industry and have >>>> no other options for a career of the ability to earn a living >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The bill relies on the belief that a university qualification some how >>>> makes you better than those without – it’s reasoning that has been >>>> disproved globally for years and years and years – and it flies in the face >>>> of the global industry and the way the ICT industry has worked since the >>>> day it began. It is damaging to the industry in Kenya – it is damaging to >>>> the growth prospects of the economy as a result – it is damaging to the >>>> people of Kenya – and it will destroy the position that Kenya is in as one >>>> of the leaders of the ICT industry on the continent (Kenya already has the >>>> highest average broadband speeds on the continent and significantly better >>>> ICT infrastructure than you will find even in South Africa – it is doing so >>>> well – why break a system that is proving functional?) >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I really hope this does not pass – and if it does – will be curious to >>>> see the court challenges and how they play out – but I think this is >>>> madness personally – and in the name of stopping a few bad individuals – >>>> penalizes the entire country and will destroy an industry that employs >>>> thousands. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Andrew >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *From:* kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+andrew.alston= >>>> liquidtelecom.com(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *Liz Wanjiru via >>>> kictanet >>>> *Sent:* 04 December 2017 06:43 >>>> *To:* Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston(a)liquidtelecom.com> >>>> *Cc:* Liz Wanjiru <lizwanjiru(a)gmail.com> >>>> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] ict practitioners bill is back >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Hi, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> While trying to push such laws shouldn't they be looking at >>>> credentialing people without formal ICT schooling but have the experience, >>>> knowledge and skills to back them? These people have talent and positively >>>> contribute in the industry. Some countries have learning institutions >>>> credentialing professionals based on their body of work and so long as they >>>> can demonstrate this they are awarded the degrees or other government >>>> approved certifications. Here is an example of such >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Link >>>> <http://www.ara.ac.nz/study-options/centre-for-assessment-of-prior-learning-…> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Liz >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 3:18 PM, Ahmed Mohamed Maawy via kictanet < >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >>>> >>>> I wonder how some of the ground breaking technology companies - such as >>>> for instance Google Kenya, can operate if this bill is passed. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 4:57 PM, Watila Alex via kictanet < >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >>>> >>>> EricKigada: Kenya’s controversial ICT Practitioners Bill 2016 to be tabled in parliament again >>>> >>>> techmoran.com/kenyas-controv… >>>> >>>> https://twitter.com/EricKigada/status/937309893954031616 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android >>>> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> kictanet mailing list >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >>>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >>>> >>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m >>>> ailman/options/kictanet/ultimateprogramer%40gmail.com >>>> >>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform >>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and >>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT >>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >>>> >>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, >>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do >>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> *Ahmed Maawy* >>>> Head of Corporate Products - Al Jazeera Media Network >>>> Skype: ultimateprogramer >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> kictanet mailing list >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >>>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >>>> >>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m >>>> ailman/options/kictanet/lizwanjiru%40gmail.com >>>> >>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform >>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and >>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT >>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >>>> >>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, >>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do >>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Kind Regards >>>> >>>> Liz Wanjiru >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> kictanet mailing list >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >>>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >>>> >>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m >>>> ailman/options/kictanet/joe%40mucheru.com >>>> >>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform >>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and >>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT >>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >>>> >>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, >>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do >>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Joseph Mucheru E.G.H >>> *Cabinet Secretary* >>> Ministry of Information Communications & Technology (ICT) >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> kictanet mailing list >>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >>> >>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m >>> ailman/options/kictanet/njiraini2001%40gmail.com >>> >>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform >>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and >>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT >>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >>> >>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, >>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do >>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >>> >>> _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m > ailman/options/kictanet/info%40campusciti.com > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/m > ailman/options/kictanet/joe%40mucheru.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ > mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > >

19 37

Blockchain in Agriculture
by Erick Mwangi 01 May '19

01 May '19

Gartner, Inc. predicts that, by 2025, 20% of the top 10 global grocers by revenue will be using blockchain for food safety and traceability to create visibility. Being an Agri country i would imagine similar conversations would take center stage. Its quite here re Blockchain. Eric

1 0

[Economic Espionage Risks] Vodafone has 'acknowledged' that it Found Hidden Backdoors in Huawei Equipment (but says the issues were resolved).
by Patrick A. M. Maina 30 Apr '19

30 Apr '19

Dear Listers, These kinds of global reports should concern Kenyan business CEOs and Boards in all sectors (as well as economic / technology policymakers) - unless Kenya has little or no interest in competing regionally or internationally to generate new streams of foreign exchange; and even then, are we able to protect our local "home turf" competitive advantage, should multinational actors decide to illegally collect and sell (or leverage) unfairly acquired local business insights, in order to give affiliated new entrants unfair advantage over local enterprises? These are legitimate and global policy concerns. If such things are happening in advanced, tech-savvy economies, what about here in Africa? Is the world having a party at our expense? Trust is good for business - but its is not wise to trust blindly. If we refuse to learn from others, or from history, it will be difficult for us to hand over to our children/youth a future that proves that we played our part responsibly as present-day custodians. We need to start thinking of our existence in less selfish terms: as a relay race, where it is our duty to ensure that we pass on a better future to our children/youth. Let's wake each other up. We must start BELIEVING in ourselves and LOVING ourselves so that our children can believe in, and love themselves as well. Excerpts below: ------------------------------- Reported by Bloomberg today (30th April 2019): "[Vodafone] identified hidden backdoors in the software that could have given Huawei unauthorized access to the carrier’s fixed-line network in Italy, a system that provides internet service to millions of homes and businesses, according to Vodafone’s security briefing documents from 2009 and 2011 seen by Bloomberg, as well as people involved in the situation. Vodafone asked Huawei to remove backdoors in home internet routers in 2011 and received assurances from the supplier that the issues were fixed, but further testing revealed that the security vulnerabilities remained, the documents show. Vodafone said Huawei then refused to fully remove the backdoor, citing a manufacturing requirement. The April 2011 document was authored by its Chief Information Security Officer at the time, Bryan Littlefair. 'What is of most concern here is that actions of Huawei in agreeing to remove the code, then trying to hide it, and now refusing to remove it as they need it to remain for ‘quality’ purposes,' Littlefair wrote. 'There’s no specific way to tell that something is a backdoor and most backdoors would be designed to look like a mistake,' said Stefano Zanero, an Associate Professor of Computer Security at Politecnico di Milano University. 'That said, the vulnerabilities described in the Vodafone reports from 2009 and 2011 have all the characteristics of backdoors: deniability, access and a tendency to be placed again in subsequent versions of the code,' he said. Vodafone also identified backdoors in parts of its fixed-access network known as optical service nodes, which are responsible for transporting internet traffic over optical fibers, and other parts called broadband network gateways, which handle subscriber authentication and access to the internet... In Vodafone’s case, the risks included possible third-party access to a customer's personal computer and home network, according to the internal documents. However, Vodafone’s account of the issue was contested by people involved in the security discussions between the companies. [who allege that] Vulnerabilities in both the routers and the fixed access network remained beyond 2012 and were also present in Vodafone’s businesses in the U.K., Germany, Spain and Portugal. Vodafone stuck with Huawei because the services were competitively priced, they said." Links: 1. Vodafone found Hidden Backdoors in Huawei Equipmenthttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/vodafone-found-… 2. Huawei denies existence of ‘backdoors’ in Vodafone networking equipment https://www.zdnet.com/article/huawei-denies-existence-of-backdoors-in-vodaf… Best regards,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina [Cross-domain Innovator | Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

1 0

Online discussion on State of Broadband - Policy day
by Mwendwa Kivuva 30 Apr '19

30 Apr '19

Thank you Listers, we have had a great debate so far. There are so many issues that have remained hanging on the first thread. I hope we can continue debate on those issues, and tie the loose ends. We will move on to broadband policies. Here is a brief background. Kenya enacted a National Broadband Strategy in 2013. This was updated to the Draft National Broadband Strategy 2023 <https://ca.go.ke/public-consultation-on-the-national-broadband-strategy-for…> that takes into account recent technological, industry trends and market realities. The Draft strategy went through public participation in March 2019. It covers; Infrastructure and connectivity, Content services and applications, Policy - regulations and Legislation, Capacity building and innovations, Broadband devices, Finance and investment, Privacy and Security, Role of stakeholders in expanding broadband penetration, Governance and delivery framework. The outcome of the public participation has not been released to the public by the National Broadband Strategy Steering Committee. We hope to get an update on that. We also have the ICT Policy 2006, and the yet to be ratified Draft ICT policy 2016. The ICT policy should be the overarching policy on which the other policies in the sector branch from. Probably we will get an explanation on how new ICT related strategies are being drafted without an updated ICT policy. This leads to the following questions: 1. How is the sector regulated and what complimentary policies are in place? 2. What complimentary laws and regulations are in place that either stifle, or promote broadband? 3. How is the business environment for those who want to venture into provision of broadband services? 4. What policy interventions can be put in place to promote broadband uptake? Looking forward to a great policy day. Sincerely, ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva

4 7

Online discussion on State of Broadband in Kenya
by Mwendwa Kivuva 29 Apr '19

29 Apr '19

Dear Listers, As notified last week, we are conducting an assessment on the state of play and impact of broadband in Kenya, broadly looking at the socio-economic impact on consumers, businesses and various sectors like agriculture, education, healthcare, finance and government. We are looking at real life examples of impact of broadband, challenges we face in increasing impact of broadband and recommendations on interventions needed to address the challenges identified. For this discussion, we define broadband as any fast internet. Fast enough to serve your intended purpose. We can have an extended definition through the discussion. Some of the questions we should answer are: 1. What is the current state of broadband in Kenya? What is the current coverage of broadband in Kenya? Do you have broadband internet in your area? How affordable is the available broadband? 2. What barriers are there in increasing impact of broadband in Kenya? 3. What recommendations can counter the barriers identified in increasing impact of broadband? Looking forward to a grrat debate. Sincerely, ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva

18 26

[fyi] Mozilla's 2019 Internet Health Report is out. A "must read" source of context and ideas for all ICT stakeholders.
by Patrick A. M. Maina 28 Apr '19

28 Apr '19

Dear Listers, Mozilla's Internet Health Report (2019) presents a human-centric perspective on the current state of the internet. It also offers excellent recommendations on how to make the internet work positively for all stakeholders i.e. private sector, Government and the general public. The report is a "must read" source of context and ideas for all stakeholders interested in having a holistic perspective of emerging 21st Century public-interest issues. Here are some excerpts from the executive summary (published on Mozilla's blog): "The digital environment is a complex ecosystem, just like the planet we live on... The internet has the potential both to uplift and connect us. But it also has the potential to harm and tear us apart... we need to step up and do something if we want the digital world to net out as a positive for humanity rather than a negative... The good news is that more and more people are dedicating their lives to creating a healthier, more humane digital world. This Report is designed to be both a reflection and resource for this kind of work. It is meant to offer technologists and designers inspiration about what they might build; to give policymakers context and ideas for the laws they need to write; and, most of all, to provide citizens and activists with a picture of where others are pushing for a better internet, in the hope that more and more people around the world will push for change themselves. Ultimately, it is by more and more of us doing something in our work and our lives that we will create an internet that is open, human and humane." Please read, engage and share widely within your networks. Thank you! Links: 1. Executive Summary: https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/04/23/its-complicated-mozillas-2019-inte… 2. Mobile Friendly Sitehttps://internethealthreport.org/2019/ 3. The 2019 Internet Health Report (Short Version) https://d20x8vt12bnfa2.cloudfront.net/2019/2019InternetHealthReport_shortve… Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Tanzania to limit SIM cards to one per network
by Victor Kapiyo 27 Apr '19

27 Apr '19

Interesting developments in Tanzania. Looks like biometric registration programmes have now become vogue for any initiative from government that calls for registration, and it's not just happening in Kenya with our Huduma Number. _____ Tanzania plans to limit the number of mobile phone numbers an individual can own to a single line per network, in its bid to boost security and tame cybercrime. This will involve a fresh biometric registration of all SIM card holders from May 1 to September. Subscribers have to present their national identification card or its number for registration. According to the sector regulator, the current system is not secure enough and lacks important subscriber details that are vital for the national identity card registration initiated two years ago. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Tanzania-to-limit-SIM-cards-to-on…

1 0

Smart Cities Books - Free Downloads
by Bitange Ndemo 26 Apr '19

26 Apr '19

Here are two books from UNESCO on Smart Cities - Very good reads and available for free. https://netexplo.com/notebooks/ Ndemo.

3 2

Huduma Namba Questions
by Grace Bomu 25 Apr '19

25 Apr '19

Listers, There are reports that huduma number data in Machakos County has gone missing. See http://dailyactive.info/2019/04/22/huduma-namba-data-go-missing-in-machakos/ and subsequent reports of arrests and investigations on the matter https://www.kahawatungu.com/2019/04/23/machakos-huduma-namba-registration-a… On asking around, it appears that huduma namba kits use micro SD cards which when full are taken to the Assistant or County Commissioners Office for copying (onto NIIMS?). Got me wondering whether use of SD cards is the practice across the country and the implications for data security and integrity with this method. Other questions I still have from observing the exercise is what the real objective of data collection is. It appears that most adults (with ID cards) may already have had their data in different registries related. I am assuming that this is how eCitizen and IPRS works. And then the question of integrity/accuracy of data when a person gives data about other people eg spouses. Will there be opportunity to know what data is held about me? Would be great to have this explained. Regards, -- Grace Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu @Bomu PGP ID : 0x33A3450F

3 2

Christchurch Call
by Alex Comninos 25 Apr '19

25 Apr '19

Dear All I am wondering lister thoughts on the "Christchurch Call” Where does Africa and the South stand in these processes, how will it affect us? What principles would we like to see in such a call? (If we would like to see it at all) This is happening in the midst of so many other global events, many tragic, as well as legislative and regulatory processes/calls on/for social media platform moderation and regulation. [article pasted below] its worth following the link to watch the video too. The devil will be in the detail of the 'Christchurch Call’ By Tom Pullar, Stuff New Zealand https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112230966/the-devil-will-be-in-the-detail-… ANALYSIS: World leaders and technology companies will probably reach some sort of accord on social media and online extremism when they meet in Paris next month. But the devil will be in the detail of the agreement they reach, suggests Colin Gavaghan, director of the Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies at Otago University. Normally, when politicians attend international summits, the text of the agreements they sign is agreed beforehand and then ratified at the meeting, rather than actually being negotiated there. The summit in Paris on May 15 hosted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron will be a little different from most, in that representatives from many the world's biggest technology companies, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter will be among the participants. There are clues as to what it will contain. A spokesman for Ardern said the Government wanted the text to set out "parameters or actions where countries and companies agree to take action". He also said the Government wanted the agreement to be "reasonably specific rather than too high level". But Ardern cautioned that the Christchurch Call would not amount to a "draft set of regulations" that social media companies would need to follow. She also suggested that the focus would be on trying to prevent footage from terrorist attacks being shared online, rather than on the distribution of extremist content more generally. "This is not about freedom of expression. This is about preventing violence and extremism and terrorism online," she explained. "I don't think anyone would argue the terrorist on March 15 had a right to live stream the murder of 50 people. That is what this call is very specifically focused on." Agreeing concrete steps to achieve even that narrow goal would be incredibly hard. Technology experts appear in agreement that the technology does yet not exist that could have automatically identified the live stream of Christchurch shootings as a terrorist atrocity while it was taking place and being streamed live online. There is also no need to use a large social media service, or even live-streaming at all, to distribute a video. While Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have used video and audio-matching technology to gradually rid their websites of copies of the Christchurch video, it was also being distributed by people who simply posted links to it – hosted on nefarious websites – in their social media posts. Just so long as people can set up websites and post content to the internet anonymously, it is hard to see how that could be prevented. Gavaghan cautions the more people that are brought to the table, the more "general and vague" international agreements tend to be. The risk, he argues, is you can end up with texts that are pitched at such a level that "no-one could disagree with them" but which don't tend to mean anything in practice. The role, if any, of the United States in the summit will be something to watch for, he says. "They take their First Amendment considerations very seriously indeed, and that has been a real bone of contention between the EU and US-based companies." But Ardern said the fact that the problem was "extremely difficult" was not a reason not try to find a solution and many would agree with that. Sensibly, she has also made it clear upfront that she believes the summit should be the start of a conversation rather than the end of one. The fact that it appears representatives from Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter will attend the summit is also encouraging. That may be partly because they want to shift responsibility for solving the Christchurch-shooting problem from their businesses to governments and regulators. But they do appear to have recognised that the game has changed. The sheer novelty of the summit hosted by the two young politicians should save it from any risk of obscurity. If they do look at the broader issue of social media platforms being used to propagate extremist views more generally, then the practical challenges are likely to multiply. Material promoted by terrorist organisations would already be illegal in most countries, Gavaghan says. "They are quite an easy target to identify and get shot of." But the boundary between less extremist content and legitimate political views would inevitably be hard to define, he argues. "A lot of the casual everyday normalisation of racism and extremist views comes in at a level probably far below anyone's hate speech laws. "The daily output from the Daily Mail and the Express and the Sun probably does a lot more to normalise racism and anti-immigrant views than some of the really extremist stuff, but what can you do? It is not plausible to ban that.” That doesn't mean the landscape facing social media isn't, or should change, he believes. "The days when the likes of YouTube and Facebook could take the view that they are simply a neutral platform for other's people content and not a publisher – that has gone. "But the question is, what is it reasonable to expect them to do?" Stuff -- Alex Comninos

4 10

Fwd: [afnog] Application for fellowship- 2019 Hackathon@AIS
by Barrack Otieno 24 Apr '19

24 Apr '19

Listers, Might be of interest. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Betel Hailu <hailu(a)isoc.org> Date: Tue, Apr 23, 2019 at 9:50 AM Subject: [afnog] Application for fellowship- 2019 Hackathon@AIS To: afnog(a)afnog.org <afnog(a)afnog.org> ============ FRANCAIS PLUS BAS ============ Hello everyone, The Hackathon@AIS is an event aimed at exposing engineers from the African region to Open Internet Standards development and is co-organized by the Internet Society and AFRINIC. This will be the third event in the series following successful events held in Nairobi (2017) and Dakar (2018). Please look at https://bit.ly/2Gp8uMa to see the topics that will be covered this year. Network/System engineers, software developers, and or computer science students are encouraged to apply as engagement in open Internet standards development can help further their careers. *The event will be held on the 19th and 20th of June 2019 in Kampala, Uganda*. If you are interested in participating AND can commit to being available over the 2 days, please fill the application form. Space is limited and successful applicants will be notified and then be enrolled in various online training sessions in the build up of the event. Fellowships will be awarded to strong applicants where possible. Click here to apply: https://internetsociety.wufoo.com/forms/sspq7xj1p17m0n/ *Applications close on the 19th of May 2019.* ====================================================== Bonjour à tous, Le Hackathon@AIS est un événement visant à exposer les ingénieurs de la région africaine au développement des standards Internet ouverts et est co-organisé par Internet Society et AFRINIC. Ce sera le troisième événement du genre après les événements réussis de Nairobi (2017) et de Dakar (2018). Veuillez regardez https://bit.ly/2Gp8uMa afin de voir les sujets qui seront couverts cette année. Ingénieurs Systèmes / Réseaux, développeur d'applications, et ou étudiants en informatique sont encouragés à postuler étant donné que l'engagement dans le développement des standards ouvert de l'Internet peut aider au futur de leur carrière. *L'événement aura lieu le 19 et 20 juin 2019 à Kampala, Uganda*. Si vous êtes intéressé à participer ET que vous pouvez vous engager à être disponible pendant les 2 jours, veuillez remplir le formulaire. Les places sont limité et les candidats retenus seront informés et seront ensuite inscrits à diverses sessions de formation en ligne en vue de l'événement. Des bourses de participations seront accordées aux meilleurs candidats dans la mesure du possible. *Important : Les documents et travaux de l’IETF étant exclusivement en anglais, une bonne compréhension de la langue est essentielle. * Cliquez ici pour postuler: https://internetsociety.wufoo.com/forms/sspq7xj1p17m0n/ *La date limite pour les candidatures est le 19 mai 2019.* Thank you, *Betel Hailu *| *Communications Coordinator – Africa Regional Bureau *|* Internet Society* skype: betty.hailu | www.InternetSociety.org | *Follow Us * [image: iption: Macintosh HD:Users:betelhailu:Desktop:facebook.png] <https://www.facebook.com/ISOCAfrica>[image: iption: Macintosh HD:Users:betelhailu:Desktop:twitter.png] <https://twitter.com/ISOC_Africa> _______________________________________________ afnog mailing list https://www.afnog.org/mailman/listinfo/afnog -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

1 0

What ALA's “The Young Entrepreneurs Fund” means for African entrepreneurship
by Eric M K Osiakwan 24 Apr '19

24 Apr '19

https://digestafrica.com/young-entrepreneurs-fund-african Eric here Sent from my iPad

1 0

Online discussion on social-economic impact of broadband in Kenya
by Mwendwa Kivuva 18 Apr '19

18 Apr '19

Dear Listers, IDC is conducting an assessment on the state of play and impact of broadband in Kenya, broadly looking at the socio-economic impact on consumers, businesses and various sectors like agriculture, education, healthcare, finance and government. This assessment has been commissioned by Huawei in collaboration with Ministry of ICT and the Communications Authority. It has the overarching objective of supporting the policy making process to develop broadband services and infrastructure throughout Kenya and achieve substantial economic impact in the economy. Other partners in the study include the ICT Authority and the National Communications Secretariat. The assessment will involve a review of the current state of play in the sector as well as gaining insights from a wide range of stakeholders on the barriers and recommendations to increasing the impact of broadband. Among the key stakeholders identified include KICTANET, from whose members IDC will seek to gain civil society and other stakeholder perspectives including real life examples of impact of broadband, challenges we face in increasing impact of broadband and recommendations on interventions needed to address the challenges identified. This will be conducted as an online debate facilitated and moderated by KICTANET from 23rd to 26th April 2019. Through the online discussion, we will also seek to understand the current state of play of broadband in Kenya, including: 1. What barriers are there in increasing impact of broadband? 2. What recommendations can counter the barriers in increasing impact of broadband? 3. How is the sector regulated and what policies are in place? How is the business environment for those who want to venture into provision of broadband services? 4. How do we create the skills and demand and use cases for broadband? 5. What local content is there and is it having an impact or not? What type of local content are we lacking? 6. How are users and businesses benefiting from broadband? 7. Any other issues. Please note that lister may add any other issue on broadband that come to mind. After the discussion, a summary report will be developed by KICTANET which will subsequently be validated during a face to face meeting. IDC will incorporate relevant findings into the broadband market assessment. Sincerely, ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva.

6 9

Invitation to Ai Kenya Show and tell event : Building Secure Voice Biometrics with Ryan Roberts
by alfred＠kenya.ai 18 Apr '19

18 Apr '19

Dear Kictanet members! On Behalf of the Ai Kenya Events team, I would like to invite you for the following event happening on Saturday 27th April from 9.30 am to 12.30pm: "My Voice is my password" is a term that you might be familiar with. Voice biometrics adoption is experiencing strong growth, driven by the need for foolproof security methods for technology-driven systems and the popularity of voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. In the second Ai Kenya Show and tell event, we will be hosting Ryan Roberts, Principal Software Engineer at <https://www.cirrus.com/> Cirrus Logic, who will provide insight into the approach used to systematically train and test voice biometrics, one of the forms of Narrow AI(Artificial Intelligence). Join is for a session of discovery, demos and Q&A. Is your company offering services powered by Voice Biometrics? Are you curious to find out more on how voice biometrics algorithms work? Book your free ticket and check the full event details on <http://bit.ly/voiceAIK> http://bit.ly/voiceAIK About Ai Kenya Ai Kenya is a community of enthusiasts and practitioners in the field of machine learning and data science. We invite you to come to some of our events and see the work that we are doing. To understand us better, please have a look at this <https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BvGr3dSsshV50YxCZbnDwXUpD1s9y-Io> introduction deck that details our origin, objectives and previous work. We are fully open to any collaborative efforts that can help us achieve our goal of democratizing artificial intelligence in the East African Ecosystem. Looking forward to seeing you at at the event! Kind regards, Alfred Ongere +254705882004 Team lead, Founder www.kenya.ai <http://bit.ly/AIKPODYTB> Watch Ai Kenya Podcast <https://t.sidekickopen75.com/s1t/o/5/f18dQhb0S7kC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9gXrN7sKj6v 46g14W56Dx2l7fcxHKW16gGz793K_hD101?si=8000000000133214&pi=f0ec6675-7afc-4d37 -9def-1e621c6c596e>

1 0

Dialogue on Digital Cooperation in Africa Dialogue Series
by Bob Ochieng 17 Apr '19

17 Apr '19

Dear All, As part of its global engagement process, the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, will work with partners to hold a series of in-person and online dialogues aimed at addressing African priorities in digital cooperation in the Spring of 2019. The public dialogues will be conducted through a multi-stakeholder collaboration of organizations including the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Internet Governance Forum, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Association for Progressive Communication (APC), and Diplo Foundation. https://digitalcooperation.org/regionaldialogues/ [digitalcooperation.org] <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digitalcooperation.org…> The dialogue series includes: an in-person session with members of the Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) on March 29th, an in-person session at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum on April 10th, and two online sessions on April 18th and April 25th. Please register for the online sessions via the following links: Thursday 18 April [intgovforum.webex.com] <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__intgovforum.webex.com_…> (14-15:30h West Africa, GMT+01:00) Thursday 25 April [intgovforum.webex.com] <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__intgovforum.webex.com_…> (14-15:30h West Africa, GMT+01:00) Thanks and regards B.

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Vodacom, Tala bosses charged with economic sabotage in Dar
by Barrack Otieno 15 Apr '19

15 Apr '19

Listers, seems as a region we still have a long way to go doing Tech business across the borders. I hope the Kenyan High Commissioner in Tanzania who is a techie intervenes since i can see one of our home grown techies in the thick of things. Let us not wait for a repeat of what happened in Ethiopia. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Vodacom-tanzania-tala-bosses-char… In summary - The companies and their staff face 10 charges of contravening the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act, 2002. - They were remanded, as the crimes they are accused of are not bailable. Best Regards -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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UN IGF Best Practice Forum on IoT, Big Data and AI - Virtual Meeting Today 15 April 12:00 UTC
by Alex Comninos 15 Apr '19

15 Apr '19

Dear All, I would like to urge you all to take part in the Internet Governance Forum IoT, Big Data, and AI Virtual Meeting (webinar) today the 15th of April at 12:00 UTC. The Virtual Meeting link is here: https://intgovforum.webex.com/intgovforum/j.php?MTID=m8018d13f801dfcb5ef0ce… We would love to multistakeholderise participation from diverse communities outside of the traditional IGF community. If you have no ideas what a BPF is or what the IGF is - thats completely understandable, and we aim to rectify that! More info can be found here https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/bpf-internet-of-things-iot… The 2019 edition of the Best Practice Forum on IoT, Big Data and AI will focus on trust in these concepts and their utilization for addressing identified societal challenges. Within the IGF’s remit, the BPF intends to continue to limit its scope to the growing area where IoT, Big Data and AI meet in an Internet context. Building on this BPF’s 2018 work as a starting point, the BPF proposes for 2019 to: * Challenge and review the identified best practices and complete the report with concrete and practical examples. (e.g. in the field of healthcare, environmental protection, e-commerce, public safety, cybersecurity, and infrastructure; * Identify existing and new ways to enhance trust in IoT, Big Data, AI applications and technologies in an Internet context; * Identify how AI can affect outcomes both in terms of social justice and in terms of the allocation of societal resources; * Identify how AI can complement or pose challenges to privacy and data protection as well as transparency and good governance; * Identify how IoT, Big Data, AI can contribute to achieving the UN SDGs and * Identify the impact on policies and regulations, including policy making processes of the application of IoT, Big Data, AI applications. The Virtual Meeting will require WebEX software which can be downloaded at https://www.webex.com/downloads.html. It should work on all Desktops (Mac, Windows, and Linux with some luck) as well as on mobile phones. One should also be able to phone into the meeting with a phone and the info provided here: https://intgovforum.webex.com/intgovforum/j.php?MTID=m8018d13f801dfcb5ef0ce…. If any of you have any questions about what the IGF is, what BPFs are, or how to use WebEx, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best, Alex -- Alex Comninos http://alex.africa -- Alex Comninos http://alex.africa I am transitioning to a new email address: hello(a)alex.africa -- Alex Comninos http://alex.africa I am transitioning to a new email address: hello(a)alex.africa

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] Evangelical view on artificial intelligence
by Barrack Otieno 15 Apr '19

15 Apr '19

Listers, Might be of interest to some. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ayden Férdeline <ayden(a)ferdeline.com> Date: Sat, Apr 13, 2019 at 10:56 PM Subject: [Internet Policy] Evangelical view on artificial intelligence To: ISOC INTERNETPOLICY <internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> The Southern Baptist Convention has released a policy paper and a statement of principles on the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. I found it an interesting read, which, of course, is not to say I agree with all of it ;-) But as many of us are grappling with what AI is and how it will change our world, I found it fascinating to see how a religious organization is trying to proactively address some of these concerns before AI has an even broader social impact. I am not sure if other religions are engaging on this topic too, but if so, I would be curious to read their thoughts as well. You can read their statement here: https://erlc.com/resource-library/statements/artificial-intelligence-an-eva… Ayden Férdeline _______________________________________________ To manage your Internet Society subscriptions or unsubscribe, log into the Member Portal at https://admin.internetsociety.org/622619/User/Login and go to the Interests tab within your profile. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Re: [kictanet] [SST whitelist considerations] It will be hard to access Government services without a Huduma Namba, Matiang'i says
by Patrick A. M. Maina 11 Apr '19

11 Apr '19

Huduma number is a great idea that can unlock many benefits for Kenyans. I would really wish for it to succeed. However I fear that the current state of runaway corruption puts the entire project at risk. A Single Source of Truth (SST) acts as a citizen whitelist which can help speed up service delivery and make things more efficient (e.g. by removing the need for ID cross-checks). This strength is also a weakness, unfortunately. Anyone with an SST ID (and "valid fingerprint") is presumed to be a bona fide citizen - but such a conclusion can only be sensibly relied on in an environment with negligible/immaterial levels of corruption. National scale SST whitelist systems are heavily reliant on human factors (e.g. human integrity, personal values, and patriotism) at their points of highest vulnerability. So hackers will likely target the weakest link i.e. gov employees (e.g. via huge bribes or blackmail or workforce infiltration via recruitment process) in order to get to the system. Researchers (link below) have shown that fingerprints can be easily stolen by tech-savvy criminals to facilitate illegal access e.g. via affordable 3D printing technology. Fake fingerprints (and fingers) can also be manufactured to create fictitious persons (e.g. ghost workers or organized criminals). Case in point is India's Aadhaar... just prior to the attack that almost triggered a war with Pakistan, there had been media reports of terrorists being caught in posession of Aadhaar cards. How did they get the cards? Did the "whitelist effect" of Aaadhaar facilitate their movements or planning? The possibility cannot be discounted. Human flaws are the weakest link in any technology solution. What about laws? Surely strict / harsh laws will "protect" the data by deterring illegal activity? 1. Local laws do not deal with or deter international (or state sponsored) perpetrators with high budgets, sophisticated hacking technology and ability to evade acountability (geopolitical powers). 2. Attribution challenges (hackers often leave spoofed breadcrumbs (fake trails) to mislead investigators... so innocent people or even countries can be framed for things they did not do, triggering unjust arrests/convictions or costly and potentially destabilising geopolitical hostilities). Sometimes backdoors are disguised as innocent acts of user or supplier incompetence (e.g. via deliberate insecure design). Sometimes they are a result of genuinely innocent incompetence or accidental oversight. How will Government know which is which? 3. Reactive laws (as opposed to strategic or tactical laws which consider the holistic contextualized picture) only increase compliance costs for law abiding citizens but do not guarantee deterrence for criminals who don't care about laws. Cybercrime laws don't stop or deter sophisticated cybercriminals (e.g. due to atrribution & jurisdictional challenges). 4. Unlike property theft, data can be stolen without the owner's knowledge. By the time the loss is detected (e.g. via numerous incidents of actual unlawful use) it is too late to do anything. It is often impossible to establish the extent by which a honeypot system has been compromised, how the breach happened, who did it and for how long it has been compromised. 5. Massive resources will have to be expended to perform an impossible task of protecting Kenya's most sensitive (and most valuable) data. As security experts keep reminding us, it is not a question of whether a system, any system, can be hacked, it's a question of when - and what will be the consequences. 6. Once biometric data has been stolen, the loss is permanent and irreversible. You cannot issue new fingerprints. So what happens next? 7. As soon as the credibility of the data is in material doubt, we will have to revert to the old system of manual cross checking and all the envisaged benefits will dissapear (as well as the 6B investment). Whether the perpetrators are caught / jailed or not, does not make a difference. To help put things in context, consider this: Government has been unable to secure IFMIS (which was supposed to help eliminate corruption - but became an enabler), TIMS (we still have fake number plates and vehicle duty evasion), SIMBA (we still have massive levels of duty evasion at ports), the IEBC Election System (we had to do two costly elections - leading to a massive waste of funds and an increase of perceived political risks, which also hit the economy very hard adding billions in hidden costs).. even eCitizen has reportedly not been spared, going by media reports. These challenges point to a pattern where we fail to deliberately contextualize solutions and come up with holistic approaches. We put too much trust in silo solutions and reactive laws but we have repeatedly ignored the HUMAN ASPECTS leading to repeated failure to realize envisaged benefits. Any system implemented within a corrupt culture will, more likely than not, end up facilitating (and worsening the cost and scale of) corruption. Guaranteed. This is our reality. Can corruption be solved in Kenya in a sustainable way (without risking stability)? Perhaps government can run a global competition for innovative ideas on how to solve corruption in Kenya. The public can watch high profile debates by local and foreign experts, as part of sensitization/education, and then vote on the top five ideas in every major economic sector, which would then be piloted at designated institutions or counties. Prize for the winning idea in every sector (say USD 1Million) can be linked to results, say after 10-15 years, once the idea is fully implemented and proven to have significantly met the ToR targets in an independently verifiable way (and backed by public perceptions). Good evening. Brgds, Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] On Thursday, April 11, 2019, 2:25:32 PM GMT+3, Eshuchi Richard via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Just to put CS's full remarks into context and an illustration on why accessing services would be harder in comparison, Ministry of Interior posted the audio through: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/662150267181777/posts/2305403209523133?sfns=mo Twitter: https://twitter.com/InteriorKE/status/1116221458966044673?s=19 On Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 13:10 Wamathai (HapaKenya) via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has said that it will be very hard for those who will not have registered for the Huduma Namba to access Government services. https://hapakenya.com/2019/04/11/it-will-hard-to-access-government-services… _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eshuchi.richard%40gma… The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

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It will be hard to access Government services without a Huduma Namba, Matiang'i says
by Wamathai (HapaKenya) 11 Apr '19

11 Apr '19

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has said that it will be very hard for those who will not have registered for the Huduma Namba to access Government services. https://hapakenya.com/2019/04/11/it-will-hard-to-access-government-services…

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Fwd: [AfrICANN-discuss] Reminder: ICANN66 Fellowship Application round closes on April 11.
by Barrack Otieno 10 Apr '19

10 Apr '19

Listers, This might be of interest to you. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Yaovi Atohoun <yaovi.atohoun(a)icann.org> Date: Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 9:05 AM Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] Reminder: ICANN66 Fellowship Application round closes on April 11. To: AfrICANN Community List <africann(a)afrinic.net> Hello Everyone / Bonjour à tous EN: ICANN66 will take place from 2-7 November 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The deadline to apply is 11 April 2019, 23:59 UTC. More information at https://www.icann.org/fellowshipprogram FR : La réunion ICANN66 aura lieu du 2 au 7 novembre 2019 à Montréal (Canada). La date limite de réception des candidatures est le 11 avril 2019 à 23h59 UTC. Plus d’information à https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-55-2019-03-11-fr Thanks/Merci -- Yaovi Atohoun Stakeholder Engagement and Operations Manager- Africa; ICANN Tel. +229 66015649/65209067 www.icann.org _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/africann -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Re: [kictanet] [labor issues] why Kenya should urgently BAN unpaid
by Jimmy Gitonga 08 Apr '19

08 Apr '19

I think Ali is being “clever” like the proverbial hare. Honestly, we need to stop looking at everything the West, including their vile practices, as gospel truth. Taking on interns, with the sole intention of getting unpaid labour, even if it is the "sneaker network" that gets you coffee is despicable. The intern, no matter how enterprising, will be used and dumped. "Why would a rational employer - whose goal is to maximise margins (within a very difficult / hostile business environment) - be interested in paying an experienced ex-intern, when they can simply get a fresh unpaid intern for free, train them within hours or a couple of days, even as other unpaids hold the temporary slack? This where we are headed - if not there already. The youth are "working" but they are still technically unemployed because they are not earning a living." If getting “ahead" means bowing down to the "scacity mentality” idol and the stepping on people is one’s business success mantra, may that business perish and it’s “rational” employer perish. Please note, we are not talking about the graduate who feels entitled to get paid internship, no. Those kinds of people will always be weeded out by the system. Their attitude alone is their undoing. We are talking about the ones with little to no social advantage of networks of family or friends who can supoort unpaid internship. This is where our Africans, “Utu ni watu”, “Ubuntu” and “I am because we are” comes in. Best Regards, Jimmy Gitonga Web Software Design and Development LinkedIn: Jimmy Gitonga | Twitter: @Afrowave ______________________________________ Web: afroshok.com <http://afroshok.com/> > On 3 Apr 2019, at 3:15 PM, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > > Many thanks for your thoughts Ali.? > Indeed, words in most languages can have multiple, totally unrelated, meanings (e.g. "saw" the noun/hardware, "saw" the verb/cutting, and "saw" the past tense of "see"... or in Swahili "paka" the cat vs "paka" as in to paint) so in this case the appropriate focus would be on the vocation-oriented definition of "intern" (though I can see material for contextual innuendo in the two meanings hehe). > Some well known intellectuals on twitter are getting stuck on written definitions and relying on logical fallacies which is not intellectually sincere. Are definitions cast in stone? Can they have a shelf-life? Don't they change with time?? > Fact: Definitions only document meaning as it evolves over time; they are not the source of meaning. The general rule of thumb is that Informality precedes formality. > Thankfully the etymology (origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning) of "intern" shows that the meaning and usage, in professional context, has indeed been evolving. > > According to an online source (link below), the term is believed to have been documented as a noun circa 1879 for the teaching and medical professions, and then extended to other profesions around 1963. It was formally recognize as a verb circa 1933 within the medical field. > Prior to that, and going back as far as medieval times (in western cultures), people learned through apprenticeships and although you did not get "paid" in the narrow sense of the term, your boss provided you with free *accommodation* and *food*. Such contextual nuances around the apprenticeship system are (conveniently) ignored by advocates of unpaid internships. > In African culture (link below), apprenticeship was a very POSITIVE community experience. People had EMPATHY for one another and collective gains were favored over individual gains. Not caring whether someone had food or a safe place to sleep was unheard of. Lets face it, cold blooded, greed motivated exploitation of the youth within a community is an alien concept in most (if not all) of pre-colonial Africa.? > In traditional China and (I believe) India the apprentice is technically "adopted" and the relationship is parent - child, but in vocational context. There is mutual love, concern and caring even if the apprentice is treated harshly. It never crosses over to predation. > We are Africans. Unless we want to give up our core identity, the quest for meaning in everything we do (and the policies we support) has to be done within the context of our Africanness. Even as we adopt poitive aspects of foreign cultures in a cosmopolitan world, we can strive to retain the best aspects of our indigenous cultures. For example if the industrialized world had emulated positive African philosophies like simple contented living in harmony with nature, we would not have existential problems like climate change, WMDs, world wars, economic inequality and so on.? > Imported meanings are not rules cast in stone. We can, if we want to, define our own modern, African, definition of the word "intern" in a way that that protects our youth from abuse and exploitation.? > The youth are our children and our future. Let us not raise a generation of bitter, angry and resentful people. It's not a smart thing to do. > Thanks & have a great day! > Patrick. > Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] > Links: > 1. Etymology of the word "intern":https://www.etymonline.com/word/intern <https://www.etymonline.com/word/intern> > > 2. Traditional apprenticeship in Africahttps://www.academia.edu/11682853/Revisiting_the_role_of_traditional_… <africahttps://www.academia.edu/11682853/Revisiting_the_role_of_traditional_…> > > 3. Weird history of internshiphttps://www.businessinsider.com/the-weird-history-of-how-internsh… <internshiphttps://www.businessinsider.com/the-weird-history-of-how-internsh…> >

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Breaching the Access to Information Act, 2016
by S.M. Muraya 08 Apr '19

08 Apr '19

Dear Listers, Today, there is a "Daily Nation" article about MP's going after another MP for irregularly acquiring information, quoting Section 22 (1) of the Leadership and Integrity Act provides that a state > officer shall not directly or indirectly use or allow any person under the > officer’s authority to use any information obtained through or in > connection with the office, which is not available in the public domain, > for the furthering of any private interest, whether financial or otherwise. http://www.parliament.go.ke/sites/default/files/2018-04/32_Rules_Governing_… Question is where is the line drawn when information is illegally not just irregularly kept out of the public domain, breaching the Access to Information Act, 2016? Typically this would refer to information not compromising National Security but actually enhancing it (by safeguarding public resources). http://www.ombudsman.go.ke/index.php/access-to-information/access-to-inform…

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
by Barrack Otieno 08 Apr '19

08 Apr '19

Patrick, This might be of interest :-) Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Richard Hill <rhill(a)hill-a.ch> Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2019 15:35:00 +0200 Subject: [Internet Policy] The Age of Surveillance Capitalism To: "Internetpolicy@Elists. Isoc. Org" <internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> I presume that most people on this list will have heard about a book by a Harvard professor that is highly critical of the current advertising-driven Internet business model. Here is a review: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/20/shoshana-zuboff-age-of-su rveillance-capitalism-google-facebook Best, Richard -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Konza City is now 10 years old
by Odhiambo Washington 07 Apr '19

07 Apr '19

Hello listers, Does anyone know what activities are going on at the famed Konza City or it's one of those big white elephants?? Brian Gitonga Marete <https://www.facebook.com/marete?__tn__=%2CdlC-R-R&eid=ARDI1jSnyu5oBA5420Rmu…> shared a post <https://www.facebook.com/jaylaan11/posts/10219010532593216>. 12 hrs <https://www.facebook.com/marete/posts/10156427390174934> · It was obvious that Konza City was a con job from the get go. Concentrations of industrial excellence do not sprout up suddenly just because physical buildings and infrastructure are around. That is not the bottleneck, and anyone can provide that. The real battles of realizing something like the proposed Konza city are elsewhere. <https://www.facebook.com/jaylaan11/posts/10219010532593216?__tn__=%2CdH-R-R…> -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223 "Oh, the cruft.", grep ^[^#] :-)

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Modernizing Tertiary Education - some ideas
by Jimmy Gitonga 05 Apr '19

05 Apr '19

Greetings Patrick, I saved this for the weekend so that I can reflect on it as I read it carefully. I almost shed tears at how good and elaborate the ideas you have proposed are. Thank you. Last week, I met a PhD holder who has lectured for more than a decade as a senior lecturer with no hope of progressing to professorship. Why? Today, to be considered for associate professorship in a Kenyan university, you must supervise two PhD seekers and four master’s degree students, working through their thesis. This was made necessary because oft times, a PhD candidate would submit his work to the supervisor who would then sit on it, since it did not affect the supervisor’s career prospects. However, now my “Dr.” friend is in a discipline that is not attracting a lot of research and thus PhD candidates. The few he has had to deal with try to push shoddy work, believing that he would stoop low and pass the work since he “needs” his professorship. He is resigned to the fact that though he is producing fresh knowledge that is being published outside the country, on the continent and beyond, he now seeks to retire from academia and pursue other literary interests. I contrasted his path with mine; non-stop learning, education delivered high speed on the Internet, designing and developing web software with no end in demand in sight. I just have to keep my mind sharp and eyes open for relevant technologies that are applicable in Kenya and Africa as a whole. My path was the non-standard one and for a long time my PhD friend use to worry for me. Now I am worried for him and for all the ones taking that “normal” path. Recently, I heard of a young “mechanic” who repairs the now electronic cars. Think of the latest Range Rovers. I was told that the cheapest he charges for a “look-see” of a car is 2,500/-. It hit me. That is what an chest specialist charges. TVET is going to be the way to go. Finland has the best offer in this area - http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/finco.htm <http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/finco.htm>. And I have not even discussed IoT. Best Regards, Jimmy Gitonga Lead, Design and Development at Afroshok LinkedIn: Jimmy Gitonga | Twitter: @Afrowave ______________________________________ > On 28 Mar 2019, at 11:05 PM, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > > Greetings Listers, > The world is changing very rapidly and things that the older generations took for granted no longer apply. There are no jobs waiting for students when they graduate - that era ended decades ago (I believe in the 70s and early 80s). Yet, for some reason, academia appears to be stuck in time, doing things that no longer make sense. > > Here are some thoughts / ideas on what can be done to reform and rescue our tertiary education sector. (PhD holders might be interested in debating point No. 6. - is it too harsh or the right approach in principle? HR Policy practitioners might be interested in point No. 5..): > > 1. There is need for Government to strategically position TVETs and Universities as direct implementers of Vision 2030 and Big 4 objectives. Example - academia role should include creating sustainable jobs directly, and taking measures to guarantee high employment of graduates; instead of mechanically preparing our young people for jobs that may, or may not exist, then leaving them trapped in debt. > > 2. Expand CUE mandate to cover TVETs (as Commission for Tertiary Education); and then Implement a Universal Credit Accumulation and Transfer System - that creates multiple pathways *of equal status* towards higher qualifications (i.e. including transferable credits for TVET education and/or credits for demonstrable on-the-job / startup experience). This calls for a national skills mapping database that is derived from, and/or supports strategic national objectives (as outlined in vision 2030 & Big 4 master-plans). Accelerate regional accreditation to leverage intra-Africa synergies in view of AfCFTA. > > 3. Require *all* form 4 / grade x leavers to first attend TVETs for at least 2 years to gain hands-on technical skills for real world self-sufficiency, before they (i.e. those who wish to do so) attend university. Rationale: We need to keep our eye on the goal. The goal of education, imo,is not to create "paper churning, hands-off, intellectual elites" who lack real-world-relevant skills, but to create a competent, grounded, hands-on, innovative and future-proofed workforce that is capable of applying knowledge by making or doing things that help solve, in tangible and measurable ways, very specific challenges faced by our country (primarily) or to help solve global problems in a way that primarily and tangibly benefits our country (enhancing our global brand / jobs creation / high-value exports / attracting high quality FDI etc). > > 4. De-eliticize university education by creating high-value technical specialist pathways via TVETs (for high paying jobs and societal status / recognition). This would temper the belief held by the general public that a university degree is the only path to success and social mobility / status. > > 5. Employers to emphasize and primarily rely on real-world achievements for competence signalling - rather than relying on academic papers. For example, job advertisements should stop asking for academic qualifications. This is a pointless, tick-box requirement that only creates a market for "River Road degrees". > > For regulated roles, like medicine or engineering, having a valid practicing license should be a sufficient indicator of academic achievement as the license (hopefully) cannot be issued without verification of the required academic background. > > We now have the indigenous capacity to implement competency-based hiring painlessly with technology (e.g. via ongoing programs of supervised, automated technical screening assessments to create a national pool of vetted job candidates - which incidentally would eliminate a lot of wastefully redundant HR activities - at macro level). Hopefully tenderpreneurs / MNC lobbyists will not hijack and subvert this idea. Shindwe! :-) > > Incidentally implementing the above suggestion will reduce incentives for cheating or cram & dump learning. > > 6. Using policy and regulation to strictly limit career pathways for PhD holders such that they primarily engage in research and academia. Government and corporations should stop hiring PhD holders for full-time administrative roles, for example. It is wasteful, short-sighted and counterproductive (considering the massive resources expended to educate people to that level, as well as the need to productively leverage the intellectual potential of earned PhD holders as a super-scarce resource in Africa). > > PhD holders should be primarily dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge for the benefit of our country - and they should be rewarded very well for it and accorded top societal honors / as well as status (so they are not tempted to seek jobs that do not develop / challenge their intellectual abilities / potential). > > The only exception would be for very specific, short term, high-impact, research-reliant-projects or initiatives with very precise and highly specialized objectives, where exceptionally high levels of real expertise is needed. > > The PhD designation should have (3-5) designation levels that signify real-world achievement at post-doctorate level. PhD holders, other than retirees, who wish to permanently engage in non-research work (or work that can be done by Masters / Bachelors degree holders) should be required to permanently relinquish their PhD qualification and lose the "Dr." designation. > > There needs to be a distinctive high-status designation for non-academic honorary doctorates e.g. "Exceptional Life Achiever Degree" with the title "Lx." in recognition of non-academic transformational achievements with high societal impact. > > 7. Academic institutions should form corporations to engage in intellectual property businesses for profit (e.g. IP licensing / manufacturing & distribution) to raise research funds. This requires a pragmatic expansion of institutional mandate as well as strengthening and contextualizing the indigenous IP framework. > > 8. Pedagogy should be driven by a projects-based learning paradigm with deep integration of learning and real-world work. Removing artificial (and retrogressive) boundaries or demarcations between industry and academia: > > > a. Why should learners first graduate before they can start working? This is a mindset problem. Does it make sense to have schoolwork and employment / MSME startups kept separate (yet they are complementary and interdependent)? > > b. Why allow someone without real-world paid work (not industrial attachment, but a real job or real MSME startup experience) to graduate? > > c. Why can't students learn and gain academic credits on the job (doing real, paid work for someone or in their own startups)? > > d.? Why ask our children to choose the projects they want to work on without setting a strategic real-world context that is mapped to real world goals (e.g. Big 4) and real career prospects. Projects-based learning can solve this - with emphasis on projects that can create sustainable wealth for the country (sold to regional governments or the consumer public). > > > > We need to train a generation of self-starters who can survive by creating their own opportunities - irrespective of the economy or jobs market. > > Students should incorporate real startups (with seed funding from Government) during 2nd year - to make and sell products that solve real-world problems in our country / region - and then earn transferable academic credits for demonstrable experience. > > Employers like Government, MSMEs and corporations can embed academia into the workplace by adopting an apprenticeship approach in partnership with Universities and TVETs to hire 2nd year students and assign them to projects that enable them to earn "on-job learning credits". > > By the time they graduate, at least 99% ought to be gainfully employed (or running real businesses). This is how you tackle poverty and unemployment in a sustainable way. So what really prevents us from doing this - other than mindset? > > I know the above might read like heresy to traditionalists - but before you grab the pitchforks and light the torches, look around you... status quo is not working, that's the reality - and things will get worse as 4IR gradually kicks in - if we don't effect radical transformation. > > I'd be happy to have a round-table with the faculty of any tertiary institution that is interested in discussing / debating the above points. > > Have a great evening! > Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Blockchain Taskforce Report - Reminder No. 1
by Ali Hussein 05 Apr '19

05 Apr '19

Listers Has anyone perhaps have had a look at the above report? Shouldn't this report have been released by now? Almost 9 months later? Dr. Ndemo, as Chair of the Taskforce please give us an update? Regards Ali Hussein Principal AHK & Associates Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.

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DATA PROTECTION BILL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
by Mutindi Muema 05 Apr '19

05 Apr '19

Dear Listers, Please note that the Hon Gideon Moi is proposing the attached amendments to the Data protection Bill. They are about 27. Also note, the proposal to amend scope under Clause 3 of the Bill amends the scope of the Act to exempt 'a public body responsible for national security the purpose of which is the prevention, detection, investigation or punishment of a crime.' as well as ' a person in the course of a personal or household activity.' Kind regards, Mutindi.

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Fwd: [AfrICANN-discuss] Take Part in ICANN's Age Diversity and Participation Survey
by Barrack Otieno 05 Apr '19

05 Apr '19

Listers, For those that participate in ICANN. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Bob Ochieng <omondibob(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2019 12:47 Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] Take Part in ICANN's Age Diversity and Participation Survey To: afrICANN Community List <africann(a)afrinic.net> How to Participate To participate, please visit http://go.icann.org/agesurvey by 19 April 2019. You can take the survey in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Please see full blog here: https://www.icann.org/news/blog/take-part-in-icann-s-age-diversity-and-part… Regards Bob. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/africann

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[labor issues] why Kenya should urgently BAN unpaid internships
by Patrick A. M. Maina 04 Apr '19

04 Apr '19

Greetings Listers, There is a (misplaced) belief that unpaid internships are a "win-win" because they incentivize employers to create opportunities (and incur potentially unrecoverable costs) for on-the-job training of fresh graduates, who would otherwise not have a real-world platform for gaining experience. The argument often posited in support of unpaid internships is that the intern has more to gain, as it is unlikely that a fresh graduate will create more value for the employer than s/he draws from the internship. Further, it is assumed that once they have some real world experience, the graduates will have better chance at getting a paid job elsewhere. Here's the problem with that kind of thinking: 1. Phantom Jobs Paradox: A 3 month internship most likely involves entry level assignments with very limited bounds of autonomy or direct commercial impact (e.g. Web Dev, Gathering & Compiling, Graphics design, User support, Customer Service, Reception, Office admin, Project Assistants etc). Now, given the rigid way that the labor markets work, in order for a candidate to realistically leverage the experience earned during internship, s/he will have to apply for a paid job that is very similar to what s/he did during the internship.. but wait... those are the exact same jobs being offered to unpaid interns - so the ex-intern is locked-out and remains jobless because no paid jobs exist for the experience s/he gained while working for free! Why would a rational employer - whose goal is to maximize margins (within a very difficult / hostile business environment) - be interested in paying an experienced ex-intern, when they can simply get a fresh unpaid intern for free, train them within hours or a couple of days, even as other unpaids hold the temporary slack? This where we are headed - if not there already. The youth are "working" but they are still technically unemployed because they are not earning a living. The unintended consequence here is that employers have figured out (as they were bound to) that they can use unpaid interns to profit from free labor (with the "bonus" of dodging "headaches" like PAYE, NSSF, NHIF and Px filing), and this is incentivizing them to keep rotating unpaid interns - in perpetuity. It is even worse if Government subsidizes the stipend - creating an artificial band-aid relief that does not add sustainable value. Friends, that is not job creation. The risk here is that these policies are creating a growing, frustrated, resentful (and increasingly angry) pool of young, unemployed former interns - who feel used, and don't understand why their "investment" in work experience did not pay-off with a real job, as society had "promised". This is already being voiced on twitter (link below - #payinterns). While attempting to solve the youth-unemployment problem, in good faith, policy makers could be unintentionally creating a simmering political time bomb. Something to think about and address (urgently). 2. Sub-optimization problem: As stated in my article on Modernizing Tertiary Education, we have an obsolete education system which churns out graduates without taking ownership for jobs creation (comfortable in the outdated, buck-passing silo culture that believes jobs creation is someone else's i.e. private sector or government, problem / responsibility). 3. Demand vs Supply: The unpaid internship model requires a high-growth economy, which must create a greater demand for jobs each year than the available pool of candidates (>approx 800,000 - 1 Million new *real* vacancies for paid jobs annually). This incentivizes companies to compete for the experienced candidates. The fastest way to do this is to create a rapid growth environment for MSMEs and startups. But the approach should be intelligent and evidence driven. Data driven evidence (from the US, see link below - but relevant locally - which can be confirmed by analyzing performance of local youth entrepreneurship programs) shows that the older generation (age 36 - 69) are the best targets for MSME stimulus initiatives, with higher chances of sustainable success, whereas ages 18-29 have the worst rate of startup failures - which makes sense, because experience truly counts in business and - the learning curve in business is super-steep(!). Data clearly shows that it is wasteful to throw money at the youth when they don't have the skills to manage / multiply it; the grit to persevere; and broad experience to draw on - and these are not skills that can be taught in an entrepreneurship class. The smarter way is for Government to encourage *experienced* older founders to start businesses and get government funding + growth support on condition that they hire our youth for high quality paid apprenticeships. The minimum headcount and/or salaries can even be set by Government for those who receive funding. This should happen within a designed ecosystem framework (interested policy makers are welcome to contact me for more details on how to go about this). >From a root-cause perspective, what is lacking in youth-oriented programs is strategic design for sustainability. We need to move from NGO-style interventionist paradigms to evidence driven master-plan design paradigms. Youth-targeting programs should be compulsorily derived from the master-plan (Vision 2030 / Big 4) and have precise, meaningful and measurable traceability back to the master-plan, in terms of real contributions towards getting the country closer to the vision. The end game must be clear - what does the 2030 economy look like (e.g. in measurable terms such as % unemployment, median wage, GDP, sector contribution, Stock Markets, balance of trade etc)? Or will we just wake up in 2030 and find everything has magically fallen into place? How do we know where we are right now in terms of Vision 2030 overall (and this is not about project status but macro-level metrics)? Are we 10% there? 60%? 30%? How do we know the status is reliable (e.g. can things be seen, is there data, and does on-the-ground sentiment reflect it)? What is working? What is not? What are the lessons so far? How will we know we have arrived (e.g. if we get there early)? How do we know if we are off course? Is there a data driven dashboard tracking Vision 2030? Here's a quick recap of problems with unpaid internships: 1. It encourages exploitation of young people as free labor; 2. Creates a loophole for companies to dodge PAYE for certain types of jobs; 3. It creates phantom jobs - busy young people who are technically unemployed (not earning a living);4. It unfairly locks out the poor. Those who can't afford to work for free (where do they get fare? or food?); 5. Increases political risks by creating a pool of angry, disillusioned youth;6. It is evidence of poor economic policies (interventionist instead of evidence driven master-plan design). Brgds,Patrick Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations] Links: 1. European Parliament bans Unpaid Internships https://www.neweurope.eu/article/european-parliament-bans-unpaid-internship… 2. Older entrepreneurs more likely to succeed: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2018/08/05/proof-that-the-most-succ… 3. Does Kenya's Youth Enterprise Development Fund Serve Young People (Maurice Sikenyi) https://bulletin.ids.ac.uk/idsbo/article/view/2874/ONLINE%20ARTICLE 4. Worrying trend of gambling youth + 500,000 in CRB blacklisthttps://sokodirectory.com/2019/04/76-of-kenyan-youth-are-gamblers-… 5. Why youth and women enterprises fail in Africa (Prof Michael Chege) https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Why-youth-and-women-enterprises-f… 6. Hashtag Payinterns (Kenya) on Twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/payinterns?src=hash

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Request for addition of new member - Peter Muchemi
by Denis G. Wahome 03 Apr '19

03 Apr '19

Hi Wash, Assist adding Peter to the list he is a 15+ year veteran in the industry - developer, lecturer and entrepreneur. Have a pleasant evening. Denis Wahome [image: Error Icon] Address not found Your message wasn't delivered to *kictane(a)gmail.com* because the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail. LEARN MORE <https://support.google.com/mail/?p=NoSuchUser> The response was: The email account that you tried to reach does not exist. Please try double-checking the recipient's email address for typos or unnecessary spaces. Learn more at https://support.google.com/mail/?p=NoSuchUserz200sor1607336itb.10 - gsmtp Show quoted text

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Re: [kictanet] Blockchain Taskforce Report - Reminder No. 1
by Jimmy Gitonga 03 Apr '19

03 Apr '19

Hi Mwendwa, The Jadili <http://jadili.ictpolicy.org/> platform housed by Strathmore University has been working to be the portal for ICT based legislative bills in particular. Jadili has been relatively active in this area and we hope it does continue. However, Jadili is based on the Madison Project <https://github.com/opengovfoundation/madison/milestones> Sadly, the Madison Project, an open source project that Jadili is based on was abandoned after Obama left office and is likely to completely stall. In the meantime, Mzalendo Trust has been working hard on a platform named Dokeza <https://dokeza.mzalendo.com/>, a Swahili word largely meaning ‘Share your Idea’. Dokeza is being used to keep an eye on legislative bills going through the Kenyan Parliament with a mission to facilitate public participation in the Parliamentary processes. This platform should facilitate Information Sharing, Research and Networking, especially around our legislative bill development process. We are working to making Dokeza a repository of bills in particular before they become law and archive the process and the public participation that takes place to come to the bill that is signed into law. But most importantly, we are working to innovating around public participation in the legislative bill process and enabling relevant and adequate public participation. As part of the team, we would be very happy to get the Listers’ input on what and how we can make this platform the one-stop shop for our legislative bills, especially the ICT ones that govern the very platform. Power to the hijacking, Ali :-D Best Regards, Jimmy Gitonga Web Software Design and Development LinkedIn: Jimmy Gitonga | Twitter: @Afrowave ______________________________________ Web: afroshok.com <http://afroshok.com/> > On 2 Apr 2019, at 2:52 PM, kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke wrote: > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2019 12:34:51 +0300 > From: Mwendwa Kivuva <Kivuva(a)transworldafrica.com <mailto:Kivuva@transworldafrica.com>> > > This reminds me of the reminders of the status of the implementation of the > draft ICT policy 2016. How did that go? > > Sorry Ali for hijacking your thread :-). > > Do we have a sort of portal on the status of bills, policy documents, and > strategies ... and the responsible departments? That would make our work > easy in following up. > > So here are the documents we are awaiting some action on. > 1. Draft ICT policy 2016 > 2. Draft National Broadband Strategy 2019 > 3. Draft Critical Infrastructure protection bill (or is it Public structure > and Safety bill?) > 4. National Cybersecurity strategy (What is the status in developing a new > strategy? Probably ICTA can give an update) > 5. Data protection bill > 6. Blockchain and AI task force report > > Regards > ______________________ > Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya > > On Mon, 1 Apr 2019 at 15:49, Ali Hussein via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> wrote: > >> Listers >> >> Has anyone perhaps have had a look at the above report? Shouldn't this >> report have been released by now? Almost 9 months later? >> >> Dr. Ndemo, as Chair of the Taskforce please give us an update? >> >> Regards >> >> *Ali Hussein* >> >> *Principal* >> >> *AHK & Associates* >> >> >> >> Tel: +254 713 601113 >> >> Twitter: @AliHKassim >> >> Skype: abu-jomo >> >> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> >> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>> >> >> >> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, >> >> Chiromo Road, Westlands, >> >> Nairobi, Kenya. >> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2019 14:51:15 +0300 > From: Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke <mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke>> > To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Blockchain Taskforce Report - Reminder No. 1 > > Mwendwa > > Thanks. Hijacking well accepted. We just need to have an efficient feedback loop for these initiatives. It?s not too much to ask. > > Ali Hussein > Principal > AHK & Associates > +254 0713 601113 > > Twitter: @AliHKassim > Skype: abu-jomo > LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> > > "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle

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Facebook External Oversight Board Workshop (podcast)
by Alex Comninos 02 Apr '19

02 Apr '19

Hi All On the 26-27 March I attended Facebook’s External Oversight Board Workshop in Nairobi. This is the third round in Facebook’s consultations regarding the setting up of an External Oversight Board, which is to provide oversight of Facebook’s decisions with regards to content. In the spirit of open consultation I made a podcast covering the workshop: https://cybernyama.net/2019/03/28/facebook-external-oversight-board-worksho… More information about the External Oversight Board can be found here: https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2019/01/oversight-board/ https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/a-blueprint-for-content-gove… https://fbnewsroomus.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/draft-charter-oversight-bo… https://fbnewsroomus.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/oversight-infographic.jpg What are your thoughts on the External Oversight Board? Sincerely, Alex

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Online "jobs?" Kenya identified as hotbed of academic writing for Cheating British PhD Students
by peres wamukhula were 01 Apr '19

01 Apr '19

Excerpt: "The industry is worth hundreds of millions of pounds globally, and tens of millions in Britain,’ says Dr Thomas Lancaster of Imperial College London. ‘Kenya is the hotbed where all the writing happens. There is high unemployment and a job working from home is coveted. They have good English and low overheads. ‘There are thousands of people in Kenya whose job is to write essays for cheating students. There are several writers in every apartment block." Here's the full article: Cheating students are paying companies to write PhD theses https://mol.im/a/6861373 via http://dailym.ai/android

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Webinar today: BPF on AI, Big Data and Internet of Things - 01 April 12:00 Noon UTC
by Alex Comninos 01 Apr '19

01 Apr '19

Dear All, the next virtual meeting of the next IGF BPF on Internet of Things, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (IoT-BD-AI) will be held Today on Monday April 1st at noon (12PM) UTC. At the first virtual meeting we defined a (working) title for the BPF: “ Justified Trust in IoT, Big Data, AI to stimulate their use to address societal challenges “, and provided a high level verbatim for this year’s work: ’The BPF as platform for multistakeholder deliberation to discuss best practices contributing to creating trusted systems and applications of IoT, Big Data and AI in an Internet context.’ https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/bpf-internet-of-things-iot… Meeting link: https://intgovforum.webex.com/webappng/sites/intgovforum/meeting/info/12363… I am looking forward to your participation, Kind regards, Alex Comninos

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The anti-competitive forces that foil speedy, affordable broadband
by Nanjira Sambuli 31 Mar '19

31 Mar '19

Interesting politics of broadband stateside... https://www.fastcompany.com/90319916/the-anti-competitive-forces-that-foil-… Sent from Flipboard Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move.

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Apply for a Mozilla Fellowship
by Alice Munyua 30 Mar '19

30 Mar '19

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/03/12/apply-for-a-mozilla-fellowship/

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[Good news for MSMEs & indigenous innovators] MPs seek to regulate Mobile Money & limit the scope of Telecommunication licenses
by Patrick A. M. Maina 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

[Link at bottom] This will be fantastic - if they succeed! Here's a quick recap of how the Telecommunications / Fintech Apps sub-sector is exploiting consumers and stifling local innovation. 1. Predatory practices: The mobile money sector has reached a point where lack of adequate regulation is leading to retrogressive practices that add hidden costs / friction to the economy - including: a. Price-gouging via ridiculous pricing methodologies: Mobile "money" is just text data moving from A-B. There is no credible justification for pricing to be based on the transaction value or amount sent / received / withdrawn - other than, imo, ruthless exploitation of consumer ignorance! The ethics of any company that earns super-profits in a poor third world country and still continues to do this are worth debating. At scale, I would wager that each P2P or bill payment message costs a telecoms provider less than Ksh. 0.01 per transaction. There needs to be an independent public-interest driven audit of the cost v/s pricing methodology given the essential and imperative nature of the service and the lack of viable alternatives due to lock-in effects. Very clear anti-trust issues at play, imo. b. Usurious loans, predating on the financially insecure with exorbitant fees; c. Aggressive CRB listing (thousands of young Kenyans punitively listed, some reportedly for as little as 200/-, which results in a tarnished record that denies youth access to other opportunities - for half a decade!); d. Promoting poor financial habits by encouraging people to borrow for consumption and/or to borrow "from Peter to pay Paul"; e. Aggressive collection methods - including blatant violations of privacy and shaming tactics - in violation of the Constitution; 2. Macro-economic stability risks: As payments go digital/cashless, unchecked dominance by one entity has resulted in a single point of failure scenario in the economy where the country's retail and service sectors are increasingly at the mercy of one private corporation that does not appear capable of guaranteeing 100% uptime year-round (and is not keen to guarantee just compensation for traders / customers for loss of business during down-times or service delays). 3. Unfair use of market power to crowd out MSMEs and young indigenous innovators: CA's broad-scope licenses have created a scenario where large IT corporations with mega budgets and market monopoly are "competing" with (more accurately, pulverizing) innovative indigenous MSME startups. It is sad to see a company that makes billions in profits apparently even engaging in vegetable business (among others) to deny mama mboga a livelihood. 4. Money laundering risks (Unregulated Loan Apps): Some foreign-funded apps could be a possible channel for international money laundering. The in-bound capital might not follow regulated channels. 5. Hot money risks: Foreign payday loan apps are using hot money models (short term capital allocation) to extract wealth from the country in the form of usurious interest without creating real sustainable value. This can have adverse effects e.g. on monetary policy. 6. Data sovereignty risks: Concentration of sensitive national economic data in the hands of a single private corporation (with foreign ownership). A mobile money monopoly is a bulls-eye target that attracts global hackers and saboteurs due to high payoff potential. 7. Big tech is no longer innovating: It is important for Government to note that, contrary to their PR claims, Big Tech players are no longer innovating - they just copy what is there and then leverage capital, network effects and media monopoly to scale even the most mediocre of ideas, distorting market forces and denying consumers the power to choose the best ideas. In healthy economies, governments solve this by create enabling environments for a new wave of innovations to emerge - via disruptive, independent startups. 8. Big tech are no longer creating new jobs (they are destroying jobs): HR-wise, big tech are already operating at maximum efficiency with single-digit ratios (e.g. 5%) of manpower costs to revenue. At macro-level, they are not creating more new jobs in the economy than they are destroying e.g. this hidden cost is indirect e.g. when their aggressive practices demotivate innovators and/or deny startups a chance to gain traction and grow which would attract investors. 9. Big tech anti-trust practices are delaying the next wave of innovations: In order to promote innovations in ICT (and other sectors), create jobs, and give a chance for the next "big wave of African innovation" to emerge, it is important for Government to step in and restrict Telecomms to their core business: Voice, Data and SMS. Otherwise we will only be showcasing the same old financial inclusion innovations, long after the rest of world has moved on. It looks like parliament is very much on the right track, and the proposed measures - if successful, will go a long way towards creating an enabling environment for indigenous startups and innovators. Kudos to Parliament for putting public interest at the forefront! =============== Article Excerpts ================ 1. "If MPs have their way, the telecommunications regulator, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), will be compelled to ensure that mobile money services like Safaricom’s M-Pesa, Airtel Money and Telkom’s T-Kash are licensed as banks." 2. "The telecommunication firms will then be licensed to only offer voice, data and SMS services." https://www.nation.co.ke/news/MPs-seek-CBK-regulation/1056-5047788-2wdi1l/i… Best Regards, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] Singapore to table (aka present in British English) fake news bill Monday
by Barrack Otieno 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

Listers, Might be of interest. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ang Peng Hwa (Prof) <TPHANG(a)ntu.edu.sg> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 17:27 Subject: [Internet Policy] Singapore to table (aka present in British English) fake news bill Monday To: ISOC Internet Policy <internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> Hi. The Prime Minister of Singapore a couple of hours ago announced that the government will present the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill on Monday. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/fake-news-laws-be-tabled-monday-hold-… According to the news report, the bill “will give the Government the power to compel online news sources and platforms to show corrections or display warnings about online falsehoods, and — in extreme and urgent cases — take down an errant article.” There was a Select (aka special and public) Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods https://www.parliament.gov.sg/sconlinefalsehoods that had recommended in September 2018 that the Government take action. Although most of the testimonies were public, there were closed door sessions too and reports about these seem to suggest there were disinformation campaigns targeted at Singapore. Facebook came under withering questioning at the Select Committee hearing. (A two-hour video on Facebook (where else) is at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155207544022115.) A couple of observations: 1. Several of us had pointed out that in Singapore, the group that spreads fake news is the elderly, parents and grandparents. And our kind of fake news is laughable by Russian standards—eg plastic rice is sold in the supermarket. And parents and grandparents pass on the hoax out of concern. The Bill does not capture this group. It is apparently not aimed at private but public communication. 2. The power to determine facticity apparently lies with the Government. 3. The sanctions come across as pretty mild—corrections or warnings. And taking down only in extreme and urgent cases. 4. The Bill will not cover the case of the videos of the NZ shooting where Google staffers were manually blocking and deleting the videoclips as they were being uploaded. They were from the live streaming and so were not false even if they were in poor taste. Regards, Peng Hwa ANG [image: id:image001.png@01D31147.941BB3B0]*ANG* Peng Hwa (Professor) | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information | Nanyang Technological University *|* WKWSCI #02-05, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718 | Tel: (65) 67906109 GMT+8h | Fax: (65) 6792-7526 | Editor, Asian Journal of Communication | Web: http://research.ntu.edu.sg/expertise/academicprofile/Pages/StaffProfile.asp… Past President ICA | ICA 69th Annual Conference Washington DC, May 2019 ------------------------------ CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose its contents. Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you. _______________________________________________ To manage your Internet Society subscriptions or unsubscribe, log into the Member Portal at https://admin.internetsociety.org/622619/User/Login and go to the Interests tab within your profile.

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Modernizing Tertiary Education - some ideas
by Patrick A. M. Maina 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

Greetings Listers, The world is changing very rapidly and things that the older generations took for granted no longer apply. There are no jobs waiting for students when they graduate - that era ended decades ago (I believe in the 70s and early 80s). Yet, for some reason, academia appears to be stuck in time, doing things that no longer make sense. Here are some thoughts / ideas on what can be done to reform and rescue our tertiary education sector. (PhD holders might be interested in debating point No. 6. - is it too harsh or the right approach in principle? HR Policy practitioners might be interested in point No. 5..): 1. There is need for Government to strategically position TVETs and Universities as direct implementers of Vision 2030 and Big 4 objectives. Example - academia role should include creating sustainable jobs directly, and taking measures to guarantee high employment of graduates; instead of mechanically preparing our young people for jobs that may, or may not exist, then leaving them trapped in debt. 2. Expand CUE mandate to cover TVETs (as Commission for Tertiary Education); and then Implement a Universal Credit Accumulation and Transfer System - that creates multiple pathways *of equal status* towards higher qualifications (i.e. including transferable credits for TVET education and/or credits for demonstrable on-the-job / startup experience). This calls for a national skills mapping database that is derived from, and/or supports strategic national objectives (as outlined in vision 2030 & Big 4 master-plans). Accelerate regional accreditation to leverage intra-Africa synergies in view of AfCFTA. 3. Require *all* form 4 / grade x leavers to first attend TVETs for at least 2 years to gain hands-on technical skills for real world self-sufficiency, before they (i.e. those who wish to do so) attend university. Rationale: We need to keep our eye on the goal. The goal of education, imo,is not to create "paper churning, hands-off, intellectual elites" who lack real-world-relevant skills, but to create a competent, grounded, hands-on, innovative and future-proofed workforce that is capable of applying knowledge by making or doing things that help solve, in tangible and measurable ways, very specific challenges faced by our country (primarily) or to help solve global problems in a way that primarily and tangibly benefits our country (enhancing our global brand / jobs creation / high-value exports / attracting high quality FDI etc). 4. De-eliticize university education by creating high-value technical specialist pathways via TVETs (for high paying jobs and societal status / recognition). This would temper the belief held by the general public that a university degree is the only path to success and social mobility / status. 5. Employers to emphasize and primarily rely on real-world achievements for competence signalling - rather than relying on academic papers. For example, job advertisements should stop asking for academic qualifications. This is a pointless, tick-box requirement that only creates a market for "River Road degrees". For regulated roles, like medicine or engineering, having a valid practicing license should be a sufficient indicator of academic achievement as the license (hopefully) cannot be issued without verification of the required academic background. We now have the indigenous capacity to implement competency-based hiring painlessly with technology (e.g. via ongoing programs of supervised, automated technical screening assessments to create a national pool of vetted job candidates - which incidentally would eliminate a lot of wastefully redundant HR activities - at macro level). Hopefully tenderpreneurs / MNC lobbyists will not hijack and subvert this idea. Shindwe! :-) Incidentally implementing the above suggestion will reduce incentives for cheating or cram & dump learning. 6. Using policy and regulation to strictly limit career pathways for PhD holders such that they primarily engage in research and academia. Government and corporations should stop hiring PhD holders for full-time administrative roles, for example. It is wasteful, short-sighted and counterproductive (considering the massive resources expended to educate people to that level, as well as the need to productively leverage the intellectual potential of earned PhD holders as a super-scarce resource in Africa). PhD holders should be primarily dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge for the benefit of our country - and they should be rewarded very well for it and accorded top societal honors / as well as status (so they are not tempted to seek jobs that do not develop / challenge their intellectual abilities / potential). The only exception would be for very specific, short term, high-impact, research-reliant-projects or initiatives with very precise and highly specialized objectives, where exceptionally high levels of real expertise is needed. The PhD designation should have (3-5) designation levels that signify real-world achievement at post-doctorate level. PhD holders, other than retirees, who wish to permanently engage in non-research work (or work that can be done by Masters / Bachelors degree holders) should be required to permanently relinquish their PhD qualification and lose the "Dr." designation. There needs to be a distinctive high-status designation for non-academic honorary doctorates e.g. "Exceptional Life Achiever Degree" with the title "Lx." in recognition of non-academic transformational achievements with high societal impact. 7. Academic institutions should form corporations to engage in intellectual property businesses for profit (e.g. IP licensing / manufacturing & distribution) to raise research funds. This requires a pragmatic expansion of institutional mandate as well as strengthening and contextualizing the indigenous IP framework. 8. Pedagogy should be driven by a projects-based learning paradigm with deep integration of learning and real-world work. Removing artificial (and retrogressive) boundaries or demarcations between industry and academia: a. Why should learners first graduate before they can start working? This is a mindset problem. Does it make sense to have schoolwork and employment / MSME startups kept separate (yet they are complementary and interdependent)? b. Why allow someone without real-world paid work (not industrial attachment, but a real job or real MSME startup experience) to graduate? c. Why can't students learn and gain academic credits on the job (doing real, paid work for someone or in their own startups)? d. Why ask our children to choose the projects they want to work on without setting a strategic real-world context that is mapped to real world goals (e.g. Big 4) and real career prospects. Projects-based learning can solve this - with emphasis on projects that can create sustainable wealth for the country (sold to regional governments or the consumer public). We need to train a generation of self-starters who can survive by creating their own opportunities - irrespective of the economy or jobs market. Students should incorporate real startups (with seed funding from Government) during 2nd year - to make and sell products that solve real-world problems in our country / region - and then earn transferable academic credits for demonstrable experience. Employers like Government, MSMEs and corporations can embed academia into the workplace by adopting an apprenticeship approach in partnership with Universities and TVETs to hire 2nd year students and assign them to projects that enable them to earn "on-job learning credits". By the time they graduate, at least 99% ought to be gainfully employed (or running real businesses). This is how you tackle poverty and unemployment in a sustainable way. So what really prevents us from doing this - other than mindset? I know the above might read like heresy to traditionalists - but before you grab the pitchforks and light the torches, look around you... status quo is not working, that's the reality - and things will get worse as 4IR gradually kicks in - if we don't effect radical transformation. I'd be happy to have a round-table with the faculty of any tertiary institution that is interested in discussing / debating the above points. Have a great evening! Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Excel as a Bi Tool:Data Visualization (Dashboard Reporting) in Excel
by Tracy Nyatoro Weru 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

Greetings, We have the pleasure to inform you that Sunesis consulting in partnership with I - Lab Africa,Strathmore university is organizing a 3-day training course on Excel as a Business Intelligence Tool (DashboardReporting). The program will take place @iLabAfrica on *24th - 26th April 2019 *at 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This is a 3-day training that aims at providing business personnel with skills to transform data into decisions using a cost effective tool. The training course is open to all personnel in business related fields who want to leverage on the power of Excel as a Business Intelligence tool. We would be honored to have you participate in this training. If you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the event coordinator on getrude.gichuhi(a)strathmore.edu Or alternatively Kindly ensure to register here <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1x-WVFxxCjYGSrXYT0XXQ0WUqnzE4W2wkoLw0ioCtWM…> to reserve your space. -- *Kind Regards,* Tracy Weru Program Coordinator @iLabAfrica Research Centre Email: tweru(a)strathmore.edu Direct Line: +254 (0) 703 034 621 Ext: 2621 Cell: +254 (0) 724239020 Enquiries: +254 (0) 703-034000/200/300 www.strathmore.edu <http://www.twitter.com/StrathU> <https://www.facebook.com/StrathmoreUniversity/?ref=hl> <https://www.youtube.com/user/StrathmoreUniversity> <https://plus.google.com/110890271788869052448/posts> <https://www.linkedin.com/edu/strathmore-university-357048> <https://www.instagram.com/strathmore.university/> <https://www.youtube.com/user/StrathmoreUniversity> -- *Note: *All emails sent from Strathmore University are subject to Strathmore’s Email Terms & Conditions. Please click here <http://www.strathmore.edu/en/email-policy> to read the policy. * * "Visit our Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/StrathmoreUniversity>Page and Twitter <https://twitter.com/StrathU>Account".

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Facebook and Google: This is What an Effective Ad Archive API Looks Like - The Mozilla Blog
by Alice Munyua 28 Mar '19

28 Mar '19

facebook & Google are preparing to release their ad archive APIs. Mozilla & a cohort of independent researchers are publishing five guidelines these APIs must meet in order to truly heighten transparency and curb disinformation. https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/03/27/facebook-and-google-this-is-what-a…

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Data Protection Forum & NIIMS - Friday 29th March
by Linda Bonyo 28 Mar '19

28 Mar '19

Dear Listers Join us this Friday 6 pm as we explore the privacy and data protection issues pertaining to the National integrated Identity Management System- NIIMS popularly known as huduma Namba. We look forward to an open, diverse and engaging discussion whose Speakers include George Kegoro (KHRC), Nanjira Sambuli (Web Foundation), Isaac E.N Okero (Former LSK President), Grace Bomu (Kictanet) , Nzilani Mweu (Tech Lawyer) Registration is absolutely free on eventbrite, limited tickets available. Event is powered by *Kenya Human Rights Commission *and hosted by the *Lawyers Hub*. Register here : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/data-protection-in-the-era-of-kenyas-identity-… ______________________________________________ *Linda Bonyo* (Ms.) | Co-Founder, *Lawyers Hub * Tech for Justice ACK Garden House| Block D, 6th Floor | Email: bonyo(a)*lawyershub.ke* <bonyo(a)lawyershub.ke> | Skype*:* lawyershubke Tel: +254(0)207840228 Mobile : +254784840228 www.lawyershub.www.lawyershub.org | www.lawyershub.ke | Nairobi, Kenya. *_**__________________________________________________________* *DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Lawyers Hub.*

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[disaster preparedness] cheap wooden disposable cargo DRONES that can be built locally
by Patrick A. M. Maina 27 Mar '19

27 Mar '19

[link below] This is an idea worth copying and a great way to develop a culture of *simple*, *practical* cross-domain innovations. Our woodworking students can team up with electronics and computing students to build, test these simple contraptions. Example use cases include supplying emergency relief to places where aircraft cannot land. Suggested approach: MoED and MoICT to sponsor a nationwide TVETs v/s Universities competition to see which institution designs the best drone prototype models with optimal balance of performance [against pre-defined parameters] and costs. The top 5 can then be built to scale and tested using gov. planes / helicopters - and the teams involved recognized with national honors. The best can then be mass produced on order (Big 4 + Jobs!) and exported via G2G facilitated trading to other African countries e.g. Mozambique, Zimbabwe as part of regional DR planning. Moral: Innovation does not have to be complicated or expensive. It just needs to solve a real problem. So, can we build a wooden drone or not? Interested listers from Gov & academia willing to run with this? https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/drones/disposable-delivery-dro…

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Cyber Wing-Child Protection Unit
by Watoto Watch Network 26 Mar '19

26 Mar '19

Hello Listers, Great development for children in our online space in Kenya; Opening of the *Cyber Wing* at the Child Protection Unit (DCI). The wing will support investigators tackle Child Online crimes. The unit will be the first in Africa to be linked to Interpol's International Child Sexual Exploitation database. See more info; @DailyNation https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-gets-first-cyber-unit-to-fight-child-se… Great day. Regards, Lillian Kariuki. (Executive Director, Watoto Watch Network)

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Why Leapfrogging in Frontier Markets Isn't Working
by Gideon 26 Mar '19

26 Mar '19

+1 Ali, Not to oversimplify my point, but if only inbound tech/businesses would take good time to re-evaluate core business models and local enviroments before leaping in. I also think leapfrogging in itself may not be felt in some countries like KE where new technologies are adapted almost immediately albeit in ways that only benefit or fit into the local needs and enviroment. In some situations, a big leap works, in others bit stepwise scalling coupled with adaptating solutions to local problems, nuances and ways of living would be the best formula. Regards GR On Tue, Mar 26, 2019 at 8:59 AM <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Why ?Leapfrogging? in Frontier Markets Isn?t Working > (Ali Hussein) > 2. Blockchain Taskforce Report (Ali Hussein) > 3. Cyber Wing-Child Protection Unit (Watoto Watch Network) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:58:06 +0300 > From: Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> > To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why ?Leapfrogging? in Frontier Markets Isn?t > Working > Message-ID: > < > CAPjmBy1oHTx8_8VQGEpmaroFFdeXxPafsHam-jnsJG7KA9dxFg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Alice > > Interesting article. Long read but worth it. My take is that the author > makes valid arguments. There are certain areas which I think he should have > paid attention to:- > > 1. Comparing Africa and the rest of the world as if Africa is one country > is a bit of a stretch. > 2. The #BigTech example (Uber specifically) is not complete without taking > into account that global companies fail in frontier markets not because > they don't have the muscle to succeed but because they fail to understand > and learn from local nuances. > 3. Platforms are under attack by regulators everywhere and this > conversation won't be complete if we don't pay attention to what regulation > will mean going forward in Africa. > 4. Scaling is not for everyone. To equate innovation to scaling doesn't in > my humble opinion tell the whole story. > 5. To tell the story of 'Leapfrogging' in Frontier Markets without talking > about Mpesa is in my humble opinion missing a big part of the story. I'm > hoping that the next part will probably cover this? > > Regards > > *Ali Hussein* > > *Principal* > > *AHK & Associates* > > > > Tel: +254 713 601113 > > Twitter: @AliHKassim > > Skype: abu-jomo > > LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim > <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> > > > 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, > > Chiromo Road, Westlands, > > Nairobi, Kenya. > > Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely > mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the > organizations that I work with. > > > On Sat, Mar 23, 2019 at 11:27 PM Alice Munyua via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > > Ali, > > Your thoughts? > > > > > > > > > https://www.cgdev.org/publication/why-leapfrogging-frontier-markets-isnt-wo… > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > development. > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > bandwidth, > > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > >

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Blockchain Taskforce Report
by Ali Hussein 25 Mar '19

25 Mar '19

Listers Has anyone perhaps have had a look at the above report? Shouldn't this report have been released by now? Almost 9 months later? Dr. Ndemo, as Chair of the Taskforce please give us an update? Regards *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *AHK & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.

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Why “Leapfrogging” in Frontier Markets Isn’t Working
by Alice Munyua 25 Mar '19

25 Mar '19

Ali, Your thoughts? https://www.cgdev.org/publication/why-leapfrogging-frontier-markets-isnt-wo…

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South Sudan IGF and SIG is happening next week
by Nelson Kwaje 20 Mar '19

20 Mar '19

Dear listers, Yours truly with the help of Article 19 and UNESCO South Sudan office will be organizing the first South Sudan IGF and SS-SIG next week. The country has a long way to go and I am glad the Kenyan experience is helping us in making some small steps on the other side. See info on the links below. http://southsudanigf.net/first-south-sudan-internet-governance-forum-28th-m… http://southsudanigf.net/south-sudan-digital-rights-workshop-internet-acces… Regards Nelson Kwaje Team Lead, Tech and Innovation Unit WEB4ALL LTD www.web4all.co.ke Tel : +254711250795 Skype : nelson kwaje Twitter : @nelsonkwaje Building ICT Solutions That Matter "There are enough success rooms to accommodate all of us. No one needs to fail for another to succeed. Not all of us will succeed in the same manner or at the same time." Nelson Kwaje

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Google to prompt Android users to choose preferred browsers to allay EU concerns | Reuters
by Alice Munyua 20 Mar '19

20 Mar '19

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-android/google-to-prompt-andro…

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[Big tech is hacking minds for profit] addiction algorithms and subversive content are NOT human rights!
by Patrick A. M. Maina 17 Mar '19

17 Mar '19

Listers, Big-tech lobbyists have become so adept at hacking the human brain (social engineering) that they have convinced civil society activists and even some critical government institutions (e.g. constitutional courts) that their commercial interests are "human rights" and that their unregulated operations are a manifestation "free speech" and/or "democratic ideals". This is complete brainwash and very regrettable given that it unethically subverts, distorts and distracts society from rational discourse regarding critical issues like free speech, democracy and human rights. The consequence of Big tech's irresponsible profit-seeking continue to accumulate - globally: Question for Internet NGOs: Are you really protecting the internet, or are you protecting FANG business interests? Why are you not speaking up more about the negative impact of FANG-type business models on society and the internet? CNN: "People could easily become radicalized before social media. Many are still radicalized without it. But social media, often in combination with other factors, has proven itself an efficient radicalizer, in part because it allows for the easy formation of communities and in part because of its algorithms, used to convince people to stay just a little longer, watch one more video, click one more thing, generate a little more advertising revenue." https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/17/tech/youtube-facebook-twitter-radicaliza… Did Zimbabwe court get it wrong on the internet? Social media apps are not the internet. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001310324/court-says-inte… ==================== There are increasing concerns that screen-based learning could be risky for young children (especially below 14 years)... From blue screen eye damage issues, to ergonomics (spine / posture / small text), unintended stifling of creativity, and so on. Perhaps Kenya's laptop program would best benefit High school students from grade 10 (Form 1) and above? "Silicon Valley parents are raising their kids tech-free — and it should be a red flag." https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-parents-raising-their-kids-t… "In 2007, Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, implemented a cap on screen time when his daughter started developing an unhealthy attachment to a video game. Later it became family policy not to allow kids to have their own phones until they turned 14." "Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple until his death in 2012, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he prohibited his kids from using the newly-released iPad. "We limit how much technology our kids use at home." "Tim "Apple" Cook, the current Apple CEO, said in January that he doesn't allow his nephew to join online social networks. The comment followed those of other tech luminaries, who have condemned social media as detrimental to society." The damage being caused to our children's brains, by uncontrolled exposure to algorithms is massive and at an unprecedented scale. This might turn out to be worse than what the Tobacco industry did before they got regulated. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001316924/kenyan-parents-… There needs to be a policy definition of what the internet is and especially what it is not - so that when dangerous platforms are shut down, the civil society does not get tricked to pursue ruthless corporate interests thinking that they are "defending internet freedoms", "free speech" or "democracy". Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina [Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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TODAY’S DEADLINE: Public Consultation on National Broadband Strategy for Kenya
by Nanjira Sambuli 16 Mar '19

16 Mar '19

Good day, Are we to assume that concerns raised here regarding today’s deadline for submitting comments have gone unheard? Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move. > On 11 Mar 2019, at 19:18, info(a)elvisjonyo.co.ke wrote: > >> On 2019-03-11 13:51, Nanjira Sambuli via kictanet wrote: >> +1, Ali, >> Additionally, are there reflections on the successes and shortcomings >> for the 2013-17 period? >> For instance the goal on broadband speeds for rural vs urban areas, a >> very lofty goal therein? >> Regards, >> Nanjira. >> Sent on the move. >>> On 11 Mar 2019, at 07:29, Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> wrote: >>> Gimode >>> Greetings. Seeing that you posted this email on Friday, 8th March, I'm curious to understand how the committee can expect to get substantive responses within a week on such a critical piece of document? >>> I think it's time this country reviews what it means when the constitution talks about Public Participation. I know that there are members of the August House in this list. I challenge them to address this issue. I fear that government officials are taking us through a 'tick the box' exercise when it comes to public participation. >>> Ali Hussein >>> Principal >>> AHK & Associates >>> Tel: +254 713 601113 >>> Twitter: @AliHKassim >>> Skype: abu-jomo >>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim >>> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, >>> Chiromo Road, Westlands, >>> Nairobi, Kenya. >>> Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. >>>> On Fri, Mar 8, 2019 at 9:04 PM Gimode, Chiimbiru via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >>>> Dear Listers, >>>> You will recall the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MoICT) constituted an inter-agency Steering Committee to review of Kenya’s first National Broadband Strategy (NBS) for the period 2013-2017. The Committee draws membership from the MoICT, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (VDS), National Communications Secretariat (NCS) and the ICT Authority (ICTA). >>>> The team is at the tail-end of the review of the NBS and is seeking views from the members of the public to enrich the NBS for the period 2018 – 2023 in line with Constitution of Kenya 2010. >>>> Attached is a public notice on the same. >>>> You can access the consultation paper on the Authority’s website on this link: https://ca.go.ke/consumers/public-consultations/open-consultations/ >>>> The deadline for submission of comments is 15th March 2019. >>>> Best Regards, >>>> Chiimbiru Gimode, CMRP, MPRSK. >>>> Communications Officer >>>> Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) >>>> Head Office: CA Centre,Waiyaki Way,Westlands, Nairobi I P.O Box 14448 Nairobi 00800. >>>> Regional Offices: Mombasa I Nyeri I Kisumu I Eldoret >>>> Office Line : 0703-042-524 I Website : www.ca.go.ke I Twitter : @CA_Kenya >>>> Facebook : Communications Authority of Kenya I YouTube : CA Kenya I Instagram: CA Kenya >>>> Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/cck-kenya >>>> Core Values: >>>> Integrity | Innovation| Excellence >>>> “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today’’-Ernest Hemingway >>>> Please be responsible, consider the environment before printing this e-mail. >>>> DISCLAIMER:- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use by the individual(s) or entity to whom it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately by a reply e-mail. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> kictanet mailing list >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >>>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com >>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40elvisjonyo.co.… >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder >> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT >> policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for >> reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled >> growth and development. >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and >> bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, >> respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or >> qualifications. > It is unreasonable and dishonorable to expect the public to peruse through a document and give comments in one week. You might as well promulgate it as is. > >

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[NBS Working group representation] SMEs & indigenous startups NOT involved!
by Patrick A. M. Maina 16 Mar '19

16 Mar '19

Dear Listers, The National Broadcast Strategy was drafted by over 70 participants representing 40 organizations. On closer scrutiny, the private sector (and non-profit) representation appears heavily skewed in favor of big-corp interests with over ~90% of participants representing large entities (or mid-size entities in partnership with, or historically associated with advancing the interests of, large entities). Here's the breakdown: * 10 Local companies (of which 60% are the largest, most visible Kenyan ICT corporations).* 9 Foreign companies or MNCs* 5 Non-profits* 2 Universities* 14 Government Agencies * 0 Indigenous ICT SME stakeholders (non-startups) * 0 Internet Startup Stakeholder(s)* 0 Indigenous tech innovators / inventors * 0 Indigenous tech policy representative(s)----- 40 organizations (~71 participants) ----- This elucidates why government policies tend to be *heavily and unfairly biased* towards large corporations, multinationals and NGOs to the detriment of SMEs and indigenous startup ecosystems (despite SMEs being the actual bedrock of Kenya's economy; the most innovative sector - albeit neglected and lacking opportunities for exposure; and the biggest jobs creators overall). Big corp's dominance at policy level is unfairly hogging government attention and thus preventing the development of a well coordinated tech-startup ecosystem based on a national ecosystem master-plan that would significantly and exponentially boost our economy within a very short period. This is one reason why our top graduates and innovative youth are jobless - relying on NGO handouts for survival (or having to grovel in the media to get PR-motivated "rescue offers" from companies that would otherwise have turned down their application for merit-based consideration). I think it is hypocritical, unethical and wrong for big corp to say it "cares" about the community when doing CSR - when behind the scenes it is busy hoarding all the meaningful opportunities, resources and government incentives that would be far more helpful to the same community in a sustainable way. Our President's call for promotion of SMEs, local Innovation, self-employment ("Tujiajiri") and millions of jobs for our youth might never materialize if things continue this way. The important role of SMEs and indigenous startups / innovations in supporting the Big 4 agenda needs to be emphasized and promoted. We need proportionate (and affirmative) policy representation at SME and Indigenous Startups / Innovations level. These representatives should be actual, experienced founders / innovators (who have been in the trenches and truly know where the shoe hurts) - not private "incubators" who will always be conflicted in favor of the hands that feed them (their MNCs / big-tech / big-corp partners). I humbly request government stakeholders on this list to kindly take note of the above problem and take action to remedy it please, in public interest. Opportunity should be equitably distributed in line with the spirit of our Constitution. Millions of jobs can be created (and we can avoid massive capital outflows) if this is done properly. Adopting the right policies is what made China take 700 Million people out of poverty in just 40 years. They have shown that it can be done. Let our policies be driven by similar goals, in line with Big 4 agenda: To take 40 Million Kenyans out of poverty and into a path of sustainable prosperity within 5-10 years. Have good evening.Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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[NBS Working group representation] SMEs & indigenous startups NOT involved!
by Patrick A. M. Maina 15 Mar '19

15 Mar '19

Correction: NBS = National Broadband Strategy Dear Listers, The proposed National Broadband Strategy was drafted by over 70 participants representing 40 organizations. On closer scrutiny, the private sector (and non-profit) representation appears heavily skewed in favor of big-corp interests with over ~90% of participants representing large entities (or mid-size entities in partnership with, or historically associated with advancing the interests of, large entities). Here's the breakdown: * 10 Local companies (of which 60% are the largest, most visible Kenyan ICT corporations).* 9 Foreign companies or MNCs* 5 Non-profits* 2 Universities* 14 Government Agencies * 0 Indigenous ICT SME stakeholders (non-startups) * 0 Internet Startup Stakeholder(s)* 0 Indigenous tech innovators / inventors * 0 Indigenous tech policy representative(s)----- 40 organizations (~71 participants) ----- This elucidates why government policies tend to be *heavily and unfairly biased* towards large corporations, multinationals and NGOs to the detriment of SMEs and indigenous startup ecosystems (despite SMEs being the actual bedrock of Kenya's economy; the most innovative sector - albeit neglected and lacking opportunities for exposure; and the biggest jobs creators overall). Big corp's dominance at policy level is unfairly hogging government attention and thus preventing the development of a well coordinated tech-startup ecosystem based on a national ecosystem master-plan that would significantly and exponentially boost our economy within a very short period. This is one reason why our top graduates and innovative youth are jobless - relying on NGO handouts for survival (or having to grovel in the media to get PR-motivated "rescue offers" from companies that would otherwise have turned down their application for merit-based consideration). I think it is hypocritical, unethical and wrong for big corp to say it "cares" about the community when doing CSR - when behind the scenes it is busy hoarding all the meaningful opportunities, resources and government incentives that would be far more helpful to the same community in a sustainable way. Our President's call for promotion of SMEs, local Innovation, self-employment ("Tujiajiri") and millions of jobs for our youth might never materialize if things continue this way. The important role of SMEs and indigenous startups / innovations in supporting the Big 4 agenda needs to be emphasized and promoted. We need proportionate (and affirmative) policy representation at SME and Indigenous Startups / Innovations level. These representatives should be actual, experienced founders / innovators (who have been in the trenches and truly know where the shoe hurts) - not private "incubators" who will always be conflicted in favor of the hands that feed them (their MNCs / big-tech / big-corp partners). I humbly request government stakeholders on this list to kindly take note of the above problem and take action to remedy it please, in public interest. Opportunity should be equitably distributed in line with the spirit of our Constitution. Millions of jobs can be created (and we can avoid massive capital outflows) if this is done properly. Adopting the right policies is what made China take 700 Million people out of poverty in just 40 years. They have shown that it can be done. Let our policies be driven by similar goals, in line with Big 4 agenda: To take 40 Million Kenyans out of poverty and into a path of sustainable prosperity within 5-10 years. Have good evening.Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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(Submission by KICTANET Indigenous Stakeholders) Public Consultation On The National Broadband Strategy For Kenya
by Patrick A. M. Maina 15 Mar '19

15 Mar '19

Dear Sir / Madam, Please find attached submissions for KICTANET Indigenous Stakeholders. Due to limited time provided, it was not possible to complete our review and feedback. Please consider offering a time extension, ideally of about 3 weeks, so that we can give more detailed and comprehensive inputs. Thank you and Best Regards, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations | KICTANET Indigenous stakeholder]

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Rethinking Affordable Access
by Nanjira Sambuli 14 Mar '19

14 Mar '19

Worthwhile read. https://a4ai.org/rethinking-affordable-access/ Rethinking Affordable Access - Alliance for Affordable Internet This guest post was prepared by Steve Song and appeared first on his website Many Possibilities. Everyone needs affordable access to communication. Affordable access strategies that don’t target everyone end up magnifying the digital divide in a kind of Matthew effect: those with affordable phone/internet services have access to ever increasing education resources, opportunities, services, social safety nets (the list goes on) such that the unconnected fall further behind just by standing still. You may not agree completely with this statement but let’s assume for the purpose of this article that it is true. And if it is true, then we have a problem because access growth is slowing down. Growth is slowing whether you look at mobile subscribers or internet penetration. To date, a combination of public and private investments in telecommunications has managed to connect about half the world to the internet. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in particular are the runaway success story when it comes to providing affordable access in regions thought unreachable. So why, given the rapid growth of the last fifteen years, are things slowing down? The one-line answer is that we have connected the easy-to-connect half, the relatively wealthy living in relatively densely populated areas. Connecting poor people is sparsely populated rural areas is a much bigger challenge. In a recent Guardian article, Sonia Jorge of the Alliance for Affordable Internet Access (A4AI) suggests that universal internet access is as far away as 2050. That same article suggests that the reason growth is slowing is a combination of lack of skills and lack of investment. It is undeniable that lack of skills to take advantage of digital tools and services is a significant barrier to uptake. It is also true that those skills are connected to affordability. We discover value online by experiencing it and by experimenting to discover what is valuable to us. When access is expensive, the discovery of value in being online is overshadowed by concerns about the cost of being online. Lack of investment is also a complicated issue. The vast majority of MNOs are private companies that serve their shareholders. Even where MNOs are government-owned, there is often more interest in generating a profit than in providing universal, affordable access. It is unsurprising then that MNOs invest in areas where both population density and incomes levels are higher. Spectrum auctions that levy millions of dollars from MNOs in advance of network deployment only compound this trend as operators worry about an increased debt burden. Universal Service Funds (USFs) are the primary mechanism that has been established to try to ensure that poorer and more remote regions also have access. Operators are typically taxed a percentage of their turnover that goes into a fund run by a Universal Service Agency, whose purpose is to finance access into unserved regions. The history of USFs and the associated agencies that manage them is pretty mixed. These agencies are typically government bureaucracies that have little experience managing millions of dollars and are risk averse by the very nature of being bureaucracies. Worse, funds with millions of dollars often attracts the worst kind of kleptocratic behaviour. That said, USFs have made a difference. In the early days of mobile network growth, they created incentives for MNOs to invest in areas that were not economic priorities for them. This led to the growth of infrastructure into previously unserved regions. However, these subsidies have typically succeeded in regions where MNOs would have found themselves eventually, that is, areas that have populations dense enough to create profits for MNOs Where USFs have really run into problems is in trying to push MNOs into regions that are not economically viable for them. Stories abound, although seldom publicly, of USF funds that have completely subsidised the capital costs of cell tower build-outs for MNOs in remote areas but those cell towers are not operated by the MNOs because the towers don’t generate profits, or perhaps not sufficient profit. In one Southern African country, the USF agency has paid for the build-out of 103 base stations in rural areas; 77 of which are not operational. This is not particularly surprising. Often, the operational costs (e.g. maintenance, supply of diesel for back-up generators, etc.) can exceed the revenues generated by calls on the base stations in remote, sparsely populated regions where income levels are lower than in urban areas. For an MNO that is accountable to its shareholders, it only makes sense to turn those towers off. And that is where we find ourselves today. Access growth is slowing because the economics just don’t make sense. So what to do? A recently published report commissioned by the World Bank entitled “Innovative Business Models For Expanding Fiber-optic Networks And Closing The Access Gaps” attempts to answer that question. Their conclusions don’t exactly break any new ground for the World Bank, however. An extremely short (perhaps unfair) summary would be: Enable market forces; the private sector has been most successful at deploying networks. Try to get out of their way. Regulate only as a last resort where there is absolutely clear evidence that the market has failed. Government investment should be cautious and only implemented with a clear vision. The problem with the above recommendations is that this course of action got us to where we are now — but it doesn’t address the fundamental problem of access economics that the MNOs face. Nor does does the proposed strategy mitigate any of the downsides of MNO network deployments, which is often a lack of market competition. If new thinking is required, what might that look like? Here are some news ways of looking at the problem. We Don’t Live in a Single Economy The conventional analysis of the access challenge treats the economy as a single entity but the reality is that the economics of the rural poor is very different from comparatively wealthy big cities. French economic historian, Fernand Braudel, makes a distinction between global and local economies. Companies that operate in the global economy are easy to spot because the endgame for those companies is monopoly. Whether you are MTN or Amazon or McDonalds, the goal is to occupy the maximum possible amount of the market. These kinds of companies get most of our attention. Growing to this size is seen as a virtue. And indeed, there has been a lot of success in the growth of mobile access. Silicon Valley has a particular obsession with scale. Where else would growth hacking be an actual profession. While there has been some pushback to this, scale remains the brass ring for internet companies in particular. In contrast, local companies seek to serve an immediate market, one which they typically have much deeper knowledge of and are able to serve in a manner that a global company cannot. The economics of these local companies are different than those of global companies. Some things are more expensive, but many things are cheaper when it comes to serving a local market. Thus the local baker’s labour costs per loaf of bread are higher but they don’t incur any shipping costs and can tailor their production specifically to demand. Not to mention the fact that they can greet you every day and be a part of your life and your community. This is not news. Governments around the world have recognised the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and have policies developed to encourage their growth. The economic contribution of small business is substantial. In the United States, small businesses employ 47.5 percent of all private sector employees. In South Africa, SMEs contribute 34 percent towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide employment to about 60 percent of the labour force. But nowhere do we see a deliberate strategy to empower small and medium telecommunication/internet access providers. Again, this is not surprising. Historically, building a telecommunications company required millions of dollars of investment in international connectivity, national network infrastructure, last mile infrastructure, handsets, agent networks, marketing, the list goes on. It was a risky bet too. Choose the wrong underlying technology (e.g., WiMAX mobile ten years ago) and you could lose millions. All this has changed. Telecommunications networks are becoming disaggregated. Increasingly international, national, and metropolitan network infrastructures are available as wholesale services to any operators, lowering the bar to market entry for smaller operators who can focus on last-mile delivery. Also, communication technology in general has dramatically dropped (and continues to drop) in price. Not only has WiFi technology become extremely affordable but all kinds of communication technologies from point-to-point microwave to GSM to LTE base stations, even fibre optics now have prices that are within the reach of the community network and small-scale operator. “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” Alexander Den Heijer Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re in a meeting about affordable internet access and someone mentions the importance of community networks and small-scale operators. Someone stands up, usually from a big operator, sometimes government, sometimes the regulator, or even the ITU and says, “Oh we recognise the value of community networks… but do they really scale?” The implied answer is “No, of course not.” But what if we could connect millions of people affordably through small businesses i.e. ISPs and community-owned networks without scaling? Not far from where I now live in rural Nova Scotia, is a small community of about 500 people called Lawrencetown. They got fed up with not having decent access to broadband and being ignored by the incumbent telcos and formed a cooperative to build a WiFi network that serves the community. They started out charging about USD45 per month for 20 Mbps service but reduced the price to USD30 per month because they found they were making too much money. They don’t need to be any bigger than they are. They were able to do this because: Access to backhaul is affordable and open; The administrative barriers to setting up an ISP are very low; and, WiFi access technology is very cheap. Their success has emboldened the community to explore the use of a cooperative to deliver both healthcare and energy. We now live in world that has conspired to make it possible for local entrepreneurs and/or community groups to solve their own access challenges. What is missing is the enabling policies and regulation to let a million of these little (and not so little) flowers bloom. Community-Owned Infrastructure In addition to creating an enabling environment for local access solutions, we need to break out of the Manichean world of private sector networks vs government networks. In particular, community ownership of telecommunications infrastructure needs to be elevated to the mainstream of affordable access debates. We need to dispel the picture that many people seem to have of community-owned networks: two tin cans and a piece of string. It is true that in the early days of wireless hacking with WiFi, tin cans actually featured but it was that kind of hacking that spurred the growth of WiFi as a credible backhaul technology. More to the point, as the status of telecommunications infrastructure is changing from luxury to essential utility, there are lessons we can learn from the growth of another essential utility that started out as a luxury: the electricity grid in the United States. In the early part of the 20th century, much of rural America had no access to electrical power. Rural farmers and ranchers banded together to form cooperatives to build their own power infrastructure. But they likely would not have succeeded had there not been enabling policies and programs put in place by the government. The following 3 minute video which tells the story of US electrical cooperatives is well worth watching. Today, those same cooperatives are rolling out fibre optic infrastructure to address lack of broadband service in those same regions. Cooperatives can take many forms. They can be tiny like the one in Lawrencetown. They can address access challenges in regions that aren’t viable for large operators such as Rhizomatica are doing in rural Oaxaca, Mexico, or Zenzeleni in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They can embody commons principles established by Elinor Ostrom as Guifi.net are doing in Catalunya, Spain. They can enable farmers to dig their own fibre trenches to deliver 1Gbps (symmetric) internet service in rural northern England as B4RN are doing. Cooperatives are a time-tested model for addressing collective resource challenges, especially but in no way limited to in rural areas. Why should we prioritise their growth? Here are a few reasons: Cooperatives lower consumer costs. Cooperatives are non-profits and reinvest surplus back into the network, either by lowering costs (as Lawrencetown did) or by expanding the network. This is particularly relevant in areas that may have enough demand to support one network operators but not two. Subsidising a commercial operator to build a network may solve the access challenge but does not address the affordability challenge. Cooperatives invest in local economies. In a remote community, calling someone a block away typically generates revenue for the incumbent operator headquartered in the capital. It siphons revenue away from remote, poor communities. Community-owned networks ensure that revenue spent on telecommunications is spent locally, creating more local economic circulation. Cooperatives build local skills. The technical skills to build and manage communication networks is within reach of anyone with the right learning environment. Cooperatives provide a space for local skills development in a 21st century career. Cooperatives can help to unwind inequitable social systems. We know that communication technology is an amplifier which can magnify positive outcomes like entrepreneurship and education but which can also reinforce existing social and economic inequities. Because cooperatives are not driven by a profit motive and because they are local, they can both understand and collectively choose to address challenges that face their communities in a meaningful way. Cooperatives build… community. Perhaps that sounds like a tautology but there is nothing like having a project in common to build community bonds/ties and the social fabric that holds us all together. This is a “yes, and” scenario This article should not be interpreted as an argument against big telcos. The success of large-scale, commercial telecommunications networks is undeniable. They have great advantages thanks to their economies of scale, however, the evidence is mounting that the large network model alone is not enough to connect everyone affordably. Small businesses are now are practical reality in the world of telecommunications and the internet, but are limited, not by technology, but by the lack of an enabling policy and regulatory environment. Similarly, community ownership of telecommunications infrastructure in the form of cooperatives and similar structures is a proven success model that cries out for policy, regulatory, and investment support. Locally-owned commercial and/or community connectivity initiatives will grow the market which will ultimately be good for big telcos too. The best news for regulators is that enabling local connectivity initiatives directly addresses one of the biggest concerns raised in the World Bank report: risk. Smaller initiatives can fail without causing systemic harm. They can innovate faster and be more responsive to local needs. Cooperatives are owned by their members. What better way to ensure skin-in-the-game, arguably one of the best ways to mitigate risk. It’s time to move the word “local” into the mainstream of telecommunications policy, regulation, and investment. For more updates on our work, follow us on Twitter at @A4A_Internet. Follow Steve at @stevesong. Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move.

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Deciphering Trump's "Einstein Pilot" comment & why (most) state mandated backdoors are a bad idea
by Patrick A. M. Maina 14 Mar '19

14 Mar '19

Listers, US president Donald Trump recently triggered a debate about the (often overlooked) negative aspects of placing high/total reliance on modern, increasingly complex (and increasingly opaque), technology for safety-critical applications like aircrafts. Some food for thought... (disclaimer: below is shared for information and/or debate only, with respect to cybersecurity policy discussions): 1. (*2018* article) "Boeing thinks that cyberattacks may be a real threat to flight safety and pilots should be trained to determine and withstand them." https://airlinerwatch.com/boeing-wants-to-train-pilots-against-cyberattacks/ 2. In 2012 researchers reportedly discovered what appeared to be a deliberately engineered (i.e. possibly state mandated) security backdoor in *military grade* chips used for critical functions in aircrafts (e.g. boeing 787) and sensitive military equipment (e.g. drones). The backdoor could be ecploited by sophisticated (state sponsored) attackers to potentially take over sensitive equipment (like a commercial plane). The good intentions behind such backdoors includes anti-hijacking. But the unintended consequence is severely increased vulnerability (ironically to a different form of hijacking) that cannot be hot-fixed. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/military-grade-chips-may-not-be-… 3. "Five eyes" nations (US, UK, CA, AU, NZ) see themselves as the global "good guys" with infinite wisdom, and who should be allowed (and trusted, without independent oversight or international accountability) to hack any tech device/software for "good" reasons. So they agressively push their tech manufacturers to engineer security backdoors into systems (chips & software). Again, the unintended consequence, which makes (most) state mandated backdoors a terrible idea, is that there is no way to fully secure such backdoors against exploitation by the "bad guys" (e.g. competing states or organized criminal networks). Sadly, it means that "five eyes" origin technology (hardware and/or software) should always be considered *insecure by design*. Yet this is the tech most of Africa relies on for literally *everything*. Actually any non-indigenous technology should be considered insecure by default (a key reason to develop strategic indigenous technology capacity). Could also partially explain why some foreign govs seem to have so much high quality (near real time) information on Africa across all critical spheres (industrial, financial, political, security etc). https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/03/five-eyes-governments-call-on-tech-giants… The floor is open for comments / debate. :-) Good day.Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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AFROBYTES Nairobi - Invitation
by Linda Bonyo 14 Mar '19

14 Mar '19

Dear Listers This is to welcome you to Afrobytes Nairobi happening this Friday afternoon at the iHub. The French Development Agency's Innovation team will be present and is looking to meet people in the sector. Let me know if you need tickets as it is on an invite basis. The definitive program is now online with the speakers's profiles: http://www.afrobytes.com/afrobytes-event-series/afrobytes-nairobi/ *Afrobytes is the connection point between the African Tech Industry and other global tech ecosystems. <https://youtu.be/cO87x5VP68g>* Wonder what to expect at Afrobytes events? Just check out this video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkZxjG_iUPo> Join me on LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammin-youssouf-4660621> Visit us: www.afrobytes.com, Follow us: twitter.com/socialafrobytes or Have a coffee with us: Station F <https://www.google.com/maps/place/STATION+F/@48.8348101,2.3620091,15z/data=…> // Bonus: *- One of Fast Company's Most Creative People 2018 > Rank 94-95 <https://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2018> * *- In the 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs List in 2018 by Entrepreneur.com > Rank 14 <https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/321571>* Regards, ______________________________________________ *Linda Bonyo* (Ms.) | Co-Founder, *Lawyers Hub * Tech for Justice ACK Garden House| Block D, 6th Floor | Email: bonyo(a)*lawyershub.ke* <bonyo(a)lawyershub.ke> | Skype*:* lawyershubke Tel: +254(0)207840228 Mobile : +2547840840228 www.lawyershub.africa | www.lawyershub.ke | Nairobi, Kenya. *_**__________________________________________________________* *DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Lawyers Hub.*

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[corrected version] [connecting the dots] The real reason why Africa struggles with eCommerce and Airlines
by Patrick A. M. Maina 13 Mar '19

13 Mar '19

Correction: KQ revenues in 2018 were ~50 Billion. Dear Listers, Whenever we have a spectacular failure in industry, we rush to attribute it to one or many of the five factors below: 1. Management competence (e.g. manifests through "culture" and/or lack of responsiveness to new/non-standard challenges; lack of awareness that competence is situational) 2. Failed Strategy (e.g. markets respond better to competitors or are already locked-in. Strategy can fail even where the management is highly competent.)3. Corruption / conflicts of interest (includes nepotism, procurement challenges e.g. unethical vendor practices or blatant theft) 4. External factors (e.g. global economic / geopolitical dynamics) 5. Force Majeure (sudden unforeseeable calamities - whether natural or man-made) I'd like to put forward one reason, unique to Africa, that is seldom raised or addressed, yet it in many cases could be the primary reason why many African businesses struggle to remain viable despite adopting business models that succeed in other countries: The biggest obstacle for most African businesses is the structural operating environment. Simply put, Africa doesn't scale. * Scale is the reason that KQ's economic doom was sealed in 1977 when East African Airways was dissolved. * Scale (not trust or delivery infrastructure) is the reason eCommerce simply can't and won't work in Africa (yet works in India) under the current circumstances. Certain types of businesses are simply not viable without scale. It doesn't matter what strategy, caliber of management or whatever else is used. Without scale, you have to swim upstream and perform miracles. No wonder we tell tourists that Kenya / Africa is "Magical". Only a magician can do certain businesses in Africa - under current circumstances. For example KQ earns ~Ksh. 50 Billion annually. Where does the money go? Do you know who really benefits from African Airlines failure to leverage scale? Here's my list: 1. International Vendors (Equipment / Systems / Fuel) 2. International Hedge funds (e.g. Price / Currency hedges) 3. International Insurance.4. Prioritized creditors (most likely international) 5. International Airports. The only country that doesn't get paid is Kenya. Due to lack of scale, we end up literally giving financial aid to rich countries. This is not a smart thing for a poor country to do. Scale benefits are (in part) what makes Delta Airlines, for example, operate with double digit margins, earn Ksh. 4.4 Trillion in a year (enough to run our country for almost 2 years without borrowing) which translates to Ksh. 1.3 Billion DAILY PBT (profits before tax). Yes, a daily profit of Ksh. 1.3 Billion. That kind of performance is not magical - it's just smart application of basic economics and intelligent (strategically meaningful) politics + policies. eCommerce? USPS (et. al) operation at scale is what made Amazon possible at scale. Prosperity is not just about efficiency - the size of market matters. It matters a lot! Africa combined is the 8th largest economy in the world yet as individual countries we barely register on the global radar. Individual African countries are simply not viable. No amount of aid or borrowing will fix scale deficiencies - in fact, the lack of scale is what makes our current national debts worrisome and risky! The idea of "national pride" carriers is ancient and obsolete. We need Pan-African Champion Airlines (where countries buy shares in not more than three Pan-African Airlines - North, Central and South). This would immediately dissolve the perceived (delusional) national advantage of self-imposed barriers to open skies and regional trade. The current heavy reliance on international markets is not smart at all (we are highly exposed to global shocks and geopolitics); it should be supplemented by sensible and massive intra-Africa trade. Pan-Africanism is not a sentimental idea, it is a rational and intelligent economic strategy. It is the only way to create a common and unified mindset that will unlock scale in Africa. Thankfully a good number of African leaders and technocrats are recognizing these challenges, hence the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) initiative, which requires ratification of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, and the African Passport, as part of the integration process. As business people it is in our interest to support these initiatives as much as we can - but also to be vigilant of powerful (foreign state-backed) resource-extraction MNCs that would want to hijack or sabotage Africa's integration because it spoils their centuries-long plunder party. How does my argument hold, in view of success stories like Equity and/or Safaricom? In science, we disprove arguments by looking for a 'black swan" (just a single instance of contradiction) - are they not the Black Swans? Nope! Equity and Safaricom have certain common business model aspects which allow them to operate "successfully" with limited scale. The most obvious being network effects - but there are other non-obvious factors which are out of scope of this article. Still these are still tiny and fragile operations relative to their scale-leveraged counterparts which earn tens of billions of shillings in revenues daily (and trillions annually). Our culture of mediocrity is what makes us celebrate our (relative) minions. Failure to think in terms of scale is dangerous.. it leads to (or encourages) predatory corporate behavior, comfort zones, mediocrity and other mental barriers. Thanks for reading. I welcome your thoughts on the above. Good day & Brgds, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Public Consultation on National Broadband Strategy for Kenya
by Gimode, Chiimbiru 13 Mar '19

13 Mar '19

Dear Listers, You will recall the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MoICT) constituted an inter-agency Steering Committee to review of Kenya’s first National Broadband Strategy (NBS) for the period 2013-2017. The Committee draws membership from the MoICT, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (VDS), National Communications Secretariat (NCS) and the ICT Authority (ICTA). The team is at the tail-end of the review of the NBS and is seeking views from the members of the public to enrich the NBS for the period 2018 – 2023 in line with Constitution of Kenya 2010. Attached is a public notice on the same. You can access the consultation paper on the Authority’s website on this link: https://ca.go.ke/consumers/public-consultations/open-consultations/ The deadline for submission of comments is 15th March 2019. Best Regards, Chiimbiru Gimode, CMRP, MPRSK. Communications Officer Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Head Office: CA Centre,Waiyaki Way,Westlands, Nairobi I P.O Box 14448 Nairobi 00800. Regional Offices: Mombasa I Nyeri I Kisumu I Eldoret Office Line : 0703-042-524 I Website : www.ca.go.ke I Twitter : @CA_Kenya Facebook : Communications Authority of Kenya I YouTube : CA Kenya I Instagram: CA Kenya Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/cck-kenya Core Values: Integrity | Innovation| Excellence “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today’’-Ernest Hemingway Please be responsible, consider the environment before printing this e-mail. DISCLAIMER:- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use by the individual(s) or entity to whom it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately by a reply e-mail. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission.

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WWW turns 30
by Nanjira Sambuli 13 Mar '19

13 Mar '19

Hi listers, Tomorrow, March 12 marks the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web! My colleagues (at the Web Foundation) have been recreating a timeline of the web in the 30 years, and would be awesome to have contributions from this our ecosystem, via #web30, #ForTheWeb. See https://webfoundation.org/2019/02/help-build-a-timeline-of-the-webs-history/ <https://webfoundation.org/2019/02/help-build-a-timeline-of-the-webs-history/> for more info on how to participate. Past the celebrations, though, lies a steep task ahead to keep it open and for everyone! Check out the contract for the web, and each ‘estate’ to step up to its role. See: https://fortheweb.webfoundation.org/ <https://fortheweb.webfoundation.org/> Regards, Nanjira

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Re: [kictanet] Public Consultation on National Broadband Strategy for Kenya
by Nanjira Sambuli 11 Mar '19

11 Mar '19

+1, Ali, Additionally, are there reflections on the successes and shortcomings for the 2013-17 period? For instance the goal on broadband speeds for rural vs urban areas, a very lofty goal therein? Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move. > On 11 Mar 2019, at 07:29, Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> wrote: > > Gimode > > Greetings. Seeing that you posted this email on Friday, 8th March, I'm curious to understand how the committee can expect to get substantive responses within a week on such a critical piece of document? > > I think it's time this country reviews what it means when the constitution talks about Public Participation. I know that there are members of the August House in this list. I challenge them to address this issue. I fear that government officials are taking us through a 'tick the box' exercise when it comes to public participation. > > Ali Hussein > Principal > AHK & Associates > > Tel: +254 713 601113 > Twitter: @AliHKassim > Skype: abu-jomo > LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim > > 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, > Chiromo Road, Westlands, > Nairobi, Kenya. > > Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. > > >> On Fri, Mar 8, 2019 at 9:04 PM Gimode, Chiimbiru via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >> Dear Listers, >> >> >> >> You will recall the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MoICT) constituted an inter-agency Steering Committee to review of Kenya’s first National Broadband Strategy (NBS) for the period 2013-2017. The Committee draws membership from the MoICT, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (VDS), National Communications Secretariat (NCS) and the ICT Authority (ICTA). >> >> >> >> The team is at the tail-end of the review of the NBS and is seeking views from the members of the public to enrich the NBS for the period 2018 – 2023 in line with Constitution of Kenya 2010. >> >> >> >> Attached is a public notice on the same. >> >> >> >> You can access the consultation paper on the Authority’s website on this link: https://ca.go.ke/consumers/public-consultations/open-consultations/ >> >> >> >> The deadline for submission of comments is 15th March 2019. >> >> >> Best Regards, >> Chiimbiru Gimode, CMRP, MPRSK. >> Communications Officer >> >> Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) >> Head Office: CA Centre,Waiyaki Way,Westlands, Nairobi I P.O Box 14448 Nairobi 00800. >> Regional Offices: Mombasa I Nyeri I Kisumu I Eldoret >> >> Office Line : 0703-042-524 I Website : www.ca.go.ke I Twitter : @CA_Kenya >> Facebook : Communications Authority of Kenya I YouTube : CA Kenya I Instagram: CA Kenya >> Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/cck-kenya >> >> Core Values: >> Integrity | Innovation| Excellence >> “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today’’-Ernest Hemingway >> >> Please be responsible, consider the environment before printing this e-mail. >> DISCLAIMER:- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use by the individual(s) or entity to whom it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately by a reply e-mail. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com >> >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >> >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

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Re: [kictanet] John Suffolk's Statement at the Huawei Press Conference on March 7, 2019 - Huawei
by Ali Hussein 11 Mar '19

11 Mar '19

Adam Thanks for this. Informative. Part of it is public knowledge already especially the part about components of computer systems being manufactured by several vendors. The Global IT Supply Chain is so convoluted and so many players involved that if what the US is alluding to is correct that we will see the collapse of this ecosystem, of which China is a major player. Kind of shooting oneself in the foot so to speak. Take Apple for example: According to the statement 766 global suppliers, among which 346 were on the Chinese mainland. In summary, around half of iPhones are manufactured in China. This will be case study worthy of any Business School going forward. Regards *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *AHK & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Fri, Mar 8, 2019 at 6:06 PM Adam Lane via kictanet < kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Hi all > > I thought I'd share this, as it's a nice summary of the cybersecurity > challenges we all face globally and addresses some of the concerns raised > by some stakeholders overseas. > > > https://www.huawei.com/en/press-events/special-release/john-suffolks-statem… > > there's a lot more detail on the website, but this may be the most > insightful. > > regards > Adam > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >

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[here we go again.. surely we can't be this dumb] 800, 000 Kenyans need food aid, agency says
by Patrick A. M. Maina 09 Mar '19

09 Mar '19

Guys, last year the problem was TOO MUCH RAIN. This year (less than 12 months later), the problem is TOO LITTLE RAIN. This has been happening for over 100 years. Corruption makes us look foolish and incompetent to the rest of the world.. like we are incapable of something as basic as learning to compensate for nature's cycles. Then we get offended when the developed world holds paternalistic or condescending attitudes towards us... It's not them, we are doing this to ourselves! When will we realize that it is NOT THE RAIN PATTERNS that are the problem... it's having people who don't care about the impact of their selfish actions on the less privileged, in positions or jobs that require caring. When you look at countries like the Netherlands, which should not even be viable (because 1/3 of their land is literally below sea level) or Israel - which is literally a desert but among the top 20 most food secure nations, the significance of our continued failure as a society really sinks in. Some problems are so fundamental, they should have been solved decades ago. There is no excuse. No one to blame, but ourselves as a society. We contribute our part to grand corruption by being silent and passive about it. Silence, in the face of repeated injustice, means CONSENT. These are 800,000 victims of our silence in the face of corruption, nepotism and short sighted thinking. Don't blame the rain.. look in the mirror. That is where the problem is. https://www.nation.co.ke/news/800-000-Kenyans-need-food-aid/1056-5016738-ta… 800,000 Kenyans need food aid, agency says | | | | | | | | | | | 800,000 Kenyans need food aid, agency says National Drought Management Authority warns figure could rise if weather stays same. | | |

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UK to place social media firms under duty of care.
by Patrick A. M. Maina 09 Mar '19

09 Mar '19

[link at the bottom] "Social media firms in the United Kingdom will soon be placed under a new statutory duty of care, the Daily Telegraph reported on Friday. Under the new rules, tech giants will be required to take reasonable and proportionate action to protect their users, especially children, from any online harm. This includes harmful content that is illegal such as physical abuse and legal content which is potentially harmful, such as cyber bullying, self-harm and violence. Firms that fail to do so will be fined, prosecuted and even barred from operating in the UK. To ensure enforcement of the rules, the government will create a new independent regulator that will have wide-ranging powers to require firms to remove harmful or illegal material under legally binding codes." link: https://www.teletrader.com/amp/news/details/47079238

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John Suffolk's Statement at the Huawei Press Conference on March 7, 2019 - Huawei
by Adam Lane 08 Mar '19

08 Mar '19

Hi all I thought I'd share this, as it's a nice summary of the cybersecurity challenges we all face globally and addresses some of the concerns raised by some stakeholders overseas. https://www.huawei.com/en/press-events/special-release/john-suffolks-statem… there's a lot more detail on the website, but this may be the most insightful. regards Adam

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[AfrICANN-discuss] ICANN64 from March 09 to March 14, 2019 in Kobe
by Bob Ochieng 08 Mar '19

08 Mar '19

Listers, This will be interesting for some of you. > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Yaovi Atohoun <yaovi.atohoun(a)icann.org> > Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] ICANN64 from March 09 to March 14, 2019 in Kobe > Date: March 8, 2019 at 11:28:27 AM GMT+3 > To: AfrICANN Community List <africann(a)afrinic.net> > Reply-To: AfrICANN Community List <africann(a)afrinic.net> > > Hello everyone / Bonjour à tous > > EN: ICANN64 community forum is scheduled for March 9-14, 2019 in Kobe (Japan) and it is possible to attend remotely. > Pease see the full agenda of the meeting at https://64.schedule.icann.org/ <https://64.schedule.icann.org/> . You have also links on remote participation in various sessions details. > Note that time zone in Kobe is UTC+9 > > FR : La réunion ICANN64 se déroule du 09 au 14 mars 2019 à Kobe (Japon) et il est possible d’y participer à distance > Prière aller sur https://64.schedule.icann.org/ <https://64.schedule.icann.org/> pour l’agenda de la réunion. Vous pouvez aussi participer à distance grâce aux liens disponibles sur les pages d’information des différentes sessions. > Notez que le fuseau horaire à Kobe est UTC+9 > > Thanks / Merci > > -- > Yaovi Atohoun > Stakeholder Engagement and Operations Manager- Africa; ICANN > Tel. +229 66015649/65209067 > www.icann.org <http://www.icann.org/> > > _______________________________________________ > AfrICANN mailing list > AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net <mailto:AfrICANN@afrinic.net> > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/africann <https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/africann>

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[connecting the dots] The real reason why Africa struggles with eCommerce and Airlines
by Patrick A. M. Maina 07 Mar '19

07 Mar '19

Dear Listers, Whenever we have a spectacular failure in industry, we rush to attribute it to one or many of the five factors below: 1. Management competence (e.g. manifests through "culture" and/or lack of responsiveness to new/non-standard challenges; lack of awareness that competence is situational) 2. Failed Strategy (e.g. markets respond better to competitors or are already locked-in. Strategy can fail even where the management is highly competent.)3. Corruption / conflicts of interest (includes nepotism, procurement challenges e.g. unethical vendor practices or blatant theft) 4. External factors (e.g. global economic / geopolitical dynamics) 5. Force Majeure (sudden unforeseeable calamities - whether natural or man-made) I'd like to put forward one reason, unique to Africa, that is seldom raised or addressed, yet it in many cases could be the primary reason why many African businesses struggle to remain viable despite adopting business models that succeed in other countries: The biggest obstacle for most African businesses is the structural operating environment. Simply put, Africa doesn't scale. * Scale is the reason that KQ's economic doom was sealed in 1977 when East African Airways was dissolved. * Scale (not trust or delivery infrastructure) is the reason eCommerce simply can't and won't work in Africa (yet works in India) under the current circumstances. Certain types of businesses are simply not viable without scale. It doesn't matter what strategy, caliber of management or whatever else is used. Without scale, you have to swim upstream and perform miracles. No wonder we tell tourists that Kenya / Africa is "Magical". Only a magician can do certain businesses in Africa - under current circumstances. For example KQ earns >Ksh. 100Billion annually. Where does the money go? Do you know who really benefits from African Airlines failure to leverage scale? Here's my list: 1. International Vendors (Equipment / Systems / Fuel) 2. International Hedge funds (e.g. Price / Currency hedges) 3. International Insurance.4. Prioritized creditors (most likely international) 5. International Airports. The only country that doesn't get paid is Kenya. Due to lack of scale, we end up literally giving financial aid to rich countries. This is not a smart thing for a poor country to do. Scale benefits are (in part) what makes Delta Airlines, for example, operate with double digit margins, earn Ksh. 4.4 Trillion in a year (enough to run our country for almost 2 years without borrowing) which translates to Ksh. 1.3 Billion DAILY PBT (profits before tax). Yes, a daily profit of Ksh. 1.3 Billion. That kind of performance is not magical - it's just smart application of basic economics and intelligent (strategically meaningful) politics + policies. eCommerce? USPS (et. al) operation at scale is what made Amazon possible at scale. Prosperity is not just about efficiency - the size of market matters. It matters a lot! Africa combined is the 8th largest economy in the world yet as individual countries we barely register on the global radar. Individual African countries are simply not viable. No amount of aid or borrowing will fix scale deficiencies - in fact, the lack of scale is what makes our current national debts worrisome and risky! The idea of "national pride" carriers is ancient and obsolete. We need Pan-African Champion Airlines (where countries buy shares in not more than three Pan-African Airlines - North, Central and South). This would immediately dissolve the perceived (delusional) national advantage of self-imposed barriers to open skies and regional trade. The current heavy reliance on international markets is not smart at all (we are highly exposed to global shocks and geopolitics); it should be supplemented by sensible and massive intra-Africa trade. Pan-Africanism is not a sentimental idea, it is a rational and intelligent economic strategy. It is the only way to create a common and unified mindset that will unlock scale in Africa. Thankfully a good number of African leaders and technocrats are recognizing these challenges, hence the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) initiative, which requires ratification of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, and the African Passport, as part of the integration process. As business people it is in our interest to support these initiatives as much as we can - but also to be vigilant of powerful (foreign state-backed) resource-extraction MNCs that would want to hijack or sabotage Africa's integration because it spoils their centuries-long plunder party. How does my argument hold, in view of success stories like Equity and/or Safaricom? In science, we disprove arguments by looking for a 'black swan" (just a single instance of contradiction) - are they not the Black Swans? Nope! Equity and Safaricom have certain common business model aspects which allow them to operate "successfully" with limited scale. The most obvious being network effects - but there are other non-obvious factors which are out of scope of this article. Still these are still tiny and fragile operations relative to their scale-leveraged counterparts which earn tens of billions of shillings in revenues daily (and trillions annually). Our culture of mediocrity is what makes us celebrate our (relative) minions. Failure to think in terms of scale is dangerous.. it leads to (or encourages) predatory corporate behavior, comfort zones, mediocrity and other mental barriers. Thanks for reading. I welcome your thoughts on the above. Good day & Brgds, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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DNSSEC - is it available again?
by Mark Elkins 07 Mar '19

07 Mar '19

Hi, Just did a search on DNSSEC in this group and get nothing. I see that co.ke (and ke!) is DNSSEC signed. That's Very Good. Does KeNIC accept DS records for entries in CO.KE? Do any Registrars have that in their interface? A search of "dnssec" on the KeNIC website shows nothing (I tried both case) http://www.kenic.or.ke/index.php/en/search-results?ordering=newest&searchwo… Lastly - Are non-Kenyan based organisations allowed to be Registrars yet? The Application form (http://www.kenic.or.ke/images/PDF/Registrar%20Application%20Form%20Updated.…) doesn't state you have to be in Kenya - though it asks for a "KRA Pin Certificate" - and I've no clue what that it. I have a few co.ke domains and would love to add DNSSEC to them. My systems allow for that (talks EPP) and I have about 100 DNSSEC signed domains, mainly in ZA but also in other ccTLDs and GTLDs. -- Mark James ELKINS - Posix Systems - (South) Africa mje(a)posix.co.za Tel: +27.128070590 Cell: +27.826010496 For fast, reliable, low cost Internet in ZA: https://ftth.posix.co.za

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Scholarships for ICT4D with University of Manchester
by peres wamukhula were 07 Mar '19

07 Mar '19

Dear Listers Please find below, details of two sets of scholarships to study ICT4D with the University of Manchester: - The 2019 Development Informatics Scholarship covers tuition fees, flights and living costs. It is available for applicants from Ghana, Kenya, Zambia or Zimbabwe to Manchester’s one-year MSc ICTs-for-Development <https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.manc…>. Deadline 31 March: https://www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/study/taught-masters/funding-opportunities… <https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdi.…> - Ten Commonwealth scholarships cover all fees for the distance learning MSc Management and Information Systems <https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.manc…>. Deadline 22 March: https://www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk/study/taught-masters/funding-opportunities… <https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdi.…> Best regards Peres Were

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Researchers discover a MAJOR hardware-level security vulnerability in ALL Intel CPUs (and it's worse than Spectre)
by Patrick A. M. Maina 05 Mar '19

05 Mar '19

"Researchers have found another way to abuse speculative execution in Intel CPUs to steal secrets and other data from running applications." "The leakage can be exploited by a limited set of instructions, which is visible in all Intel generations starting from the 1st generation of Intel Core processors, independent of the OS (works against ALL operating systems) and also works from within virtual machines and sandboxed environments." "This security shortcoming can be potentially exploited by malicious JavaScript within a web browser tab (phishing vector), or malware running on a system, or rogue logged-in users, to extract passwords, keys, and other data from memory. The vulnerability, it appears, cannot be easily fixed or mitigated without significant redesign work at the silicon level. The researchers also examined Arm and AMD processor cores, but found they did not exhibit similar behavior." "Spoiler is not a Spectre attack. The root cause for Spoiler is a weakness in the address speculation of Intel’s proprietary implementation of the memory subsystem which directly leaks timing behavior due to physical address conflicts. Existing spectre mitigations would therefore not interfere with Spoiler." The "spoiler" vulnerability "can be exploited from user space without elevated privileges." Link to the paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1903.00446.pdf News article: Intel CPUs afflicted with simple data-spewing spec-exec vulnerability Link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/03/05/spoiler_intel_processor_flaw/ | | | | | | | | | | | SPOILER alert, literally: Intel CPUs afflicted with simple data-spewing ... 'Leakage ... is visible in all Intel generations starting from first-gen Core CPUs' | | |

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