- KICTANet - KICTANet

Telkom's new licence, Sh69b debt and layoffs
by Mike Theuri 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

The Standard reports the following excerpts in part: http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143972525&catid=14 ++++++++ *Telkom Kenya plans major debt and project swaps to rid it of liabilities amounting to Sh68.8 billion as part of restructuring before privatisation. *======== The debt burden itself is astounding given the sum of US$1bn. The government's promise to hand over TKL with a clean balance sheet ought to invite offers far in excess of the said $50m that was said to have been offered by some bidders. While debt swap is a novel idea, the tax payer should not inadvertently become the party to whom the debt is swapped to, directly or indirectly. *++++++++ Mr Solomon Kitungu, Director of Reforms in the Ministry of Finance, said the Government has already factored the funding initiatives in the current budget, with Sh41 billion made available towards the process.* ======= It appears that the Kenyan taxpayer is bound to be saddled with heavy debt obligations far more than the previously thought Ksh 20bn. The government would do well to inform Kenyans at large just as it did for the potential bidders as to what is in it for them and the country were the sale of TKL to be successful considering it is our hard earned taxes that are paying for this privitization +++++++ *This in addition to Safaricom interconnection interest of Sh1.3 billion, Paris Club and other loans paid by Government amounting to Sh3.8 billion. There is also the Government debt on telephone and data lines amounting to Sh3.4 billion, new mobile license (US$55m), which requires Sh3.9 billion and liquidity and investment support of Sh3.5 billion. *======= It now appears that TKL is set to transition from a fixed wireless provider for which it was already licensed, to a fully fledged mobile provider at par with Safaricom and Celtel. Whether the complaints against TKL generated more than the providers bargained for (ie the mere payment of excise and VAT taxes vs a new mobile operator on equal operational footing) remains to be seen. Clearly TKL with its basket of licences will be a formidable provider once privatized considering it will be able to offer competitive and bundled services (wireless + wireline + internet + IPTV etc etc). The $55m mobile licence fee presumably will again be footed by the taxpayer. Is the government in effect throwing this arena wide open to any RWA operator by licencing TKL as a mobile operator? This would be a big plus for the consumer and other entrants eager to tap the market. Hopefully the Kenyan taxpayer who is likely to be bearing this $1 billion+ burden will not be short changed when it comes to the offer amount. TKL's management had reportedly asked for 5 years to run TKL, 5 years might be too long but atleast 2-3 years ought to have been fair. I believe TKL if given a chance would alleviate the debt burden to be passed on to taxpayers by leveraging its new services and restructured organization so as not to unfairly burden the Kenyan taxpayer and unduely reward foreign entities coming on board. Hopefully we will get to see consortiums that include local partners bidding for the sale. The government should be willing to reject bids that do not reflect the true value of TKL after the Ksh 69 billion debt offload. With a clean balance sheet, TKL ought to be worth in excess of the range Rothschilds once valued it at: $800m - $1.3bn. Why the Government did not seek to ask the bidders to assume part of the debt remains to be seen, though it does make the sale very attractive. Also to be seen is whether the government intends to undertake measures to ensure that the Nation's national security is not compromised as a result of the sale. Mike Theuri

1 0

Echelon (Spy Network).
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 07 Aug '07

07 Aug '07

Guys, Big brother is watching: 1. Echelon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON> - Wikipedia Article. 2. The Echelon Project & Evidence of Anglo Leasing that even Ringera won't bear to ignore<http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/2007/03/echelon-project-and-evidence-of-anglo…> - Kumekucha Article. Kind regards, Michael. -- "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour..." ~ William Blakeg. --

1 0

[KBC Poll] Internet Users: 90.4 per cent oppose revealing sources
by Alex Gakuru 07 Aug '07

07 Aug '07

According to the ongoing KBC (http://www.kbc.co.ke/) Poll (image attached), Internet Users resoundingly object to journalists revealing their sources of information. Guess we are mostly OK with the 4th Estate continuing to broadcast and publish their goofs on their front pages, when they do-it's better than government info black-outs. Hope our Safari Park Hotel request that the ICT Bill incorporates a Blogger Protection clause is incorporated. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase. http://farechase.yahoo.com/

1 0

Security Tips.
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 06 Aug '07

06 Aug '07

Guys, Forewarned is forearmed. I didn't want to bypass an opportunity to disseminate this information. Don't forget to check out this great page on e-mail hoaxes to boost your awareness: Urban Legends & Folklore.<http://urbanlegends.about.com/> Kind regards, Michael. -- "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour..." ~ William Blakeg.

1 0

Re: [kictanet] It's a new twist for Econet Wireless
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 06 Aug '07

06 Aug '07

Dear Mr. Theuri, Thank you for supplying more details. You raise many issues here and more importantly is the fact that you understand the difference between regulatory and policy. For smooth running of the industry, the regulator must be independent. The current Government at least wants an indepedent regulator. We must leave regulatory issues to the regulator. The Econet matter is regulatory. The Government has extricated itself from mixing regolatory and policy issues. This is simple and straight forward. Your problem is the fact that you are a party to the issues sorrounding Econet and you are not disclosing that to your audiences. At some point I am told you did not want KNFC to have access to the licence. Now you are advocating issuance of the same licence to KNFC. I deceided to engage with you in this discussion because I thought you were a sincere Kenyan interested in seeing justice. I now know that you cannot in any way see issues in this matter objectively. You will therefore excuse met from further discussion on this issue. I HAVE RESTED MY CASE. Regards Ndemo. > Dear Dr. Bitange, > > Thank you for your candid response and dialogue. I disagree that I am > in effect spilling any beans. The information being shared is in > possession of the Government, the regulator, KACC, courts in various > jurisdictions and covered in numerous publications across the world. > These are public domain sources and some of these documents have been > provided in many different courts by none other than Econet and the > regulator. In case my liberal sharing has been misunderstood, the > information I have shared revolves around the infamous litigant, > Econet, any information that touches on the Government is a result of > being willingly or unwillingly mired in the scandal and highlights the > danger of the Government crossing the line of being an impartial party > and becoming complicit by extension in the actions of the foreign > entity. > > The documents and facts speak for themselves and I believe there is a > pending matter in court against the regulator over the failure to > respond appropriately to an objection to the licence as required by > law. Such are the endless consequences that will potentially continue > to haunt the government if the right decision is not carried out. > > My humble opinion is that for the sake of integrity and faith in > future tendering and so as to attract companies that will not > disappoint, that the regulator seek to conduct proper and thorough due > diligence so that Kenyans and the GoK are not in essence defrauded or >%2 ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

7 12

Should the ICT Bill pasing follow The Media Bill...
by Alex Gakuru 05 Aug '07

05 Aug '07

On second thought, I recall the President said "Kama mtu yeyote [serikali-ni] ana kukasirisha sema..hapana ogopa! basi..." thus Bill Kagai,no-one should succumb to online intimidations and if I am wrong they should just say so. I am fully aware that some providers are afraid of "license implications" if they speak out... Now, given the secrecy, contradictions and last-minute maneuvers in Kenya's law-making processes consumers may be forced to pro-actively go to court to challenged the ICT Bill on constitutional illegality, certainly if the "storming clause" is not deleted. Other transparent legislators committed to consumers accessing affordable telecommunications even publish their Bills online(e.g. PDF bill, Section 5 Excemptions (2) "during an emergency declared by the President") http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070803-community-broadband-act-would… ____________________________________________________________________________________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

1 0

Register your free offical Postal Email Address at PostKenya.com
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 04 Aug '07

04 Aug '07

Can you say: "Najivunia kuwa Mkenya?" ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: TelePosta Communications <postmaster(a)postkenya.com> Date: 04-Aug-2007 22:51 Subject: Register your free offical Postal Email Address at PostKenya.com To: kipsangb(a)gmail.com Dear Kenyan, As a proud Kenyan or a person with interest in Kenya, we are glad to announce to you that a new Email hosting PostOffice platform for Kenyans has been launched at http://www.postkenya.com Here, you can get your own FREE official email address and start to communicating officially with both local and international clients as well as get insightful business tips. Register now for free at PostKenya.com to get your own *email(a)postkenya.com*and have an official address that you can use to communicate freely. Please forward this message to friends and help get Kenyans on the web officialy. TeleP0sta Communications, PostKenya.com <http://www.postkenya.com> -- "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour..." ~ William Blakeg.

2 1

New law forces media to reveal sources
by Alex Gakuru 03 Aug '07

03 Aug '07

>From now on, would you trust Kenya media with any confidential corruption story, especially if you were in the civil service? or expect Editors to even touch let alone fearlessly publish corruption reports when they will have to name their sources. Who will now dare accuse a minister of graft? In short, "You Kenyans shut up and let us eat". Loss of business for local media houses and we revive your old shortwave radio. You will need it henceforth to tune in to BBC, VOA, etc for breaking news on Kenya? But then again, one can always publish in foreign newspapers that protect their sources and on websites. At least for the time being before another internet censorship and PCs confiscation law is passed. Don't you love Kenya? Have fun with whistle blower protection program joke... ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222

2 1

Fellowships to Ensure Global Voices Heard at ICANN
by alice 03 Aug '07

03 Aug '07

see <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-02aug07.htm> Fellowships to Ensure Global Voices Heard at ICANN Program builds on the successful pilot program run at San Juan meeting 2 August 2007 MARINA DEL REY, Calif.: More voices from across the globe will be heard at ICANN's 30th International Public Meeting in Los Angeles later this year thanks to the global fellowships program being launched today. "ICANN has a global mandate and it's important that we do what we can to support participation from every corner of the world. This program makes sure we have involvement from individuals from developing and least developed nations who otherwise may be unable to attend," said Theresa Swinehart, ICANN's Vice President, Global and Strategic Partnerships. "The pilot of the fellowship program at our San Juan meeting was a success and has helped us refine the program for the upcoming ICANN meeting in Los Angeles." The 33 fellows from 24 countries who played an active role at the San Juan meeting were chosen from 125 applications received -- and 65 per cent of the fellows and 68 per cent of applicants had never attended an ICANN meeting. Priority will be given to applicants who are current residents of developing and least developed nations who are interested in participating in ICANN and its supporting organizations, such as the Governmental Advisory Committee, the Country Code Names Supporting Organization, and the Generic Names Supporting Organization. The fellowship will assist in covering airfare, hotel and a stipend. Recipients will be expected to actively participate in and contribute to ICANN processes. As always, registration for ICANN's meetings is free for anyone wanting to attend. The Los Angeles meeting will be held from 29 October to 2 November 2007. "ICANN is working on major efforts with internationalized domain names and new top-level domains -- efforts that represent some of the biggest changes to the Internet since it was invented," Swinehart added. "ICANN wants as much input and global engagement as possible on issues like IDNs and top-level domains -- and the fellowship program has a key role in helping us accomplish that goal." Applications will be accepted from now until 1200 PDT (UTC -7) on Friday 24 August 2007. More information, as well as a link to the application for a fellowship, is available online at: http://www.icann.org/fellowships/ etc etc about ICANN. ____________________________________________________________

1 0

[Fwd: AfriNIC position on the future of IP number resources]
by Michuki Mwangi 03 Aug '07

03 Aug '07

PLEASE READ - Very IMPORTANT! -------- Original Message -------- Subject: AfriNIC position on the future of IP number resources Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:13:29 +0400 From: Adiel A. Akplogan <ceo(a)afrinic.net> To: members-contact(a)afrinic.net Dear Members, After considering the situation of the IPv4 central pool exhaustion and the analysis paper published by AfriNIC staff in April 2007 [1], The AfriNIC Board approved in its last meeting an action plan for the staff to intensify its awareness campaign on the issue and advise network operators in the region to make their network infrastructure IPv6 ready as soon as possible. Resolution [#200707.01]: "Noting the imminent exhaustion of the IPv4 address central pool, the AfriNIC Board resolves that efforts to draw the public's attention to the problem and potential solutions such as IPv6 be intensified, and instructs the staff to take appropriate action in this regard" In line with this resolution, we have released the attached message to draw your attention to the situation. This direct communication will be followed by different other measures/activities to continue to promote the adoption of IPv6 in the Africa region. Among other activities, AfriNIC will have a press conference to reach out to a larger audience including the media and intensify its IPv6 training activity across the continent. We will also soon launch a specific area on our web site dedicated to IPv6, from where policy, training materials, papers and other useful information related to IPv6 will be available. Do not hesitate to contact our team, should you have any further questions or need more clarification. Sincerely, [1] http://www.afrinic.net/news/ipv4_exhaustion.htm ______________________________________________________________________ Adiel A. AKPLOGAN Tel. +230 466 66 16 Chief Executive Officer, AfriNIC Fax: +230 466 67 58 adiel(a)afrinic.net www.afrinic.net <http://www.afrinic.net/>================ See you at AfriNIC-7 - Durban, South Africa 23-28 September 2007, www.afrinic.net/meeting/afrinic-7 <http://www.afrinic.net/meeting/afrinic-7> -- Michuki Mwangi KENIC _______________________________________________ members mailing list members(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/members

1 0