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The Captain on Payment Gateway!!
by Bill Kagai 08 Aug '08

08 Aug '08

I have seen in today's Nation - Back Page - Among the targets the Captain set for Ministries include:: 1. The Ministry of Information will provide a payment gateway and harmonise the E-transaction Bill with the Banking Act. [sic] We do have a solution under beta testing jointly with Commercial Bank of Africa which uses MPESA as one of the transaction avenues, whilst CBA acts as the settlement institution. I know PayPal is also testing another system. Could we perhaps plan to brainstorm and set the necessary benchmarks before these products are put in the market to coincide with submarine cables landing?? As usual, I look for leadership and inspiration from our champion - Bw. Bitange Ndemo. You can test the solution by g360 Ltd at: http://www.mobilepay.i360microsystems.com/shop.php

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Ministry to support young entrepreneurs
by Mike Theuri 07 Aug '08

07 Aug '08

http://www.eastandard.net/business/InsidePage.php?id=1143991935&cid=14& Ministry to support young entrepreneurs Published on 08/08/2008 By Kenneth Kwama The Ministry of Trade is working to create a policy to relax procurement rules to make it easier for young entrepreneurs to tender for Government jobs. "Some of the rules like those that require people to have been in business for more than 10 years before being considered for Government tenders are unfair to young entrepreneurs and should be reviewed," said Mr Omingo Magara, Assistant Minister for Trade. Magara spoke during the unveiling of the Global Entrepreneurship Week, which is set to take place from November 17-23. The concept is aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs who want to do business. The event will take place in more than 60 countries. In Kenya, it will be co-ordinated by the Sacoma Centre for business enterprises, which says it hopes to create 10,000 new jobs for the youth by the end of the one-week event. "We are working with partners who are willing to support the youth in various ways like training, mentorship and start up capital. In the end, we hope this will enable young people to create their own businesses and employ people," said Ms Peres Ochieng', CEO of Sacoma. Youth Participation The organisers expect thousands of youths from different districts to participate. Chris Spavin, the International Campaigns executive for the programme, lauded the idea as revolutionary to help the youth in developing countries take charge of their own destinies. "It aims to inspire a movement of people and stakeholders to celebrate and engage in enterprising ideas and make them happen," said Spavin. The idea was first mooted in the UK, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown acting as patron of one of the founder organisations. Magara said his ministry would provide the infrastructure necessary to support the initiative and also work on new policy to make the business environment friendlier to the youth. He cited the many procedures required by procurement rules saying they were hostile to young entrepreneurs. He said some jobs like construction of feeder roads in rural areas could be given to the youth without necessarily going through the tendering process. Other events lined up for the week include business ideas competition and campaigns for new policies geared at improving business environment for young people.

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computers and problems.
by wesley kiriinya 07 Aug '08

07 Aug '08

So I'm writing this up as something to provoke some thought in our IT minds as we go about innovating and creating policies in IT. I believe it would be fair to say that computers don't solve our problems, rather they make the solutions more efficient and/or convinient. Many people believe that computers and similar gadgets solve their problems. Companies that create computers and marketers have used this idea to sell their products to the less IT knowlegable population. Because of various lies and half truths the ideas of the original creator of a product are never communicated therefore one finds people with different understandings of the same technology and what it does. Although this has existed for a long time it's only coming out clealy in the IT field because of its fast changing nature. Within one year what one knows about a technology can change as more about the technology is revealed. Looking at what computers do, they are machines that run software, and software is just a bunch of instructions that manipulate hardware. A piece of software seems to solve a problem to the un-knowlegable IT user but to the originator/creator the solution was already created even before it was implemented in software ( otherwise what would the software be doing? Reminding you about your problems? ) and it is from this perspective that I believe computers can be viewed because by doing it the other way round one ends up with managers who buy tonnes of computer equipment and software thinking their company woes will suddenly come to an end ( It's easier to ask God for a miracle! ). The problems need to be defined and solutions created in the ordinary way, leaving out the machines. Then let the machines do what they do best, crunch numbers faster and transmit data faster than humans. Comments and criticisms most welcome. Regards. 8~)

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Is it necessary to legislate IT Professionalism under an Act of Parliament?
by kathae＠cskonline.org 07 Aug '08

07 Aug '08

visit www.cskonline.org and make a vote on whether its necessary to legislate IT Professionalism under an Act of Parliament? Your vote counts in ensuring high standards of professionalism would be mantained in this country >From Peter Ndonga, System administrator (Computer Society Of Kenya). +254724326360

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FW: Early cell phone termination fees illegal
by Edith Adera 06 Aug '08

06 Aug '08

What is the rule in Kenya? Celtel (read Zain) seems to have this rule as well? Whats in place here to protect consumers? Edith Adera _____ From: Gideon Christian [mailto:gchristian@idrc.ca] Sent: 01 August 2008 16:39 To: ICT4D-Futures Workspace Subject: Early cell phone termination fees illegal California judge rules early cell phone termination fees illegal http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/99655 In one of the most significant legal rulings in the tech industry this year, a Superior Court judge in California has ruled that the practice of charging <http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10039461?source=most_viewed> consumers a fee for ending their cell phone contract early is illegal and violates state law. The preliminary, tentative judgment orders Sprint Nextel to pay customers $18.2 million in reimbursements and, more importantly, orders Sprint to stop trying to collect another $54.7 million from California customers (some 2 million customers total) who have canceled their contracts but refused or failed to pay the termination fee. While an appeal is inevitable, the ruling could have massive fallout throughout the industry. Without the threat of levying early termination fees, the cellular carriers lose the power that's enabled them to lock customers into contracts for multiple years at a time. And while those contracts can be heinously long, they also let the carriers offer cell phone hardware at reduced (subsidized) prices. AT&T's two-year contract is the only reason the iPhone 3G costs $199. If subsidies vanish, what happens to hardware lock-in? Could an era of expensive, but unlocked, hardware be just around the corner? It's highly probable. Of course, the carriers aren't going to take this lying down. Early termination fees are seen as critical to business, so carriers are expected to look for ways to reclassify the fees (such as by calling them "rates," part of the arcane set of laws that covers the telecommunications industry). The industry is also pushing for the federal government to step in and claim oversight over the early termination fee issue, which would invalidate any state ruling. The FCC is generally more tolerant of such fees, though Chairman Kevin Martin has proposed a plan whereby the fees are decreased the closer you are to the end of your contract. The FCC may also buy the argument that, since carriers are nationally based (and consumers can use their phones anywhere in the country), that a single policy should apply across the nation, rather than creating a patchwork of legislation that could lead to confusion and chaos caused by having 50 different policies. Is the early termination fee dead? Not yet, but it's looking a little haggard. Gideon Christian, LL.M Research Intern/Stagiaire Int`l Development Research Centre (IDRC) Centre de Recherches pour le Développement International (CRDI) 150 Kent Str Ottawa, ON, K1P 0B2 Canada Tel/Tél:+1-613-236-6163 ext 2063 Cell:cellulaire: +1-613-265-1300 Fax/Téléc: +1-613-238-7230 Email/Courriel: gchristian(a)idrc.ca www.idrc.ca / www.crdi.ca Dgroups is a joint initiative of Bellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, ICCO, IICD, OneWorld, UNAIDS and World Bank --- You are currently subscribed to ict4d-futures as: eadera(a)idrc.or.ke To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-ict4d-futures-75952T(a)dgroups.idrc.ca

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[Fwd: [governance] Call For Papers Country Domain Governance 2008 (CDG'08)]
by alice 05 Aug '08

05 Aug '08

Call For Papers CDG'08 International Symposium on Country Domain Governance 2008 (CDG'08) <http://www.cdg08.org> November 20-22, Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, Japan. CDG'08 will address all aspects of research related to domain name governance and linguistic diversity of the Internet. The symposium is being held to celebrate the International Year of Languages. Scope The symposium provides a forum for engineers and scientists in academia, industry and government to present their latest research findings on issues relating to domain name governance, Internet governance and linguistic diversity of the Internet. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to: * CDG issues on Accessibility, Openness, Security, Diversity, and Open-content * TLD or ccTLD Surveys * Basic Political Economy of Identifiers and CDG * Internet Name and Address Spaces * Analytical Framework of CDG * Property Rights Conflicts * ICANN and Global Regulatory Regime * Global Rights to Internet Domain Names * Languages on Internet * Encoding Issues Paper Submission and Manuscript Preparation Accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Provide an abstract of 800-1000 words describing the main research questions to be addressed by the paper and include five to ten appropriate keywords. The full paper should be up to six pages in A4 format written in English. This page limit includes figures, tables and references. Include a curriculum vitae (not more than one page) of the main submitting author, the technical area(s) most relevant to the paper, the names and affiliations of all contributing authors, and the corresponding author's e-mail address. All text (main text, and references) should be 11 point font. Accepted final camera-ready articles for the proceedings should follow the format specified here <http://mirevicast.medien.fh-duesseldorf.de/hc2007/format>. If possible, please use the provided LaTeX template <http://mirevicast.medien.fh-duesseldorf.de/hc2007/file_download/1>. Full papers are preferable for the review process. Important dates Submission Deadline: August 31st, 2008 for an extended abstract or a full paper in final draft. Notification of Acceptance: September 30th, 2008 Final Manuscript: October 22nd, 2008 Symposium: November 20th - 22nd, 2008 About the Venue Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, Japan <http://kansei.nagaokaut.ac.jp/CDG08/venue.html>. Nagaoka is located in Niigata Prefecture, from Tokyo the journey by Shinkansen takes about 90 minutes. CDG'08 will be held in conjunction with * 11th International Conference on Humans and Computers (HC'2008) <http://www.hc2008.org/> * 2nd International Conference on Kansei Engineering and Affective Systems (KEAS'08) <http://www.keas08.org/> Sponsored by * Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) * CDG Committee of the Nagaoka University of Technology * MAAYA (World Network for Linguistic Diversity) * The Human and Computer Committee of the Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan, (HC'2008) * International University of Japan * Concordia University College of Alberta (Canada) * Center for Global Communications (Japan) * Niigata International Convention Bureau For more information about the symposium or call for papers, please contact <cdg08(a)kjs.nagaokaut.ac.jp> About the Country Domain Governance Project The Country Domain Governance (CDG) project, hosted by the Department of Management & Information Systems Science, Nagaoka University of Technology, is an international collaboration mapping the matrix of roles and responsibilities that should be undertaken by various stakeholders in order to maintain the well-being of the Internet. CDG is sponsored by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX). The JST RISTEX programme aims to improve our understanding of governance in the ubiquitous information society. It is oriented to social technology (technology and society) and includes broad programmes examining social vulnerabilities such as security and privacy and the pervasive use of ICTs, and the challenges of use and growth of the Internet. END ____________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: governance-unsubscribe(a)lists.cpsr.org For all list information and functions, see: http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

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(no subject)
by Jose Wambua 05 Aug '08

05 Aug '08

-- Joseph Wambua Success Consultant Mobile: +254 0710 514107 www.Xtraincome.successuniversity.com/slim

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ICT Investment Opportunities in Kenya
by alice 05 Aug '08

05 Aug '08

http://www.aganoconsulting.com/businessnews/archives/24 ICT Investment Opportunities in Kenya The following are concluding remarks from a report titled ICT Investment Opportunities in East Africa Country Specific Market Analysis Kenya of October 2004 authored by Tina James Trigrammic, SA), Kimmo Kartano (Independent Consultant) Finland) and Tim Mutinda (Technology Consulting, Kenya). The remarks capture the essence of the findings and suggestions to the future. “The ICT sector in Kenya is small but with its skilled lCT labor force and recent changes in the government’s approaches to liberalization, some promising opportunities are likely to emerge in the short term. “Investments are predominantly in the telecommunications sector as funding requirements in the IT software and services sectors will require smaller investments in the region of USD50 000 – 300 000. The creation of venture capital funding is needed to address this gap in the market and will need to take addressed if the potential of this component of the ICT sector is to be unleashed.”

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CONFERENCE ON COMPUTERS AND GAMES 2008
by waudo siganga 05 Aug '08

05 Aug '08

The International Federation for Information Processing (www.IFIP.org)has organized the Conference on Computers and Games 2008 (http://www.cs.unimaas.nl/cg2008/) in Beijing just after the Olympics, 29th Sept-Oct 1. Could be of interest to techies, developers, AI Enthusiasts. Come and mix with the best developers in the world. Learn how they write sophisticated computer games and more. Learn how you can market your own creations internationally. Waudo People make a plan work, a plan alone seldom makes people work (Confucius).

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Re: [kictanet] New DG
by Catherine Adeya 05 Aug '08

05 Aug '08

Walu, Your suggestion for 3.5 is good though I think it should simply be 'How to organize Associations for Effective Managment with the Government. Unless I heard wrong, KTN Sunrise news this morning announced Mr Charles Kinyanjui Njoroge as the new CCK DG. Nyaki ----- Original Message ---- From: John Walubengo <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> To: elizaslider(a)yahoo.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 2:31:33 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Forum Agenda - Lets focus Harry, Indeed it would be a public forum - but to what extend has the message gone outside Nairobi given that most listservers have subscribers in NRB? Maybe there's need to have the traditional notice in the print media. As for the Agenda proposed and copied below, 1. Forum Objectives 2. Association presentations 3. General Discussion 4. Way forward I would add - 3.5. How to Organise the different Associations for effective engagement with Govt. walu. nb: meanwhile, unconfirmed reports from my moles indicate that a new DG for CCK has been unveiled. Anybody with such a copy?

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