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Pivot East Finalists Announced - Call for Mentors
by John Kieti 02 May '12

02 May '12

Hello People, You may be aware that on June 5th and 6th there will be the Pivot East Mobile Applications Pitching Conference at Ole Sereni. Top 25 companies from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda will be pitching their mobile based solutions to investors, corporates and other stakeholders. The 25 finalists in 5 categories have been announced here - http://pivoteast.com/blog/2012/04/pivot-east-competition-finalists-announce… Some of you might be interested in taking part as mentors to the finalists in the remaining weeks culminating to the conference. The contestants vary in experience and business skills. Mentorship sessions are being organized for more experienced tech-entrepreneurs and business/IT executives in the industry to share insights with the contestants. Pivot East organizers are able to link you up with any of the contestants for mentorship sessions that could last 20-45 minutes at your convenience between 7th and 27th may. If you are interested in this opportunity, kindly contact the organizers on the email address pivot(a)mlab.co.ke for more details. Best regards -- My Blog - www.gmeltdown.com ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' The ordinary just won't do

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Re: [kictanet] The Size of this Elephant (from my blog)
by Paul Kukubo 02 May '12

02 May '12

Alex. Agreed. An omission on my part and indeed everyone should be copied. For the record, I am keen to know what you were told, but hold the view that the spirit of this discussion is about how to develop a certain class of IT enterrpise. A discussion whose time has come. Asante. Paul Kukubo CEO, Kenya ICT Board On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, Alex Gakuru wrote: > Paul, > > I prefer public responses to public discussions to remain as such, > maintaining the same spheres of intended audiences i.e. as policy opposed > to the practice of public responses in certain tones 'compensated' through > private messages in a different tone, unless the parties publicly agreed to > take their conversation off list. > > Alex > > On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 10:08 PM, Paul Kukubo <paulkukubo(a)ict.go.ke<javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'paulkukubo(a)ict.go.ke');> > > wrote: > >> Alex >> >> Don't mean to be dismissive. On the contrary, I am curious as anyone else >> on this. >> >> While that is going on, we must keep our eyes on the wider issues that >> merit the discussions we have been undertaking. >> >> Asante. >> >> Sent from my iPad >> >> On May 1, 2012, at 9:55 PM, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com<javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'gakuru(a)gmail.com');>> >> wrote: >> >> On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 9:34 PM, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke<javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke');> >> > wrote: >> >>> >>> As for the #140Friday debate, if you care to share what you heard, I'd >>> be happy to understand what the conspiracy was about. It would not change >>> the substantive arguments in any way. >>> >> >> I notice you forgot to include my message on the same on this forward. >> But as stated, received that information in confidence therefore not at >> liberty to share. Curious you immediately dismiss it as "consipracy" so >> quickly? Shouldn't we be patient and wait to see how that one unfolds? >> >> regards, >> >> >> >> > -- Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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Re: [kictanet] The Size of this Elephant (from my blog)
by Paul Kukubo 01 May '12

01 May '12

Alex Thanks for your response. It was interesting. And indeed, I may have changed the metaphor from Elephant to Bull, but I'm assured it is well understood. An important clarification for worth communicating here. IT projects are rarely just about the technical software, hardware piece. Most substantial public sector, and indeed most IT projects in general are rarely just about buying a software or hardware. They are about transforming a business process to work more efficiently to achieve a service or business outcome. This therefore requires skill sets in business analysis, business process transformation, change management and project management. The role of the head of IT, commonly referred to as the chief information officer or CIO is to develop the enterprise architecture. Meaning how the how organizations information flow is structured to support the business. How accounting systems will work with sales systems for example. How the sales system will support multiple locations, how stock management can be optimized so that there is less holding of expansive stocks. The core IT piece Is crucial but comes only when that the puzzle is understood. This is the world in which large scale consulting firms live and this is the value that their clients seek. This is where the large IT contracts swim around globally. In fact most outsourcing is done to farm out the basic IT parts to companies that can understand this while leaving the main organization to focus on value addition. Our discussions with the local IT players have included sensitization of IT service providers to the wider opportunity. Many already play in this space. some of the techies may well be service providers to these larger organizations as part of the value chain of service provision. Ocassionaly the task may boil down to a simple IT talk that can be sourced directly to a techie. This is rare and would not usually be a high value transaction. The rule of thumb is the more strategic it is, the higher its shilling value. Sometimes just designing a change and process program is worth much more than the actual IT deployment. As for the #140Friday debate, if you care to share what you heard, I'd be happy to understand what the conspiracy was about. It would not change the substantive arguments in any way. These discussion are important and thanks for keeping them alive. Asante Paul Kukubo CEO Kenya ICT Board. On Monday, April 30, 2012, Alex Gakuru wrote: > Hi, > > Firstly, I confess opposition to your phrase "The elephant is big and fat > and has to be eaten a piece at a time.." > to avoid encouraging rampant "elephants eating" wiping out the jumbo and > killing tourism forex earnings. "Turkwel" is a baby elephant my ICANN NCSG > colleagues adopted after visiting a Nairobi animal orphage during 2010 > ICANN meeting held at Nairobi. But I trust that your message solely and > innocently intended to illustrate the size of Kshs 1.2 trillion current > government budget as cake big enough for everyone to have a slice of it. > appreciated! > > - - - - <snip>- - - - > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com <javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', > 'gakuru(a)gmail.com');>> > Date: Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 12:29 PM > Subject: Re: Offtopic: Fwd: Thank you for renewing your fostering of > Turkwel. > To: William Drake <william.drake(a)graduateinstitute.ch <javascript:_e({}, > 'cvml', 'william.drake(a)graduateinstitute.ch');>> > Cc: NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS(a)listserv.syr.edu <javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', > 'NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS(a)listserv.syr.edu');> > > > I have just written an email to the Kenya Wildlife Service ( > http://www.kws.org/) requesting them to declare the individual a *persona > non grata* in all of our wildlife parks. > regards, > > On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 11:32 AM, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com<javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', 'gakuru(a)gmail.com');> > > wrote: > >> >> On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 10:23 AM, William Drake < >> william.drake(a)graduateinstitute.ch <javascript:_e({}, 'cvml', >> 'william.drake(a)graduateinstitute.ch');>> >> >> Bob Parsons, chief executive of the market-leading domain name registrar >>> Go Daddy, has come to blows with animal-rights organisation PETA (People >>> for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), after he shot an African elephant >>> and posted the video online. >>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/31/bob_parsons_gets_peta_gong_for_kill… >>> >> >> Despicable! Posturing as "a kind white man" on a safari (in Zimbabwe!), >> accompanies by a camera crew out to save Africans from starvation since >> their maize crops are being ruined by elephants. An in the process feed >> them with tasty elephant meat - incidentally which he reports was not >> enough for all "the villagers." Would his plan on eradicating African >> hunger then not mean killing all the elephants for meat? Did he eat the >> meat he so proudly hunted? >> >> Or maybe lately there just wasn't "enough" savagely entertaining African >> content at GoDaddy, therefore he decided to spur it up ostensibly "while on >> holiday in Africa"? >> >> While at it, what has the multi-millionaire done to save his >> countless starving Americans , starting at his own neighbourhood? >> >> This video's message is deliberately meant to covey a message even bigger >> than the Jumbo this savagely act achieved. >> >> upset, >> >> Alex >> > - - - - <snap>- - - - > > Be that as it may, > > There are two sides to the local participation story: - > > a) the advocates genuinely desirous to have their fair share of the > taxes revenue cake for (ICT) products services rendered to the GoK > > b) Corruption agents schemes plotting to perpetrate fraudulent > acquisition of public taxes revenues > > The first is a legitimate cause while the second is evil that must never > be entertained, regardless of whether the Kenyan resides here or is in the > Diaspora. > > Core problems include the lack of good faith in the procurement system. > Business persons and individuals pop up claiming “local” while actually > fronting foreign firms interests adding to government's problems. > Procurement officers collude with suppliers to favour some over others, > contrary to (Section 34 of the) Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005. > You may recall when 3,000 were all sacked? “Minimalist” tender information > publishing. Unrelated obstacles to erected to block local participation. > > We can achieve (a) the good local ICT stakeholders cause and eradicate > (b) corruption cancer by: - > > 1) Transparently publishing ALL government ICT systems requirements at a > designated website and calling upon systems/services providers to > demonstrate small-scale but working prototypes. Contract proactive > http://www.gov.mu/portal/sites/eprocurement/ilsv.jsp with our reactive > “post event” reportage http://www.ppoa.go.ke/ (publishing standard > documents, reports and reviews) > > 2) Using ISO 12207-2008 Standard break down the systems into modules and > may tender them separately, after all, the Internet “network of networks” > success proves that no system alone is ever complete. > > 3) Remove weird requirements for locals to participate on such tenders, > such as, “demonstrate 5 years experience developing similar systems..” > “audited accounts for X years” etc. How would a recent sharp Computer > Science graduate with only a laptop and working ever participate? > > 4) Separately tendered modules spread capacity/capability risks and spurs > competitive achievement record for local services providers shielding > government from historical projects implementation failures. > > 5) Kenya needs a very firm and clear Public-Private Partnership legal > framework that governs every such project. Recall my recent ke-users post, > “...Had the good fortune to learn "how" Scalpel legislation governing PPP > See: http://www.icrc.gov.ng/?cat=36 Hats off to the good work by ICRC! > [Save the website www.icrc.gov.ng]” > > 6) Need to avoid "affirmative action" abuses witnessed in certain > countries where powerful politicians' children (and their outfits) are > awarded hefty government contracts indirect briberies fronted as promoting > local firms. Cognisant that those qualified ought not be punished simply > because their parent is a politician. (The last time I checked did not find > engaging in politics classified as criminal:-) > > In short, we have to avoid trying to address a procurement system and > processes problem through activities and/or events. > > my two cents contribution to the discussion. > > Regards, > > Alex > > On Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 9:35 PM, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi Paul, > > This is heavy stuff. I'll try to respond tomorrow, if I can. > > Alex > > On Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 9:22 PM, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo(a)ict.go.ke> wrote: > > Listers > > I thought id share from my latest blog post (www.paulkukubo.co.ke) I > have pasted the entire piece here. > > The size of this Elephant. > > The recent #140friday twitter and off twitter debate was centred around a > simple and important theme. If the Kenya Government procurement ecosystem > developed a preferential orientation towards local firms, the result would > be that we would develop greater capability. It was argued by some that the > government seemed to indicate an inclination towards foreign big name > firms. Whereas the facts don’t necessarily support the claim, I doubt > anyone would argue with the basic premise of the argument. Local businesses > should benefit from tax based projects. > > I offer some discussion points that may guide the continuing discussion. > > How do we turn preferential advantage into true national capacity? The > recent procurement of seats from the Prisons department for the national > assembly is a welcome effort by any measure. Without the benefit of detail, > one hopes that the process has created capacity for the Prisons department > to be competitive in furniture making regionally and even become a net > exporter. One hopes they have worked with some of the best furniture > designers locally and created synergies that can be replicated. One hopes > that the low cost of prison labour has also been value added by developing > prisoners who can become great furniture makers once they leave. Use of > materials is important. Have we used woods plastics, composites that wee > sourced from locally sustainable sources. Parliaments are important > national symbols in so many ways. They must represent the best of our > national collective aspiration. How they look and feel is important to our > national psyche. We can draw parrellels here for ICT. > 2. Sometimes,even the government does not necessarily know what it does > not know and is often seeking to know what it should know first, before > seeking answers. The whole area of drilling down from service objectives to > architecting an ICT solution can be daunting. For example, we need to have > a simple, easy to use lands information management system so that Kenyans > can search for land titles. One issue that may arise here is that only 30% > of Kenyan land mass has been adjudicated, and surveyed and provided with > title. Your ancestral land may not be under title yet. So how is a lands > system relaxant just yet for you, some may argue. Another issue might be > that the lands ministry collectes substantial revenue in fees and rates > that has to be remitted to the treasury every year. The same department > then has to go back to treasury to seek finance for a new system to support > its operations. Treasury has myriads of pressing priorities. The Kenya ICT > Board proposes a system that allows a private sector partner to provide a > system and recover its revenue from the collected fees. The issue becomes > one of structuring the deal so that the best in class partner can be found > and government is guaranteed of improved revenue whilst having a system > that can carry us to the next generation. Many systems in government can be > delivered like this. The task and the system goes beyond the technology > implementati > > -- Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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Fwd: Africa ICT Alliance - AfICTA Launched (Press Release)
by waudo siganga 01 May '12

01 May '12

FYI ----- Original message ----- From: Timmy Ambali <[1]pm(a)aficta.org> To: "Adrian Schofield " <[2]Adrian.Schofield(a)wits.ac.za>, Dr Jimson Olufuye <[3]jolufuye(a)kontemporary.net>, "Eng. Tarek Abdel Monem" <[4]tarek(a)projecta-eg.com>, "Mr Faouzi ZAGHBIB " <[5]faouzi.zaghbib(a)r2i.com.tn>, "Mr Poncelet Ileleji " <[6]pileleji(a)ymca.gm>, Mr Waudo Siganga <[7]emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> Cc: "Adetola SOGBESAN " <[8]tola(a)chacesystems.com>, "Engr Titi Omo-Ettu " <[9]titi(a)titiomoettu.com>, "Lanre Ajayi " <[10]lanre(a)pinet.com.ng>, "Prof (Mrs) Adenike Osofisan " <[11]nikeosofisan(a)gmail.com> Subject: Africa ICT Alliance - AfICTA Launched (Press Release) Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 15:57:26 +0100 Dear All, It is my pleasure to inform you that Africa ICT Alliance (AfICTA) was launched May 1, 2012. AfICTA is a private sector led alliance of ICT Associations, multinational corporations and organizations with the responsibility of enabling our continent to meet the social and economic growth challenges of the 21^st Century and bringing stakeholders together to achieve the mutual goals of our region through effective cooperation, advocacy and leadership. Please follow the link below to read the Press Release statement. [12]http://aficta.org/index.php/media/press-release Thank you. Best Regards, afictalogo Timmy Ambali Programme Manager Africa ICT Alliance (AfICTA) Url: [13]http://www.aficta.org Email: [14]info(a)aficta.org Skype: aficta Twitter: @aficta This email is for the exclusive recipient/s and it may contain confidential materials. If you have received it and it is not meant for you, please alert me [15]pm(a)aficta.org or discard at once. Thank you. References 1. mailto:pm@aficta.org 2. mailto:Adrian.Schofield@wits.ac.za 3. mailto:jolufuye@kontemporary.net 4. mailto:tarek@projecta-eg.com 5. mailto:faouzi.zaghbib@r2i.com.tn 6. mailto:pileleji@ymca.gm 7. mailto:emailsignet@mailcan.com 8. mailto:tola@chacesystems.com 9. mailto:titi@titiomoettu.com 10. mailto:lanre@pinet.com.ng 11. mailto:nikeosofisan@gmail.com 12. http://aficta.org/index.php/media/press-release 13. http://www.aficta.org/ 14. mailto:info@aficta.org 15. mailto:jolufuye@kontemporary.net

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Re: [kictanet] IF CCK CHOOSES TO MONITOR INTERNET TRAFFIC, WILL IT ALSO MANAGE TO BLOCK TORRENTS THAT CONSUME BANDWIDTH?
by Michelle Tongo 01 May '12

01 May '12

On 1 May 2012 14:30, Michelle Tongo <shivumich89(a)gmail.com> wrote: > @peter: > thats a good insight. > > First and foremost do you think CCk will be able to monitor internet > traffic? i mean , do they have the resources to do so? > > whats your opinion? > > > On 1 May 2012 14:18, Peter Wakaba <peterwakaba(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> first, torrents evolve. Will CCK evolve as fast? I dont think so. ( THEY >> WILL END UP STUCK WITH EXPENSIVE/OBSOLTE SOFTWARE/ HARDWARE) >> Second, torrent clients are not generic, so will CCK be able to pin down >> all the different types? I dont know. >> Third, in the west they have decided to take down the largest pirates >> (read TIM dot Com and Newzealand). But even then, with Napster down, >> Megaupload gone... i still have thousands of peers seeding from every >> torrent i download. >> >> Its only a matter of time before someone else come up with something that >> makes torrents obsolete. rather than blockading the media owners should be >> thinking disruptive techonology, something that makes torrents irrelevant. >> >> My two cents. >> > > > > -- > *Regards,* > *Michelle T.* > *Cell: +254-734-695-532* > * > * > > -- *Regards,* *Michelle T.* *Cell: +254-734-695-532* * *

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CCK releases 2nd Quarter ICT sector statistics for 2011/2012
by Wambua, Christopher 30 Apr '12

30 Apr '12

CCK releases 2nd quarter ICT sector statistics for 2011/2012 <http://www.cck.go.ke/news/2012/ICT_Sector_statistics.html> The number of Internet subscribers in Kenya increased by 13.48 percent from 5.42 million to 6.15 million between September 1 and December 31 last year. During the same period, the estimated number of Internet users rose to 17.38 million up from 14.30 million, representing an increase of 21.55 per cent. According to the CCK 2nd Quarter ICT Sector Statistics for 2011/2012 released today, broadband subscriptions increased to 131,829, posting a 4.14% growth from the previous period. Of the total Internet subscribers in the country, broadband subscription represented only 2.14 per cent. Meanwhile, the total mobile traffic declined to 6.70 billion minutes from 7.09 billion recorded in the previous quarter. This represented a 5.5 per cent drop in voice traffic. Similarly, Minutes of Use (MoU) per subscriber per month declined to 79.9 down from 89.3 recorded in the previous quarter (i.e. July to September 2011), posting a 10.53 per cent decrease. The number of SMS per subscriber per month also declined from 17.42 in September 2011 to 10.42 SMS by the end December 2011, representing a decline of 38.52 percent. The report further indicates that the number of mobile subscribers increased to 28.08 million up from 26.49 million recorded during the previous period, posting an increase of 5.99%. Mobile penetration increased to 71.3 percent during the same period from 67.2 per cent recorded during the first quarter. The total local letters sent over the same period declined by 4.75 per cent from 20.57 million in the previous quarter to 19.59 million. Click here to view the full http://www.cck.go.ke/resc/downloads/SECTOR_STATISTICS_REPORT_Q2_2011-12. pdf Christopher Wambua Ag. Manager/Communications Communications Commission of Kenya P.O. Box 14448, NAIROBI 00800 KENYA

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DEADLY THIKA ROAD - WHO IS LISTENING?
by Edith Adera 30 Apr '12

30 Apr '12

Listers, One may ask, why talk about roads on an ICT list? As a vision 2030 project like Konza City, I thought it's important to bring to our attention the dangers of cutting corners...I hope this will NOT happen with Konza city. I would like to address this note to Mugo Kibati as Director of V2030. On Friday, amidst the pounding rain, I ventured out on Thika road (for the first time, since the super highway was done)....I've been avoiding the road like a plague given the grisly stories I hear about thika road. But this time, it was out of necessity. I've seen the dazzling roads of south Africa, Dubai, the US, Japan...you name it....so in my mind I thought a "slip road" would be the standard slip road it ought to be; sign boards would be clear so I know where to go and when to turn off; and that I should NOT expect (NEVER) to find a speed bump smack right in the middle of the highway when I've hit 100+km per hour and enjoying the cruise. We appreciate the development (one should not question that), but can we do things with excellence? First, I was on a lane around Parklands heading towards Thika, when suddenly I noticed on-coming cars flashing, warning me that while I was right to use that lane as a short diversion, I had missed an opening that should have taken me back to the right lane! I promptly took the next left turning to get back to the right lane, luckily I was driving at snail speed. The next encounter was when I suddenly came across a notice board indicating that the road was closed, but it was not clear which one - the one ahead or the one to my right...my sixth sense suggested a take the road on the right, when I did, it happened to be the right one, but yet again, there were cars coming from the right side of that road from behind me and a had a near miss with a speeding country bus...and you know how they zoom! (I understand later another car did not know which route to take at this same spot and crashed the barriers at high speed and the driver was removed from his car unconscious! possibly dead!). My next headache was to find out which slip road to take off Thika road to my destination - I have never seen 90o slip roads....the standard from my lay knowledge is that they are around 350 - 45o - Thika road has 90o slip roads!!! - how do you do that from a highway! Finally, on my way back, I had to make some maneuvers below a bridge to get back onto the road coming back to Nairobi (with huge concrete walls on the side so you can't see other cars coming from all directions) - I've never seen interchanges under a bridge with blind spots and cars coming in all directions! Thika road is a death trap and needs to be sorted out as soon as possible. Summary 1. The slips roads need to be made proper slip roads with clear signs 2. The bumps on the highways should be removed and foot bridges constructed for pedestrians 3. The interchanges, need to be rectified and ensure people moving in different directions do so without meeting cars coming in the opposite directions (at a blind spot with concrete walls - the Museum area is a classic example) - do 2-3 layers of road even consider underground passages, but for heavens sake don't let ongoing cars meet under a bridge with blind spots. 4. Have proper legible sign boards erected urgently. While the road is under construction and one can dismiss issues raised about Thika road indicating that diversions are just temporary, the main point of my intervention is with the design and its usability in a safe manner. The fact is that Thika road is not safe as it's currently designed - it does not give the impression that it was done by those who have done the roads we see in other countries that work. Mugo, I look forward to hearing from you and trust that you will have discussions with your counterparts at the Ministry of Roads so Kenyans know that something will be done about Thika Road. It is sad that while many Kenyans have complained about this road among themselves, we do not have forums to bring this to the attention of the decision-makers. This is my attempt and I believe we will hear from you. Lets design and implement Konza differently....we must never compromise on standards. Edith (personal opinion)

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Great story on Estonia as an Internet nation
by Paul Kukubo 30 Apr '12

30 Apr '12

In 1995, four years after Estonia <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/estonia> broke free from the USSR, Toomas Hendrik Ilves read a "very Luddite" book by Jeremy Rifkin called The End of Work. "It argued that with greater computerisation there would be fewer jobs," remembered Ilves, then a senior diplomat, now the country's president<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/03/president-ilves-made-estonia>, "which from his point of view was terrible." Ilves and many of his colleagues saw it differently. In a tiny (population: 1.4 million) and newly independent country like Estonia, politicians realised computers could help quickly compensate for both a minuscule workforce and a chronic lack of physical infrastructure. Seventeen years on, the internet<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet> has done more than just help. It is now tightly entwined with Estonia's identity. "For other countries, the internet is just another service, like tap water, or clean streets," said Linnar Viik, a lecturer at the Estonian IT College, a government adviser and a man almost synonymous in Estonia with the rise of the web<http://www.eubusiness.com/europe/estonia/040420021538.qhs3vusx> . "But for young Estonians, the internet is a manifestation of something more than a service – it's a symbol of democracy and freedom." To see why, you just have to go outside. Free Wi-Fi<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/wifi> is everywhere, and has been for a decade. Viik says you could walk 100 miles – from the pastel-coloured turrets here in medieval Tallinn <http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/tallinn> to the university spires of Tartu – and never lose internet connection. "We realised that if the government was going to use the internet, the internet had to be available to everybody," Viik said. "So we built a huge network of public internet access points for people who couldn't afford them at home." The country took a similar approach to education. By 1997, thanks to a campaign led in part by Ilves, a staggering 97% of Estonian schools already had internet <http://www.tiigrihype.ee/?op=body&id=45>. Now 42 Estonian services are now managed mainly through the internet. Last year, 94% of tax returns were made online, usually within five minutes. You can vote on your laptop <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6407269.stm> (at the last election, Ilves did it from Macedonia) and sign legal documents on a smartphone. Cabinet meetings have been paperless since 2000. Doctors only issue prescriptions electronically, while in the main cities you can pay by text for bus tickets, parking, and – in some cases – a pint of beer. Not bad for country where, two decades ago, half the population had no phone line <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3603943.stm>. Central to the Estonian project is the ID card, introduced in 2002. Nine in 10 Estonians have one, and – by slotting it into their computer – citizens can use their card to vote online, transfer money and access all the information the state has on them. "There's nothing on the ID card itself, because that could be dangerous if you lost it," says Katrin Pärgmäe, who is in charge of public awareness at RIA, the country's internet authority <http://www.ria.ee/en>. "It only gives you access to the database if you type in the right code." You can also present the card at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. On public transport, it doubles as a ticket. Many people also have special ID chips on their mobile sim cards that allow them to pay people by text. To a British audience, the ID card will have a whiff of Big Brother. But many Estonians argue the opposite: that it allows them to keep tabs on the state, rather than the other way round. "You'd think, given our history, we'd have a problem with it," said Ilves, in an oblique reference to the days when the KGB had an office down a cobbled street in central Tallinn. "But I feel much more secure with a digital ID. If anyone goes into my files, they're flagged. Whereas if my files – which would exist anyway – were made of paper, no one would know who was looking at them." Every Estonian can see who has visited their data, and they can challenge any suspicious behaviour. In one famous case, a policewoman was caught accessing information about her boyfriend. During a recent election campaign, a candidate was swiftly punished for accessing personal information about would-be constituents. "I don't know what the idiot was thinking," said Viik. "You can't hide." To an outsider, it is not immediately clear why Estonia took to the internet so much faster than its Baltic cousins, Latvia and Lithuania. All three won independence at the same time. All three needed quick ways of revamping their ailing infrastructure. But to Estonians, the reason is simple. Estonia has a sizeable Russian-speaking minority, but the country's ethnic Estonian majority feel Nordic, rather than Slavic or eastern European. In the early 90s, this meant they looked to tech-happy Scandinavia for both inspiration and investment. Those Finnish and Swedish businesses that did invest expected their Estonian counterparts to communicate by email rather than fax. And pretty soon it was the newcomers who were leading the way. "I remember when one of our banks was bought by a Swedish one, they came over and said: 'And now we're going to teach you how to do computer banking'," recalled Ilves. "And we said, 'well, you might want to look at what we're actually doing with computer banking ourselves.'" At the last count, 99% of Estonian bank transfers were online. It helped that many politicians in the early 90s were unusually quick to "get" the internet. "The people in power after the collapse of the Soviet Union were really young," said Jaan Tallinn, the co-founder of Skype, the Estonian internet telephone company, and a co-developer of file-sharingwebsite Kazaa <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/15/www.kazaa.com>. "They knew what was going on." Mart Laar was 32 when he became prime minister in 1992. Ilves is slightly older, but had learned to code as a child, growing up in exile in the US. "I thought if I can do it, anyone can," he said in his strong New Jersey accent. "I was completely at ease with computers." The internet was also seen as a buffer to Russia<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/russia> . "We were afraid that Russian armies might take down the TV tower, the central radio station, or newspaper press," said Viik. "Three addresses shut down, and we would have been disconnected from the rest of the world. "But the internet would still work – and so we realised that this would be a great way of keeping in touch with the world in case of emergency." Ironically, when an attack did finally come, it came via the internet – and promptly disconnected Estonia from the rest of the world. In 2007, the government infuriated its Russian-speaking minority by moving a Soviet war memorial from central Tallinn to a cemetery on the city's outskirts. Violence flared on the streets, and later reached the internet. The first cyberattack was simplistic, and easily dealt with: thousands of unknown individuals bombarding government, media and banking websites with "denial of service" (DoS) attacks. "It was like an internet riot," said Hillar Aarelaid, who led Estonia's response, at the time. But what started as an emotional backlash soon became a far larger, longer and better co-ordinated assault on Estonia's very being. It lasted three weeks and could only be contained by restricting internet traffic in and out of the country. It was, in effect, a cybersiege. "This is how a lot of myths were created," remembered Pärgmäe. "Those outside the country couldn't access Estonian websites, but they didn't realise that people inside still could." Rumours circulated about the collapse of the Estonian online banking system, and how people were struggling to buy groceries. "But actually the longest downtime for a bank's website was just one and a half hours." The debacle had two positive effects. First: Nato founded a cyberwarfare thinktank in Estonia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_Cyber_Defence_Centre_of_Excellence>, to learn from the experience. Second: the government set up the Cyber Defence League<https://www.eesti.ee/eng/riigikaitse/eesti_kaitsejoud/kaitsevagi>, a network of 100 volunteers from the cybersector who, among other roles, will form – a kind of territorial army during future strife. "Traditionally in western countries," said Ilves, "you've had a weekend-warrior thing where volunteers run off into the woods and do target practice. In Estonia, we have a unit of IT people from banks, software companies who in their spare time for one day a week work on cyber issues." This kind of collaboration between private and public sectors was also central to Estonian innovation in the 90s, Viik claims. "The government started several IT programmes as a catalyst," he said. "But only in a few was it the main sponsor. From the early days, government philosophy was not to hire programmers, but to use the services of private companies, which in turn increased the competitiveness of the Estonian IT sector." Case in point: the ID card. "It's private companies who developed and manage the service – and who can now export their new-found competencies to other countries." Viik argues that this benefits both the private sector and the state, who otherwise would not have the resources for ID card technology. But some think the overlap between occasionally threatens Estonia's open internet. For many years, each Estonian citizen had the right to a free domain name. As in the UK, they could not register top-level domain names – but they could bag a ".pri.ee" site, similar to a ".co.uk" site in Britain. In 2010, that changed: the government outsourced the responsibility of allocating domain names to private registrars. The pri.ee domains were abolished, and individuals were instead given the right to top-level ".ee" websites. The only catch was a £15 price-tag – one of the highest rates in Europe<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/europe-news> . Many academics and high-profile techies were outraged<http://kogukond.org/in-english/>, and some founded a pressure group – the Estonian Internet Community (EIC) – that campaigns to give ordinary citizens more of a say in how Estonia's internet is run. After public outcry, a new set of free domain-names - era.ee - were introduced. More generally, it is feared that the same politicians who had such enlightened attitudes to the internet in the 90s may be starting to lose their progressive edge. "They're still in power," said Jaan Tallinn, "but I'm not sure they still understand what's going on. Technology keeps progressing. Young people follow the curve. But as they get older they get inertia, and they start deviating from that curve." Ilves himself is fairly critical of parts of Acta<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement>, the hugely controversial international agreement that opponents fear will curtail the rights of individual internet users. But there is a perception that other politicians could be doing more to oppose its introduction. "It's difficult because it's actually an EU agreement," admitted Jaagup Irve, a PhD student at the Tallinn University of Technology, and an EIC board member. "But the government isn't doing enough to stop Acta<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/acta> ." Viik says that among politicians of all stripes there has always been "a silent consensus" about the importance of the internet. For many years, Estonians could expect whomever they elected to have the best interests of the internet at heart. But Irve thinks the public can no longer be so complacent. "People think a government is like a smart missile: the thing practically flies itself," he argued. "But today it's more like a bomb that we have to guide. We have to guide the government, and that's what the internet society has woken up to." *• Explore the seven-day special series on the Battle for the internet<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/series/battle-for-the-internet> * • This article was amended on 17 April 2012 to clarify details of the registration and selling of domain names. -- Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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The Size of this Elephant (from my blog)
by Paul Kukubo 29 Apr '12

29 Apr '12

Listers I thought id share from my latest blog post (www.paulkukubo.co.ke) I have pasted the entire piece here. The size of this Elephant. The recent #140friday twitter and off twitter debate was centred around a simple and important theme. If the Kenya Government procurement ecosystem developed a preferential orientation towards local firms, the result would be that we would develop greater capability. It was argued by some that the government seemed to indicate an inclination towards foreign big name firms. Whereas the facts don’t necessarily support the claim, I doubt anyone would argue with the basic premise of the argument. Local businesses should benefit from tax based projects. I offer some discussion points that may guide the continuing discussion. How do we turn preferential advantage into true national capacity? The recent procurement of seats from the Prisons department for the national assembly is a welcome effort by any measure. Without the benefit of detail, one hopes that the process has created capacity for the Prisons department to be competitive in furniture making regionally and even become a net exporter. One hopes they have worked with some of the best furniture designers locally and created synergies that can be replicated. One hopes that the low cost of prison labour has also been value added by developing prisoners who can become great furniture makers once they leave. Use of materials is important. Have we used woods plastics, composites that wee sourced from locally sustainable sources. Parliaments are important national symbols in so many ways. They must represent the best of our national collective aspiration. How they look and feel is important to our national psyche. We can draw parrellels here for ICT. 2. Sometimes,even the government does not necessarily know what it does not know and is often seeking to know what it should know first, before seeking answers. The whole area of drilling down from service objectives to architecting an ICT solution can be daunting. For example, we need to have a simple, easy to use lands information management system so that Kenyans can search for land titles. One issue that may arise here is that only 30% of Kenyan land mass has been adjudicated, and surveyed and provided with title. Your ancestral land may not be under title yet. So how is a lands system relaxant just yet for you, some may argue. Another issue might be that the lands ministry collectes substantial revenue in fees and rates that has to be remitted to the treasury every year. The same department then has to go back to treasury to seek finance for a new system to support its operations. Treasury has myriads of pressing priorities. The Kenya ICT Board proposes a system that allows a private sector partner to provide a system and recover its revenue from the collected fees. The issue becomes one of structuring the deal so that the best in class partner can be found and government is guaranteed of improved revenue whilst having a system that can carry us to the next generation. Many systems in government can be delivered like this. The task and the system goes beyond the technology implementation to change management, capacity and capability development. Indeed the systems and processes will need to change to accommodate this need. The partner in question must therefore have capability to underwrite this massive task. 3. There is great public sensitivity around this subject of local capability. I choose to use capability instead of capacity, because capacity may imply the potential given the right mix of circumstances, whearas capability would mean the collective experience. Telling private sector that certain capability does not exist locally even when it might be true, raises huge emotion and rightly so. What does one mean? How dare one? The intended service outcomes occasioned by the new constitution are huge. 47 counties that must replicate central government capability in the management of their affairs. The experience with local governments provides lessons about how comes this can be. Do elected officials make good administrators?, Do counties as autonomous entities have the structural capacity to manage their affairs? ICT offers interesting options here. We can share critical systems across counties reducing the need to duplicate say financial and HR systems and indeed people. Is the private sector in the. Idle of this conversation? 4. The past experience on major ICT projects as projected in mainstream media has been less about the intended service outcomes and more around the procurement. In the past there may have been substantial capital made out of over specified, created for self gain ICT projects. This has changed, but the private sector appetite by some may of have. Obfuscate the issue, create a project that no one really understands, make money and run is common in many economies in the world. The onus is on us all to create a new confidence in this space. A new governance contract which says we ad committed to right priorities. The private sector especially can do this by collectively aligning to national priorities. 5. National capacity building is mostly a discussion about what talent I’d needed from the universities. Some major changes are in the offing here with both task forces of government education reform. The issue is that the building local companies that have capability is a continuous process involving planting the right seeds in school, developing talent, allowing the right ecosystem to thrive in terms of capital and talent flows, business and market access, the right local and international partnering, national incentives systems. And most of all time. Like we say in Swahili, nothing is better that experience and we must eat salt. Lazma tule chumvi. The responsibility of Institutions like the Kenya ICT Board therefore is to ensure we stay in touch with the sector intimately enough to understand their pressing issues and work with other government agencies to direct critical concerns as they emerge. Another responsibility is to help the private sector understand the public sector better in meeting their needs. Having said that, the public sector pie is very big. And there is much hard work done to make public efficient and effective. Indeed looking at the presentation made by the the PS Ministry of Information and Communications, the ICT Secretary, and various permanent secretaries, government directors and state corporation CEOs during 4th Connected Kenya Summit recently, one can attest to this. A true partnership between public and private sector is emerging through consultation and this must be encouraged. The elephant is big and fat and has to be eaten a piece at a time.. Asante Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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Multistakeholder Advisory Group for IGF 2012 Announced
by Muchiri Nyaggah 29 Apr '12

29 Apr '12

Listers, I'm glad to see Judith Okite representing Kenya on the MAG. Great stuff. http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/component/content/article/114-preparatory-pr… Kind regards, Muchiri Nyaggah | PRINCIPAL PARTNER @muchiri Cell: +254 722 506400 eGovernance, Healthcare, ICT and Financial Services Innovation for Africa SEMACRAFT CONSULTING PARTNERS Nairobi, Kenya. www.semacraft.com | www.semacraft.com/blog twitter: @semacraft

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Safaricom discontinues unlimited internet
by Grace Githaiga 28 Apr '12

28 Apr '12

http://www.wanjiku.co.ke/2012/04/safaricom-discontinues-unlimited-internet/

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Kenya changes BPO strategy, striving for efficiency
by Grace Githaiga 27 Apr '12

27 Apr '12

Service providers have failed to establish a strong international presence Read more:http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/small-business/3353512/kenya-changes-bpo-strategy-striving-for-efficiency/

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Looking for Database Administrators
by Badru Ntege 27 Apr '12

27 Apr '12

Hi All We are looking for Database Administrators. Please follow the URL and apply if you fit the bill http://www.nftconsult.com/vacancies/job/249/1/list regards Badru Ntege

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The mayhem that is the Under Sea Fiber Cables
by Harry Delano 26 Apr '12

26 Apr '12

We just never really seem to get a grip on things, do we.? Harry

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On PCK - Re: How To Revive Postal Service
by Matunda Nyanchama 26 Apr '12

26 Apr '12

Re: How To Revive Postal Service Amenya You are living in the past. Postal services worldwide are declining and only those with futuristic leadership will enable their corporations adopt. Part of the reason is the growth of electronic communications (fast, reliable, etc.) and competition from other carriers: courier companies, etc (in fact in Kenya bus companies deliver parcels more reliably than Posta) and more. In the advanced western economies, futuristic postal corporations have created virtual mailboxes for almost entire populations. Here one gets their bills, statements, etc electronically; documents that can be accessed via a secure web portal. Smart phone growth has been a key enabler of such services, which allow you to scan your documents, pay your bills, etc. Two years ago we approached PCK on a similar approach. The idea was for us to help them craft a strategy to position themselves for survival in the future. Much of our strategy is based on use of technology, taking advantage of their reach across the country, agency banking, etc. Our good general looked at us without betraying a sense of whether he understood what we were saying or not. He dispatched us to the ICT department, composed of very good knowledgeable people working under very difficult circumstances. Long story short: we hit a brick wall. The PCK leadership is archaic, doesn't understand business. Most of them have the civil service mentality .... hang your coat, go roast meat/check how your matatu is doing, come back 3-4 hours later, review one file, go home and for sure there will be a pay cheque at the end of the month! Zip productivity! I could write tons about the unrealized PCK potential but let that be for another day! In the meantime you may wish to check the story of PostaPay which was supposed to compete with MoneyGram and Western Union in international money transfer business! We launched this with pomp ... a few years later, the same people with who we were singing songs of patriotism, were in the dock for embezzlement. Remember the recent article I shared on why Africa lags the Asian Tigers: we eat it all! Matunda Nyanchama --- In NewVisionKenya(a)yahoogroups.com, amenya gibson <g_amenya2000@...> wrote: > > I think Kenyans we can make Kenya great when we join hands and walk > together unlike Hon Mudavadi who said he shall never walk alone yet he > decamped from a party that uplifted him from political oblivions when > Akaranga fried him in 2002 elections ,A conflict statement. > > Back to my little thinking. > > I have been reasoning that since we are gearing towards an elections in > 2013 why can the MPs pass a law that requires all parties to send their > respective partymanifestos through post offices to Kenyans and also via > parcel firms.? > > This will see a boost in revenues collections both direct and indirect and > KRA will have enough avenue to collect taxes to pay teachers ,soldiers etc. > > Postal Corporation will see demand for its stamps go up ,their rental > boxes will be active and also we shall see an increased parcels movements > with other private firms like G4S,Wells Fargo and many more. > > So as Kenyans let us demand all parties to send their manifestos via > registered firms and this will see an increased economic activities because > when this is done ,printing firms will have business,they will hire people > ,hence helping reduction of unemployment in Kenya. > > It can be done let nobody tell me that democracy is suppose to be > affordable hence they party manifestos should be distributed freely. > > Kenyans must come up with simple ideas that will help our GDP uptick. > > They say we lose Ksh 3.4 B through corruptions and other panya routes what > if we sealed those loopholes then we shall have more money said to have > parties pay for postal services so that their supporters can get the > manifestos in their mail boxes. > > > > -- > Thanks > Gibson Amenya > Level Moja Solutions > Skype amenya.gibson > http://levelmojafinancials.kbo.co.ke > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Re: [kictanet] Counting the blessings, 10 years of Kibaki government
by Charles Mutsi 26 Apr '12

26 Apr '12

where is this going? we pay taxes. the immigration personnel get salaries. it is a constitutional right. where is the blessing? Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

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On PCK - Re: How To Revive Postal Service
by Emmanuel Kimeu 26 Apr '12

26 Apr '12

Edwin, I suggest that we try to lobby to have an apex ICT society representing all spheres of ICT be entrenched in an Act of parliament (maybe the ICT Bill) just like the accountants and lawyers have ICPAK and LSK respectively. I believe this is a better way of having a more representative and effective organization. I don't know what's your take on this. Best Regards [Description: Description: Description: ProTecEkkLogoNewSignShort] PROTEC IS THE CURE FOR ALL YOUR ICT SECURITY HEADACHE To grow your business, you must focus on � your business. Not on worrying about system security, That's our job! Scan your systems or update your security policies with a single click Let us show you how. Call us on +254 020 2722485, 2729676. FAX: +254 020 2722480 Email us on Sales(a)protec.co.ke, info(a)protec.co.ke Techinical Support, Techsupport(a)protec.co.ke Visit our website @ www.protec.co.ke for more info..

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Re: [kictanet] Counting the blessings, 10 years of Kibaki government
by Charles Mutsi 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

what about the thousands of school leavers who cannot get id cards. 10 years ago, school leavers got id cards! Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

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CCK hosting its website abroad
by Grace Githaiga 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

Quoting the article by Rebecca Wanjiku... For a regulator like the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), you would expect them to be promoting services if the whole talk of how infrastructure has improved and how it is getting better. Read more...http://www.wanjiku.co.ke/2012/04/cck-hosting-its-website-abroad/ RgdsGG

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Internet gets a hall of fame
by alice＠apc.org 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

Internet Hall of Fame Inductees Honored at Historic First Annual Awards Ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland Internet Society celebrates inductees’ landmark achievements at Global INET 2012 Launches new website to highlight Internet Hall of Fame, www.internethalloffame.org [Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 23 April 2012] – The names of the inaugural Internet Hall of Fame inductees were announced today at the Internet Society’s Global INET 2012 conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Internet pioneers and luminaries from around the world gathered at the conference to mark the Internet Society’s 20th anniversary, and attend an Awards Gala to honor the following 2012 inductees: Pioneers Circle Recognizing individuals who were instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet: Paul Baran, Vint Cerf, Danny Cohen, Steve Crocker, Donald Davies, Elizabeth Feinler, Charles Herzfeld, Robert Kahn, Peter Kirstein, Leonard Kleinrock, John Klensin, Jon Postel, Louis Pouzin, and Lawrence Roberts. Innovators Recognizing individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances and helped to expand the Internet’s reach: Mitchell Baker, Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau, Van Jacobson, Lawrence Landweber, Paul Mockapetris, Craig Newmark, Raymond Tomlinson, Linus Torvalds, and Philip Zimmermann. Global Connectors Recognizing individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet: Randy Bush, Kilnam Chon, Al Gore, Nancy Hafkin, Geoff Huston, Brewster Kahle, Daniel Karrenberg, Toru Takahashi, and Tan Tin Wee. Commenting on the 2012 Internet Hall of Fame inductees, Internet Society President and CEO Lynn St.Amour stated, “This historic assembly of Internet visionaries, innovators, and leaders represents an extraordinary breadth of vision and work. While the inductees have extremely diverse backgrounds and represent many different countries, each individual has an incredible passion for their work. We all benefit from their outstanding contributions to a global Internet, making it one of the greatest catalysts of economic and societal development of all time.” Raúl Echeberría, Chairman of the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees, noted, "The Internet, which connects more than two billion people around the world today, is the result of many important contributions from creative and visionary individuals over the past several decades. The 2012 Internet Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments and advancements of 33 talented people who have made significant contributions to the design, development, and expansion of the Internet." In conjunction with the announcement, the Internet Society has launched a website at www.internethalloffame.org that will showcase the inductees and their contributions on an ongoing basis. The website, which includes inductee photographs and biographies, will feature an exclusive interview series authored by Wired. Highlighting multiple inductees each month in Q&A interviews, the first interview will feature Internet Hall of Fame Pioneer Vint Cerf. About the Internet Hall of Fame The Internet Hall of Fame is an annual awards program that has been established by the Internet Society to publicly recognize a distinguished and select group of leaders and luminaries who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the global Internet. More information on the program can be found at www.internethalloffame.org. About the Internet Society The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, see: http://www.internetsociety.org

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identity.go.ke still not working
by Warigia Bowman 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

Dear colleagues, It has been over 6 months since I wrote about this last, yet my sister still does not have an identity card (It has taken over a year and a half, and no results). In addition, the website of identity.go.ke does not come up, and as you can see below, the email of the director is still bouncing. Maybe there is a new website. If so, please let me know. Sigh. Kibaki comes from my home area of Othaya, and I think that efficiency has increased in some areas. That being said, we have some work to do. Furthermore, as a political scientist/public policy person, it strikes me that perhaps we see greater efficiency in areas used by the elite, (i.e. passports) and lesser efficiency in areas used by wananchi, because wananchi have less political capital. Thoughts? Sincerely, Warigia ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <mailer-daemon(a)googlemail.com> Date: Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 9:34 AM Subject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure) To: warigia(a)gmail.com Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently: director(a)identity.go.ke Technical details of permanent failure: Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 530 530 5.7.1 Client was not authenticated (state 12). ----- Original message ----- DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=+pylQ0FXNnR1O3triV8F9yhxw4f66aQH/BO/X0gmVlg=; b=Do/4A1rELvXoBSp8wuIEhRTtaLD/QiUig+l86uj0SGYUqsCY7CeCM9jcQJYOeh2HeL 0c4eXzoRijYIRumSDny392peMgXNs+E0CaxNUn9HmzlkkmEnv6lhL5onL5ARuMDseqqD 89uMyAxVlzlZBDHGtpE03YxqQdxKCjKgK5DSJr/SzdOKjsBnQztpAiapSlTd1ZT/ieoR QL57Aybq9LG7u8H9LfLeplOtopTriiSa7gklveHkQkE/fxHIm4FaUXfyWIghWPxFbolk p/slUT3aUBmIXKZYrNooCO/+x33s7X1VZgfVxfjCYOGNJq3XXy7EEn+qS4vszbY4Ad+y g85Q== MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.182.174.42 with SMTP id bp10mr13593162obc.54.1335278087383; Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:34:47 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.76.116.197 with HTTP; Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:34:47 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: < CACeY99S6AhGW8HXq_SS3ui_ZvdNWOooDQuroOsYAWjf-YLXXmg(a)mail.gmail.com> References: < CACeY99S6AhGW8HXq_SS3ui_ZvdNWOooDQuroOsYAWjf-YLXXmg(a)mail.gmail.com> Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:34:47 -0500 Message-ID: < CACeY99TtrehwSvivytr1NfiLS0rtZdoVcg6Tn-Z3NcprPX6eXg(a)mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: identity.go.ke not working, reprise From: Warigia Bowman <warigia(a)gmail.com> To: Bitange Ndemo <bndemo(a)information.go.ke>, bitange(a)jambo.co.ke, joecketer(a)yahoo.co.uk, director(a)identity.go.ke Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=e89a8f642a68132cdb04be6da86f Dear Secretary Keter and PS Ndemo. Hope you are very well. I was wondering if you have any update on my sister's identity card? Identity.go.ke still does not appear to be working. It is over 6 months since I last wrote you. Many thanks, Warigia Bowman ********************************************************* > > Dear Secretary Keter > > Thank you for your kind reply. > > What I have with me is the waiting card for my sister Patricia Njeri. Her > address at the time she applied was P.O. Box 145 Othaya. > > The waiting card was stamped 154 Municipality Div. Nyeri District. > > Is this sufficient information, or do you need additional information> > > Sincerely Yours, Warigia > > On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 3:07 PM, <Joseph.Keter(a)kenya.go.ke> wrote: > > > Dear Wariga, > > > > We are in receipt of your concerns on challenges you faced in monitoring > > status of processing of national identity card of Patricia Njeri > Wairimu. We > > shall appreciate if you could give us more particulars especially the > > station where Patricia applied for her identity card. Please send her > > details to director(a)identity.go.ke for further necessary action. > > > > Regards. > > Mr Joseph K. Keter > > ndc(K) > > Senior Deputy Secretary, > > Ministry of State for Immigration & Registration of Persons, > > Nyayo House,20th Floor, > > P.O. Box 30395-00100, > > Nairobi, Kenya. > > Phone : +254202222022 > > Tel/Fax: +254202229349 > > Mobile : +254722135090 > > Email : joecketer(a)yahoo.co.uk > > Website:www.mirp.go.ke > > > > -- Dr. Warigia Bowman Assistant Professor Clinton School of Public Service University of Arkansas 1200 President Clinton Ave. Sturgis Hall Little Rock, AR 72201 501-683-5227 wbowman(a)clintonschool.uasys.edu http://democratizingegypt.blogspot.com -- Dr. Warigia Bowman Assistant Professor Clinton School of Public Service University of Arkansas 1200 President Clinton Ave. Sturgis Hall Little Rock, AR 72201 501-683-5227 wbowman(a)clintonschool.uasys.edu http://democratizingegypt.blogspot.com

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CCK Should Provide Tools for Service Monitoring
by Muchiri Nyaggah 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

I've given up on my ISP. I am currently receiving 1/16th of the advertised bandwidth according to various independent tests. Even for a shared connection this is outrageous. They insist that I should only use their tool to measure my provisioned bandwidth, a tool that measures speeds between my premises and theirs. A pointless exercise since I subscribed to Internet services not a local loop connection. Now if the CCK could provide consumers with an online tool to measure what they are actually receiving, as well as compelling ISPs to clearly state the performance limitations of their service, we would all make informed decisions on who to purchase Internet services from. Is this within the regulator's mandate? Muchiri. ******* Sent from my Android device

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PRESS RELEASE ON FIXING OF PRICES
by Wambua, Christopher 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

PRESS RELEASE 23rd April 2012 Listers CCK's response to media reports on alleged collusion to fix retail mobile voice prices The attention of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has been drawn to media reports alleging a plan to fix retail voice tariffs by a section of the mobile service providers ostensibly with tacit approval of CCK. The CCK wishes to state as follows: 1. CCK considers the retail mobile voice market as sufficiently competitive, thus making it unnecessary to impose any stringent retail price regulatory obligations on the licensed mobile operators. However, even for such competitive market segments where the Commission does not impose retail price setting obligations, the law (i.e. clause 4(3) of the Kenya Information and Communications (Tariff) Regulations, 2010,) prohibits licensees from applying tariffs that distort competition, exploit consumers and, possibly even prevent market entry. 2. Therefore, all mobile operators set their retail prices independently guided primarily by their costs of providing a particular service and are only obligated to file with the Commission their retail rates as provided for in their respective licences. 3. While the CCK recently held discussions with some licensees regarding the wholesale interconnection rate and the attendant glide path, no request has been officially made regarding the intention to fix the retail mobile voice tariff either by those players on any other licensee. As such, no such approval has been granted. 4. Retail price fixing as practiced in collusive oligopoly markets is an anti-competitive business practice that is contrary to the prevailing competition law and policy. Retail price fixing in the mobile voice market in Kenya would, therefore, be in breach of the law; and as such no approval can be granted. 5. The Commission is currently carrying out a study to evaluate the impact of competition on the mobile voice market on the entire economy. We would like to clarify that the study, which is being undertaken by the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), is in not in any way meant to determine interconnection rates for the mobile telecoms market. Issued by Francis W. Wangusi Ag. Director-General

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Here are #Startups that Would Do Best Without Venture Capital" by @DanShapiro
by Agosta Liko 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

http://fi.co/posts/568 'Here are #Startups that Would Do Best Without Venture Capital" by @DanShapiro <http://fi.co/posts/568> *Founder Feedback gives you insights from the startup trenches.* *In a post on his *blog <http://danshapiro.com/>*,** Dan Shapiro, former Founder & CEO of Sparkbuy (acquired by Google) and Ontela (merged with Photobucket)**, and **Founder Institute Mentor**, **explains the types of companies and entrepreneurs who should not raise venture capital. It is a very insightful article on how venture capitalists think that may not be obvious to many entrepreneurs. * *Dan will be speaking at tomorrow's Founder Showcase<http://foundershowcase.com/>event in San Francisco. There are still a few tickets remaining, and over 100 investors will be in attendance, so register today<http://foundershowcase.com/tickets> .* This post originally appeared on DanShapiro.com here<http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2012/01/companies-that-would-do-best-without…>. Below it is republished. "I just got the following email. *Subject: Small taxi company looking to expand* *Hello,* *I run a small taxi company outside of Boston Massachusetts. My community has been targeted for casino development and I am looking to expand my business. Could you possibly provide some advice on how to find venture capital?* * * For someone who lives in the startup world, this looks pretty silly. But I’m sure I’d say a lot of silly things if I were getting in to the taxi business, too. So I figured I’d point him to a simple explanation of why taxi companies (actually, services companies in general) aren’t appropriate for VC. I did the Google thing for a bit to find a good article. And no luck. Well, you know what they say: when the internet fails you, make more internet. Here, then, are a very good set of reasons not to take venture capital (or – why venture capital won’t take you). *1. You want to build a profitable company* First day of Founder's Institute I ask how many people want to raise venture capital. Most of the hands go up. I then ask who wants to build a profitable company. Again, most hands go up. The funny thing about this is – VCs don’t actually like their companies to be profitable. Someday, sure, but not on their watch. You see, profitability means that the company *wont grow any faster*. This seems odd, but think about this for a minute. At the early stages, a company may be making money, but it’s almost certainly investing every penny it makes back in to the business. If it has access to outside capital (e.g. a VCs), it’s investing *more* than it makes. And that’s exactly what VCs like: companies that can grow at amazing speed, and never slow down their burn rate to amass cash. They like this for two reasons. First, VCs want to invest in companies that can grow explosively. That means huge markets, executives who can scale up a business fast, and a willingness on the part of management to double down on a winning bet – over, and over, and over again. Second, because it means the company *keeps coming back to the VC for more money*on positive terms. That means the VC keeps getting to buy more and more of the growing concern. Of course, this is something of an over-broad generalization. I’m required to include one per post or I lose my startup blogging license. In fact many venture backed companies are profitable, it’s very impressive to bootstrap your company to profitability in a few months before raising outside investment, etc. But if you are excited about a profitable business that can cut you giant dividend checks (not that most VCs can even accept divided checks - long story), realize that VCs will not be pleased with that approach to running the business. They will want you to plow those earnings back in to the business. And when the day comes that a VC-backed business generates cash faster than it can effectively spend it? They sell the company, or IPO (which is technically also selling the company), or replace the CEO with someone who can spend faster. A taxi business should be run for profits. That’s not VC style. *2. Your business has reasonable margins* As a general rule, VCs don’t like reasonable margins. They are exclusively interested in *outrageous* margins. Ludicrous margins. We’re talking about sneering at 50%, and hoping for 80%, 90%, crazy astronomy stuff. Venture capital is all about investing a little bit of money to create a business with massive scale and huge multiples – investing tens of millions to build software that then can be duplicated or served up for virtually nothing extra per-person with a total market size of billions. In particular, VCs don’t like businesses that are people-powered. Software businesses are awesome, but their evil twin – software consultancies – are near-pariah to VCs. If adding revenue means adding bodies, they don’t like it. In fact, enterprise software companies, which can tread a fine line between software consulting & software development, sometimes get really creative <http://kellblog.com/2011/06/27/why-palantir-makes-my-head-hurt/>to come down on the right side of the line. So the rule of thumb is that VCs like product companies: software, drugs, cleantech, and so on. And they don’t like the manufacturing, service industry, and consulting businesses that often are just a tiny shift of business model away. Every new taxi requires a… well, a new taxi. And a new taxi driver. Not the right business for VC. *3. You are going to double your investors’ money* I’ve covered this before, but VCs really don’t want to double their money<http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/08/vc-insanity-economics/>. Strange though it sounds, their economics make that look like a failure. They need to target a 10x return on their investment, and that means – depending on stage and fund size – that you company has to grow to somewhere in the hundreds-of-millions to billions range to be interesting. That means taking your taxi business from $20MM in annual revenue to $40MM just doesn’t do it for them. Particularly because the valuation multiples on the aforementioned lower-margin businesses are smaller. *4. VCs probably don’t want to invest in you* Here are the people VCs *really love* to invest in: - Entrepreneurs who’ve already made them lots of money - Their closest buddies Here are the people who VCs *can be convinced* to invest in: - People who have been wildly successful at high-profile past jobs that are related to their new business (e.g. a former executive VP at a Fortune 500 company, inventor of thingamajig that everyone knows) - New graduates from top-of-the-top tier schools who have built something amazingly cool already - Extremely charismatic type-A personalities Anyone else is possible, but our taxi driver is going to have a devil of a time. *5. You have better things to do with 9 months, and you will probably fail* That’s how long it took me to do my Series A for Ontela. 9 months before the first check came in. Average is 6-12. That’s because a busy VC will look at a few companies a day, and will make a few investments a year. The math says the hit rate is well under 1%. That matches my experience – I pitched over 100 times during our Series A investment. Not only that, but most of the companies pitching the same events and people that I saw worked just as hard as I did, and did not get funded. And fundraising is a near-full time job; you won’t have much time for actually driving your taxi. *6. You will have a new boss* You know the great thing about working for yourself? Well, if you raise VC, you probably don’t have that thing any more. Raising VC usually means forming a board that includes your investors, and that board is charged with, among other things, potentially firing and replacing you. I’ve worked with a number of boards and have been lucky in that they were all awesome and I would recommend those folks to anybody. But if you like your freedom, then bringing on VC may feel somewhat familiar – in an “I have a boss again” way you probably won’t enjoy. *What are my alternatives?* VC is really only appropriate for a tiny fraction of a fraction of the companies in the US. But there are numerous alternatives. - *Angel investors* are individual investors who can invest larger amounts, on more flexible terms, and with less onerous restrictions. Many companies that take VC money actually start with angel investments – but lots of companies never do VC, and just grow off of angel investment. - *Traditional bank loans* are always an option if you have a sufficiently traditional company – while they may not be right for many purposes, they’re definitely the best terms you will find for bringing in capital. - A *Revenue Loan* from a company like Lighter Capital<http://www.lightercapital.com/>is a way for companies with revenue to bring in capital with a debt structure – without giving up control to outside investors. - And, of course, *Bootstrapping* is arguably the best way of all – re-investing your company’s profits in your own growth, and building a strong company based on the revenues from your business. *…So does this mean I shouldn’t raise VC?* Look. I’ve raised over $30mm from 7 different firms in the course of my two startups. I will tell you: if you are the right kind of company, and find the right kind of investor, then VC is *awesome*. It’s an instant infusion of cash, connections, experience, credibility, and confidence at the stroke of a pen. It accelerates everything. It focuses the mind. I can’t recommend it highly enough. But most companies are not the right kind of companies. And the only thing more frustrating and time consuming than raising a VC round is failing to raise a VC round. So think hard. Make sure it’s for you. And if not – keep on driving! *(Update: Mike Carter <https://twitter.com/#%21/MikeFROMRevere> from Revere Taxi <http://reveretaxi.com/> has pointed out that if I’m going to use his email to write my blog post, the least I can do is give him a backlink.)"* *Dan Shapiro currently works at Google following their acquisition of his most recent company, Sparkbuy, a comparison shopping website that offered unprecedented depth and accuracy of information. Before that, he was founder and CEO of Ontela, a pioneering mobile imaging company that merged with Photobucket, where he was named CEO of the Year by MobileBeat. **He blogs at *DanShapiro.com <http://danshapiro.com/>*, and you can also follow him on Twitter at @DanShapiro <http://twitter.com/@DanShapiro>.*

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FW: PRESS RELEASE ON FIXING OF PRICES
by Wambua, Christopher 24 Apr '12

24 Apr '12

PRESS RELEASE 23rd April 2012 Listers CCK's response to media reports on alleged collusion to fix retail mobile voice prices The attention of the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has been drawn to media reports alleging a plan to fix retail voice tariffs by a section of the mobile service providers ostensibly with tacit approval of CCK. The CCK wishes to state as follows: 1. CCK considers the retail mobile voice market as sufficiently competitive, thus making it unnecessary to impose any stringent retail price regulatory obligations on the licensed mobile operators. However, even for such competitive market segments where the Commission does not impose retail price setting obligations, the law (i.e. clause 4(3) of the Kenya Information and Communications (Tariff) Regulations, 2010,) prohibits licensees from applying tariffs that distort competition, exploit consumers and, possibly even prevent market entry. 2. Therefore, all mobile operators set their retail prices independently guided primarily by their costs of providing a particular service and are only obligated to file with the Commission their retail rates as provided for in their respective licences. 3. While the CCK recently held discussions with some licensees regarding the wholesale interconnection rate and the attendant glide path, no request has been officially made regarding the intention to fix the retail mobile voice tariff either by those players on any other licensee. As such, no such approval has been granted. 4. Retail price fixing as practiced in collusive oligopoly markets is an anti-competitive business practice that is contrary to the prevailing competition law and policy. Retail price fixing in the mobile voice market in Kenya would, therefore, be in breach of the law; and as such no approval can be granted. 5. The Commission is currently carrying out a study to evaluate the impact of competition on the mobile voice market on the entire economy. We would like to clarify that the study, which is being undertaken by the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), is in not in any way meant to determine interconnection rates for the mobile telecoms market. Issued by Francis W. Wangusi Ag. Director-General

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