- KICTANet - KICTANet

carrier pre-selection
by Christoph Stork 08 Jun '10

08 Jun '10

Dear colleagues: Does any one know about any African country that has implemented carrier pre-selection or considers implementing it? South Africa is required to implement by law but has not done so. Thanks Christoph ____________________________________________ Dr. Christoph Stork Senior Researcher Research ICT Africa (RIA) The Studios, Unit 414, Old Castle Brewery 6 Beach Road, 7925, Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa Phone: +27214476332 Fax: +27214479529 Mobile: +27849990002 Email: christoph.stork(a)gmail.com Web: http://www.researchictafrica.net

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Council Of Europe Wants In On ICANN Government Body
by alice 08 Jun '10

08 Jun '10

* 7 June 2010* http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2010/06/07/council-of-europe-wants-in-on-ica… Council Of Europe Wants In On ICANN Government Body The 47-member Council of Europe wants to become an observer in the governmental advisory body of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and is pondering on a possible role as secretariat provider for the ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). ICANN is the technical oversight body for the internet domain name system. Following a declaration adopted by the CoE Council of Ministers on “enhanced participation of member states in internet governance matters” at the end of May, the CoE secretary general is now asked to “arrange that the CoE becomes an observer at ICANN’s GAC.” ICANN is seen by the CoE, who in recent years did address internet governance issues more and more, as playing “a key role in ensuring the operational stability, security and resilience of the internet.” According to the Council of Ministers, the GAC could help to ensure “that the management of internet resources by ICANN takes full account of international human rights law.” In addition, the secretary general of the CoE has also been asked “to explore, in consultation with the GAC, ICANN and other relevant stakeholders ways,” how the CoE could contribute to arranging the GAC secretariat, according to a CoE press release. For years, the GAC secretariat has rotated among various GAC member states. According to the declaration of the CoE Council of Ministers <https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1627399&Site=CM&BackColorInternet=C3C3C3…>, efforts are “currently underway to establish a competent, independent and more stable secretariat for GAC.” /By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch/

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African broadband boost spurs rise in spam output
by alice 08 Jun '10

08 Jun '10

Story URL: <http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2010/05/27/african-broadband-boost-s…> (Link to the report <http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/mlireport/MLI_2010_05_May_FINAL_EN.pdf> Africa from page 8) African broadband boost spurs rise in spam output By Matthew Broersma, 27 May 2010 16:48 An undersea cable laid off the coast of east Africa last year has led to a boom in spam coming from the region, according to a new study from Symantec. A cable laid last summer boosted the broadband connectivity to countries along the country's eastern coast in July last year, Symantec noted in its May 2010 MessageLabs Intelligence Report, published on Wednesday. The consequent rise in broadband availability has given spammers access to a new source of machines for their botnets, it said. "Historically, broadband adoption has been a tipping point for spammers to acquire more bots," said MessageLabs analyst Paul Wood, in a statement. "The new undersea fibre optic cable along the east coast of Africa has enabled rapid growth in the number of users obtaining high-speed connections to the internet, creating a great opportunity for attackers to infect new machines and create new bots." There has been a significant rise in spam coming from Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, Symantec said. Spam output from those east African countries has risen by 7.2, 6.3 and 5.7 times, respectively, compared with levels seen a year ago. The more you know about the likely avenues of cybercrime attack, the better you can protect yourself against them, says Alan Calder While the majority of African spam still originates from outside of the eastern region, the new cable boosted eastern Africa's proportion of the continent's spam to 19 percent, up from 13 percent. Meanwhile, the proportion of spam coming from the rest of Africa decreased from 86 percent to 80 percent, Symantec said. Overall, spam originating from Africa rose by 1.2 billion junk messages per day. Africa now originates three percent of spam worldwide, up from just under two percent a year ago, according to the report. Earlier this week, VeriSign iDefense reported that botnets are available for hire for as little as $8.94 (£6.04) per hour, emphasising how little financial muscle or technical expertise is needed to carry out attacks. Worldwide, the Symantec study found that in May phishing scam emails accounted for one in 237.1 emails, or 0.42 percent, up 0.2 percentage points on April. Phishing emails represented 80.6 percent of all email-borne threats, up 10.3 percentage points on April. The UK remained the country against which the most phishing attacks were directed, with one in 121.8 phishing emails aimed at British systems, Symantec said.

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Global award scheme for innovative Digital content
by Gakiria 08 Jun '10

08 Jun '10

Dear All, The World Summit Youth award (WSYA) selects and promotes best practice in e-Content and technological creativity, demonstrates young people’s potential to create outstanding digital contents, and is a showcase to the world for young e-content creators, journalists and writers, application designers, and technologists. For application details, follow the link below.. http://www.youthaward.org/en_press_media-coverage.html Gakiria Andrew Kenya eLearning Centre

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The urgent case for a Regional Internet Exchange Point (RIXP)
by Harry Delano 07 Jun '10

07 Jun '10

Listers, I have noticed, that while all laudable efforts in speeding up our broadband connectivity to the rest of the world hits top gear, saddeningly regional local interconnectivity lags behind. Why is this so...? For instance reaching a branch office located in Tanzania from their Kenya HQ office,or vice versa means traffic transits out from our cyberspace to some international exchange point somwhere in London, hits the return trip back via some other Link to Dar. This especially affects VOIP connectivity and quality, between interconnected offices, and other services that rely on good QOS. This, especially while we are working on the economic, Social, and perhaps Political intergration of the Comesa block seems to fly in the face of the major milestones that have been achieved in the Telecommunication sectors of the member countries, and I strongly suggest the industry addresses this urgently. We need a Regional Internet Exchange point set up. Perhaps name it COMESA-IXP or something. But one thing is clear; the more we each send traffic destined locally on a roundtrip to Europe or elsewhere and back, means we incur huge transiting costs in the process, which dollars that we export out should be be used to expand and develop our local & Regional interconnection capacity.. I think, this is an issue worth being addressed and I'd be interested to discuss this more with anyone interested to drive this forward. Anyone..? Regards, Harry

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UBUNTUNET ALLIANCE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORKING, ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE POSITION OF TECHNICAL MANAGER
by alice 07 Jun '10

07 Jun '10

Technical Manager Advert Released June 7th 2010 Submission should be by email to: ceo(a)ubuntunet.net UBUNTUNET ALLIANCE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORKING ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE POSITION OF TECHNICAL MANAGER UbuntuNet Alliance for Research and Education Networking is a regional member-owned organisation whose mission is to secure affordable high speed regional and international connectivity as well as efficient ICT access and usage for African NRENs. Detailed documentation about the Alliance and its operations can be found at www.ubuntunet.net. The Alliance currently has twelve members, being the National Research and Education Networks of Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. The Alliance has a POP in London through which it connects to the European regional research and education network GÉANT and to the comercial cloud. An increasing number of member NRENs are getting connected to the POP. Over the next twelve months, the Alliance will be fully defining and procuring its regional network, to be followed by operations during the course of the subsequent twelve months. To support and enable both design and operations, the Alliance would like recruit a Technical Manager as envisaged in the Policy and Master Plan. The Technical Manager (TM), reporting to the CEO, will provide vision and strategic leadership in the use of technology to further the Alliance’s vision and strategic objectivesand will also have overall responsibility for management, control and maintenance of the Alliance’s ICT resources to enable the achievement of the service levels of client research and education networks. The TM will be specifically responsible for (key results areas): 􀁺 Strategic and tactical development, implementation and evaluation of technology policies and programmes to support and enhance the academic and research collaboration among UbuntuNet members as well as other Regional RENs; 􀁺 Leadership of the UbuntuNet Alliance Network Engineering Group (UNEG) responsible for technology architecture, strategy, and design; 􀁺 Design, procurement and implementation as well as management, control, and maintenance of all ICT resources; 􀁺 Negotiation and management of contracts with suppliers; 􀁺 Formulation and Management of Service Level Agreements with both vendors and clients consistent with the overall service level targets of the Alliance, and provide/oversee the technical resources to fulfil agreed service levels; 􀁺 Maintaining professional contacts with other stakeholders and vendors concerning ICT. Person Profile The Technical Manager will be a person: i. With at least five years experience in the implementation as well as management, control, and maintenance of large (multi-campus or national) data communication network(s); ii. Who possesses management and leadership experience that would enable them to interface, on behalf of the Alliance, with the different clients and stake holders; iii. Having the skills to deputise for the CEO of the Alliance. iv. Holding a Bachelors degree in engineering with major focus on telecommunication engineering/internetworking. Related qualifications like the CCNP; or relevant qualifications and research at the Masters and PhD level will be added advantages. The Board may consider a track record of expertise and delivery at the internet engineering level in lieu of formal qualifications at any level. v. With excellent report writing, oral communication, and presentation skills vi. With experience in the development, application, implementation and reporting for grant funded projects. Applicants should note the following: i. Preference will be given to applicants who are normally resident in countries where there is a member NREN to maximise opportunities for initial engagement without physical relocation. ii. The employment will be on contract terms for a period to be agreed with the successful candidate, renewable based on performance and mutual agreement. iii. Applications with CVs and capability statements should be submitted as pdf documents by 2000hrs East African Standard Time on the 9th of July 2010. The application should include the applicant’s current and expected salary and benefits. iv. Submission should be by email to: ceo(a)ubuntunet.net

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Fwd: Barcamp Nairobi/Wherecamp Africa
by Phares Kariuki 07 Jun '10

07 Jun '10

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Phares Kariuki <pkariuki(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 9:12 AM Subject: Barcamp Nairobi/Wherecamp Africa To: Skunkworks forum <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Hi, Event is 55% booked. Kindly register for planning purposes. http://www.barcampnairobi.com/?page_id=21 <http://www.barcampnairobi.com/?page_id=21>Thanks, -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares | -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares |

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[Fwd: Symantec Latest Internet Security Threat Report]
by alice 06 Jun '10

06 Jun '10

Dear all, Please see attached the latest Symantec security threat report, which provides an up to date on line threat environment around the world. best alice

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FOSSFA project manager
by alice＠apc.org 04 Jun '10

04 Jun '10

FOSSFA is looking for an enthusiastic African, currently living in Africa to serve the Foundation as Project Manager. Location for FOSSFA project Manager is preferably Accra, Ghana, however, the Manager may opt to work from his or her home base. TERM:12 months of initial contract. Renewable Full information : http://fossfa.net/node/106 Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya

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Announcement: Local Content and Software Applications Grant
by Lucy Odhiambo 03 Jun '10

03 Jun '10

Dear Listers, The Kenya ICT Board is pleased to announce the launch a Local Content and Software Applications Grant. A call for proposals was advertised this morning. Successful applicants will receive grants of up to US$ 50,000 for firms and US$ 10,000 for individuals. All Tandaa Participants are encouraged to submit proposals for consideration for the Local Content and Software Applications Grant. There are two grant opportunities. They include: 1. Government Information Portal This Grant Component will support the development of the existing Government information portal (www.information.go.ke) developed by the Ministry of Information and Communication. There is increased demand for the development of web and mobile based information services that provide Government agencies and the public with readily accessible and transparent content and data. The grant will be utilized for developing: a) Specific content and applications b) Innovative new content and applications c) Urban and rural community based applications 2. Private sector content and applications including SMS and IVR and e-Services This Grants Component will support the development, roll out and scale-up of content and applications including SMS/IVR and e-Services. The purpose of this grant is to support individuals and firms to develop innovative communications and information applications that utilize web and mobile technologies. This grant is open to firms and individuals in the private sector who are interested in developing applications that would be of benefit to the general public or improve the delivery of existing services. The grant will cover the expenses for service and content development as well as awareness building. Grant Amount The grant will be limited to a maximum of USD 50,000 for firms and USD 10,000 for individuals. The single currency for price conversions is Kenya Shillings, the source of official selling rates is Central Bank of Kenya and the date of exchange rates is the date of Call for Proposals advertisement. Application Forms * Online Application Forms for Firms <https://fs12.formsite.com/KenyaICTBoard/form040946701/form_login.html> * Online Application Forms for Individuals <https://fs12.formsite.com/KenyaICTBoard/form457837001/form_login.html> Questions? For more information: * Visit: www.ict.go.ke * Send an email to: grants(a)ict.go.ke * Call us on: 020 2394244 All the best! Regards, Kenya ICT Board Local Content Grants Team Lucy Gachui Odhiambo, Communications Manager Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers , Kenyatta Avenue Entrance Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 737 839 047 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke 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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Lessons from Idlelo4
by ikua＠lpakenya.org 03 Jun '10

03 Jun '10

Dear Listers, I have always wondered why it is that it is mainly the rich and developed/developing nations that see the value of adopting open source in their governments. I was reminded of this in the just concluded Idlelo4 conference in Accra, where we were shown a study conducted by the Centre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS.org) The poor nations are still paying the price of proprietary software. Read more on my blog here: http://www.ict-innovation.fossfa.net/blog/ikua

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Formal candidate search for DOT Kenya IBM CSC PM
by alice 02 Jun '10

02 Jun '10

Applications and enquiries should be submitted to Heather Marshall, DOT Global, by email: HMarshall(a)dotrust.org * Digital Opportunity Trust Kenya* Experienced Program Manager IBM Corporate Service Corps Program – Nairobi Closing Date: 16 June 2010 IBM has developed a new employee leadership initiative called the Corporate Service Corps. The Corporate Service Corps Program is designed to help enhance global economic opportunity, provide more access to education resources and to work on environmental issues. IBM's Corporate Service Corps will gather teams of IBM Leaders with a diversity of skills, drawn from different countries and business units and place them in emerging markets to tackle important social and economic issues in collaboration with NGO partners from around the world. The IBM Leaders will work on projects of significant value in developing countries, in four-week assignments. These teams will tackle real societal, educational and economic challenges, while at the same time experiencing a diverse cultural perspective and enhancing their skills and leadership competencies. Under the Corporate Service Corps, IBM will deploy IBM Leaders in teams of 8-10 people for a four-week in-country, on-the-ground experience. The onthe- ground experience will be extended by a period of pre-work to familiarize the volunteer with the local culture and language of their destination country as well as the content of the project on which they have been assigned to work. The experience will be followed by a post-work period intended for sharing the experience inside and possibly outside of the company. Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) has been selected by IBM as a Global Implementation Partner for IBM’s new Corporate Service Corps (CSC) Program. DOT is already implementing the CSC program in Turkey, China and Egypt. DOT began operations in Kenya in 2005 and has been registered as a local non-profit organization since 2007, with head offices in Nairobi. DOT Kenya is part of an international network of DOT country programs that report to DOT global headquarters based in Ottawa, Canada (http://dotrust.org/) Through its core economic programs DOT Kenya works with Community Based Organizations and education institutions to build ICT and business skills capacity of vulnerable groups (women, youth, unemployed) and micro and small enterprises in selected communities to increase their employment and income-generation opportunities. DOT Kenya is a young, agile and rapidly growing organization with a proven track record and community of local partners. The next few years will be a period of both dynamic growth and institutional and program innovation. To contribute to the management of this continuing growth, DOT Kenya is now seeking to hire an experienced program manager to join its small but committed team in Nairobi. * The Position* The Project Manager will assume a key role within the management team for IBM CSC program. The Project Manager will provide leadership and assume responsibility in the following areas: 1) Leading the planned expansion of IBM’s new Corporate Service Corps (CSC) Program in Kenya (implemented by DOT) 2) Ensuring Operational Impact of projects and Monitoring and Evaluation 3) Facilitating knowledge sharing and coordination within the IBM and DOT international networks and regional/international program networks. *Duty Station & Reporting *o Duty Station: DOT Kenya Office in Nairobi o Reporting: The Project Manager will have a reporting relationship with DOT Vice-President, Istanbul, Turkey. * Duties and Responsibilities *The key responsibilities of the Project Manager will include: 1. IBM’s new Corporate Service Corps (CSC) Program in Kenya: a. Manages overall operations and in-country implementation of IBM Corporate Service Corps (CSC) Program in Kenya. Specific responsibilities include: selection of cities for program deployments, management of relationships with host partner organizations in selected cities, development of detailed Statements of Work for IBM assignments, management of briefing, logistics and socio-cultural program and overall promotion and execution in-country CSC program experience in Kenya. b. Active team member in DOT’s liaison with senior IBM CSC executive managers in London (UK) and Washington (USA) re planning and contribution to the CSC Program Pre-Service and Post-Service work experiences for each of the CSC team deployments. c. Active team member in planning and coordinating DOT input into IBM communications, knowledge sharing and security strategies for the IBM CSC program. d. Builds and manages relationships with key IBM CSC program stakeholders (both at regional/national level) e. Develops a Communications and Public Relations strategy for DOT (in consultation with IBM) to raise awareness of the program in Kenya 2. Operational Impact and Monitoring & Evaluation a. Responsible for operational impact of projects (i.e. CSC program, Identifies budget, personnel and risk issues as they arise and provides recommendations to DOT Regional Executive to address operational issues b. Ensure project plans and targets are met (CSC Program,) ensures successful delivery of projects; reviews progress frequently and prepares required progress reports for DOT c. Regularly communicates to DOT Regional Executive to provide program updates, as well as act as a point of contact for project partners. 3. Knowledge Sharing and Coordination a. Participate in monthly DOT international management team knowledge sharing and coordination meetings (as Kenya country lead) b. Participate in DOT regional or international knowledge sharing events and workshops (contingent on available funding) c. Develop options for deepening and expanding the project partnership in Kenya and potentially globally * Preferred skills, qualifications, experience, and language requirements* • Degree in business, economics, international development, international relations or another relevant field, with strong academic performance. • Preferably Master’s degree in business, social sciences and/or computer science or related field • At least five successful years experience formally managing projects or programs • Trained in project management methodologies • Has managed teams of ten or larger on projects longer than one year • Background includes detailed budget management & measurement reporting • Ability to broker and convene productive coalitions between business, government and development partners, experience in building strategic relationships and networks (in Kenya and internationally) • Sound understanding of economic and business development situation in Kenya • Fluent in English *• The following would be strong assets:* o on-the-ground experience related to issues of economic development and entrepreneurship o highly motivated, strong work ethic and desire/ability to develop new programs o good coach, skills transfer, detailed, dedicated, problem solver, risk manager, prioritization, interested in Flexible work arrangements o interest/desire to collaborate with other countries/programs internationally *Personal Characteristics* • Possess a strong spirit for community service and share DOT Kenya’s passion to contribute to a better Kenya; • Have a preference for an entrepreneurial and agile work environment. Flexible, comfortable with ambiguity and receptive to new ideas; • Be results driven. Motivated by a high sense of personal performance expectations and have a sense of urgency. Be a role model whose personal performance inspires others; • Be strategic. Able to translate opportunity into program strategy; • Have excellent interpersonal and communications skills. A comfortable leader and consensus builder, a team player; • A knowledgeable promoter of the role of technology in modern economic development and formal and informal education; • Have highest personal ethics. A person who demonstrates integrity and is a model of ethical values and behavior at all times. * Duration of Contract* • 12 months • Start: immediate *Compensation* DOT Kenya is a non-profit organization that recognizes that change is driven by involving the best people. Salary will be commensurate with experience. For More Information Closing date: 16 June 2010. *Applications and enquiries should be submitted *to Heather Marshall, DOT Global, by email: HMarshall(a)dotrust.org. Applications should include a cover letter, current curriculum vitae and the names and coordinates of three references. References will not be contacted without prior consent. DOT Kenya will contact only those candidates who are invited for interview. >

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EAST AFRICAN INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM 2010; STRENGTHENING EAST AFRICA’S CRITICAL INTERNET RESOURCES 11-13 August 2010, Kampala, Uganda.
by alice 02 Jun '10

02 Jun '10

*_EAST AFRICAN INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM 2010;_* *_STRENGTHENING EAST AFRICA’S CRITICAL INTERNET RESOURCES 11-13 August 2010, Kampala, Uganda._* * * ** The 2010 East African Internet Governance Forum (2010 EA-IGF) will take place on 11-13 August, 2010 at the Imperial Royale hotel in Kampala, Uganda. This third EA-IGF is hosted by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), I-Network Uganda, Collaboration on International ICT policy for East and Southern (CIPESA), and Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET). Under the theme “*Strengthening East Africa’s Critical Internet Resources”*, participants will this year address and discuss the governance of Critical Internet Resources (CIRs) in East Africa. Particular focus has been given to three key CIRs that have been identified as cross-cutting.Past EA-IGFs identified issues of *ccTLD management and ownership, transitioning to IPv6, and the importance of national and regional IXPs* as crosscutting issues that needed to be addressed both at the national and regional levels. The 2010 meeting will therefore provide comprehensive consideration to addressing ccTLD management in East Africa. Research findings on ccTLDs will be shared based on the five priority issues effecting ccTLDs identified by the 2008 and 2009 EA-IGFs; Cybercrime, Policy and Regulation of ccTLDs, ccTLDs and consumer rights, and key issues that affect access to Broadband and Internet and how these affect the management and coordination of ccTLDs. The challenges and effective strategies for transitioning to IPv6 will also be discussed. This year’s access theme will examine the status of broadband in East Africa, noting achievements, hurdles to be overcome and plans for the immediate future. Security and privacy session will address Cybercrime and how it affects women differently among other Cybercrime concerns. The 2010 EA-IGF will introduce a new session focusing on emerging issues for the Internet society of East Africa. Policy and regulatory framework issues around cross-border/regional ICT certification and the role of youth in advancing the Internet Governance debate in East Africa. The meeting will also discuss the review and future of the global UN IGF process. The EA-IGF supports the continuation and extension of the mandate of the IGF and also supports Kenya’s expression of interest in hosting the 2011 IGF A *parliamentary and IG session* will be held on 13 August and will review the declarations made during the 2009 EA-IGF held in Nairobi as well as address emerging IG issues. The session will be attended by parliamentarians from the five East African countries as well as from the United Kingdom. The outcomes of the EA-IGF will be submitted to the fifth UN Internet Governance Forum taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania 14 – 17, September 2010. Further, the proceedings will be presented at other national and regional forums in Africa. For each thematic session, representatives from each country will provide their national perspective on the theme, identifying/sharing key issues, challenges and recommendations. *What is the EA-IGF*** The EA-IGF was convened in 2008 by the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) as a multi-stakeholder process with the aim of ensuring meaningful participation of East African internet stakeholders in internet governance policy processes. The EA-IGF is open to representatives from government, civil society, academia, private sector, media, consumer groups, other entities and individuals interested in Internet Governance issues. This regional IGF process brings together participants from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan to identify, explore and build consensus around common Internet policy priority issues in the region. The EA-IGF model sees each country begin the process with online discussions to identify the Internet policy issues most important to them, followed by a face-to-face national IGF meeting. These national processes then fed into the regional meeting, the EA-IGF. The outcomes of the national and regional processes have then been very successfully shared at two global IGFs. While the EA-IGF is informed by IGF it does not mimic the global process. The national IGFs, which form the building block for the regional EA-IGF, identify issues that are unique and important to their local situations and needs. The goal of the EA-IGF is to create a Community of Practice that will be a sustaining foundation for meaningful participation of East African stakeholders in Internet public policy debates at the national, regional and international level. *The 2010 EA-IGF is supported by* · Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) · Collaboration on International ICT policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) · I-Network Uganda · Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) · International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) · Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) · Nominet United Kingdom · AT&T · AfriNic · AfTLD · Internet Society (ISOC) · Centre for Global Communications (GLOCOM) · Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) · Internet Governance Forum (UN-IGF) *To register for this event or obtain additional information, please visit the meeting website at **http://www.eaigf.or.ke*

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KENIC is wanting
by robert yawe 31 May '10

31 May '10

Hi, How safe is .ke if the servers have questionable security certificates, it seems we are taking this ctld issues very lightly. After attending ICANN I am now more informed about the importance of secure servers and the costs of lax dns issues. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Fwd: FW: Survey of National Cyber Security and CERT Capacity in Africa
by waudo siganga 31 May '10

31 May '10

Dear Colleagues - The International Cyber Center (ICC) at George Mason University and our survey co-sponsors Africa Union and WITSA are conducting a survey to determine current state of national cyber security and CERT capacity in Africa. This survey is intended to promote understanding of the needs and requirements of the region and provide a basis to engage key public and private stakeholders whose participation, support and action are critical to progress in this area. ICC will follow up the survey with a series of workshops in Africa during 2010 and 2011. Anonymized results of the survey will be published on the ICC website. We seek input from all stakeholders - government, industry, academia and civil society - in the Africa region. Given their unique roles, participation by government, critical infrastructures and industries (including banks, utilities, and manufacturing) are of particular interest. The survey is at http://internationalcybercenter.org/Home/africasurvey . The password is CERT-AFRICA . We request that you complete the survey by the end of May 2010. Finally, recognizing that responses from a broad cross section of stakeholders will enhance the survey results, we encourage you to forward this invitation to others with interest in the cyber security in Africa so that they too may participate in the survey. Thank you for your participation. Sincerely, Arun Arun Sood, PhD, Prof Computer Science and co-Director International Cyber Center Andy Purdy, co-Director International Cyber Center Joseph Richardson, Senior Fellow International Cyber Center

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SMS becomes e-mail and chat – Safaricom implements new service and others will follow shortly
by alice 31 May '10

31 May '10

(From Balancing Act) SMS becomes e-mail and chat – Safaricom implements new service and others will follow shortly In issue 452 in May 2009 we asked what the difference was between e-mail and SMS? Answer: A different interface and one has a far more limited length of message. The moment has now arrived at which the distinction between the two will now become completely blurred. Russell Southwood talks to Jeremy George, the COO of ForgetMeNot Africa about the implementation of a new service called Kipokezi which has just launched with Safaricom. ForgetMeNot Africa’s implementation means that all standard phones that can SMS can be turned into phones that can use e-mail and chat. The company sets up a gateway for the operator that translates SMS into e-mail and vice-versa. So for example, if your message is longer than a single SMS it will go out as two linked SMS messages and it will also be possible to send it to e-mail addresses. Users need to register but there is a simple “auto-register” procedure. The user then simply simply adds a contact and gets a number to send the e-mail to. The user can also set up a chat with another user by just adding “chat”. Everyone registered gets their own e-mail address which is “Yournumber(a)safaricom.com So now 15 million mobile phone subscribers in Kenya – over a third of the country’s population - will now be able to access email and online chat regardless of the make and model of their mobile phone. The new Kipokezi service is being rolled out by Kenya’s largest telecoms operator, Safaricom, suppliers of mobile phone connectivity for almost 9 in 10 Kenyan mobile phone subscribers. Safaricom CEO, Michael Joseph pointed out that it has been “the price of Internet-ready phones that has kept many Kenyans off the web,a trend we are determined to Change”. According to the company, 3.5 million out of the 5 million Kenyans who access the Internet do so through their 3G network. He believes that it will be widely used by the tech-savvy youth of Kenya, particularly for chat services like MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Windows Live and Gtalk so that users can send and receive messages and invitations globally. The only downside is that if your message is two SMSs long, you pay for two SMSs to send it but you pay nothing to receive it. However, Safaricom’s tariff for chat is a third of the cost for e-mail as most chat messages are shorter. Another network ForgetMeNot Africa is working with is looking at a chat tariff that will be one sixth of the e-mail rate. So is the service being picked up anywhere else on the continent? Econet Lesotho implemented it at the end of last year and has already got a “high single figures percentage figure registered” out of their total subscriber base. ForgetMeNot Africa is also working with another half dozen operators on implementation: one in Southern Africa (which is just a few weeks away from launch); a couple in West Africa; and a couple in East Africa (which are at the trial stage). In several previous stories in the last year, we have talked about how the Internet in Africa will gain “critical mass” over the next two years. The blurring of the distinction between SMS and e-mail is another clear step in that direction. Users just want to communicate and they want to be able to do that as easily as possible.

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Mobile sim registration
by Okech 28 May '10

28 May '10

Hi all, Several countries e.g Tanzania have or are in the process of ensuring that all sim cards in their jurisdiction are registered by the mobile operators who serve them. Of course, one reason taunted for doing so is to help track criminals. This indeed sounds a noble idea. However, it does result infringement of peoples privacy especially owing to the fact that the investigators may consult the mobile phone operators to get ones details without their consent. Why must we allow this then? Regards, Okech JMMy blog

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[Fwd: [reformsnow] If we vote YES for the proposed Constitution
by alice 28 May '10

28 May '10

Dear all For those following (all Kenyans of course...) the constitutional review process, please see below. best alice -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [reformsnow] If we vote YES for the proposed Const.... Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 03:53:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Wamuyu Gatheru <wamuyulearn(a)yahoo.co.uk> To: alice(a)apc.org CC: reformsnow(a)lists.reformsnow.or.ke Hi all, We are still struggling to get Constitutional reform behind us. Please find attached a brief question and answer write out done by Njoki Ndungu, a COE Commissioner, breaking down some issues: how muslims pay for Christian, Hindu etc marriages, what ratification of an international treaty means, how devolution will work... *Today's Fact*: If we vote YES for the proposed Constitution no proposed legislation can be delayed for longer than one year beyond the time specified for its enactment (see the 5th schedule on legislation). For example, new law on Citizenship (dual citizenship, women passing on citizenship to spouses after 7 years, law abiding residents obtaining citizenship after 7 years...) should be in place in one year. If after 2 years this legislation is not in place, Parliament will be ordered by the High Court to enact the legislation within a specified period of time. If Parliament fails to obey this order, _Parliament will be dissolved_. regards, Wamuyu P/S Invite your networks to this mailing list (reformsnow(a)lists.reformsnow.or.ke) Facts on political reforms will be posted regularly.

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FW: [DigAfrica] Kenya's Safaricom's year profit jumps 37 pct
by Edith Adera 27 May '10

27 May '10

FYI _________________ Edith Ofwona Adera Senior Program Specialist International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le développement international +254- 20- 2713160 ext 3406 | eadera(a)idrc.or.ke<mailto:+1-613-696-3406eadera@idrc.or.ke> | www.idrc.ca<http://www.idrc.ca/> | www.crdi.ca<http://www.crdi.ca/> ________________________________ From: DigAfrica(a)yahoogroups.com [DigAfrica(a)yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of chifu_wa_malindi [chifu2222(a)gmail.com] Sent: 26 May 2010 09:54 To: DigAfrica(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [DigAfrica] Kenya's Safaricom's year profit jumps 37 pct Kenya's Safaricom's year profit jumps 37 pct NAIROBI, May 26 (Reuters) - Kenya's Safaricom, the country's largest telecoms operator, said on Wednesday pretax profit rose by 37 percent to 20.97 billion shillings ($262.6 million) for its year ended March. The firm, which is also east Africa's largest by market value and part-held by Britain's Vodafone, said the market was at 50 percent penetration and the greatest growth opportunities lay in data services. (Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Helen Nyambura-Mwaura; Editing by Richard Lough) ($1=79.85 Kenyan Shilling) Keywords: SAFARICOM/ (Email: nairobi.newsroom(a)reuters.com<mailto:nairobi.newsroom%40reuters.com>; Tel: +254 20 222 4717) __._,_.___ Reply to sender<mailto:chifu2222@gmail.com?subject=Kenya's%20Safaricom's%20year%20profit%20jumps%2037%20pct> | Reply to group<mailto:DigAfrica@yahoogroups.com?subject=Kenya's%20Safaricom's%20year%20profit%20jumps%2037%20pct> | Reply via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwdDQwY2J2BF9TAzk3M…> | Start a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlY3NlczdzBF9TAzk3M…> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/message/8194;_ylc=X3oDMTM0cjg4OXBuB…> (1) Recent Activity: * New Members<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJmam43bW9uBF9TAz…> 3 Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica;_ylc=X3oDMTJlZ2VwNnU1BF9TAzk3MzU5Nz…> Dig Africa site welcomes you to join us at http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/Digafrica on IT in Africa Feel free to join at our google group digital africa http://groups.google.com/group/digitalafrica Thanks. Chifu Moderator MARKETPLACE Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15okd72ri/M=493064.13983314.14041046.13298430/D…> ________________________________ Get great advice about dogs and cats. Visit the Dog & Cat Answers Center.<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15o34naf6/M=493064.13814537.14041040.10835568/D…> ________________________________ Hobbies & Activities Zone: Find others who share your passions! Explore new interests.<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15og6ukk2/M=493064.14012770.13963757.13298430/D…> [http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/yg/logo/us.gif]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJkanMwYnYxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5M…> Switch to: Text-Only<mailto:DigAfrica-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Format:%20Traditional>, Daily Digest<mailto:DigAfrica-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> • Unsubscribe<mailto:DigAfrica-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of Use<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . __,_._,___

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Passport to Africa invites you to Passport to Africa features: DEDO (Accra, Ghana) (May 26, 2010)
by Passport to Africa 26 May '10

26 May '10

------------------------------ Event Summary: ------------------------------ Event: Passport to Africa features: DEDO (Accra, Ghana) Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (ET) Location: Pasha Lounge Marrakesh Palace 2147 P Street NW Washington, DC 20037 ------------------------------ Event Details: ------------------------------ A Toast to African Fashion: African Fashion with Moroccan Wine! Complimentary Moroccan wine and appetizers by Marrakesh Palace. You don't want to miss Bluffa Jo's beauty bar. ------------------------------ Register Online: ------------------------------ More information and online registration are available here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/710413867/?ref=eivte&invite=MzU5MzE0L2t… ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Collect event fees online with Eventbrite http://www.eventbrite.com

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Re: [kictanet] Some ICT Information
by Brian Omwenga 25 May '10

25 May '10

Hi all, I'm looking for some Internet data information for the country. Where can I get a quantitative report with data about top websites hits, from various types of connected devices (mobile/PC)and probably some high-level behavioral attributes per site visit also. Your help is very much appreciated. Regards, Brian G. Omwenga NRC Africa

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Mobile application lab grant funding/Africa/deadline May 31]
by alice 25 May '10

25 May '10

And the direct link:http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.829.html FYI: Infodev <http://www.startupafrica.com/tag/infodev>, a donor-funded ICT for development agency hosted by the World Bank, has formed a public/private partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Finland and Nokia to undertake a joint program on Creating Sustainable Businesses for the Knowledge Economy, worth some €12 million, that will run from 2010 – 2012. This request for expressions of interest (EOI) concerns Track 1A of the program, on the establishment of a regional mobile applications lab for Africa. As the implementing agency for the program, infoDev is looking to identify either one, or two, host institutions in Africa where the activities of the lab can be situated. This grant award for between US$200’000 and US$300’000 (depending on the number of labs selected) covers the establishment of each lab, by the end of 2010, and the start-up phase in early 2011. Additional grant funding may be available later following successful completion of the start-up phase. The services to be offered by the lab include: 1. Training and accreditation for mobile applications developers. 2. Certification of applications and facilities for developers to test applications under operational conditions. 3. Fostering competition for ideas among applications developers. 4. Business mentoring to assist applications developers with bringingtheir ideas to market. In this sense, the Labs could serve as specialized business incubators. 5. Replication of successful applications, between countries,languages and operating systems. 6. Developing a repository of knowledge in ICT4D. 7. Conducting consumer behaviour research. 8. Facilitating access to finance and access to markets. On the basis of responses to this EOI, a shortlist of candidate host organizations will be drawn up who will receive a more detailed request for proposals. To respond to this EOI, please send a capability profile and a covering letter by email to tkelly-at-worldbank.org, with a copy to info-at-infodev.org, no later than 11.59 pm EST on May 31 2010. Katrin Verclas MobileActive.org katrin @ mobileactive.org skype/twitter: katrinskaya (347) 281-7191 A global network of people using mobile technology for social impact http://mobileactive.org _______________________________________________

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a decade of mobile revolution ---
by muriuki mureithi 24 May '10

24 May '10

On 24/8/2000 Kencell now Zain launched the first privately run cellular service and 21/10/2000 Safaricom under new management followed suit and ushered a revolution in communications A decade of this revolution is just round - what is the big plan to celebrate the big revolution --- Cheers MM

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Kenya ICT Spenidng figures
by waudo siganga 24 May '10

24 May '10

Dear Colleagues, International consulting firm Global Insight has compiled the latest world statistics on trade in ICT. The statistics, availed at the on-going World Congress in Information Technology in Amsterdam (www.wcit2010.org) indicate that Kenya is ranked 6th out of 9 African countries surveyed with cumulative ICT spending in 2008 of US$2,175.6m. The total IT spend in Africa during the period was US$64,628.6m and the global spend was US$3,626,121.9m. Comparative Africa figures are: Algeria:3,848.3m, Cameroon:1,152.6m, Kenya: 2,175.6, Morocco: 9,785.6m, Nigeria:14,449.4m, Senegal: 1,634.5m, South Africa: 28,501.2m, Tunisia: 2,303.6m, Zimbabwe: 777.9m. Statistics are further broken down in sub-categories including Total computer hardware spending, Total Computer Software spending, Total Computer Services Spending, and Total Communications Spending, with cross-referencing against other parameters such as GDP, population and educational services. The executive summary report can be downloaded at [1]http://www.witsa.org/v2/media_center/pdf/DigitalPlanet2008_Exe cutiveSummary.pdf The Amsterdam meeting of leaders of the world ICT industry has however been overshadowed by a titanic, too close to call, battle for WITSA Chairmanship between the incumbent Dato’ Dan Khoo of Malaysia and challenger Dr. Jorge A. Cassino of Argentina. By the end of today, Monday when the 72 delegates - including Kenya - meet it will be known who will lead the giant ICT Business organization for the next 2 years. Kind Regards, Waudo References 1. http://www.witsa.org/v2/media_center/pdf/DigitalPlanet2008_ExecutiveSummary…

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Face-to-face link with MP at the touch of a button
by alice 23 May '10

23 May '10

We are getting there. Congratulations Hon. Rege ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A conference hall fitted with a huge screen is all constituents will need to communicate with their MP. That is a reality for the people of Karachuonyo in Nyanza, who have embraced teleconferencing in a big way. To talk to their MP, Mr James Rege, all they need do is walk to the local office and book an appointment. Once an appointment has been secured, at the touch of a button, they will be talking to the MP. The technology comes at a time when the government seeks to reduce the costs incurred by Members of Parliament during their day-to-day duties. *Other duties* If the technology is embraced by all the constituencies, the MPs will efficiently be able to monitor their constituencies’ development without having to travel there. This will free the leaders for other duties such as attending parliamentary sessions. Mr Rege, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Communication, said the technology will enable constituents to have a face-to-face conversation with their MP without having to travel to Nairobi, where the legislators spend most of their time in order to attend Parliament and other business. “When the facility is fully installed by the government in all constituencies, the Treasury will be able to cut the costs incurred by MPs by half. Many MPs travel to their constituencies four times a week, which costs the taxpayers a huge sum of money” he said. *Two trips* Mr Rege said that to instal the teleconference equipment, a constituency needs only Sh120,000. This, he added, is what an MP spends for two trips to his constituency on average. “Sometimes, an MP uses the amount on travelling to his constituency to attend an hour’s meeting. The amount saved can be used to assist in the construction of schools and upgrading roads, among other projects.” Mr Rege said that with the technology, he was able to attend to his constituents and follow up development without having to miss parliamentary proceedings. The TelePresence virtual meeting also allows the MP to communicate with the district and provincial administrators and hold live interactive meetings using the connectivity of the Internet. Mr Rege said the technology will ensure that information is not distorted, as well as providing a channel for instant feedback. The teleconference kit was installed on April 30 at the Rachuonyo Constituency Development offices by Smoothtel and Tandberg High Definition.

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