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OOXML: Why Kenya Should Vote NO
by Dorcas Muthoni 25 Mar '08

25 Mar '08

*What is an Office Document Standard* A standard file format that would allow office documents such as spreadsheets and word processing files to be opened by applications from different vendors. *Why Open Standards * Creating an open office file format suggests that documents created in an application that supports that file format could be opened in other applications that support it as well. E.g. A document written using OpenOffice for example, could be opened in Ms Office without affecting the layout or formatting. With an open standard; - You can choose any operating system or application and still be able to read and edit all your old documents e.g. whether it is Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Unix. - You can collaborate with others regardless of which software they are using e.g. whether it is LotusNotes, OpenOffice, Ms Office, StarOffice, GoogleApps . - You can use any software of your choice to exchange documents within your organization, with your clients, partners, government and everyone else. The goal of an open standard is to free corporate data from proprietary file formats so they can be accessed for years to come no matter what office software a company or government is using. Companies and governments are currently saving data in proprietary file formats, such as those written in Microsoft's Office software (.doc, .xls, .ppt, and lately .docx, .xlsx, .pptx), and locking themselves into using that software indefinitely. A relative example is, we all develop our websites and expect to successfully access them using various browser software (Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, Safari, Internet Explorer etc). We successfully manage to do this because of HTML, XML and Browser open standardization. The same should happen for office documents and hence definition of open document standards. *What is ODF* ODF(OpenDocument Format) an ISO standard created with the aim to provide an open XML-based document file format for office applications to be used for documents containing text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical elements. ODF is defined via an open and transparent process at OASIS ( The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) and has been approved unanimously by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as an international standard in May 2006. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel ODF reuses established standards like HTML, SVG, XSL, SMIL, XLink, XForms, MathML, and Dublin Core. ODF leaves space for all present and future vendors do implement it and makes sure that end users won't suffer from any sort of vendor lock-in. In contrast to earlier used binary formats which were cryptic and difficult to process, ODF's use of XML makes accessing the document content simple. ODF guarantees long-term viability. The OASIS ODF TC, the OASIS ODF Adoption TC, and the ODF Alliance include members from Adobe, BBC, EDS, EMC, GNOME, Google, IBM, Intel, KDE, Novell, Oracle, Red Hat, Software AG and Sun Microsystems. Since June 2006 the ODF Alliance has already more than 300 members. *What is OOXML* A format proposed by Microsoft that comes closest to ODF in function, but it fails the test for an Open Standard in various ways, including an unclear legal status as well as inclusion of and reference to proprietary technologies. It has all signs of a vendor-specific format that only Microsoft will be able to implement completely. Microsoft, which dominates the office software market with its Office suite, is a member of OASIS and was fully aware of the technical committee that came up with ODF. However, they opted to make Ms Office 2007 heavily reliant on XML and also initiated a parallel technical committee to develop a standard file format the MS OOXML. Ms Office 2007 *does not* support ODF. What Microsoft has done is to push MS OOXML through a fast track process to have the standard certified by ISO. The standard is being reviewed by technical committees (TC) formed through national standards bodies. The TCs pass a vote through a ballot process. The ballot resolutions are then forwarded to ISO, if the outcome is greater support for MS OOXML, then the standard will be passed. *Why should we reject a proprietary standard like OOXML * 1. We live in a digital age where paper documents increasingly get replaced by electronic records. We may even see the day we no longer use paper and pen to keep records. In this situation long-term data becomes critical. This is especially the case for legal contracts and government documents which stay valid and relevant over decades, or even centuries. Just like there were many vendors supplying paper and pens through out the history, and not a single one, so do these formats and applications which are used to make them need to be vendor independent. That is the only guanrantee of long-term access to data, even if companies disappear, change their strategies or dramatically raise their prices. 2. The Kenyan technical committee (hosted by KEBS) reviewing the MS OOXML standard was inappropriately constituted and is highly imbalanced. Microsoft recommended business partners to this committee and the first vote returned a yes resolution because of this imbalance. On March 19th 2008, the committee passed an Abstain resolution which Microsoft is now strongly appealing against. 3. Further, the MS OOXML standard is defined in 6,000+ pages and with the fast track process, it is barely possible to review the standard comprehensively. This standard must be reviewed via the regular standard process. 4. MS OOXML is a proposed parallel standard without a justification. 5. *OOXML has patent issues* For all those with questions, feel free to ask. -- Muthoni My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ -------------------------------------------- Mahatma Gandhi once said:- First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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e-Learning Training opportunities
by Gakiria 25 Mar '08

25 Mar '08

Dear All, Attached is a call for nominations to inWEnt regional training courses on e-Learning organized by the Namibia Open Learning Network. Please circulate to your networks in East Africa. Regards Andrew

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Re: [kictanet] Just A Thought!
by David Makali 25 Mar '08

25 Mar '08

Folks, I think the person who offered that job of 8k should be congratulated. S/he is an entrepreneur. Jobs are offered to willing takers and i suppose as we go on an on here, there are already applicants or the slots have already been filled. I don't understand what this whole saga is about: how many of you ventilating on this offer pay your house helps that amount? Yet they most likely work more hours? And guards? Maurice is spot on: pay has to be relative to the income generated. Its take it or leave it. That is not to advocate prejudice or injustice; its being pragmatic in today's world. Lets move on. David --- Maurice Barasa <barazam(a)gmail.com> wrote: > The 8K/month is really low considering the high cost > of living we experience in Kenya. Maybe we can try > and advice the Cyber guy and others who may be in > this forum that have plans to start by considering > the numbers they operate on. > > As stated the Cyber has 8 computer and its open 12.5 > hours. This means that if the cyber has all the > eight computer being paid for at an average of 7 Hrs > a day coz not guaranteed that the computers will be > running all thro, then the computers will earn a > monthly average of KES 80640 (running for an average > of 24 days a month X 8 hrs/day * 60KES/hr since > assumed the Christian lady will be allowed a Sunday > off and they charge 1KES/Min.) and then assumed > there are other things like printing and > photocopying >KES10000 making it a total of 90K > Subtracting the costs before salary, say rent, ISP > charges.... assuming its 40K (advice if wrong), > meaning the net is around 50K, > > What would be the expected salary for the attendant > considering that the owner also needs to make some > profit? > > > Have a thoughtful day, > > Maurice > > > From: catherine ongoro > Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:29 AM > To: kaziafrika(a)googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: Just A Thought! > > > Hi all, > I disagree with Dan. The problem wasn't with the > phrase which in my view is very o.k. The problem is > with the specs that is christian (what about > qualified Kenyans from one of the very many > religious followings we have in Kenya?)and the 12.5 > working hrs for Kes. 8,000.00. > > Catherine. > > > dan chira <danchira2004(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hello Wanakazi, > > If you read the original email, the guy's opening > remarks were: > > "sambaza the following slot. There are hundreds of > able people who qualify and yet they don't have > access to internet, so people should speak of this > vacancies with their friends who don't have access > to Internet. Most of the online applicants I have > come across are people who have options, either they > want to switch jobs etc and so the real needy person > is locked away. So guys be kind to involve those > guys who even can't access Kaziafrica... > > > I think most of the people who acted emotionally > didnt understand the phrase, and they went ahead to > "lock" other people a vancacy that can change their > lifes! > > Just a thought!!! > > Danny > > -- > Real Men Fear God! > See No Evil,Hear No Evil,Say No Evil. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. > > > > > _______________ "If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." -- Isaac Asimo, Columbian Author and Scientist _______________ PO Box 3234 00200 Nairobi, Kenya cell: +254 722 517 540 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ YOU ARE IN KAZI AFRIKA GROUP UNSUBSCRIBE: kaziafrika-unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/kaziafrika?hl=en www.kazi-africa.com FOR A VERY PEACEFUL KENYA -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

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Kenya in dilemma over transfer of Teams shares to private investors
by Alex Gakuru 25 Mar '08

25 Mar '08

Smell something fishy.... <snip> The history of the opening up of the telecommunications sector is littered with cases of manipulation of privatisation to allow insiders and connected operatives to acquire shares they have not paid for. To date, the true owners of an entity by the name Mobitelea Ventures Ltd that indirectly owns a 10 per cent stake in the countrys first ever GSM mobile phone operator, Safaricom Ltd, remains unknown. The investor was procured under the old and opaque privatisation regime. In the case of Teams, the government last year procured 12 investors who will be allotted shares when the cable goes into operation. Although most of the companies allotted shares are well-known telecommunication companies, a number are nevertheless names that dont resonate. The lions share of the company has been allocated to Safaricom Ltd a 20 per cent stake. In the second category are Econet Wireless Kenya Ltd (10 per cent), France Telecom (10 per cent), Kenya Data Networks (10 per cent), Wananchi Telecom Ltd (10 per cent), Telkom Kenya (10 per cent), Jamii Telecom (3.75 per cent) and Gilat Satcom (1.25 per cent). The last category are names that are not too well-known, including an entity by the name Equip Ltd (1.25 per cent), Internet Research (1.25 per cent) and Inhand Ltd (1.25 per cent). The government will retain a 20 per cent stake in the company. Under the present arrangement, the chosen investors must pay 5 per cent of the projects funding requirement of $110 million, which will be put in an escrow account at Standard Chartered Bank of Kenya Ltd. The balance of what they are expected to pay is to be remitted when the parties consummate both a share-subscription agreement and a shareholders agreement in April. Contrary to the general impression, Etisalat of the UAE has no direct shareholding in Teams. What it has signed with the government is a construction and maintenance agreement and a supply contract. Whichever way one looks at it, these investors must be laughing all the way to the bank, having clinched a very sweet deal indeed. Major telecommunications operators and consumers of bandwidth whose names do not appear on the investors list may find it difficult to compete. The investors will be acquiring shares of the asset at the nominal value of $110 million, but its market price is bound to hit the roof once the company starts commercial operations. In a sense, the Teams model runs contrary to the conventional model of funding what is known as consortium cables where entities come together to fund a proportion of development cost and share the construction risk, and are allocated capacity depending on their commitment at all these stages. In this case, it is the Kenya government that has paid for the feasibility studies as well as the cost of the marine survey and engaging Standard Chartered Bank as the financial arrangers to the project. The government is the one carrying the construction risk of the project, meaning that if construction is delayed right now, it is the one that will bear the extra cost burden. With a new privatisation regime having taken effect in January, and the process of transferring the shares to private entities still outstanding, the Treasury must now make a decision on the route to take. According to the Act, all privatisation transactions must be handled according to the new law. Upon coming into operation of the Act, the commission shall take over the implementation and management of any ongoing process leading to a privatisation, says section 52 of the Privatisation Act. However, the same law also says that a privatisation process that is ongoing should not be reversed to the detriment of any party..... <http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/news170320081.htm> ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Re: [kictanet] WHO OWNS MOBITELEA ?
by dmakali＠yahoo.com 24 Mar '08

24 Mar '08

Absolutely. We can't allow this to pass! No way. Gideon, moi, marsham and biwott must pay up or surrender mobitelea shares to the public. Even if the judiciary is weak, this grand fraud is too much. Nor shud it escape even with a grand coalition. David Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: "Robert Alai" <alai.robert(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:16:01 To:"Kazi Africa" <Kaziafrika(a)googlegroups.com> Subject: WHO OWNS MOBITELEA ? Wanakazi The misterious Mobitelea owner is going to make a whooping 10 billion for just a corrupt deal they did with Moi. Now we must really know more about Mobitelea and not putting the matter in the open is just not going to work. Read more on http://www.wananchiforums.com/showthread.php?p=117&posted=1#post117 <http://www.wananchiforums.com/showthread.php?p=117&posted=1#post117> Robert --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ YOU ARE IN KAZI AFRIKA GROUP UNSUBSCRIBE: kaziafrika-unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/kaziafrika?hl=en www.kazi-africa.com FOR A VERY PEACEFUL KENYA -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

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"The Conversation": Book-Video on HIV/AIDS Disclosure Seeks Feedback/Info
by Janet Feldman 23 Mar '08

23 Mar '08

Hello. I'm writing a book and doing a video documentary on the subject of "The Conversation" that everyone with HIV has when they disclose their HIV status. I'm looking for people from every race and background, including those that are HIV negative, but have had "The Conversation" with HIV positive people. Please let your voice be heard by visiting our website - www.theHIVconversation.com You can learn more about the book, the author, who benefits, read stories of others who have already become a part of the project, and obtain the Questionnaire. Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to hearing your voice in your story about disclosure. Sebastian TheHIVConversation(a)gmail.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ YOU ARE IN KAZI AFRIKA GROUP UNSUBSCRIBE: kaziafrika-unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/kaziafrika?hl=en www.kazi-africa.com FOR A VERY PEACEFUL KENYA -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

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Fwd: [Idlelo2] FOSS & Business
by Judy Okite 22 Mar '08

22 Mar '08

FYI Kind Regards, ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Dapo Ladimeji <dapo(a)ladimeji.co.uk> Date: Mar 22, 2008 3:04 AM Subject: [Idlelo2] FOSS & Business To: council(a)fossfa.net Cc: IDLELO <idlelo2(a)fossfa.net>, Fossfa <council(a)fossfa.net> Hi Folks Two matters: Firstly - hope you guys who went to Idlelo3 had a good time. (I would have loved to come but no ticket!.) Secondly - I have been researching FOSS in business and the market has really changed from the last time I looked. There are now several production ready FOSS erp solutions suitable for small and medium sized businesses. This could be real boon both for medium sized African businesses and for local African developers/consultants. I attach a review article from University of Vienna (2006) - only that I should add that much has even improved since its publication. The quality is such that I can readily recommend these solutions to my clients in the UK. (What a difference a few years can make!) If anyone has any comments let me know. regards Dapo

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Ghetto FM (Nairobi Kenya): Voice for Peace Needs Help to Spread its Messages
by Janet Feldman 21 Mar '08

21 Mar '08

Dear Friends, Last fall, a letter circulated asking for donations (funds and equipment) for Ghetto FM, a project of the development nonprofit, SIDAREC (www.sidarec.org) which works with youth and adults in depressed areas of Nairobi. Since that time, Ghetto FM has been an invaluable ally of the peace process in Kenya. Below please note some of their outstanding activities. Ghetto FM is still very much in need of funds, equipment, training, and other resources in kind, in fact anything helpful to advance the peace process. If anyone can donate, please contact George Onyango at geogias(a)yahoo.com or george(a)sidarec.or.ke. With greatest thanks and all best wishes, Janet Feldman (KAIPPG International, kaippg(a)earthlink.net) Ghetto FM (SIDAREC's radio project): What we did is to use Ghetto FM to gauge the mood of the people and at the same time asking well-wishers to contribute. People have managed to contribute various items like clothes and food, while SIDAREC has donated drugs and asked for help from volunteer doctors for treating people. We have been having peace meetings within the affected slums. We have had them since the violence erupted. These meetings have been successful because of Ghetto FM. Through the station, we have been able to mobilize assistance to the displaced, coordinated meetings between various communities, and preached peace and reconciliation. What has excited me most is the fact that we have our own people, from the areas where we operate, as presenters. These are people who have never went to college to learn journalism. What we did is just to give them an in-house training for a month, and that was it. Looking at some of the programs that they came up with, one will be tempted to think you are dealing with professionals. Therefore any support to help improve Ghetto FM will be a boost to the youth working with the station. In one meeting, we managed to bring in the Provincial Administration. One of our suggestions to the Provincial administration is to help integrate people. This means that any group who wants assistance from the government must show that other community members are involved. In other words, it must show diversity. George Onyango Project Administrator Slums Information Development & Resource Centres (SIDAREC) P.O.BOX 9687 00300 TEL.+254-20-246961/247356 MOBILE:+254-721986320 NAIROBI,KENYA. E-mail: george(a)sidarec.or.ke Website: www.sidarec.org Skype: george.onyango --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ YOU ARE IN KAZI AFRIKA GROUP UNSUBSCRIBE: kaziafrika-unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/kaziafrika?hl=en www.kazi-africa.com FOR A VERY PEACEFUL KENYA -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

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Ghetto FM (Nairobi Kenya): Voice for Peace Needs Help to Spread its Messages
by Janet Feldman 21 Mar '08

21 Mar '08

Dear Friends, Last fall, a letter circulated asking for donations (funds and equipment) for Ghetto FM, a project of the development nonprofit, SIDAREC (www.sidarec.org) which works with youth and adults in depressed areas of Nairobi. Since that time, Ghetto FM has been an invaluable ally of the peace process in Kenya. Below please note some of their outstanding activities. Ghetto FM is still very much in need of funds, equipment, training, and other resources in kind, in fact anything helpful to advance the peace process. If anyone can donate, please contact George Onyango at geogias(a)yahoo.com or george(a)sidarec.or.ke. With greatest thanks and all best wishes, Janet Feldman (KAIPPG International, kaippg(a)earthlink.net) Ghetto FM (SIDAREC's radio project): What we did is to use Ghetto FM to gauge the mood of the people and at the same time asking well-wishers to contribute. People have managed to contribute various items like clothes and food, while SIDAREC has donated drugs and asked for help from volunteer doctors for treating people. We have been having peace meetings within the affected slums. We have had them since the violence erupted. These meetings have been successful because of Ghetto FM. Through the station, we have been able to mobilize assistance to the displaced, coordinated meetings between various communities, and preached peace and reconciliation. What has excited me most is the fact that we have our own people, from the areas where we operate, as presenters. These are people who have never went to college to learn journalism. What we did is just to give them an in-house training for a month, and that was it. Looking at some of the programs that they came up with, one will be tempted to think you are dealing with professionals. Therefore any support to help improve Ghetto FM will be a boost to the youth working with the station. In one meeting, we managed to bring in the Provincial Administration. One of our suggestions to the Provincial administration is to help integrate people. This means that any group who wants assistance from the government must show that other community members are involved. In other words, it must show diversity. George Onyango Project Administrator Slums Information Development & Resource Centres (SIDAREC) P.O.BOX 9687 00300 TEL.+254-20-246961/247356 MOBILE:+254-721986320 NAIROBI,KENYA. E-mail: george(a)sidarec.or.ke Website: www.sidarec.org Skype: george.onyango

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Fwd: [Idlelo2] Urgent Release - FOSSFA urges African governments to paticipate more effectively in Open Standards Debate
by Judy Okite 21 Mar '08

21 Mar '08

FYI Kind Regards, ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nnenna <nne75(a)yahoo.com> Date: Mar 21, 2008 4:50 AM Subject: [Idlelo2] Urgent Release - FOSSFA urges African governments to paticipate more effectively in Open Standards Debate To: Fossfa <council(a)fossfa.net>, FAYE Ibrahima <fayiboul(a)yahoo.fr>, fsylla(a)gmail.com, Ken Lohento <klohento(a)panos-ao.org> Cc: ACSIS <africa(a)wsis-cs.org>, IDLELO <idlelo2(a)fossfa.net>, Edward Yeboah < edwardy(a)aiti-kace.com.gh>, Samer Azmy <samer.azmy(a)gmail.com> Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOSSFA URGES AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS TO PARTICIPATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE DEBATE ON OPEN STANDARDS FOSSFA calls on African governments and Standards bodies to participate more effectively in the global debate on Open Standards by encouraging public involvement in the debate at the national level. DAKAR, SENEGAL – (March 20, 2008) The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) today called on African governments and Standards bodies to participate more effectively in the global debate on Open Standards, especially the Open Office Extended Markup Language (OOXML) standard. Following a five-day conference in Dakar, Senegal, with a theme, "Making the Knowledge Economy Work for Africa", participants agreed that open standards allow for interoperability (e.g. software packages from various sources can work together), promote innovation and economic growth, and help users avoid being locked-in to proprietary solutions. FOSSFA encourages African governments to facilitate the debate on Open Standards, and involve national experts in decisions regarding technology standards. The organization also urged African governments to seek a collective African voice prior to taking positions on Open Standards issues. Recalling that the last Ballot Re-count Meeting had very little representation from Africa, and that African countries voted in the affirmative without thorough and more inclusive discussions on the issues, FOSSFA strongly calls for more active public engagement of the issues in the future. Further, FOSSFA believes that governments should pay particular attention to procurement practices, especially software agreements between it and software companies. In this regard, FOSSFA noted that the practice of binding a sovereign country to agreements based on non-disclosable memorandums of understanding is not open, contravenes the principles and values of transparency in public procurement, and must be stopped. FOSSFA is closely following the open standards debate in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe which have the right to vote in a decision on OOXML on March 29, 2008. FOSSFA strongly urges those of them that voted "YES" in the past to abstain in the next voting session to allow for greater national and continent-wide debate on the issue. ABOUT FOSSFA FOSSFA is the premier African FOSS organization, and was founded under the auspices of the Bamako Bureau of the African Information Society Initiative within the mandate given by African Governments in 1995 to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The Vision of FOSSFA is to promote the use of FOSS and the FOSS model in African development, and the organization supports the integration of FOSS in national policies. FOSSFA also coordinates, promotes, and adds value to African FOSS initiatives, creativity, industry, expertise, efforts and activities at all levels. FOSSFA partners with development organizations who share these goals towards a participatory and gender-mainstreamed sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. FOSSFA is governed by a Council elected during Idlelo, from which the Executive is chosen. FOSSFA members may be individuals, organizations, development agencies or government FOSS bureaus. The South African Minister of Public Service and Administration, Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi is a FOSSFA present Patron. CONTACT: secretariat(a)fossfa.net nnenna(a)opensource.org www.fossfa.net www.idlelo.org ### ------------------------------ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs> _______________________________________________ Idlelo2 mailing list Idlelo2(a)fossfa.net http://mailman.dst.gov.za/mailman/listinfo/idlelo2 -- Judy Ann Okite, +254-721237507,+254-734252336 P.O. BOX 2228 00100, NAIROBI,KENYA. 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ' Martin Luther King, Jr.

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