- KICTANet - KICTANet

Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike
by Matunda Nyanchama 09 Mar '12

09 Mar '12

Grace Many thanks for your remarks and pointer to the report on KBC and its woes. In Toronto Canada, across that country and throughout North America, I can still listen to major broadcasts on AM radio, despite the proliferation of FM stations which usually have limited range. The issue should be how FM technology can be complimentary to what you term obsolete technology that otherwise allow for long-range reach; and would serve us well, considering that Kenya is about 75% rural. KBC's mandate should NOT be seen purely in commercial terms. Its mandate and role should also be nation building. Again I take Cananda as an example, an expansive country (2nd largest in land mass in the world) but whose foundations are credited to (a) the railroad and (b) the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC); and not that the latter doesn't face regular debates on its ROI considering it is heavily tax-payer subsidized. The CBC, under pressure from private broadcasters and the public has been able to produce some of the best Canadian content and helped make careers of people that may never have reached where they have. I am also wondering whether your study attempted any benchmarking (history, mandate, standards, staffing, funding (e.g. as % of GDP), etc.) with respect to similar entities? Finally, the ongoing labour unrest in the country is something we may have to learn to live with. I believe we need to use arbitration techniques more than directives. We could attempt binding arbitration between employer and union, failure of which we involve the legislature to compel a return to work in cases of essential services like healthcare Regards ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

1 0

Re: [kictanet] 140Friday. . . and I wept
by robert yawe 09 Mar '12

09 Mar '12

Some of us are great supporters of your thought processes and the voice of divergence and reason many a times… However, my brother this time I would like to be the first to disagree with you. KEPSA is a good forum and grouping that can be used to further sector growth and dialogue with the govt and public sector. But to rubbish a gathering that has taken time out to deliberate issues of importance in our sector is to take the role of criticism to a level that belittles all of us and makes us look foolish – Which I think isn’t your intention. @ Yes, even Dr. Ndemo kept repeating it, lets stop talking and take action, I am propagating his sentiments, I can assure you that apart from the twits that have taken place there will be no follow-up to the "deliberations" if there is I will buy you lunch. If KEPSA is such a strong solution provider how come the sector is still not in synch as we would like. Everyone has a right to air his/her views and to purport that KEPSA is the solution for all our ills is to revert back to the MAMA NA BABA days of old which we all are glad to have left behind. I say that we have all contributed in our own little ways to improve and expand the democratic space and let’s make use of it in a progressive manner. @ Because the ICT Sector at KEPSA has no participation from the small players in the industry all the mobile providers are members and they diligently pay their subscriptions because they have seen results. Just as a matter of curiosity, which industry association are you a member of? The use of Twitter and other social media platforms (including I daresay this mailing list) can only improve our connections and ability to articulate our views and belittling them doesn’t really serve any purpose. I think sometimes we wallow too much in criticizing the view that multi-nationals, foreign companies etc are only here to skim off the top..Be that as it may, what we can do is take on the good and discard the bad. The very fact that we are only so happily using all the western tools at our disposal (the internet et al) and at the same time doing our best not to conform to certain standards then complain that we are losing out is a mockery of progress. @ Please search through this lists past postings and see if all the issues raised at the forum are not already buried in its annals. Dr. Ndemo did not request for a twit but a white paper with structure and form, lets not use technology to justify our laziness Robert, lastly I would hate for you to say a month/quarter from now that ‘I told you so’ that this ‘independent group’ never happened. I challenge you my brother to also provide solutions. Be part of the group, and impart your wise counsel that the industry can move forward in the right direction. @ I have offered a solution, KEPSA or CSK because Mike's proposal to fund the process to me will be short lived not because he cannot afford it or will not be willing but because there will be no signs of progress a month down the road and the fatigue of dealing with twitter type suggestions will wear him down. The term of what transpired today was "managed", the discussion was put down gracefully. Please note the post by Marie-Ann, reproduced below, on this list, as we where having dialogue the next big ICT project was getting signed off. Alert! Shameless plug follows... but I hope it will be of genuine interest :-) Yesterday IBM launched a white paper titled "A Vision of a Smarter City - How Nairobi can lead the way to a prosperous and sustainable future" - while it does not claim to hold all the answers for Nairobi, I think its a nice starting point for more discussion on how technology can resolve some of Nairobi issues. I particularly liked one suggestion in the white paper - using mobile signal density to track traffic flow. You can download it here: http://www-05.ibm.com/za/office/pdf/IBM_-_A_Vision_of_a_Smarter_City_-_Nair… What good can come out of Nazareth, before Nokia recognised Virtual City we never feted Waibochi what has changed after today's session I ask you Ali? My five cents… Ali Hussein|Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O Box 14556-00100 +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame From:kictanet-bounces+info=alyhussein.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+info=alyhussein.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of robert yawe Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 4:51 PM To: info(a)alyhussein.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] 140Friday. . . and I wept Hi, I took time to attend the 140Friday session and at the end I wept first because as I sat there I realised that this was yet another talk shop activity in full swing but most importantly was the rubbishing of the late Evelyn Rono's efforts to give the sector a voice through KEPSA. Evelyn spent many hours lobbying for the ICT sector within the government an effort that has come to nought as we, yet again, scatter off into our various selfish corners. If all those tributes we kept sending around after she past away were genuine then lets honour her by continuing from where she left off instead of going off in a tangent. It was suggested by Dr. Ndemo and echoed by Mr. Kokubo that a team be formed to prepare a white paper on the issues that arose during the session, it was suggested that this would be best handled through the ICT Sector of KEPSA just for one of the panel to wrongly imply that KEPSA was an association for manufacturers (that organisation is called KAM who are also members of KEPSA). Dan Awendo of Investeq indicated that what is ailing us as an industry is the one man show syndrome and the leopard hunting mentality. If we can not within us form a body that can speak in one voice then all the efforts are a waste of time and resources. I will repeat what I raised a while back when I was not able to get a platform from which to take over the governorship of the ICT sector at KEPSA from Evelyn because the Computer Society of Kenya who I assumed would propose me had lapsed their membership. Unless we as an industry can speak in one voice and become a constituency then we shall continue to wallow in the miasma of deceit that was the session we had today, together we stand divided we fall. Twitter town hall meetings will not resolve what ails the industry it is only if we learn to come together that we can make an impact. KEPSA swings a sledge hammer on behalf of any of its sectors, it recommends who seats on government committees that require private sector participation and finally it has the machinery to draft and push through legislation. Forming small little talk shops will not make any progress and I read an ulterior motive to the proposal by Mr. Kokubo to form an "independent" group to prepare the white paper. He is very well aware that such a group will never see the day of light but if it was under the umbrella of KEPSA well that will be another issue. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

1 0

#140friday Updates: Someone please update us
by Collins Areba 09 Mar '12

09 Mar '12

Im seeing the flurry of conversations on twitter but cant follow effectively, please could someone on the ground update us on any new updates on the Konza issue that seems to have warmed up the floor? is there room for small fiirms in Konza? -- *“The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy”*

5 6

FBI declares cloud vendors must meet CJIS security rules
by S.M. Muraya 09 Mar '12

09 Mar '12

There are somethings foreign vendors cannot just do for us. They can build the infrastructure hardware and software, but our local firms provide the customized (customer fitting) services. Trust our security services are not outsourced to foreign governments. :) http://www.itnews.com/cloud-computing/41891/fbi-declares-cloud-vendors-must… * FBI declares cloud vendors must meet CJIS security rules* Feb 07, 2012 03:54 pm | Computerworld Officials acknowledge difficulties facing large cloud vendors like Google, but contends that requirements are met by some firms *by Jaikumar Vijayan* The FBI Tuesday reaffirmed its rule that all cloud products sold to to U.S. law enforcement agencies must comply with the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) security requirements. While the nation's top law enforcement agency concedes that some vendors may have a tough time meeting those requirements, it insisted that there would be no compromising on security. "The FBI remains committed to using technology in its information-sharing processes, but not at the sacrifice of the security of the information with which it has been entrusted," Stephen Fischer Jr., a spokesman for the FBI's CJIS division said today in an email to Computerworld. Fischer's comments come less than two months after the Los Angeles Police Department canceled<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222932/Plans_to_migrate_LAPD_to_Goo…>a planned migration to Google Apps<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140038/Google_Apps_scores_in_L.A._w…>because it said the cloud service was not compliant with CJIS security requirements. At the time, two city officials noted that U.S. Department of Justice requirements for the CJIS are not currently compatible with cloud computing. Google has also maintained that CJIS requirements are incompatible with cloud computing and therefore present a unique challenge to any cloud vendor. The CJIS database, maintained by the FBI, is one of the world's largest repositories of criminal history records and fingerprints. The records are available to law enforcement agencies and contractors around the country that comply with the security rules, which include requirements that all data, both in transit and at rest, be encrypted and that anyone who accesses the database pass FBI background checks. Fischer today maintained that the CJIS security requirements are compatible with cloud computing. "The CJIS Security Policy is a cloud-compatible policy," that was fully vetted and approved by local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada, he said, while acknowledging that "the requirements may be tough for some vendors to meet." One of the more challenging requirements requires cloud service providers to identify all system, database, security and network administrators who have access to criminal justice information, he said. Similarly, cloud vendors will likely find it difficult to require fingerprint criminal background checks on all administrators with access to the criminal justice information. Fischer said. Analysts have previously noted that large cloud vendors like Google that maintain staffed data centers outside the U.S. Fischer noted as much today. "Admittedly, these requirements may be difficult for some cloud-computing vendors due to the sheer numbers and the geographic disbursement of their personnel," he said. "However," he added, "these requirements aren't new to vendors serving the criminal justice community and many vendors have successfully met these requirements for years." Jeff Gould, CEO of IT consulting firm Peerstone Research, said that the requirements are likely most challenging to large cloud providers with roots in the business of providing hosted services to consumers. http://www.itnews.com/cloud-computing/41891/fbi-declares-cloud-vendors-must… Several small, specialty providers, today offer cloud services that are compliant with CJIS requirements, said Gould, a co-founder of Safegov.org<http://safegov.org/>, which promotes best practices for deploying cloud-based systems in government entities. Gould cited InterAct Public Safety, Datamaxx, and Vertical Computer Services as cloud companies that use secure data centers staffed by people who have undergone the requisite FBI background checks. Services from such firms may be more expensive than the offerings from large vendors like Google, but these firms have invested the needed funds to meet the FBI's security requirements, he said. He added that the FBI has tweaked CJIS requirements to make it easier for cloud vendors to comply. "The old requirements were written before cloud computing took off," Gould said. "CJIS 5.0 goes out of its way to make room for cloud vendors." Jaikumar Vijayan covers data security and privacy issues, financial services security and e-voting for Computerworld. Follow Jaikumar on Twitter at @jaivijayan <http://twitter.com/jaivijayan> , or subscribe to Jaikumar's RSS feed <http://www.computerworld.com/s/feed/keyword/Jaikumar+Vijayan> . His e-mail address is jvijayan(a)computerworld.com .

1 0

Governments have no role in managing gTLDs
by Harry Hare 09 Mar '12

09 Mar '12

Interesting interview with Sophia Bekele http://bit.ly/wRcEMD Enjoy Harry Hare Director African eDevelopment Resource Centre PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel +254 20 4041646 Cel +254 725 650044

1 0

Colonialism and the spread of AIDS
by Daniel Waweru 08 Mar '12

08 Mar '12

I thought this might be interesting for those who chose to defend colonialism and its modes of thought, in re the Zambian essay. Some new research suggests that colonialism is directly responsible for the spread of AIDS. Here's the essay from the *Washington Post*: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/colonialism-in-africa… book mentioned is at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tinderbox-Sparked-Epidemic-Finally-Overcome/dp/1594… I have attached a paper which goes over the history of the virus, and lends significant support to the headline claim in the *WaPo*. Daniel Waweru www.kenyaimagine.com Art and analysis; debate and opinion.

1 0

Sexist remarks and wolf-whistles could become criminal offences
by alice＠apc.org 08 Mar '12

08 Mar '12

Happy Women's day... Best Alice http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/08/sexist-comments-to-become-cri… Sexist remarks and wolf-whistles could become criminal offences in the UK PM to announce today that UK will sign up to Council of Europe's convention on violence against women, which could mean criminalising unwanted verbal conduct Salacious whistles and sexist comments may fall foul of new laws against sexual harassment to which Britain is signing up, the prime minister will announce on Thursday. The pledge to criminalise "verbal, non-verbal or physical" sexual harassment is one of the commitments in the Council of Europe's convention on violence against women, which David Cameron will commit to signing at a special event to mark International Women's Day. Among the pledges in the convention, which has already been signed by 18 countries including Germany, France and Ukraine, is one to pass legislation or other measures to criminalise or impose other sanctions for "unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, in particular when creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment". Another clause would outlaw "psychological violence" – defined as "seriously impairing a person's psychological integrity through coercion or threats", language which suggests serious bullying could be covered by new laws. Other measures Britain and other signatories would have to enshrine in law include compensation for victims of domestic violence; easy annulment or dissolution of forced marriages; and punishments for carrying out or coercing somebody into genital mutilation, forced abortions or forced sterilisation. In a separate move, Cameron is expected to back government support for new laws to criminalise stalking, with jail terms of up to five years and unlimited fines. Signing up to the European convention will be announced in a joint statement by Cameron and deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, to mark International Women's Day. "The agreement is not just a piece of paper," says the statement. "It's going to lift the standards of protection for women across Europe, give greater support for victims and – crucially – bring many more perpetrators to justice." Former attorney general Baroness Scotland, who worked on the convention for four years under the Labour government, said the clause on sexual harassment was not intended to cover less serious incidents such as wolf-whistling and public teasing. However, campaigners on the issue said the convention was "what we've been trying to get for years". Julia Gray, founder of the London branch of US movement Hollaback, dedicated to getting rid of street harassment, said: "The way we see it is if you want to tackle it you tackle all of it – you say no to all forms of unwanted sexual harassment; that includes wolf-whistling, comments, everything." A Downing Street spokesman said it was too early to discuss possible sanctions for sexual harassment. Overall, the convention was largely modelled on UK laws and practices, but signing it would help protect Britain's high standards, said Scotland. "I praise God they have finally signed it, but I'm shocked they didn't sign immediately [in 2011]." The announcement on stalking follows a year-long campaign for reform organised by the charity Protection Against Stalking and Napo, the probation and family court union. The Conservative Lord Oliver Henley will table amendments on stalking law reform to the protection of freedoms bill in parliament. He will be followed by an official announcement from the prime minister at an evening reception to mark International Women's Day at Number 10. In a statement released (WED) on Wednesday night, Cameron said: "Stalking is an abhorrent crime. It makes life a living hell for the victims – breaking up relationships, forcing the victims to move house, making them feel they are being watched 24 hours of the day. That is why we are explicitly criminalising stalking, to make sure that justice is done, protect the victims and show beyond doubt that stalking is a crime." The British Crime Survey estimated that approximately 120,000 incidents of stalking occur each year. Between 2009 and 2010, however, just 53,000 crimes of stalking or harassment were recorded by the police: 2% of which received a custodial sentence, and a further 10% of which were given a fine or a probation order. The reforms are thought to be similar to those introduced in Scotland in December 2010. Since the introduction of the stalking law in Scotland there have been over four hundred400 prosecutions compared with an average of seven per year under existing breach of the peace legislation for each of the previous 10 years.

1 0

UNESCO launches Women Make the News 2012- Rural women?s access to media and information
by Lydia Gachungi 08 Mar '12

08 Mar '12

UNESCO, once again, calls on its partners to ensure that gender equality and women?s empowerment remain on the forefront of their agenda, through its Women Make the News (WMN) 2012 initiative. Launched annually on the occasion of International Women?s Day (8 March), WMN is a global policy advocacy initiative aimed at promoting gender equality in and through the media. The theme for this year, is Rural women?s access to media and information For more details- http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/news-a… http://iwmf.org/pdfs/IWMF-Global-Report.pdf Lydia UNESCO Communication and Information Sector

1 0

Fw: [AfriNIC-rpd] Nominations Call for open seats on the AfriNIC Board
by Walubengo J 08 Mar '12

08 Mar '12

Apologies for cross-posting. As your current AfriNIC Board Director for East Africa, I am compelled to alert stakeholders that my term ends in May 2012 and invite interested parties to come forward and apply for my job ;-) I however wish to add that I will seek a second term and in the same spirit invite you to support my bid during the election period. More details below. regards. walu. --- On Thu, 3/8/12, Ernest - (AfriNIC) <ernest(a)afrinic.net> wrote: From: Ernest - (AfriNIC) <ernest(a)afrinic.net> Subject: [AfriNIC-rpd] [***SPAM***] Nominations Call for open seats on the AfriNIC Board To: announce(a)afrinic.net Date: Thursday, March 8, 2012, 7:38 AM Dear Colleagues, According to Section 11 of the AfriNIC Bylaws, the following members occupying seats on the AfriNIC Board will retire at the end of June 2012: Southern: --------- Primary: Mark J. Elkins Alternate: Silvio Cabral Almada Eastern: -------- Primary: John Walubengo Alternate: Lillian Wambui Karanja As a result, two (2) seats on the AfriNIC Board will be open for election: A) Seat 5: The Southern sub-region (Primary and Alternate) Mandate: 2012 to 2015 B) Seat 6: The Eastern sub-region (Primary and Alternate) Mandate: 2012 to 2015 We are pleased to invite nominations to fill in the above seats. Any suitable natural person residing in one of the above sub-regions can be nominated provided they comply with the minimum qualifications stipulated in Section 11 of the Bylaws. Members are strongly encouraged to nominate. Self nominations and nominations by those who are not members of AfriNIC are allowed but the nomination must be formally backed by at least two AfriNIC members in good standing. Nominees should demonstrate at least three years of managerial experience in the Internet Protocol Service/ Business or other Internet related organisation and preferably hold a senior level position such as Board member or similar. Candidates should be able to actively participate and contribute to all activities conferred to the Board under Section 13 of the AfriNIC bylaws: http://www.afrinic.net/corporate/bylaws.htm. Candidates should have a good comprehension of the English language (the working language of the Board). Nominations should be sent to nomcom2012(a)afrinic.net with the following information: 1. Candidate Information - Nominee (Full name): - Organisation (or affiliation): - Position: Physical address: - e-mail address: - Phone number: - Fax number: - Country of Residence: - Sub-region nominated for: 2. Nominator: Name, e-mail address, organisation and motivation. 3. Seconder Information – in the case of a self-nomination or nomination by a non-member: (Seconder must be a member of AfriNIC in good standing). Seconder 1: Name, e-mail address, organisation and motivation. Seconder 2: Name, e-mail address, organisation and motivation. 4. Referees : 1. (Name, e-mail address, organisation) 2. (Name, e-mail address, organisation) 5. Brief statement explaining the candidate's background and motivation (in English, and in not more than 500 words). Please highlight what expertise and experience you will bring to the organisation in general and to the board in particular. A copy of the candidate’s CV (in English preferably), should also be attached. The deadline for nominations is 29 March 2011 at 20:00 UTC. For more information on the election process, please refer to http://www.afrinic.net/elections/process or, in case of clarification, please contact us at nomcom2012(a)afrinic.net Note: It is highly expected that candidates attend the AfriNIC-15 meeting in person on the Election Day (18 May 2012) where they may be afforded an opportunity for introduction and to make a short presentation. More information about AfriNIC is available at http://www.afrinic.net/about.htm Sent on behalf of the Chair, 2012 Nominations/Elections Committee _______________________________________________ rpd mailing list rpd(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/rpd

1 0

Kenya Gazette
by Collins Areba 08 Mar '12

08 Mar '12

Just wondering, Can the Kenya Gazette just be an online publication?

1 0

Official email to GoK senior executives
by Dorcas Muthoni 08 Mar '12

08 Mar '12

Listers, My fingers cramp whenever i click send on an official email to GoK senior executives destined for Yahoo, GMail, Hotmail server etc....who will help? Email infrastructure is the last thing to trouble any one today! Dr. Ndemo, Dr. Getao, Paul Kukubo please help! -- 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!!!

6 6

LTE - Still not clear on the status
by John Gitau 07 Mar '12

07 Mar '12

It has been several months since I asked about the status of LTE. Im following up with a few questions and hope that since the technical guys at EANOG <http://orion.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/eanog>are still interested we can get some answers. 1: Can I assume that the government is focused on the frequencies below 1GHz in use by the UHF spectrum? 2: Considering all channels are not used in all areas within the country, (commonly known as TV white space) is it possible for at least one vendor to show us using such free channels in some rural part of the country how this frequencies are ideal for good propagation and the maximum throughputs we'd expect? ie go beyond the physics and actually show us? - This is important for companies planning rural wifi. It wont make sense to make such an investment if cheaper options exist. - This would mean that the LTE devices don't interfere with Television and obviously they would have to withstand/tolerate interferance from television signals. - This is probably a long shot but it would be nice to imagine it was considered. Im sure we have alot of 'white space'. 3: How will you control spectrum access? 4: Is there a chance that this will be licence exempted like the 2.4GHz band? I would expect some control but maybe no fee. I think this is where the consortium came in but I can't honestly say I understood this model yet or who is in it, what their role is etc... 5: How soon is this expected and would you advice an investor to go ahead with other modes of mass broadband provision. Lets just call it WIFI? -Are broadcasters keen on moving on to digital? or is there a push back? Im sure others will come up but those are the ones top on my mind at the moment. Gitau

1 0

KPLC Prepaid issue
by robert yawe 07 Mar '12

07 Mar '12

Hi, The KPLC prepaid system for purchasing tokens using mpesa has been down since midday on 6th March 2012 now that is an issue to be discussed in detail as opposed to the 2 day a year incidents with KNEC. The inability of KPLC and Safaricom, 2 of the largest listed companies in the country, to resolve the persistent issues with the system reflects very badly on us as a body of ICT experts. This issue waters down the excitement of another Kenyan developer being fêted for yet another mobile application, could it be that we are only destined to offer client facing solution and lack the skills or dedication to handle the critical backend? Our reputations are at stage it is time we dug into this issue and provide a long lasting solution. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

2 1

#140friday debate
by Sam Gichuru 07 Mar '12

07 Mar '12

* * The last 24 hours has seen an interesting tweeter debate, if you missed it then you need to follow @pkukubo (Paul Kukubo), @blongwe (Brian Longwe), @kenyanpundit, @mikemachariaSST (Mike Macharia Seven Seas) and David Ndungu @davidndugu. On request from @agostal and @kenyanpundit and accepted by all, its time to move from behind the keypads and have a debate that can accommodate more than 140 characters *The Request:* A forum that will allow you to express yourself, is government being fair in awarding MNC tenders yet claiming to develop local tech business, do we have local capacity to handle some of this contracts?, are local tech companies being recruitment centers for the MNCs? Should private business depend on government contracts for growth? Are the same local companies giving smaller Startups and SME’s similar opportunities... hard talk? maybe, the debate will be moderated by some of Kenyans best. So on request from all the people/tweeps mentioned above, KICTB and Nailab will Co-Sponsor an intense debate limited to 80 participants on Friday Morning this week at the Nailab, you can start asking your questions on twitter using harshtag #>140friday, Get your ticket here, we have a limit of 80 Tickets FREE. - http://www.eventbrite.com/event/618723619 NB: Guest panel confirmed, So far Paul KuKubo, Linus Gitahi, Mike Macharia, Brian Longwe, have confirmed, Other proposed names on guest panel are Dan Awendo/Investor, Mbugua Njihia, Bloggers and start-up CEO's, a full list will be confirmed by Midday tomorrow the 8th. *Date:* 9th Friday 2012 *Location:* @thenailab, Bishop Magua Center 4th Floor *Time:* Start time: 7:30 – End time 10:00 (1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours,) *Proposed Moderators:* Larry Madowo , Linus Gitahi & Terry Anne Chebet *Confirmed Guest Panel:* Paul Kukubo, Mike Macharia, Linus Gitahi – list growing by the min. *Participants:* Players and stakeholders in ICT especially Tech Entrepreneurs *Media:* Nation Media, Capital FM, Hope FM, … list growing by the min *Harsh tag: “140 Friday”* *Tag Line “tech debate beyond 140 Characters”* * * *Program:* 7:30 – Serve Breakfast 8:00 – Moderator Introduces the topic and a set of rules on the format of the debate 8:20 – Guest panel give their opinions to set pace for the debate (3 mins each) 8:30 – Floor Opens 9:30 - Networking 10:00 – Wrap up, -- Warm Regards, ------------------------ Sam Gichuru twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> Blog: | www.samgichuru.com Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> Skype: Sam.gichuru Cellphone: | +254-722-730565 Co-founder/ Director /Nailab Incubation Location: | Nairobi Website: | www.nailab.co.ke twitter: | @thenailab

1 0

Danish Ministry of Transport migrates to LibreOffice, saves taxpayers millions
by Evans Ikua 07 Mar '12

07 Mar '12

The Danish Ministry of Transport has succesfully migrated to LibreOffice. The project is called 180 degrees and consist of several parts. One is migrating away from MS Office to LibreOffice. The translated story (please note that the amount is DKK and not USD): http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=da&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=da&ie=UTF… The business case (please note that the amount is DKK and not USD): http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=da&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=da&ie=UTF…

1 0

Linux Professional Institute announces “Linux Essentials” Program
by Evans Ikua 06 Mar '12

06 Mar '12

*- “Certificate of Achievement” introduces new users and youth to Linux and Open Source Software - * (Doha, Qatar and Hanover, Germany: March 6, 2012) The Linux Professional Institute (LPI), the world's premier Linux certification organization ( http://www.lpi.org) announced “Linux Essentials” an innovative new program measuring foundation knowledge in Linux and Open Source Software. Targeted at new technology users, the “Linux Essentials” program is set to be adopted by schools, educational authorities, training centers and others commencing June 2012. "Linux is ubiquitous and plays a significant role in the server room, on our phones and tablets, cash registers and, of course, embedded devices everywhere. Linux is in the enterprise, in movie studios, government, academia and throughout industry around the world. We at LPI, with the help of our partner channel, are going to take it to the last frontier--the classroom. LPI is at the forefront of creating the first generation of Linux professionals, and now with our "Linux Essentials" program we're going to create the first global generation of "users" who are as comfortable with Linux as they are with any other operating system," said Jim Lacey, president and CEO of LPI. Mr. Lacey however was quick to add that this new initiative isn't just for students: "Linux Essentials isn't just for youth, it’s for anyone that desires a gateway to Open Source Software. We've had business people, policy makers and government officials approach us and ask for an exam that demonstrates their knowledge of the Open Source ecosystem. Come June, we're going to start doing just that for everyone." The “Linux Essentials” program has been under development by LPI for approximately two years and includes the participation of qualification authorities, academic partners, private trainers, publishers, government organizations, volunteer IT professionals and Linux and Open Source experts. The single "Linux Essentials" exam leads to a "Certificate of Achievement" recognizing knowledge of the following subject matter: - The Linux Community and a Career in Open Source - Popular Operating Systems and Major Open Source Applications - Understanding Open Source Software and Licensing - Linux Command Line Basics, Files and Scripts - Program elements also include: · regional links to employment and apprenticeship programs available to youth in Linux and Open Source careers · support for skills competitions such as Worldskills International: http://www.worldskills.org/ · support for teacher collaboration and sharing of learning exercises for the “Linux Essentials” knowledge base · commitments from major IT courseware and content publishers on exam preparatory resources - a “low-stakes” exam available online either through LPI or partner internet-based testing - a PDF “certificate of achievement” valid for 10 years - will cost the equivalent of 50 euros at test centers of academic partners and 65 euros at private test centers The “Linux Essentials” exam will be available in June 2012 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and in other nations around the world in 2013. A full description of “Linux Essentials” is available at: http://www.lpi.org/linuxessentials Individuals and organizations interested in participating in the “Linux Essentials” program may email LPI at: innovation(a)lpi.org<innovations(a)lpi.org> Mr. Lacey made the announcement via video link to a press conference hosted by LPI representatives at CeBIT 2012 in Hanover, Germany. Mr. Lacey participated in the announcement following his appearance on an expert panel discussion on education, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and the creation of an Arab ICT industry while attending the International Telecommunications Union “Connect Arab Summit” in Doha, Qatar ( http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/connect/arabstates/index.asp) The Linux Professional Institute is globally supported by the IT industry, enterprise customers, community professionals, government entities and the educational community. LPI's certification program is supported by an affiliate network spanning five continents and is distributed worldwide in multiple languages at more than 7,000 testing locations. Since 1999, LPI has delivered over 300,000 exams and 100,000 LPIC certifications around the world. # # # *About the Linux Professional Institute:* The Linux Professional Institute provides a global framework, industry leadership and other services to enhance, develop and further lifelong professional careers in Linux and Open Source technologies. Established as an international non-profit organization in September 1999 by the Linux community, the Linux Professional Institute continues to demonstrate recognized global leadership, direction and skill standards for those who pursue a career in Linux and Open Source technology. LPI advances the Linux and Open Source movement through strategic partners, sponsorships, innovative programs and community development activities. LPI's major financial sponsors are Platinum Sponsors IBM, Linux Journal, Linux Magazine, Novell, SGI, and TurboLinux as well as Gold Sponsors, HP and IDG.

1 0

Africa Mobile Money Research Conference (AMMREC 2012)
by Kamotho Njenga 06 Mar '12

06 Mar '12

Greetings, Comprehensive Conference Information is available at http://ammrec.uonbi.ac.ke/ Kamotho Njenga

2 1

Is Airtel's 3G move affecting its calls?
by James Mbugua 06 Mar '12

06 Mar '12

http://nairobitech.blogspot.com/2012/03/airtel-3g-servers-disable-calls.html

1 0

Is this true?
by Barrack Otieno 06 Mar '12

06 Mar '12

http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/smartcompany/Foreign+firms+beat+locals+to+… -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/

1 0

An Open Letter to Young, Black Americans
by Norman Boinett 06 Mar '12

06 Mar '12

Apologies for cross-listing but I find the content of this presentation to be relevant to us too http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rIbCUvRaC3o -- *“And one should bear in mind that there is nothing more difficult to execute, more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer than to introduce a new order of things; for he who introduces it has all those who profit from the old order as his enemies,and he has only lukewarm allies in all those who might profit from the new. This lukewarmness partly stems from fear of their adversaries . . . and partly from the skepticism of men, who do not truly believe in new things unless they have actually had personal experience of them.” * (From Chapter VI of Niccoló Machiavelli,The Prince. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa,translators. Oxford University Press revised edition, 1984, p. 21.)

3 2

Linux Heavyweights Develop Secure Boot Strategy
by Evans Ikua 05 Mar '12

05 Mar '12

Canonical and Red Hat have issued a joint statement<http://blog.canonical.com/2011/10/28/white-paper-secure-boot-impact-on-linu…>regarding Microsoft’s plan to make UEFI Secure Boot a requirement of Windows 8. Simultaneously, The Linux Foundation has issued a similar statement<http://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/making-uefi-secure-boot-work-wi…> . We first covered this issue<http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/microsoft%E2%80%99s-take-uefi-may-imped…>in September. The joint Red Hat and Canonical statement opens with an assessment of the situation: *The UEFI specification for secure boot does not define who controls the boot restrictions on UEFI platforms, leaving the platform implementer in control of the exact security model. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s recommended implementation of secure boot removes control of the system from the hardware owner, and may prevent open source operating systems from functioning. The Windows 8 requirement for secure boot will pressure OEMs to implement secure boot in this fashion. Please read more here<http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/linux-heavyweights-develop-secure-boot-…> *

1 0

Progressive Internet regulation?
by McTim 05 Mar '12

05 Mar '12

http://allafrica.com/stories/201203050741.html A reaction to cable damage by the Rwandans..... Rgds, McTim -- Cheers, McTim "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel

1 0

TEAMS | EASSY Fibre Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION?
by S.M. Muraya 05 Mar '12

05 Mar '12

What is going on?

17 36

The future is Android - SAFARICOM ACADEMY ANDROID PRESENTATION
by robert yawe 05 Mar '12

05 Mar '12

Hi, I was privileged yet again to attend the SAFARICOM ACADEMY ANDROID PRESENTATION at Strathmore University, in addition this year I had the opportunity to seat on the judging panel. It was an enlightening function as over 30 students presented their android based applications covering a vast number of areas. The winning application was a shopping cart with a location dependent price update feature that all the judges and even the audience agreed was a brilliant,practical and commercial-able application The second placed application is a must have, an MPesa cash-book that allows you to keep track of how you are using your mpesa and who is sending you money. Many of the other products where also well thought through but needed a little more re-evaluation to make them stand out from the crowd. Now all we wait for is to seeing all the products out there in the public domain, Virtual City's app store, Hewani, has an opportunity here to grow very fast. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

1 0

ACTA in UK: 10 years in jail for 'illegal downloads
by Alice Munyua 04 Mar '12

04 Mar '12

ACTA in UK: 10 years in jail for 'illegal downloads' Published: 03 March, 2012, 14:24 SOCA parked page on former RnBxclusive.com file-share service SOCA parked page on former RnBxclusive.com file-share service *TRENDS:* SOPA <https://rt.com/trends/stop-online-piracy-act/> *TAGS:* Crime <https://rt.com/tags/crime/>, Scandal <https://rt.com/tags/scandal/>, UK <https://rt.com/tags/uk/>, Protest <https://rt.com/tags/protest/>, Human rights <https://rt.com/tags/human-rights/>, Law <https://rt.com/tags/law/>, Piracy <https://rt.com/tags/piracy/>, Internet <https://rt.com/tags/internet/>, Marina Dzhashi <https://rt.com/tags/marina-dzhashi/>, Laura Smith <https://rt.com/tags/laura-smith/> UK web surfers have caught a grim glimpse of the future with Internet users being threatened with 10 years in jail for “illegal downloading” after a prominent music file-sharing site was shut down shortly after Britain signed the notorious ACTA bill. It is the first time such a move has been made against Internet users in the UK. The British government introduced regulations in 2009 enabling Internet providers to track users who downloaded illegal content from the web and disable their connection if warning letters had no effect. But signing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has brought the conflict to a whole new level. In Europe, people are taking to the streets in protest at the contradictory Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, with some countries refusing to sign it. After hackers from the activist group Anonymous attacked practically all US government websites in retaliation, the authorities are now considering adopting their own home-grown anti-counterfeiting laws like PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) / SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). In February, Britain's organized crime police shut down RnBxclusive.com, a prominent music file-sharing website with about 250,000 subscribers on Facebook alone and up to 70,000 visitors per day. In fact, the British police effectively took on the role of personal enforcer to the recording industry, standing guard to protect corporate profits. However sad it might be for many, this is a part of a legal game between copyright owners and the police on the one hand, and defenders of the free Internet on the other. Normally, the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) tackles crimes “that affect the UK and its citizens.” Now, it seems that downloading content from a file-sharing website has been put on a par with “Class A drugs, people smuggling and human trafficking, major gun crime, fraud and money laundering.” The practices of SOCA, while enforcing its crackdown on “illegal downloading,” raises even more questions. 10 years behind bars for ‘stealing’ £60? SOCA is threatening anyone who has downloaded content from RnBxclusive.com or even visited the website with investigation, prosecution, and even jail sentences. Once the police unit gained control of the RnBxclusive web site, it posted a parked page carrying the following warning. SOCA′s warning SOCA's warning /“A 10-year prison sentence you’d expect to be handed down for very serious offenses, sexual assaults and rape, manslaughter,”/ Andrew Pierson from the Howard League for Penal Reform told RT. /“You would not normally expect it to be handed down for downloading music illegally.” / The SOCA confirmed it had arrested the owner of the site, but refused to tell RT why it is threatening users with a decade behind bars. Instead, they sent this statement: /“SOCA targets organized criminal enterprises profiting from the exploitation of the UK public and legitimate businesses. Much of the music offered for download by the RnBxclusive.com website was illegally obtained from artists, leading the industry to attribute losses of approximately £15 million per year to the site’s activity.”/ A simple calculation shows that dividing £15 million even by 250,000 known users of RnBxclusive.com gives not more than £60 worth of “stolen” content per person. Does that mean that the British judicial system believes 10 years in prison correlate with the “theft” of just £60? https://rt.com/news/acta-uk-illegal-downloading-jail-753/ Unprecedented intimidation The message sent by SOCA has given those concerned with Internet freedom an unpleasant taste of what a more regulated future might hold, if the ACTA treaty to protect online copyright infringement and piracy goes ahead. /“It (SOCA) claimed that your IP address was being monitored, so you could be monitored and tracked. Again, this was a move which seems quite unprecedented in the UK,” /Loz Kaye from the Pirate Party told RT. /“I’m really afraid that we’re going to see this kind of abuse on an industrial scale if ACTA comes to pass,”/ he said. After a shocked response from Internet campaigners, SOCA has taken down the harsh message, and replaced it with a simpler one, which just says they have taken control of the domain. But it has already caused much worry and distress, with many Twitter users apparently unaware that they were visiting a dodgy site, and certainly never dreaming they might be liable to do time for it. Internet campaigners say the notice was meant to frighten – and in reality, severe penalties could not be applied to casual downloaders. They also argue there is nothing to link RnBxclusive with criminal gangs. So why is SOCA even involved? What began with threats of cutting users’ Internet connections has grown today into intimidation, with people being threatened, in all seriousness, with a decade behind bars.

2 1

Re: [kictanet] [KICTAnet] TEAMS | EASSY Fiber Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION?
by Matunda Nyanchama 03 Mar '12

03 Mar '12

Critical infrastructure protection based on sound risk management was the subject of my presentation at a past AITEC conference in Nairobi. I can share the presentation with those interested. As we become more and more dependent on complex interconnected infrastructure, the chances of failure increases; ditto for potetial negative impact. We need a comprehensive mapping of critical components of this infrastructure, an assessment of associated risks and finally clear mitigation steps, including rapid response mechanisms to deal with incidents when they happen. The essence of business continuity comes to play here and needs to be the basis of risk assessment with respect to availability. Baadaye. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

3 3

Kenyan wins Sh8m in Barcelona - Nokia Challenge
by Matunda Nyanchama 02 Mar '12

02 Mar '12

Kenyan wins Sh8m in Barcelona ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

1 0

Fwd: [soac-newgtldapsup-wg] FW: Applicant Support Program - Outreach Support Request
by Alice Munyua 02 Mar '12

02 Mar '12

This might be of interest to those keen on this round of new gTLDs. ICANN has put in place mechanisms to assist needy applicants. Best Alice -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [soac-newgtldapsup-wg] FW: Applicant Support Program - Outreach Support Request Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 03:02:24 -0800 From: Glen de Saint Géry <Glen(a)icann.org> To: SOAC-newgtldapsup-wg(a)icann.org <SOAC-newgtldapsup-wg(a)icann.org> Dear All, On behalf of Dennis Chang the program manager for the New gTLD Applicant Support Program (ASP)please share these attached materials about the Applicant Support Program Outreach efforts with your communities. The goals are: 1.Let the world know that the possibility of financial assistance is available for qualifyingnew gtld applicants. /See//fact sheet //about//the program attached/; 2.Recruit volunteersforthe Support Application Review Panel (SARP). See SARP Expressions of InterestRequest attached. I am also attaching the Applicant Support Overview presentation,which may be helpful. All of theseattached documents can be found on the ICANN Website for your future reference. See: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support Thank you in advance for your assistance in our outreach efforts. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need any clarification on theASP program. Kind regards, Dennis Chang New gTLD Applicant Support Program Manager dennis.chang(a)icann.org <mailto:dennis.chang@icann.org> 213-293-7889 Skype: dennisschang

1 0

Of Vision 2030, the role of the media and hungry well-dressed Kenyans
by Francis Hook 02 Mar '12

02 Mar '12

I was a bit disappointed to read this article http://www.the-star.co.ke/opinions/leader/64484-ban-on-mitumba-is-very-bad-… And especially this part: "If mitumba were banned, Kenyans would have to pay more for clothes that were not as good. A ban would reduce Kenyan living standards. Government should not try to prop up the textile sector by a ban on secondhand clothes. The sector is not competitive globally. It is like PanPaper at Webuye - however much government spends, it cannot recover, it is a corpse." "Clothes that were (sic) not as good"... "Pan Paper ....cannot recover" "A ban would reduce Kenyan living standards" ....hmmm....quite unexpected from what I thought would be one of Kenya's more impartial papers. I recall some discussions here a few weeks ago (triggered by that "Interesting Piece") and such type of "logic' was brutally called into question. So basically the government should give up - don't do CPR to Pan Paper. Allow Kenya to become a second hand economy - clothes, cars, tyres, refurbished computers, etc... - Francis Hook +254 733 504561

3 2

Re: [kictanet] [AfrICANN-discuss] Verisign seizes .com domain registered via foreign Registrar on behalf of US Authorities.
by Brian Munyao Longwe 01 Mar '12

01 Mar '12

This is very troubling. And an unwelcome precedent... On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 9:57 PM, Anne-Rachel Inné <annerachel(a)gmail.com>wrote: > Verisign seizes .com domain registered via foreign Registrar on behalf of > US Authorities. > > http://blog2.easydns.org/2012/02/29/verisign-seizes-com-domain-registered-v… > > Written by Mark Jeftovic <http://blog2.easydns.org/author/markjr/> on February > 29, 2012 — 29 Comments<http://blog2.easydns.org/2012/02/29/verisign-seizes-com-domain-registered-v…> > Share > > > Yesterday Forbes broke the news that Canadian Calvin Ayre and partners > who operate the Bodog online gambling empire have been indicted in the U.S.<http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2012/02/28/feds-indict-former-onlin…>, > and in a blog post Calvin Ayre confirmed that their bodog.com domain had > been seized by homeland security<http://calvinayre.com/2012/02/28/legal/calvin-ayre-indicted-by-feds-calvin-…>. > As reported in Forbes (hat tip to The Domains<http://www.thedomains.com/2012/02/28/feds-not-only-seize-the-domain-name-bo…>for the cite), > > According to the six-page indictment filed by Rosenstein, Ayre worked with > Philip, Ferguson and Maloney to supervise an illegal gambling business from > June 2005 to January 2012 in violation of Maryland law. The indictment > focuses on the movement of funds from accounts outside the U.S., in > Switzerland, England, Malta, and Canada, and the hiring of media resellers > and advertisers to promote Internet gambling. > > “Sports betting is illegal in Maryland, and federal law prohibits > bookmakers from flouting that law simply because they are located outside > the country,” Rosenstein said in a statement. “Many of the harms that > underlie gambling prohibitions are exacerbated when the enterprises operate > over the Internet without regulation.” > > That is a truly scary quote but we'll emphasize that: "The indictment > focuses on the movement of funds *outside the U.S.*" and that you can't > just "flout US law" by *not being in the US*. What also needs to be > understood is that the domain bodog.com was registered to via a non-US > Registrar, namely Vancouver's domainclip <http://www.domainclip.com/>. > So Here's Where It Get's Scary… > > [image: No Bodog.com for you!]<http://blog.easydns.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Screen-Shot-2012-02-28-a…>We > all know that with some US-based Registrars (*cough* Godaddy *cough*), all > it takes is a badge out of a box of crackerjacks and you have the authority > to fax in a takedown request which has a good shot at being honoured<http://blog.easydns.org/2012/02/17/the-price-of-freedom-and-the-cost-of-a-d…>. > We also know that some non-US registrars, it takes a lot more "due > process-iness" to get a domain taken down.<http://blog.easydns.org/2012/02/21/the-official-easydns-domain-takedown-pol…> > > But now, none of that matters, because in this case the State of Maryland > simply issued a warrant to .com operator Verisign<http://cdn3.bit2host.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BodogWebsiteSeizureWarr…>, > (who is headquartered in California) who then duly updated the rootzone for > .com with two new NS records for bodog.com which now redirect the domain > to the takedown page. > > This is exactly the scenario we were worried about when Verisign > originally tabled their very troubling takedown proposal<http://blog.easydns.org/2011/10/11/verisign-domain-takedown-proposal-very-w…>. > Said proposal was quickly retracted, but here we have the same situation > playing out anyway. Granted, this was an actual court order, to Verisign – > not a "request" from a governmental or "quasi-governmental" agency as > originally proposed. > > But at the end of the day what has happened is that US law (in fact, > Maryland state law) as been imposed on a .com domain operating outside the > USA, which is the subtext we were very worried about when we commented on > SOPA<http://blog.easydns.org/2011/12/22/how-sopa-will-destroy-the-internet/>. > Even though SOPA is currently in limbo, the reality that US law can now be > asserted over all domains registered under .com, .net, org, .biz and maybe > .info (Afilias is headquartered in Ireland by operates out of the US). > > This is no longer a doom-and-gloom theory by some guy in a tin foil hat. > It just happened. > > The ramifications of this are no less than chilling and every single > organization branded or operating under .com, .net, .org, .biz etc needs to > ask themselves about their vulnerability to the whims of US federal and > state lawmakers (not exactly known their cluefulness nor even-handedness, > especially with regard to matters of the internet). > The larger picture: root monopolies and the need to replace ICANN > > The .com root will never be opened to a truly competitive bidding process. > Verisign has pretty well ensconced themselves into the .com and .net roots > indefinitely with built-in price hikes baked into the cake<http://blog.easydns.org/2007/04/16/verisign-raises-fees-on-com-and-net-easy…>. > I recall a conversation I once had with Tucows CEO Elliot Noss, back when > they still owned Liberty RMS (which ran the .info registry and later sold > to Afilias) – he lamented that if the .com registry bidding process were * > truly* competitive, you would see a registry operator in there doing it > for about $2 per domain. At the time the wholesale cost of a .com domain > was $6 and is now $7.85 after their latest *annual increase* which is > hard-coded into their contract. > > I mention this because a truly competitive bidding process for the > registry operator job would bring out both cost competition and stewardship > competition: players who would table proposals on just how they would > respect the rights of all their stakeholders, not to mention operators who > may operate outside the United States. > > *Where the fsck is ICANN in all of this?* > > **They are nowhere. They are collecting their fees, pushing their agenda > of as many possible new-top-level domains and despite the fact that SOPA, > ACTA, PIPA et aim directly at the interests of their core stakeholders, for > whom they are supposed to be advocates and stewards. ICANN is conspicuous > in their absence from the debate, save for a smug and trite abdication of > involvement (i.e. "ICANN Doesn't Take Down Websites<http://blog.icann.org/2010/12/icann-doesn%E2%80%99t-take-down-websites/>") > – translation: "This isn't our problem". > > And therein lies the issue. *ICANN needs to make this their problem, > because it very much is.* If ICANN isn't going to stand up, and > vigorously campaign for *global* stakeholder representation in these > matters, than they are not only abdicating any responsibility in the > ongoing and escalating crackdown on internet freedom, they are *also*abdicating their right to govern and oversee it. > > They need to be visible, they need to be loud and they need to come down > on the right side of these issues or they need to be replaced. > > *Of course, the replacement of ICANN will never happen.* At least not by > a non-US entity, which means we are once again headed to the unthinkable > place that only crackpots and conspiracy theorists think possible: a > fractured internet with competing roots. On the bright side, life will go > on, and companies like mine will probably become exceedingly wealthy > charging every internet user in the world fees to gain and project > visibility across all the myriad internet roots that will someday exist > because governments will refuse to approach it co-operatively. The only > thing that will remain to be seen is whether we'll be deemed "criminals" > for doing so. > Further Reading: > > - First They Came For The Filesharing Domains<http://blog.easydns.org/2010/11/27/first-they-came-for-the-file-sharing-dom…> > - Verisign Takedown Proposal Very Worrisome<http://blog.easydns.org/2011/10/11/verisign-domain-takedown-proposal-very-w…> > - How SOPA Will Destroy The Internet<http://blog.easydns.org/2011/12/22/how-sopa-will-destroy-the-internet/> > - The Price of Freedom and The Cost of a Domain Name<http://blog.easydns.org/2012/02/17/the-price-of-freedom-and-the-cost-of-a-d…> > - The Official easyDNS Takedown Policy<http://blog.easydns.org/2012/02/21/the-official-easydns-domain-takedown-pol…> > > > _______________________________________________ > AfrICANN mailing list > AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann > > -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."

2 2

Kenya Power Plans Sh20 Billion Cable Shift
by Dennis Kioko 01 Mar '12

01 Mar '12

Kenya Power expects to save Sh3billion a year by relocating its overhead power distribution cables to an underground system in the major urban areas of Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa in a Sh20billion project. The project will involve undergrounding of 645Kilometres of 11Kilovolt lines and 1,570Km of low power voltage lines. Vandalism prone transformers will now be placed in pad-mounted substations along roads reserves. MD Joseph Njoroge said the project will pilot in Nairobi's Upper Hill Area before moving to Industrial Area and then to Mombasa. Njoroge said the utility company is considering a proposal by the Chinese National Machinery Equipment Import and Export Corporation to carry out the project on an engineering, procurement and construct basis. "It's not yet finalized but we are working on a proposal to undertake the work in Upper Hill as a pilot," the MD who spoke at a stakeholders meeting in Nairobi said. Once complete, the project is expected to stabilize power supply and cur Kenya Power's operational costs. "It will have huge savings we have actually done what we would call a feasibility and the ROI is in the region of 18 per cent so we should be able to recoup back out investment in six years," Njoroge said. "We are talking of a saving of about Sh3billion every year." Nairobi will have 375Km of 11Kv cabling and 930Km of low voltage cabling with 740 pad-mounted substations. Mombasa will see 200Km of 11Kv and 400Km of low voltage cabling and establish of 330 pad-mounted stations. "As an example, we commissioned a new 2.5Km State House Road underground feeder from Cathedral Road last May," Njoroge said. "The Norfolk Hotel feeder from Parklands will be undergrounded by May this year." Kenya Power had invited various authorities such as the Ministry of Energy, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, the Kenya Rural Roads Authority, Nairobi City Council, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Board and telecommunications companies. The utility is seeking a joint project development approach since different entities are also involved in laying underground infrastructure resulting in frequent service interruptions when cables are cut or water pipes punctured. Representatives from the KURA and KRRA asked Kenya Power to share its design plans so that they can compare them with their road designs to avoid conflict. Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201203011290.html -- with Regards: blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>

2 1

Fwd: [ISOC] ISOC Fellowship to the IETF (IETF 84 and 85)
by Alice Munyua 01 Mar '12

01 Mar '12

This might be of interest Best Alice -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [ISOC] ISOC Fellowship to the IETF (IETF 84 and 85) Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:16:30 -0800 From: Steve Conte <conte(a)isoc.org> To: isoc-members-announce(a)elists.isoc.org (apologies for splattercasting) Dear Colleagues, The Internet Society has announced that it is inviting applications for its latest Internet Society Fellowships to the IETF. The Fellowship programme allows engineers from emerging and developing economies to attend an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting. As you know, the IETF is the Internet's premier standards-making body, responsible for the development of protocols used in IP-based networks. IETF participants represent an international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers involved in the technical operation of the Internet and the continuing evolution of Internet architecture. Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive application process. The Internet Society is currently accepting fellowship applications for the next two IETF meetings: * IETF 84, July 29 - August 3, 2012, Vancouver, BC, Canada * IETF 85, November 4-9, 2012, Atlanta, GA, USA http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programm… Fellowship applications for both IETF meetings are due by 23 March 2012. I encourage you to pass on information about this program to individuals involved in your network that have a keen interest in the Internet standardisation activities of the IETF. The Internet Society Fellowships to the IETF are sponsored by Afilias, Google, Microsoft, and Intel. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Steve Conte<conte(a)isoc.org>. Kind Regards, Steve Conte ----- Steve Conte Internet Leadership Programmes The Internet Society conte(a)isoc.org _______________________________________________ To manage your ISOC subscriptions or unsubscribe, please log into the ISOC Member Portal: https://portal.isoc.org/ Then choose Interests& Subscriptions from the My Account menu.

1 0

Fwd: Open Innovation Africa Summit²
by Alice Munyua 01 Mar '12

01 Mar '12

This may be of interest Best Alice Nokia, /info/Dev and Capgemini are pleased to announce the Open Innovation Africa Summit2 for +200 key influencers and change agents around the continent. *Time:* May 29th - 31st, 2012. *Location:* Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. You can look forward to an engaging and highly participative program under this year’s overall theme ‘Leadership for Innovation’ with four deep-dive streams. More information will be sent to you in the next coming weeks; until then, please save the date, May 29th - 31st, 2012, in your calendar! Looking forward to meeting you in Kenya! *Jussi Hinkkanen* VP Corporate Relations & Responsibility Nokia Middle East and Africa *Valerie D’Costa* Program Manager /info/Dev ‑ The World Bank Group “The OIAS is organized in association with the /Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy / program, which is a partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, /info/Dev and Nokia”

1 0

Re: [kictanet] [KICTAnet] TEAMS | EASSY Fiber Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION?
by lordmwesh 01 Mar '12

01 Mar '12

Kenya has been a country with entrenched vested interests. We have companies that generate independent power through diesel generators and sell it to the national grid at a handsome profit. People who own these companies are well known through the Kenyan political pecking order. If its their time to eat, how dare you tell Kengen/GDC to increase renewable energy power generation, while this crocodiles benefit from our inadequacy to produce enough? Its actually more expensive buying KPLC power when they insert those diesel costs than generating your own electricity using power generators. By the way, between 2008 and 2011, power bills increased by more than 100%. How does the country BENEFIT from the power deficit? Do the maths. “At a GDP size of $29.5 billion in 1999, the estimated loss during the [drought of 1999 to 2002] was $442 million, which if it had been invested in the renewable energy would have built almost three times the installed emergency power capacity,” Where is the salvation? On 1 March 2012 09:52, Emmanuel Khisa <oloo.khisa(a)googlemail.com> wrote: > What I have never understood is this craziness I call the "Smallness > Mentality". If we have potential for 7,000 Mw in geothermal energy, why > would KenGen be talking of doing 540 Mw between now and 2018...Really??? So > what happens between now and then? GDC whose sole job year in year out is > to produce geothermal power are talking of adding 230Mw (Again only) > between now and end of 2014. Are we serious? And let's not even talk of > cost hear...because that is what marshall plans are for...We should be > doing at the very least 500Mw annually if we are to keep with growth...Mugo > Kibati, Sir, does Vision 2030 find this tenable...and we have all these > investors coming to town? > > Before we go Nuclear, can we sort out the low hanging fruits....! > > > > > On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 8:59 AM, lordmwesh <lordmwesh(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Robert, Chinese cement is cheaper locally, than locally manufactured >> cement. >> Absurd but true. >> >> We cannot run away from the fact that we need cheaper electric energy, >> and not every business enterprise want to run its own business, and also >> produce its own electricity. >> >> The only salvation is to go the South African way in power policy. >> >> -- >> ______________________ >> Mwendwa Kivuva >> For >> Business Development >> Transworld Computer Channels >> Cel: 0722402248 >> twitter.com/lordmwesh >> transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing >> kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know >> > -- ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva For Business Development Transworld Computer Channels Cel: 0722402248 twitter.com/lordmwesh transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know

1 0

Fwd: [pcmlp] 2012 Annenberg-Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute June 17th-29th, 2012 University of Oxford
by Adam Peake 29 Feb '12

29 Feb '12

Perhaps of interest. Adam ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Louise Scott <louise.scott(a)csls.ox.ac.uk> Date: Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 12:10 AM Subject: [pcmlp] 2012 Annenberg-Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute June 17th-29th, 2012 University of Oxford To: "pcmlp-news(a)maillist.ox.ac.uk" <pcmlp-news(a)maillist.ox.ac.uk> The Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford (PCMLP) and the Center for Global Communication Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania are pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications for the 14th annual Media Policy Summer School, to be held from June 17 - 29, 2012 at the University of Oxford. The annual summer institute brings together young scholars and regulators to discuss important and recent trends in technology, international politics and development and its influence on media policy. Participants come from around the world; countries represented at previous summer institutes include Thailand, Kenya, China, Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria, Jordan, Italy and Bosnia, among others. This year the summer institute seeks, as part of the cohort, researchers and academics (PhD candidates and early career academics, for example), who will come with a research project related to the general subject of the Institute. Research generally related to the work of the Center for Global Communication Studies and the Programme for Comparative Media Law and Policy is especially welcome, and some participants will be asked to present their research. Applications are also welcome from those working as lawyers and those employed by NGOs, government bodies, and regulatory agencies. The seminars this year will focus on several key areas, including media governance in India and China and strategic communications in conflict and post-conflict and transitional environments, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. At the same time, the successful curriculum that has been the foundation of the programme over the years will continue, with sessions covering global media policy issues such as media and economic/social development, freedom of information, internet regulation and convergence. Part of the course will be devoted to new developments in comparative approaches to regulation, looking at Ofcom in the UK and other agencies, including examples from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The seminar brings together a wide range of participants from around the globe and provides them with an environment in which significant policy issues are seriously discussed. The richness of the experience comes from exposure to a variety of speakers and from the discussions among participants themselves. This year, we will again be offering more than twelve Media Policy Fellowships that cover tuition, housing, travel, and per diem for exceptional applicants from the developing world. For more information on the Media Policy Fellowships, please email lsh(a)asc.upenn.edu Applications for the 2012 programme will be accepted via our online application form on a rolling basis through March 31, 2012. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who you think might be interested. For more information about the programme, application instructions, and a link to the online application please visit http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/an-ox

1 0

TCO & Cloud - Revisited
by robert yawe 29 Feb '12

29 Feb '12

Hi, Just been made aware of a product called MIFOS http://mifos.org/product for microfinance organisations, interesting how we just keep giving lip service to the issues of opensource and cloud. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

2 2

KNEC website goes tits up again
by Kivuva 29 Feb '12

29 Feb '12

Year in, year out, we cannot offer our candidates a platform to effectively search their results. http://www.knec.ac.ke http://www.knec-results.ac.ke/ This must be a very basic function. -- ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva For Business Development Transworld Computer Channels Cel: 0722402248 twitter.com/lordmwesh www.transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know

5 5

A series of ICT learning events at World Bank on February 29 and March 1, 2012 - participation in Washington
by Harry Hare 29 Feb '12

29 Feb '12

For those still willing to learn, some interesting events at the World Bank and you can participate via a webcast. Today they have a session on m-Money and the title is quite interesting - How to Assess m-Money Opportunities and Why you can't Replicate Kenya's MP. This will be at 12.30 Washington time. See the webcast links for the different events below. Kindest Regards Harry Hare Director African eDevelopment Resource Centre PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel +254 20 4041646 Cel +254 725 650044 From: <edevelopment(a)worldbank.org> Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:43:23 +0400 To: <edevelopment(a)worldbank.org> Subject: A series of ICT learning events at World Bank on February 29 and March 1, 2012 - participation in Washington We would like to emphasize that we very much welcome participation of World Bank staff and external audience in person in Washington D.C. You can register for participation in Washington D.C. by sending an email to edevelopment(a)worldbank.org (please mention the session you would like to participate in). If you are World Bank staff, please register through LMS by clicking the link under the respective session at http://go.worldbank.org/G4NMZDO350. * * * ICT Learning Days will include a series of learning events focusing on different aspects of using ICT for development in various sectors and regions, including universal broadband service in rural Saudi Arabia; mobile applications for agricultural and rural development; mobile money; ICT procurement; transformational potential of ICT for opening development; and the role of eID within e-government strategies. When: February 29 and March 1 Venue in Washington: World Bank J Building, Room J B1-080, 701 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006 Live webcast: http://streaming7.worldbank.org/vvflash/extlive3 (Flash) mms://wbmswebcast1.worldbank.org/external-3 (Windows Media - PC) http://wbmswebcast5.worldbank.org:1935/live/myStream3/playlist.m3u8 (Apple - Mac) rtsp://wbmswebcast5.worldbank.org:1935/live/myStream3 (Blackberry) Submit your comments and questions via our Chat Room (via Adobe Connect) @ https://worldbankva.adobeconnect.com/ict Social Media Hashtag: #OpenDTA Web: http://go.worldbank.org/G4NMZDO350 You can register for participation in Washington D.C. by sending an email to edevelopment(a)worldbank.org (please mention the session you would like to participate in). If you are World Bank staff, please register through LMS by clicking the link under the respective session at http://go.worldbank.org/G4NMZDO350. No registration is needed to watch live webcast. Detailed description: February 29, 08:00 - 09:30 am Washington time Universal Broadband Service in Rural Saudi Arabia: Innovations by USF & Operators Close the Access Gap Saudi Arabia had the leading mobile and computer penetration in the Gulf region, while quality of service and Internet penetration were low. The focus of its universal service and access program was placed on improving service quality and providing universal broadband. With complementary regulatory measures, such as favourable frequencies, the program offers interesting lessons. Moderator: Doyle Gallegos, Lead ICT Policy Specialist, World Bank Speaker: Andrew Dymond, Managing Director of Intelecon February 29, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Washington time Mobile Applications for Agricultural and Rural Development Focus on a recent study which describes global research on mobile applications addressing rural development issues. 92 applications were categorized and analyzed and country case studies document leading applications in Kenya, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. The study describes various business models in the context of the mobile ecosystem in developing countries, and lessons are drawn for measures to support development of a viable mobile application ecosystem. Moderator: Tim Kelly, Sr. ICT Policy Specialist, World Bank Speaker: Steve Esselaar, Sr. Consultant, Intelecon February 29, 12:30 - 14:00 Washington time Mobile Money: How to Assess m-Money Opportunities and Why you can't Replicate Kenya's MP The Four Country Mobile Money Study was commissioned by the IFC and it was designed to increase the understanding of mobile money and to help address key issues such as scaling up and replicability. The study looks at the ecosystem requirements and the business models used by mobile network operators, banks, and others in four developing countriesBrazil, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It compares these countries with Kenya and Japan, which have successfully developed mobile money operations, and with the United States. Speaker: Sonja Oestmann, Universal Access, Policy and Broadband Specialist February 29, 14:30 - 16:00 Washington time A Pan-African Perspective Towards ICT Sustainability in Africa Creating and supporting a Pan-African community of competent, internationally certified IT professionals focused on developing the IT tools for African Agriculture, Business, Education, Health Care, Government and general Social needs. Session Lead: Samia Melhem, Sr. Operations Officer, ICT Sector Unit, World Bank Speakers: Amadou Daffe, CEO, Coders4Africa Kwame Andah, Director of Marketing Communication, Coders4Africa Ibrahim Cisse, Director of Technology, Coders4Africa Ellwood Kerkeslager, CEO Information Futures March 1, 08:00 - 09:30am Washington time How Could Computing and Low cost internet devices make global e-commerce viable for SMEs in developing countries Cloud Computing Moderator: Samia Melhem, Sr. Operations Officer, ICT Sector Unit, World Bank Speaker: Gurcharan Singh, Sr. Procurement Specialist, World Bank March 1, 10:00 - 12:00 Open, smart and Inclusive Development: Can ICT Transform Development? ICT is diffusing rapidly across the globe, yet its revolutionary potential for development is at a very early stage of realization. Hanna explores this potential in terms of advancing a vision of open, smart and inclusive development. He draws on the experience of some pioneering countries to illustrate their paths and practices and to draw lessons for our client countries. Moderator: Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer, ICT Sector Unit, World Bank Speakers: Nagy Hanna, Sr. Fellow, Centre for Policy on Emerging Technologies Soren Gigler, Senior Governance Specialist, World Bank Institute March 1, 12:30 - 14:00 Open Government: From Data to Information How do Governments need to manage their information assets in an increasingly open world? How can Governments, Citizens and International Organizations best use and re-use this information? The BBL will encourage broad thinking on how the full spectrum of public information assets, from data and statistics to archives and records, can be associated and be made more useful for providing evidence, making decisions, and reporting results. The Session will include a demonstration of an innovative mock up which provides a mashup of the World Bank's Open Data, current project data and archival records in a contextual and meaningful way. Moderator: Arleen Cannata Seed, IMTLA Speaker: Tariq Khokhar of the World Bank Open Data Initiatve, Anne Thurston of the International Records Management Trust, and others (TBC) March 1, 14:30 - 16:00 Role of eID within the eGovernment Strategy Case will be set forth for how eID in Government, when it is well implemented, can result in greater efficiency, transparency and cost effectiveness. Moderator: Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer, World Bank Speaker: Frank Leyman, Belgian Rep. in eGovernment High Level Group of European Commission Discussant: Mariana Dahan, Consultant, ICT Policy Unit, World Bank

1 0

Unscrupulous domain registrars or . . .
by robert yawe 29 Feb '12

29 Feb '12

Hi, I visited site called WebHostKenya.com to search for the availability of the domain name wingu.co.ke and hopefully be able to register it, the domain name not available so I searched for an alternative wingu.ne.ke When I made the initial search the domain name was available just to check again a few minutes later and it had been taken up, the concerning issue is that the registrar in question is the one who holds the wingu.co.ke domain name. Is this my over active conspiracy mind at work or is it possible that the registrar can view my search and then register the domain so as to force me to pay him more later? Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

5 4

Looking back at Konza
by Dennis Kioko 28 Feb '12

28 Feb '12

Looking at recent discussions on the list on Konza, one can forget how far the concept has come, and evolved *Kenya build Sh67bn digital city * Written by Kui Kinyanjui 31-August-2007: The governments of Kenya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have entered into a Sh67 billion partnership to establish East Africa’s first digital city. Athi River town on the outskirts of Nairobi has been earmarked for the project that will be modelled on the successes of Dubai Internet City. The initiative is expected to create new jobs as major corporations set up base and use local resources to conduct their business. Besides, proponents of the project say it will position the country as a regional base for manufacture and development of ICT products. “Kenya has seen an increasing number of foreign ICT companies set up offices in Nairobi that they intend to use as entry points to the regional market,” Dr Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, said. The partnership for the project was formed at the request of the UAE government and has seen the two governments draft a memorandum of understanding that is currently before the Attorney-General. Two Middle Eastern companies have expressed interest in undertaking the project. “There is significant demand. Companies have already approached us looking for incentives or joint partnership opportunities to start operations in Athi River,” said Dr Ndemo. In the last few years, several companies have opened regional bases in the country, including Microsoft, Nokia, HP, Ericcson and Cisco, all of whom have all cited the region’s relevance as the biggest emerging market for ICT products . Athi River —located just 50 kilometres from Nairobi City Centre — is currently a hub for several industries, including cement firms, manufacturing concerns and is home to an export processing zone (EPZ). It’s conversion into a fully fledged ICT city could transform the dusty town into the main industrial base of the country. However, the proposed digital city will face challenges that reflect the wider needs of the country as it increasingly relies on the ICT industry to drive economic growth, which according to a recent African Development Bank report, is expected to reach its highest levels in 20 years driven by the new sector. Those challenges include an acute shortage of trained IT workers and inadequate infrastructure. In response to that need and the development of other ICT driven industries such as the business process outsourcing sector, the government plans to heavily invest in beefing up the country’s infrastructure to increase access to internet-related services. It also aims to increase of technology content in the school curriculum and is currently offering subsidized bandwith to universities to encourage e-learning. Source - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=483232&page=6 -- with Regards: blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>

8 20

Attempt to impose US style copyright maximalism to Africa thwarted
by Brian Munyao Longwe 28 Feb '12

28 Feb '12

I just came across this, and was quite surprised that it hadn't come up on any of the African mailing lists that I subscribe to. The failed "Africa IP Forum" http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120227/02460817885/commerce-department-p… What would be even worse is that the next time the event is organised, it's proponents take brainwashed African representatives to blindly support the proposals. As Africans we must watch these things closely... -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."

1 0

The Sheng Question
by robert yawe 28 Feb '12

28 Feb '12

Hi All, I believe that if we are serious about turning sheng into a formal language then we need a site like http://www.urbandictionary.com/ if we are to harmonise across the country or region. As I keep repeating, annoyingly, I grew up in eastlands (mimi sio mbabi) and one thing I know is that sheng is not homogeneous beyond 100 meters of where you are standing. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

10 19

IT Human Resource Statistics in Kenya
by Edwin Onchari 28 Feb '12

28 Feb '12

Listers, Anyone know where I can get the above info? I would like to know how many people in Kenya are skilled in the various IT fields; level of training, annual graduating numbers; by age. Best Regards, Edwin M Onchari 0773711600 0720755951 eonchari(a)lynxbits.com

2 2

Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 57, Issue 87
by Gideon 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

Based on the current speeds that we are experiencing it just shows we desperately need redundacy and probably proper security to prevent reoccurence, perhaps impose restoration fees to the ship owners. And realy i think on hindsight we ought to also appreciate the fast speeds that we are now accustomed to due to the submarrine cables :-) On Feb 27, 2012 3:25 PM, <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: TEAMS | EASSY Fibre Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION? (robert yawe) > 2. Re: TEAMS | EASSY Fibre Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION? (James Mbugua) > 3. The Sheng Question (robert yawe) > 4. Re: The Sheng Question (James Mbugua) > 5. Re: The Sheng Question (lordmwesh) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:33:55 +0000 (GMT) > From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> > To: "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] TEAMS | EASSY Fibre Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION? > Message-ID: > <1330338835.88461.YahooMailNeo(a)web27808.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Hi all, > > I thought Teams and EASSY are laid out in a ring topology, my mistake. ?If this the same ship to cut the cable last time? > > Regards > > PS. ?Due to a ship dropping its anchor on the marine cable Konza City will be offline for the next 7 days, we advice all organisations who are dependent on this connection to give their staff time off. > ? > Robert Yawe > KAY System Technologies Ltd > Phoenix House, 6th Floor > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > Kenya > > > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > To: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Sent: Sunday, 26 February 2012, 19:28 > Subject: Re: [kictanet] TEAMS | EASSY Fibre Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION? > > Apparently a ship (we have details) illegally anchored on the channel > through which the cables pass and cut both.? The ports authority have the > undersea route but we do not know how they made such a mistake.? Teams > will be up in 7 days. > > Lion landed in a different location to mitigate against such problems.? I > do not know if Seacom is operational. > > > Ndemo. > > > > > > > What is going on? > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > > development. > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/robertyawe%40yahoo.co.… > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >

3 2

Airtel new 3.75G dongle.
by Nicholas J Dear 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

Has anyone been able to get ahold of one of these? I saw the advert in the Nation but all the shops tell me they haven't received stock yet. N. -- Nicholas J Dear Kenya: +254 714 641 307 UK: +44 207 100 4907

1 0

Re: [kictanet] ICT Big in Kenya, Contributes 24% to GDP (UNCTAD)
by Bitange 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

Waudo, This is contribution to GDP growth rate and not GDP of the country. Our expectation is to see ICT contribution to GDP grow from 5% to 25% in the next 5 years if we sustain the current momentum. Ndemo. Sent from Samsung Galaxy Note -------- Original message -------- Subject: [kictanet] ICT Big in Kenya, Contributes 24% to GDP (UNCTAD) From: waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> To: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke CC: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> null

2 2

Re: [kictanet] The Sheng Question
by robert yawe 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

Ali, You can take the man out of the village but you will never take the village out of the man Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 ________________________________ From: Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "info(a)alyhussein.com" <info(a)alyhussein.com>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 27 February 2012, 14:22 Subject: Re: [kictanet] The Sheng Question Robert On a light note....when you talk about your kids improving their maths by using KhanAcademy.com wewe ni Mbabi,..(even if you are in denial) :) Seriously though, all this talk about Konza etc will be to naught if we:- 1. improve our education System 2. Make connectivity as universal as possible 3. And start behaving like WAUNGWANA Regards Ali Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group +254 773/713 601113 "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame On Feb 27, 2012, at 2:02 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: Hi All, > > >I believe that if we are serious about turning sheng into a formal language then we need a site like http://www.urbandictionary.com/ if we are to harmonise across the country or region. > > >As I keep repeating, annoyingly, I grew up in eastlands (mimi sio mbabi) and one thing I know is that sheng is not homogeneous beyond 100 meters of where you are standing. > > >Regards > >Robert Yawe >KAY System Technologies Ltd >Phoenix House, 6th Floor >P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 >Kenya > > >Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 _______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > >The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > >KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

1 0

Looking back at Konza
by robert yawe 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

Hi Daktari, Sorry for being blunt, but I strongly believe you live in utopia, unless you are planning to bring expatriate town planners, city engineers and cabinet secretaries then Konza will be built and maintained in the same way as Nairobi and other local buildings and establishments. See below the picture of a fire hydrant in Nairobi opposite City Hall, this is to dispute your claim that we do not have fire hydrants but what we have is blocked and none functional fire hydrants among many other facilities. With issue of 75% of jobs in a county must be filled by locals then we expect Konza to suffer from worse problems than cosmopolitan Nairobi. Regards ----- Original Message ----- From: "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> To: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 26 February 2012, 19:03 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Looking back at Konza Treasury could not fund the project because the incentives were not spelt out in the Finance Bill. We were to incentify organizations that moved their businesses to Kenya. All they needed was to cover their migration by footing a six month rent. We had practically secured about 6,000 seats out of India. Some of the larger enterprises keen on Kenya are still looking for accomodation. They have given Sameer Park what they want and if the modifications are done, they would move in. Even us we were under the assumption that every building that comes up adheres to the Building code. This does not happen. They do not take security of the wokers seriously. You have seen how the fire Brigade struggles to get water to the fire incidences. Mordern cities have fire hydrants on every access road. They have fire detectors, fire sprinklers in every floor and above all sufficient number of toilets. We still assume that some of us would use the fast disappearing bush to answer calls of nature. The state in Nairobi is pathetic. I see it in Telcom Towers wher sometimes people literally queue to use the toilet. We have forgotten that when the International Life Houese cought fire in its 9th floor, people were rescued by helicopters as it lacked alternative fire escape. Most International organizations have since left the building. We must embrace International Standards if we have to be competitive. Since all these requirements are in the Building Codes, we need better enforcement. Not just the Government, we all must demand that these codes are followed. We simply take too many risks. Enough for now. Ndemo.

1 0

SharePoint Saturday Nairobi
by S.M. Muraya 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

http://spsnairobi.eventbrite.com/ This event is in the planning stages. Organizations having trouble finding SharePoint Developer skills locally will be interested in sponsoring this event. Some good folk will be flying in. SharePoint, is very big globally. http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2012/02/16/rackspace-buys-up-sharepoint… KICTB (ict.go.ke) tenders / bids (e.g. Lands, Judiciary, KNH) locked out SharePoint by requiring J2EE (Java Based) document management systems instead of specifying / asking for CMIS Compliant ones. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_Management_Interoperability_Services Anyway SharePoint is rarely if ever prioritized and well deployed in Oracle / Java shops.

1 0

The UN : A Threat to the Internet freedom??
by Dandjinou Pierre 27 Feb '12

27 Feb '12

Robert M. Dowell argues that top-down, international regulation is antithetical to the Net, which has flourished under its current governance model. Read on! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204792404577229074023195322.h…... ______________________________________________ Pierre -- Pierre Dandjinou Cotonou - 229 90 087784 / 66566610 Dakar 221 77 639 30 41 www.scg.bj skype : sagbo1953

4 4