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lecture by Randal Bryant, Dean, Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science
by Paul Kukubo 02 Feb '12

02 Feb '12

[image: Chipuka Lecture Series 01.2012] *An exclusive lecture by Randal Bryant, Dean, Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science at Strathmore University 5th Floor Student Centre Friday Feb 3rd from 5-7pm. * ** *Register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2873142647/efblike* For the first time in Africa, software engineer Professor Randal Bryant will give a lecture on computer systems. Bryant will go over the underlying principles by which programs are executed on a computer with broad coverage of processor operation, compilers, operating systems, and networking. Whereas most lectures on computer systems focus on material from the perspective of one who designs or implements part of the system, Bryant will presents the view of a system visible to application programmers. *Participants will learn how, by understanding aspects of the underlying system, they can make their programs faster and more reliable. *This approach provides immediate benefits for all computer science and engineering students and also prepares them for more advanced systems courses. - This lecture is based on the Carnegie Mellon University course '*Introduction to Computer Systems*', which has been taught every semester since Fall, 1998 with enthusiastic responses by the students, the instructors, and the instructors of subsequent systems courses. ------------------------------ *About Randal Bryan * Randal Bryant is an Americancomputer scientist and academic noted for his research on formally verifying digital hardware, and more recently some forms of software. More recently, he has become interested in the opportunities and challenges presented by computer systems working with very large data sets. He is also Dean of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, where he has taught since 1984. *About Carnegie Mellon University* Carnegie Mellon (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 11,000 students in the university’s seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. *About Software in Excellence Lecture Series* This lecture series is hosted by the Kenya ICT Board's softwrare certification initiative that seeks to establish an authentic software developer certification for Kenya. The Certification Project dubbed 'Chipuka', which stands for "to emerge", is being designed in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.The certification will help employers to easily identify software developers that have the skills necessary to carry out IT jobs to a professional and world class standard. Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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Crops growable per region
by Dennis Kioko 02 Feb '12

02 Feb '12

I remember there's a time that Dr. Ndemo said that there was a way we could tell what crops were viable in an area by looking up the place's geo co-ordinates. I was in Ukambani recently, where farmers keep planting crops and checking if they would grow and are watered from a borehole containing salty water. Is the data on crops that are viable in such areas openly available, as this would be quite helpful in assisting the farmers decide on what to grow. -- with Regards: blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>

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Fw: Grants for open applications development
by Bitange Ndemo 02 Feb '12

02 Feb '12

Listers, I attended an Open Data conference in Abu Dhabi on 8th of this month. There are opportunities emerging out of that conference that I want to bring to your attention. I will give a brief of the conference but in the meantime we need our application developers to check this. Please read e-mail below and the attachments. Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry® -----Original Message----- From: Duncan Edwards <D.Edwards(a)ids.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:12:29 To: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke<bitange(a)jambo.co.ke>; ps(a)information.go.ke<ps(a)information.go.ke> Subject: Grants for open applications development Dear Bitange, It was really good to meet you at the Linked Open Data workshop organized by REEEP in Abu Dhabi. I wanted to follow up with you in relation to the conversation we had regarding supporting better links between research and policy. At the Institute of Development Studies (UK) we have been involved in the provision of services, such as www.eldis.org<http://www.eldis.org> and www.bridge.ids.ac.uk<http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk>, to support evidence based decision-making through making the findings of research more accessible to policymakers and practitioners. As I explained when we met in Abu Dhabi, we have developed an Open API to allow other organizations make use of the datasets of development research we host. We are running a call for proposals for the development of applications to make use of this content (see below), and I wondered whether you might be able to forward this to any contacts of yours who you might feel would be interested in the call? The deadline for this call for proposals is quite tight but we will be running more of these later in the year. In addition to this I wonder whether there might be other ways in which IDS Knowledge Services might be able to support your work in strengthening the links between research and policymaking? Would it be worth having a follow up phone call to discuss further? Best wishes, Duncan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Duncan Edwards Information Systems Innovation Manager Institute of Development Studies, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK Charitable Company No. 877338 email: d.edwards(a)ids.ac.uk<mailto:d.edwards@ids.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0)1273 915797 fax: +44 (0)1273 621202 Skype: duncan_ed1 Twitter: duncan_ids<http://twitter.com/duncan_ids> Eldis Community: http://community.eldis.org/duncan Knowledge Services at IDS:http://www.ids.ac.uk/go/knowledge-services ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IDS Knowledge Services have some technical grants available to create applications that make use of their datasets on academic research on development issues. These grants are available to application developers in developing countries wishing to use information and communication technologies to repurpose, and contextualise research on development issues and so inform evidence based policy making. Please see the call for proposals below and documents attached and contact api(a)ids.ac.uk<mailto:api@ids.ac.uk> if you are interested. And please do forward to technical staff within your organisations if relevant. Call for Proposals The IDS Knowledge Services Open Application Programming Interface (API) provides easy programmatic access to tens of thousands of thematically organised resources, primarily academic research, on development issues that are freely available online. IDS Knowledge Services invites your organisation to apply for a small technical grant. These grants are available to application developers in developing countries wishing to use information and communication technologies to repurpose, and contextualise research on development issues and so inform evidence based policy making. Individual grant maximum: GBP £3000 Implementation period: 5 weeks Application deadline: 13 February 2012 We are currently offering two types of grant: 1) Plug in grants These grants are allocated to design and build plug-ins/modules/add ons to existing content management systems and web platforms. The plug-ins will import or display a user defined selection of data from the KS data sets. There are two grants currently available, for developing a Wordpress plug-in and an HTML embeddable "widget". 2) Innovation grants These grants are allocated to design and build applications or services that use innovative ways of combining data and information from different sources, to create new tools, applications and systems which are useful, meaningful and relevant for informing development policy and practice. Preference will be given to proposals that focus on the programme's key thematic or technological areas, as follows: THEMES * Climate Change * Food and Agriculture * Health * Governance * Gender TECHNOLOGY * Mobile * Mapping * Applications supporting people in areas of limited connectivity Full details can be found in the attached documents, or online http://api.ids.ac.uk/about/grants.shtml Simon Colmer Information Projects Officer Knowledge Service Department Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RE, UK +44 (0) 1273 915771 http://api.ids.ac.uk<http://www.ids.ac.uk> api(a)ids.ac.uk<mailto:api@ids.ac.uk> | Twitter: ids_api This message is for the addressee only and may contain privileged or confidential information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDS. Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE Tel: +44 (0)1273 606261; Fax: +44 (0)1273 621202 IDS, a charitable company limited by guarantee: Registered Charity No. 306371; Registered in England 877338; VAT No. GB 350 899914

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Grants for open applications: call for proposals
by alice＠apc.org 01 Feb '12

01 Feb '12

*Grants for open applications developmentfrom ** IDS Knowledge Services* *Call for Proposals* The IDS Knowledge Services Open Application Programming Interface (API) provides easy programmatic access to tens of thousands of thematically organised resources, primarily academic research, on development issues that are freely available online. IDS Knowledge Services invites your organisation to apply for a small technical grant. These grants are available to application developers in developing countries wishing to use information and communication technologies to repurpose, and contextualise research on development issues and so inform evidence based policy making. *Individual grant maximum*: GBP £3000 *Implementation period*: 5 weeks *Application deadline*: 13 February 2012 We are currently offering two types of grant: *1) Plug in grants* These grants are allocated to design and build plug-ins/modules/add ons to existing content management systems and web platforms. The plug-ins will import or display a user defined selection of data from the KS data sets. There are two grants currently available, for developing a Wordpress plug-in and an HTML embeddable "widget". *2) Innovation grants * These grants are allocated to design and build applications or services that use innovative ways of combining data and information from different sources, to create new tools, applications and systems which are useful, meaningful and relevant for informing development policy and practice. Preference will be given to proposals that focus on the programme’s key thematic or technological areas, as follows: *THEMES* • Climate Change • Food and Agriculture • Health • Governance • Gender *TECHNOLOGY* • Mobile • Mapping • Applications supporting people in areas of limited connectivity Full details can be found in the attached documents, or online http://api.ids.ac.uk/about/grants.shtml development from ** IDS Knowledge Services* *Call for Proposals* The IDS Knowledge Services Open Application Programming Interface (API) provides easy programmatic access to tens of thousands of thematically organised resources, primarily academic research, on development issues that are freely available online. IDS Knowledge Services invites your organisation to apply for a small technical grant. These grants are available to application developers in developing countries wishing to use information and communication technologies to repurpose, and contextualise research on development issues and so inform evidence based policy making. *Individual grant maximum*: GBP £3000 *Implementation period*: 5 weeks *Application deadline*: 13 February 2012 We are currently offering two types of grant: *1) Plug in grants* These grants are allocated to design and build plug-ins/modules/add ons to existing content management systems and web platforms. The plug-ins will import or display a user defined selection of data from the KS data sets. There are two grants currently available, for developing a Wordpress plug-in and an HTML embeddable "widget". *2) Innovation grants * These grants are allocated to design and build applications or services that use innovative ways of combining data and information from different sources, to create new tools, applications and systems which are useful, meaningful and relevant for informing development policy and practice. Preference will be given to proposals that focus on the programme’s key thematic or technological areas, as follows: *THEMES* • Climate Change • Food and Agriculture • Health • Governance • Gender *TECHNOLOGY* • Mobile • Mapping • Applications supporting people in areas of limited connectivity Full details can be found in the attached documents, or online http://api.ids.ac.uk/about/grants.shtml

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Technology or food
by robert yawe 01 Feb '12

01 Feb '12

Hi, I was searching for information about the wheat and rice production in Kenya and came across the following information which is very worrying about our food security. http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ke&commodity=milled-rice&gra… http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ke&commodity=wheat&graph=pro… We are producing less and less of our staple food yet the population is growing. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US
by Grace Githaiga 01 Feb '12

01 Feb '12

31 January 2012 Last updated at 12:51 GMT Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US Post-9/11 USA is highly cautious of any perceived threat, Abta said Holidaymakers have been warned to watch their words after two friends were refused entry to the US on security grounds after a tweet. Before his trip, Leigh Van Bryan wrote that he was going to "destroy America". He insisted he was referring to simply having a good time - but was sent home. Trade association Abta told the BBC that the case highlighted that holidaymakers should never do anything to raise "concern or suspicion in any way". The US Department for Homeland Security picked up Mr Bryan's messages ahead of his holiday in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old bar manager wrote a message to a friend on the micro-blogging service, saying: "Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America." The Irish national told the Sun newspaper that he and his friend Emily Bunting were apprehended on arrival at Los Angeles International Airport before being sent home. "The Homeland Security agents were treating me like some kind of terrorist," Mr Bryan said. "I kept saying they had got the wrong meaning from my tweet." No joke Abta, which represents travel companies in the UK, said holidaymakers need to learn to be ultra-cautious when it comes to talking about forthcoming trips, particularly after 9/11. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote Airport security staff do not have a sense of humour when it comes to potential risk” Abta "Posting statements in a public forum which could be construed as threatening - in this case saying they are going to "destroy" somewhere - will not be viewed sympathetically by US authorities," it told the BBC. "In the past we have seen holidaymakers stopped at airport security for 'joking' that they have a bomb in their bag, thoroughly questioned and ending up missing their flights, demonstrating that airport security staff do not have a sense of humour when it comes to potential risk." In another tweet, Mr Bryan made reference to comedy show Family Guy saying that he would be in LA in three weeks, annoying people "and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up". Mr Bryan told the newspaper that he was questioned for five hours about his Twitter messages. 'Tweeter account' After the interview, Homeland Security's reported: "Mr Bryan confirmed that he had posted on his Tweeter website account that he was coming to the United States to dig up the grave of Marilyn Monroe. "Also on his tweeter account Mr Bryan posted he was coming to destroy America." Paul Chambers was fined after posting a message about Robin Hood Airport The US Customs and Border Protection agency said in a statement that it tried to maintain a balance between "securing our borders while facilitating the high volume of legitimate trade and travel that crosses our borders every day". It added: "We strive to achieve that balance and show the world that the United States is a welcoming nation." Mr Bryan is not the only person to suffer from a misjudged tweet. In January 2010, Paul Chambers tweeted that he would blow snow-affected Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster "sky high!" if it was not reopened in time for him to see his girlfriend. He was fined £385 plus £2,600 in costs - a sum which actor Stephen Fry offered to pay on Mr Chambers' behalf.

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2063: Kenya @ 100 Short Story & Essay Contest - New Deadline - March 31st, 2012‏
by Matunda Nyanchama 01 Feb '12

01 Feb '12

This an FYI for those that asked for more time on the above. I is interesting that we have received few technology-related stories. Some interesting ones talk about rural society, the national stage and attempts to place vision 2030 in "its place". 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.

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Death or Birth of the CIO
by robert yawe 01 Feb '12

01 Feb '12

Hi, During the CIO 2011 Symposium a tea break discussion erupted of how many true CIOs there are in the country today, it was shocking that we could only name 3. Hope this article link helps in getting this discussion on the way. http://www.silicon.com/management/cio-insights/2012/01/27/time-to-shut-up-a… Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US
by alice＠apc.org 31 Jan '12

31 Jan '12

31 January 2012 Last updated at 12:51 GMT Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US Post-9/11 USA is highly cautious of any perceived threat, Abta saidHolidaymakers have been warned to watch their words after two friends were refused entry to the US on security grounds after a tweet. Before his trip, Leigh Van Bryan wrote that he was going to "destroy America". He insisted he was referring to simply having a good time - but was sent home. Trade association Abta told the BBC that the case highlighted that holidaymakers should never do anything to raise "concern or suspicion in any way". The US Department for Homeland Security picked up Mr Bryan's messages ahead of his holiday in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old bar manager wrote a message to a friend on the micro-blogging service, saying: "Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America." The Irish national told the Sun newspaper that he and his friend Emily Bunting were apprehended on arrival at Los Angeles International Airport before being sent home. "The Homeland Security agents were treating me like some kind of terrorist," Mr Bryan said. "I kept saying they had got the wrong meaning from my tweet." No jokeAbta, which represents travel companies in the UK, said holidaymakers need to learn to be ultra-cautious when it comes to talking about forthcoming trips, particularly after 9/11. Continue reading the main story“ Start QuoteAirport security staff do not have a sense of humour when it comes to potential risk” Abta"Posting statements in a public forum which could be construed as threatening - in this case saying they are going to "destroy" somewhere - will not be viewed sympathetically by US authorities," it told the BBC. "In the past we have seen holidaymakers stopped at airport security for 'joking' that they have a bomb in their bag, thoroughly questioned and ending up missing their flights, demonstrating that airport security staff do not have a sense of humour when it comes to potential risk." In another tweet, Mr Bryan made reference to comedy show Family Guy saying that he would be in LA in three weeks, annoying people "and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up". Mr Bryan told the newspaper that he was questioned for five hours about his Twitter messages. 'Tweeter account'After the interview, Homeland Security's reported: "Mr Bryan confirmed that he had posted on his Tweeter website account that he was coming to the United States to dig up the grave of Marilyn Monroe. "Also on his tweeter account Mr Bryan posted he was coming to destroy America." Paul Chambers was fined after posting a message about Robin Hood AirportThe US Customs and Border Protection agency said in a statement that it tried to maintain a balance between "securing our borders while facilitating the high volume of legitimate trade and travel that crosses our borders every day". It added: "We strive to achieve that balance and show the world that the United States is a welcoming nation." Mr Bryan is not the only person to suffer from a misjudged tweet. In January 2010, Paul Chambers tweeted that he would blow snow-affected Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster "sky high!" if it was not reopened in time for him to see his girlfriend. He was fined £385 plus £2,600 in costs - a sum which actor Stephen Fry offered to pay on Mr Chambers' behalf

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Re: [kictanet] TCO & Cloud
by robert yawe 31 Jan '12

31 Jan '12

Hi, It is encouraging that you decided to post your thoughts on my post unlike many others if opted to call me directly to air their disquiet. I would like to belief that the systems our banks are using are centralised with all branches online to the data centre, until recently when a few providers implemented MPLS, the connectivity to those branches was point to point. With the point to point connectivity there was a minimum of 2 hops to get to the data centre, if those links delivered then imagine is the data centre is at, for example, Safaricom then you have an minimum hop of 1. The Kenstream & KenSat services when run by Telkom provided us with 95% uptime and that was without any redundant links. The GSM providers need to keep their links up 99% of the time if only for the voice service and since the data is carried over the same fibre, microwave and satellite links. Taking that into consideration I believe we have no reason not to embrace cloud and shared services, yesterday. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 ________________________________ From: Emmanuel Khisa <oloo.khisa(a)googlemail.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Cc: oloo.khisa(a)gmail.com; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 27 January 2012, 17:45 Subject: Re: [kictanet] TCO & Cloud Hi Bobby, I am impressed with your understanding of the financial sector ( Not many IT people in Financial sector have such a deep insight of IT Ops). I would like to differ though on the issue of cloud. One of the greatest issues raised against cloud and which is partly true is the connectivity (and reliability of the same). Let's say you head IT in a bank and have to manage the downtimes in places like Meru, Bungoma, Wajir etc, running off a Safaricom cloud may be abit of a longshot. Safaricom has done a great deal to bring us connectivity especially the last mile, I however think something is still amiss with the reliability of connection. Every executive committee will raise (and validly so) the issue of Connectivity and letting go of customer data to counter that cloud argument. That needs to be addressed and the only company in Kenya today that can take us into the cloud is Safaricom, I hope they listen and fortify this data segment like they did voice. On a lighter note, having used Temenos, I can take my money to the bank that finacle would beat it hands down. I don't care how many big financial orgs are using it, I have baby sat it and the truth of the matter is that it is like a Kluger (no offence to owners of this) very overrated and big in size but has the performance of a saloon car... Temenos are good at marketing but the real value is elsewhere. On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 1:09 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: Francis, > > >Most of the issues you mention on customer service are only applicable with a certain level of account holder who we would refer to as your corporates who make up less than 1% of the accounts. > > >The other 99% are mainly salary account holders who receive a single inflow once a month and spend the rest of the time drawing down the amount. > > >With the proliferation of ATMs, mobile and agency banking this kind of account holder is already being served through a cloud solution. > > >Outages within most organisations are today much more frequent than those involving external providers, most ATMs are down not because of the connectivity but more for lack of cash. With services such as bank account to mobile money transfer and cash back the ATM is slowly becoming obsolete, at least in the Kenyan scenario. Most ATM cards are now debit cards meaning that they are usable at various point of sale locations. > > >As customers use less and less physical cash the easier it is to mine trends than before making it easier to extend credit to establishments since you have a better view of their cash flows. > > >In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king until a two eyed man/woman arrives in the village, if we use the global definitions of SMB all businesses in Kenya, except mpesa, that we refer to a enterprises actually fall under this category and those we call small are actually micro. Therefore from your take on the same then all businesses in Kenya should be embracing cloud solutions. > > >MPesa is run as a cloud service no applications are installed locally right from Safaricom head office to the till in Gabatula, it has 34,000 plus branches, employs over 50,000 people, transacted over 600 billion last year, at peak times handles 200 transactions per second (Temenos can handle 3,000), has over 15 million accounts and made a profit last year of over 1 billion. > > >If MPesa was to be listed in the NSE it would be the most profitable organisation once you remove the burden of its parent. > > >If this organisation can survive on a cloud solution even Kenya Breweries can move their systems onto the Safaricom Cloud (for lack of any other examples) especially since they are implementing a model similar to Safaricoms. > > >Francis, lets accept it that we have no leg to stand on in as far as not using the cloud is concerned. > > >Why have I not released my applications to the cloud? Because the only provider has been unable to provide me with a easy self service model. http://www.esds.co.in/cloud-servers-hosting.php > > >Regards > >Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > >________________________________ > From: Francis Hook <francis.hook(a)gmail.com> >To: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> >Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >Sent: Friday, 27 January 2012, 11:28 > >Subject: Re: [kictanet] TCO & Cloud > > >Hi Robert >I agree WRT TCO...perhaps what I overlooked to mention is ROI - >increased visibility of accounts and account holders, Business >intelligence (tracking bad debts, defaulters, speedy loan approvals >for HNW and customers that pay their loans on time, etc), reduced >queuing time thanks to having proper systems in place that enable a >teller access requisite data needed to decide (ergo bringing a lot of >decision making to front office = better customer service, customer >retention, etc). > >By and large yes, the TCO argument should be weighed against the ROI >(whether tangible is shs and cts, or intangible via better customer >service, increased staff efficiency, better GRC practices (esp this >point as banks are increasingly under scrutiny), etc. And yes, there >is more gravitation towards OPEX from CAPEX (but at the core there >might be some inherently irrefutable justification to take either path >and this will vary from vertical to vertical) > >Back to the cloud issue - and I'm now playing the devil's advocate >:-> - thinking of instances that have been shared on this very forum, >where the systems of an operator/provider/host etc go down (internet >services, mobile money, voice services, govt websites etc) - from an >institutional perspective, perhaps that is something to eschew? If >something goes wrong (at a connectivity, security level for example), >and even with a back up site, then it more or less cripples the sector >(and the economy). > >The cloud however, would be best positioned to SMBs who, owing to >their size, needs and budgets, want to totally do away with CAPEX of >this nature and instead have a pay as you go system (like you >suggested where an operator hosts an app and charges end users on a >pay as you go basis and then shares revenues with the app vendor). >This would make sense for smaller banks (or SACCOs and MFIs). Also >other SMBs that need some CRM/Payroll/HR, etc functionality but do not >want to buy the whole bus since they have no where to park it or no >one to drive it. > > > >On 27 January 2012 11:03, robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >> Hi Francis, >> >> I will disagree with you in the issue of security as we all know that its >> not about where the data sits but how secure it is. >> >> Many a times a go to an ATM just to find a mini-statement sticking out of >> the printer slot which tells you that the issue is not really account >> visibility but how difficult it is to manipulate. >> >> Still looking at the security issue, who is likely to offer better security, >> some small fly by night operation like the one that developed the web sites >> for the recently hacked government web sites or a muli-billion telco? >> >> For micro institutions, less than 250 employees, like we have in Kenya >> getting on the cloud does not require those text book approaches as most of >> the so called core applications are not mission critical which is why some >> of our large banks can continue to operate even with this so called core >> banking application offline. Many of the organisations do not even have an >> online backup site. >> >> I consulted for a bank some years back who switched their core banking >> application over a weekend with almost no disruption to their services. >> Once the data conversion process had been perfected all that was needed was >> 6 hours to upload onto the new system. >> >> There is a very clear reason why I had TCO (Total Cot of Ownership) in the >> subject of my post, many organisations do the calculation you just did to >> justify capital expenditure (CAPEX) and forget that there is an operating >> expense (OPEX) such as insurance, maintenance, power production/consumption >> and none core staff to that CAPEX. >> >> If those funds where lent out to the members/customers at 12% pa the >> organisation would receive and additional US$ 6.24 Million per annum while >> saving on certain OpEx such as 12% on comprehensive maintenance (6 M), 4% >> on insurance (2.1M), office space (1,000 sq. feet @ 80/- = 0.8 M), none core >> IT staff (4 M) and power (4 M - KPLC & generator) which adds up to about >> Kes. 17 million per annum. >> >> With the same provided as a service at a charge of 5/- per transaction with >> 200,000 accounts of which 30% are active each with 2 transactions per month >> adds up to 7.2 Million per year which is covered by the interest on the >> money that has been used to acquire Temenos. >> >> The Kes. 17 million saving from the OPEX will bring in an additional 2 >> million in interest. >> >> All this just by using my form 2 accounting knowledge, imagine what I could >> come up with if I applied my advanced finance skills and was actually being >> paid to do it? >> >> Regards >> >> Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box >> 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 >> ________________________________ >> From: Francis Hook <francis.hook(a)gmail.com> >> To: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Sent: Friday, 27 January 2012, 9:59 >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] TCO & Cloud >> >> Hi Robert, >> Approaches to the cloud have to be rather cautious...especially in the >> financial sector and other sectors that handle personal info. Some >> organisations will opt to have a hybrid crowd where they have their >> private cloud (with Temenos, HR systems, etc - sensitive stuff) and >> perhaps farm out to a public cloud apps like CRM, Sales processing, >> customer feedback interfaces, etc >> >> On the issue of K-rep - if they have 200,000 accts and the system cost >> Kshs 52 million - this works out to Kshs 260 per account holder - >> something that can be somehow "loaded" onto ledger fees over say three >> months without too much furore - but in the long term the customer >> benefits from more innovation in products, greater responsiveness to >> their needs by the bank, timely and accurate info, etc etc. For the >> banker's sacco...hmmm....I think then we have to ask how small is >> "small" - at that level it works out to abt 2,600 - looks like a big >> number but I suppose the account holders are all bankers :-) with good >> deposits (vis a vis Krep's who might largely be low/middle income). >> But I agree for a single branch it might be like buying a Leyland bus >> to take my three kids to school... >> >> My two cents (...with 12% interest) >> >> >> On 27 January 2012 09:18, robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >>> Hi Listers, >>> >>> I came across a news item about how KREP Bank is to "invest" US 600,000/- >>> (Kes 52,000,000 aka 52 Million) for a new banking software. >>> >>> The system, Temenos T24, is a monster of an application also being under >>> used by Kenya Commercial Bank in addition the Kenya Bankers SACCO barely >>> uses it in a single site. >>> >>> We keep bragging about how we are a technology savvy nation and developing >>> a >>> knowledge economy yet we are the most under-utilisers of technology. >>> >>> Which is a clear explanation why Vodafone cannot understand our obsession >>> with wanting the MPesa servers installed in Kenya yet I am sure we >>> currently >>> utilise less than 1% of the capacity of the servers in Germany and 5% for >>> 2 >>> days in a month. >>> >>> Temenos can handle over 3,000 transactions per second and handle over 25 >>> million accounts across 2,000 branches >>> >>> http://sqlcat.com/sqlcat/b/technicalnotes/archive/2011/04/26/lessons-learne…. >>> >>> Temenos can handle the needs of all the banks in Kenya (approximately 6 >>> million unique accounts) and still not break a sweat while consuming less >>> energy and resources than a mobile base station. >>> >>> Please let no one raise the issue of lost IT jobs because last time I >>> checked a server was not a charcoal "jiko" that needs fanning. >>> >>> KREP has less than 200,000 accounts & 35 >>> branches http://www.k-repbank.com/branches.html, with Temenos they can run >>> a >>> transaction for each one of their clients every 58 seconds so what does >>> the >>> application do the rest of the time? Kenya Bankers SACCO is an even more >>> telling story with 1 branch and less than 20,000 members also uses Temenos >>> that is internally installed. >>> >>> If Equity was to use the same software it will take 21 minutes to run a >>> transaction for each of its 4.3 million clients so why do we complain when >>> MPesa takes 5 minutes (over 14 million accounts) to handle a transaction >>> on >>> the 15th and 30th of the month? >>> >>> I am sure many of you in the banking sector are wreathing in anger because >>> I >>> am refusing to acknowledge that the data needs to be kept secure that is >>> why >>> you must look the servers in your individual server rooms. So why doesnt >>> the same arise when you open up your applications to KenSwitch for shared >>> ATMs, to the mobile providers for mobile banking and to the ISPs for >>> online >>> banking.a >>> >>> Here is my solution, Safaricom (I am using them as an example as they are >>> less likely to sue me) buys off all the licenses of Temenos that all those >>> small banks, DTMFIs, MFIs and SACCOs have bought and then install Temenos >>> in >>> their 2 billion cloud. >>> >>> Buy all those Sun and HP servers that have been running those core banking >>> systems and donate them to universities around the country, they can >>> recover >>> the costs by writing them off next year as obsolete therefore passing on >>> the >>> cost to the taxman. >>> >>> Then they can offer a complete package to the banks for using the cloud >>> services without a nimbus and stratus pricing structure. Safaricom, being >>> experts at per second billing, can offer a similar solution to the >>> financial >>> institutions for use of the system. To the financial institutions the use >>> of the cloud will be treated as an expense therefore reducing their tax >>> obligations. >>> >>> What about the staff you say, the only ones who are likely to loose are >>> service providers like myself who have actually become over glorified >>> cleaners more because we charge more than really the service we render. >>> >>> We have all been throwing profanities at the Walter of the Lazy African >>> article fame yet we continue to prove him right every single day, yes, >>> you, >>> him, her and I. >>> >>> Have a lazy day. >>> >>> 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/francis.hook%40gmail.c… >>> >>> 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. >> >> >> >> -- >> Francis Hook >> +254 733 504561 >> >> > > > >-- >Francis Hook >+254 733 504561 > > > >_______________________________________________ >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/oloo.khisa%40gmail.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. > -- "One hour per day of study will put you at the top of your field within three years. Within five years you'll be a national authority. In seven years, you can be one of the best people in the world at what you do."Earl Nightingale1921-1989 Oloo Khisa P.O. Box 24324-00100 Nairobi 0721321086/0734321086 http://ke.linkedin.com/in/olookhisa

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Access to the internet and human rights
by Grace Githaiga 30 Jan '12

30 Jan '12

Listers APC's response to Vint Cerf's article on internet and human rights. http://www.apc.org/en/news/access-internet-and-human-rights-thanks-vint RgdsGG ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth and rule the World!

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Google-Mocality: All's well that ends well?
by James Richu 30 Jan '12

30 Jan '12

As promised, Google has acted on the Mocality fiasco, with Nelson Mattos, Google's Vice-President for Product and Engineering, Europe and Emerging Markets issuing the following statement on Friday evening: "We've concluded our investigation into the serious allegations about our use of data from Mocality's website in Kenya. We're very sorry this happened. We've taken appropriate action with the people involved and made changes in our operations to ensure this doesn't occur again." Vague as the above statement might be, Nairobitech blog reports that Google has fired Olga-Arara Kimani, its country Director for Kenya<http://nairobitech.blogspot.com/2012/01/olga-arara-out-in-google-mocality-s…> . Meanwhile, *CIO East Africa* has requested and is still waiting for as statement from Mocality CEO, Stefan Magdalinski on the matter. * * * ------------------------ Jim Comptech Systems. Tel: 254 20 2503637, 254 716 852202, 254 735 195969 Occidental Plaza, 4th Flr., Muthithi Rd. Westlands. P.O.Box 73639 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya.** http://www.jimcomptech.com* * * * * On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 12:00 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: E-Voting | Information Security (Edwin Onchari) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:31:44 +0300 > From: "Edwin Onchari" <eonchari(a)lynxbits.com> > To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] E-Voting | Information Security > Message-ID: <000901ccddfb$dcc639d0$9652ad70$@com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Walu, > > > > I concur??.Spread the risk?have a backing up and an air-tight verification > process for the transmitted data/info. A rigorous authentication > protocol?just like a commander in chief in a first world would when > authorizing a ?nuclear warhead? deployment?because the ramifications of > doing it with error are indeed grave to say the least > > > > Edwin > > From: kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On > Behalf Of Walubengo J > Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 7:42 PM > To: Edwin > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > Subject: Re: [kictanet] E-Voting | Information Security > > > > > Waudo, > > yes, we dont want hackers topping up candidate votes - whether > electronically or physically. So I hope the Election Commission will be > quite keen on this. It might be comforting that the IT Director at the > commission is an ISACA member with the CISM/CISA credentials and this means > he perhaps knows a thing or two about security.;-) > > Muraya. > Yes, there is never anything like 100% security. One simply has to work on > minimising the risk. > > walu. > > --- On Sat, 1/28/12, S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > From: S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [kictanet] E-Voting | Information Security > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 12:39 PM > > Loopholes are never fully sealed... thus continual software patches / > upgrades. > > http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/symantec-source-code-hack/ > > We need to follow audit trails enabled in network | storage systems, > involving the OS (file & identification systems), application severs, > clients (packages)... > > > > > > On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 6:31 PM, waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> > wrote: > > Hi Walu - I hope the loopholes that led to the Govt site hackings will have > been resolved else I would not like to imagine the servers of the electoral > commission being hacked as the results are being tallied. No more riots > please! > > > > > > On Fri, Jan 27, 2012, at 07:15 AM, Walubengo J wrote: > > > Now that Kenya might go e-Voting this year (http://tinyurl.com/7dbctnl) > why > not support the researcher below as she figures out it it will work or not. > > walu. > > --- On Fri, 1/27/12, Maina Olembo <maina.olembo(a)cased.de> wrote: > > > From: Maina Olembo <maina.olembo(a)cased.de> > Subject: RE: Survey on Internet Voting and Polling Station Voting in Kenya > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Date: Friday, January 27, 2012, 3:04 PM > > Hallo, > > I would like to ask for a few minutes of your time. > > I am carrying out a study as part of doctoral research on Internet voting > and polling station voting in Kenya. The goal of this study is to gain > insight on perceptions of polling station voting and Internet voting. > > If you would like to participate, please click on the link below: > > > Fill out questionnaire > < > https://www.soscisurvey.de/InternetVoting/index.php?q=SurveyIVotingKE&l=eng > > > > > > The password is internet. > > Thank you in advance for your time and interest. > > Your input is invaluable. > > -- > Maina M. Olembo > Doctoral Researcher > SecUSo - IT Security, Usability and Society > > Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt > TU Darmstadt > Department of Computer Science > Building S2|02 > Hochschulstra?e 10 > D-64289 Darmstadt > > Phone: +49(0) 6151 16 64292 > Fax: +49(0) 6151 16 4825 > Email: maina.olembo(a)cased.de > Web: www.secuso.cased.de > _______________________________________________ > 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/emailsignet%40mailcan.c > om > > 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/murigi.muraya%40gmail.c > om > > 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. > > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > _______________________________________________ > 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/jwalu%40yahoo.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. > > _____ > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1901 / Virus Database: 2109/4771 - Release Date: 01/27/12 > >

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Re: [kictanet] E-Voting | Information Security
by Matunda Nyanchama 30 Jan '12

30 Jan '12

Friends Very good comments on the above subject. There is substantially reliable (none is foolproof) technology for e-voting, provided there is integrity in the registration process and maintenance of the voter register. Affordable authentication methods exist for assuring that the person claiming to vote is indeed the voter. With the recent court ruling on the next election date, the commission should have sufficient time to put such technology solution in place. And this need not just be for those in the Diaspora but in the end can be extended to all Kenyans. I can see a future where one doesn't have to rush "home" to go and vote but could do so from the comfort of their home, holiday, office or some other such place. Technology, as much as it presents risks of its own, can address issues of integrity in the voting process. Just see how it has reduced the chance for rigging as demonstrated in recent by elections. It is interesting that the disgraced Kivuitu EC had the technology but failed to implement it the way it is done today. A simple tweaking that allows polling stations to send results simultaneously to the national tallying and media centres has substantially cut the potential for tampering that happened at the counting halls whose purpose now is to collate results and confirm what has come from polling stations. 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.

1 0

Dead in the water
by robert yawe 29 Jan '12

29 Jan '12

Hi, A reason why we shall keep trading water unless we get off our tush http://vimeo.com/27543096. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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E-Voting | Information Security
by S.M. Muraya 28 Jan '12

28 Jan '12

Loopholes are never fully sealed... thus continual software patches / upgrades. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/symantec-source-code-hack/ We need to follow audit trails enabled in network | storage systems, involving the OS (file & identification systems), application severs, clients (packages)... On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 6:31 PM, waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com>wrote: > Hi Walu - I hope the loopholes that led to the Govt site hackings will > have been resolved else I would not like to imagine the servers of the > electoral commission being hacked as the results are being tallied. No more > riots please! > > > On Fri, Jan 27, 2012, at 07:15 AM, Walubengo J wrote: > > Now that Kenya might go e-Voting this year (http://tinyurl.com/7dbctnl) > why not support the researcher below as she figures out it it will work or > not. > > walu. > > --- On Fri, 1/27/12, Maina Olembo <maina.olembo(a)cased.de> wrote: > > > From: Maina Olembo <maina.olembo(a)cased.de> > Subject: RE: Survey on Internet Voting and Polling Station Voting in Kenya > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Date: Friday, January 27, 2012, 3:04 PM > > Hallo, > > I would like to ask for a few minutes of your time. > > I am carrying out a study as part of doctoral research on Internet voting > and polling station voting in Kenya. The goal of this study is to gain > insight on perceptions of polling station voting and Internet voting. > > If you would like to participate, please click on the link below: > > Fill out questionnaire<https://www.soscisurvey.de/InternetVoting/index.php?q=SurveyIVotingKE&l=eng> > The password is internet. > > Thank you in advance for your time and interest. > > Your input is invaluable. > > -- > Maina M. Olembo > Doctoral Researcher > SecUSo - IT Security, Usability and Society > > Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt > TU Darmstadt > Department of Computer Science > Building S2|02 > Hochschulstraße 10 > D-64289 Darmstadt > > Phone: +49(0) 6151 16 64292 > Fax: +49(0) 6151 16 4825 > Email: maina.olembo(a)cased.de > Web: www.secuso.cased.de > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing listkictanet@lists.kictanet.or.kehttp://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/emailsignet%40mailcan.… > > 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/murigi.muraya%40gmail.… > > 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. >

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Re: [kictanet] Interesting Piece ...
by Matunda Nyanchama 28 Jan '12

28 Jan '12

Friends Here are my off the cuff remarks on the provocative piece. My suggestion: let's not be too defensive; truth can be bitter. On innovation: take the example of the automobile and semiconductor industries. A lot of countries started with fabricating parts; soon they did sub-assemblies as their precision engineering developed and soon they were making whole cars/computers/etc/. The Nyayo Car project was on the right cause if only it has realized capacity in the fabrication of parts and needed engineering and manufacturing processes. I recently saw news of a mechanic that used to service shock absorbers but now fabricates them; and people find these last longer that original ones not suited to our rough roads! He is on the right path and should, in fact, be encouraged with incentives and (possibly) injection of capital. In the west, investors would be hovering around to offer the person either a buyout or equity investment in order to expand the business which has huge regional potential as few people are in the business. Where is old money when it is needed here?? 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.

4 3

Fw: RE: Survey on Internet Voting and Polling Station Voting in Kenya
by Walubengo J 27 Jan '12

27 Jan '12

Now that Kenya might go e-Voting this year (http://tinyurl.com/7dbctnl) why not support the researcher below as she figures out it it will work or not. walu. --- On Fri, 1/27/12, Maina Olembo <maina.olembo(a)cased.de> wrote: From: Maina Olembo <maina.olembo(a)cased.de> Subject: RE: Survey on Internet Voting and Polling Station Voting in Kenya To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com Date: Friday, January 27, 2012, 3:04 PM Hallo, I would like to ask for a few minutes of your time. I am carrying out a study as part of doctoral research on Internet voting and polling station voting in Kenya. The goal of this study is to gain insight on perceptions of polling station voting and Internet voting. If you would like to participate, please click on the link below: Fill out questionnaire The password is internet. Thank you in advance for your time and interest. Your input is invaluable. -- Maina M. Olembo Doctoral Researcher SecUSo - IT Security, Usability and Society Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt TU Darmstadt Department of Computer Science Building S2|02 Hochschulstraße 10 D-64289 Darmstadt Phone: +49(0) 6151 16 64292 Fax: +49(0) 6151 16 4825 Email: maina.olembo(a)cased.de Web: www.secuso.cased.de

2 1

TCO & Cloud
by robert yawe 27 Jan '12

27 Jan '12

Hi Listers, I came across a news item about how KREP Bank is to "invest" US 600,000/- (Kes 52,000,000 aka 52 Million) for a new banking software. The system, Temenos T24, is a monster of an application also being under used by Kenya Commercial Bank in addition the Kenya Bankers SACCO barely uses it in a single site. We keep bragging about how we are a technology savvy nation and developing a knowledge economy yet we are the most under-utilisers of technology. Which is a clear explanation why Vodafone cannot understand our obsession with wanting the MPesa servers installed in Kenya yet I am sure we currently utilise less than 1% of the capacity of the servers in Germany and 5% for 2 days in a month. Temenos can handle over 3,000 transactions per second and handle over 25 million accounts across 2,000 branches http://sqlcat.com/sqlcat/b/technicalnotes/archive/2011/04/26/lessons-learne…. Temenos can handle the needs of all the banks in Kenya (approximately 6 million unique accounts) and still not break a sweat while consuming less energy and resources than a mobile base station. Please let no one raise the issue of lost IT jobs because last time I checked a server was not a charcoal "jiko" that needs fanning. KREP has less than 200,000 accounts & 35 branches http://www.k-repbank.com/branches.html, with Temenos they can run a transaction for each one of their clients every 58 seconds so what does the application do the rest of the time? Kenya Bankers SACCO is an even more telling story with 1 branch and less than 20,000 members also uses Temenos that is internally installed. If Equity was to use the same software it will take 21 minutes to run a transaction for each of its 4.3 million clients so why do we complain when MPesa takes 5 minutes (over 14 million accounts) to handle a transaction on the 15th and 30th of the month? I am sure many of you in the banking sector are wreathing in anger because I am refusing to acknowledge that the data needs to be kept secure that is why you must look the servers in your individual server rooms. So why doesnt the same arise when you open up your applications to KenSwitch for shared ATMs, to the mobile providers for mobile banking and to the ISPs for online banking.a Here is my solution, Safaricom (I am using them as an example as they are less likely to sue me) buys off all the licenses of Temenos that all those small banks, DTMFIs, MFIs and SACCOs have bought and then install Temenos in their 2 billion cloud. Buy all those Sun and HP servers that have been running those core banking systems and donate them to universities around the country, they can recover the costs by writing them off next year as obsolete therefore passing on the cost to the taxman. Then they can offer a complete package to the banks for using the cloud services without a nimbus and stratus pricing structure. Safaricom, being experts at per second billing, can offer a similar solution to the financial institutions for use of the system. To the financial institutions the use of the cloud will be treated as an expense therefore reducing their tax obligations. What about the staff you say, the only ones who are likely to loose are service providers like myself who have actually become over glorified cleaners more because we charge more than really the service we render. We have all been throwing profanities at the Walter of the Lazy African article fame yet we continue to prove him right every single day, yes, you, him, her and I. Have a lazy day. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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joseph chacha nyamohanga invites you to use Boxbe
by joseph chacha nyamohanga 27 Jan '12

27 Jan '12

I'm inviting you to join Boxbe. Here's the link: https://www.boxbe.com/register?tc=10548296082_99399748 -joseph This message was sent at the request of jn.chacha(a)gmail.com. If you want to opt-out of invitations from Boxbe members, use this link: https://www.boxbe.com/unsubscribe?email=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke&tc=10… Boxbe, Inc. | 2390 Chestnut Street #201 | San Francisco, CA 94123

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Interesting Piece ...
by Agosta Liko 27 Jan '12

27 Jan '12

http://mindofmalaka.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/you-lazy-intellectual-african-…

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JOB OPPORTUNITY: APC seeks African ICT policy for advocacy coordinator
by Alice Munyua 26 Jan '12

26 Jan '12

Greetings everyone, please disseminate among your networks. JOB OPPORTUNITY: APC seeks African ICT policy for advocacy coordinator APC is looking for someone with extensive experience in the ICT policy field in Africa, strong networking and outreach skills and experience and expertise in advocacy, research, capacity building and strategic communications. Read more about the position and the qualifications we are looking for: http://www.apc.org/en/node/13704/. Bonjour à tous, Veuillez circuler: OFFRE D'EMPLOI: Coordinateur/trice de plaidoyer des politiques des TIC en Afrique APC cherche quelqu'un avec beaucoup d'expérience dans les politiques des TIC en Afrique, qui sait réseauter et qui a de l'expérience en plaidoyer, recherche, renforcement des capacités et les communications stratégiques. Pour plus de détails sur le poste et les qualifications nécessaires, veuillez visiter http://www.apc.org/fr/node/13705/. Thank you, Merci, Lisa Cyr Communications, Media and Promotions Associate Adjointe aux communications, médias et promotions Equipo de comunicación Skype/yahoo: lisac_apc www.apc.org _____________________________ www.facebook.com/APCNews, @APC_News www.facebook.com/APCNoticias, @APCNoticias www.facebook.com/APCNouvelles, @APCNouvelles

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ICT publications
by Francis Hook 25 Jan '12

25 Jan '12

http://cio-inverted.blogspot.com/2012/01/walk-talk.html An interesting point of view on ICT publishing, esp when aimed at C-levels (and I have oft wondered about this also esp in view of some local publications). If I may pull a quote out of this piece: "Take any IT publication (physical or electronic), irrespective of the target audience (CIO, IT Managers, channel partners, broad-based audience), the editorial or one of the cover stories is always about what the CIO should be doing to stay relevant to the business. The underlying theme is always about business before IT. But after the preaching is done, back to business as usual, do you know about the new 64 core server or the next crossover device with zillion pixel screen ?" :-) I'm sure that quote resonates with many local IT managers/directors/CIOs.... Its sad to note that most publications are cluttered with what seem like news stories or features, but are really advertorial type of material or hastily re-worded and inserted press releases where publishers failed to secure adverts...tut tut! Quite frankly there is no reason why we cannot have content like ITWeb (www.itweb.co.za) or TechCentral, where issues are examined broadly and independently, without pandering to the whims of ICT advertisers. Having said that, I should admit there are a few Kenya blogs that provide pretty good content - Francis Hook +254 733 504561

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Start-ups graduating from Nailab
by Sam Gichuru 25 Jan '12

25 Jan '12

Hi, Its been 256 days since we did our soft launch at the Nailab, in the next 30 days we will graduate our first batch of start-ups (5) , this companies come to the nailab with idea/s and today they are generating revenue from their products, received seed funding and are creating job opportunities, we could not have done this without your support. This are 3 of the 7 companies incubated currently at the Nailab. *Ghafla* (http://www.ghafla.co.ke/news) - Formally Kenyan Lyrics is an entertainment portal, Mr Majani is a very convincing founder and he had promises to make that he has kept since he received incubation from nailab, in the last 6 months he has struggled with branding, business model, co-founder challenges but has come out fighting and today Ghafla has employed 3 people in the last 5 months and secured a couple of millions in seed funding. *My Order *(http://wezatele.com/)- A simple concept turn into a distribution system by Hilda and Kitonyi, Myorder was the funky sexy product that we used at the Nailab to Order for beverages from Petes Coffee, very simple and work liked magic, today MyOrder has Angel Funding enabling the team to work full time on the product, My-order has secured contracts and is in negotiations with 2 Major local companies and 2 Multinationals for an enterprise distribution platforms. *Vive Visuals *(http://vivevisuals.com/) - When they first come in, they wanted to start a 3D animation training studio, we convinced them they could do what we today call "motion graphics" and might make a living out of it, if you attended the launch you will remember the video recorded at the nailab balcony was their first attempt - today they have contracts worth over $35000, and they still do 3D animation training on Saturdays at the nailab - see their videos here http://vimeo.com/user8730246/videos As the first accelerator (Incubator) in Kenya, Nailab is also a start-up and is very grateful to all the mentors and friends who provide advice, guidance and moral support, thank you once again and looking forward to a greater 2012. Warm Regards, ------------------------ Sam Gichuru twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> Blog: | www.samgichuru.com Facebook: | Sam.g <http://sam.g/>ichuru<http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> Co-founder/ Director /Nailab Incubation -------------------- On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 5:53 PM, Samuel Gichuru <gichuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi, > > If you are a startup or wanted to start one with a strong component in > ICT, then you need to visit the Nailab on Thursday this week, at 5:30 - The > Nailab is having its soft launch that is only a sneak preview. The NaiLab > program is designed to be a fertile soil for aspiring entrepreneurs we > intend to provide the physical and knowledge space where business minded > teams grow intelligent companies. You get a chance to create, co-create, > learn, experiment and grow and hence support your freedom to do what you > are destined to do. > > NaiLab is the incubator , where ICT meets the rest of the economy and > society. > > You are welcome, only limited tickets 80, so you need to grab one on here > - http://bit.ly/l6CONu - follow us on twitter @thenailab to get updates, > we will live-stream the event for those not available or if you miss a > ticket and provide a harshtag on the given day. > > For more information Contact: > > Sam Gichuru > > > Warm Regards, > ------------------------ > Samuel Gichuru > > twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru> > Blog: | www.samgichuru.com > Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru> > Skype: Sam.gichuru > Cellphone: | 0722-730565 > > 020 2696530/0724 366993 > Website: www.nailab.co.ke > > > > > -- 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

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Kenya ICT Board kicks off business plan training at Strathmore
by Paul Kukubo 25 Jan '12

25 Jan '12

*Kenya ICT Board kicks off business plan training at Strathmore *** Business strategy training for the Tandaa Digital Content Grant shortlisted applicants is underway at Strathmore University. The training, which runs in batches from January 23 - February 3, 2012, seeks to impart business knowledge to shortlisted candidates from last year's Tandaa Digital Content Grant Call for Proposals. Understanding how to write a business plan, price products and develop a market penetration plan are some of the important business strategies that all entrepreneurs must understand. But for many founders of start-up companies in Kenya, opportunities to take courses to learn business strategy are few and far between. Time constraints for busy business owners and the high cost of quality business courses hinder many new entrepreneurs from taking such classes. But the value is undeniable, as participants at the Business Plan training sponsored by the Kenya ICT Board discovered. "I've learnt a lot," says Graham Muhunga of SMSVoices, "Having a good idea doesn't mean you'll make money. I'm learning to think differently about our business." Muhunga, who represents one of the companies that was shortlisted for the Tandaa Digital Content Grant, finds that one of the valuable things he has learnt is the importance of research and correctly identifying the industry their business is actually in. "Our courses are designed to be interactive and hands-on," says Dr Monica Kerrett, Program Director for the project at Strathmore. "Participants are encouraged to talk about their business idea as a core part of the curriculum. It has been refreshing to hear the participants share challenges and give each other tips and feedback." The Kenya ICT Board announced the top 150 applicants to the Tandaa Digital Content Grant Call for Proposals in September 2011. This is the second round of granting the Kenya ICT Board is offering to fund development of digital content and services in Kenya. The Call for Proposals for the second round of the Digital Content Grant focused on ideas for solutions that use web and mobile technology. After selecting the top ideas, the Kenya ICT Board is now exposing the entrepreneurs to essential business strategies to help them design their business plans. After submitting complete business plans, a maximum of 40 finalists will be selected to receive grants of up to $50,000 each to develop their digital content products. "In the first round of the Tandaa Grant we received many good ideas from passionate entrepreneurs," explains Kaburo Kobia, Project Manager for Local Digital Content at the Kenya ICT Board, "But for many, the business side of the proposals were not as strong." In response to the challenges applicants had with developing business plans, the Kenya ICT Board introduced the training component to the Grant Call for Proposal process. The Kenya ICT Board hopes that the training will not only increase the quality of proposals received but have a lasting impact on the applicants and equip them with skills they need to successfully grow their business. ends Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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One-Day Introductory BCP/DRP
by Matunda Nyanchama 25 Jan '12

25 Jan '12

Friends, You may be interested in the attached that was circulated within the financial services sector. Kenya Institute of Bankers tell me the course is open to all who enroll. See you there. -------------------------- RE: BUSINESS CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT {INTRODUCTORY LEVEL} COURSE: 10TH FEBRUARY, 2012 AT THE NAIROBI SAFARI CLUB Business disruptions can occur either permanently or temporarily at any time due to unpredictable disasters. Such disasters could strike in form of natural disaster (e.g. fire, flood, earthquake, etc) or man-made disaster (e.g. war, strike, riot, civil commotion etc.). Every Bank Management should be prepared by having in place business resumption plans against such occurrences, to ensure continued business operations in the face of disruption. Only businesses that are prepared to face disasters of any kind, in times of crises, are likely to survive. This one day introductory level Business Continuity Management course will expose participants to existing and emerging practices in BCM for purposes of raising resiliency. Participants will learn how to identify and define problems, plan, respond and recover when disasters happen. This course will therefore be of immeasurable benefits to executives and managers responsible for: * Enterprise Risk Management, * Technology Planning Deployment & Management, * Human Resource Management, * Facilities Planning & Management. * ICT Operations Personnel responsible for BCP and DRP. * Officials concerned with Business Continuity & Crisis Management. * Project Managers, * Public Relations * Corporate Communications Managers. Please note that the Kenya Institute of Bankers is registered with the D.I.T. as an approved provider of training services, and Banks/Financial Institutions should submit their applications in reasonable time for the training. Please submit your nominations on the attached forms, so as to reach us by 3rd February, 2012. Yours Sincerely, S.N. Anjichi Executive Director, Kenya Institute of Bankers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Re: [kictanet] Start-ups graduating from Nailab
by Sam Gichuru 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

Thank you Nyatichi, wezatele is a very dynamic startup, the founders are smart and have what it takes, we joke about myorder being concieved at Strathore, innovated at the ihub and finally incubated at the Nailab - goes to show how powerful the ecosystem is within Nairobi for a startup to florish and also what it takes to replicate this in another part of the country. I am sure they will be happy to have you as a customer. On Jan 24, 2012 2:47 PM, <tnyasani(a)kulahappy.com> wrote:

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Misdirected Email
by Njeri Rionge 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

We sincerely apologize for the email that you have received which was sent by error. We will resolve internally this issues and ask that you please delete the email. With thanks, -- Njeri Rionge (Ms) Founder & Executive Director http://ke.linkedin.com/pub/njeri-rionge/5/966/760 * 2009 Inductee ICT Hall of Fame Computer Society of Kenya 2009 World Technology Forum Nominee 2011 Featured on Forbes.com* __________________________________ Skype ID: nrionge Personal Website: www.njeri-rionge.com Tel: +254 20 253 2144, 253 2142 (Orange Fixed Plus) Tel: +254 722 522136 (Safaricom Mobile) Tel: +254 773 495022 (Orange Mobile) URL: www.igniteconsulting.co.ke P. O. Box 15568 Nairobi 00100, Kenya ======================================= Related Brands: www.njeri-rionge.com www.insite.co.ke www.ignitelifestyle.com www.businesslounge.co.ke www.dukalangu.com ==========================================

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You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum!
by Dorcas Muthoni 24 Jan '12

24 Jan '12

A different perspective to poverty.....* * * * *You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum! > * * * Some excerpts .......* * * * They call the Third World the lazy man’s purview; the sluggishly slothful and languorous prefecture. In this realm people are sleepy, dreamy, torpid, lethargic, and therefore indigent—totally penniless, needy, destitute, poverty-stricken, disfavored, and impoverished.* * .......... “You my friend flying with me and all your kind are lazy,” he said. “When you rest your head on the pillow you don’t dream big. You and other so-called African intellectuals are damn lazy, each one of you. It is you, and not those poor starving people, who is the reason Africa is in such a deplorable state.” .......... “Oh yes it is and I will say it again, you are lazy. Poor and uneducated Africans are the most hardworking people on earth. I saw them in the Lusaka markets and on the street selling merchandise. I saw them in villages toiling away. I saw women on Kafue Road crushing stones for sell and I wept. I said to myself where are the Zambian intellectuals? Are the Zambian engineers so imperceptive they cannot invent a simple stone crusher, or a simple water filter to purify well water for those poor villagers? Are you telling me that after thirty-seven years of independence your university school of engineering has not produced a scientist or an engineer who can make simple small machines for mass use? What is the school there for?” * * ..........* * * * “Wake up you all!” he exclaimed, attracting the attention of nearby passengers. “You should be busy lifting ideas, formulae, recipes, and diagrams from American manufacturing factories and sending them to your own factories. All those research findings and dissertation papers you compile should be your country’s treasure. Why do you think the Asians are a force to reckon with? They stole our ideas and turned them into their own. Look at Japan, China, India, just look at them.”* * *See the full story here : * http://mindofmalaka.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/you-lazy-intellectual-african-… -- Muthoni My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ -------------------------------------------- Mahatma Gandhi once said:- First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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Kenyan TV Stations Online
by Edith Adera 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Listers, For those not in country at this critical time of Kenya's history, does anyone on the list know of any live TV link for any of the local TV stations (that works!!...most are offline)? Pls send me the link if you know. Edith ________________ Edith Ofwona Adera Senior Program Specialist Climate Change & Water Program International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le développement international Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa Tel: +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera eadera(a)idrc.or.ke<mailto:eadera@idrc.or.ke> | www.idrc.ca<http://www.idrc.ca/> | www.crdi.ca<http://www.crdi.ca/>

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Re: [kictanet] An amendment to the Kenya Information and Communications Act 1998
by Dennis Kioko 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

I see np problem with this amendment as the info is only available if you called the person requesting the information. It will reduce nuisance callers hiding their identity. Sent from my Windows Phone ------------------------------ From: Grace Githaiga Sent: 23/01/2012 17:50 To: Dennis Kioko Mbuvi Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] An amendment to the Kenya Information and Communications Act 1998 Listers Just in case you missed this article, Mututho is pushing for an end to caller privacy. Read on. In an amendment to the Kenya Information and Communications Act 1998, Mr Mututho wants to make caller identity information accessible to anyone who seeks such details from a mobile operator. http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Kenyan+MP+pushes+for+end+to+caller+pr… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth and rule the World!

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Verisign to Award New Infrastructure Research Grants
by Alice Munyua 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Dear all This will be of interest. Best Alice http://verisigninc.com/en_US/news-events/press-room/articles/index.xhtml?ar… Verisign to Award New Infrastructure Research Grants /New Program Expands on Success of 2011 Grants, Focuses on Strengthening Infrastructure for Global Access and the Developing World/ (Marketwire) - RESTON, VA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 01/17/2012 -- VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of infrastructure for the networked world, today announced the expansion of a grant program designed to promote cutting-edge research into strengthening and improving the Internet's global infrastructure. This year's program will focus specifically on fostering infrastructure improvements that support safe and secure Internet access for users around the globe, especially in the developing world. In July 2012 Verisign will award two $200,000 grants to the researchers who submit the most compelling proposals focused on the infrastructural and access challenges facing developers, service providers and most importantly, users in the developing world and elsewhere. The 2012 grants represent a continuation and expansion of a successful grants program that concluded in October 2011. Full details of the grant program, including details on how to apply, are available at www.verisigninc.com/grants <http://www.verisigninc.com/grants>. "The continuing success of the Internet's global expansion will hinge on the existence of robust, secure and constantly improving core infrastructure," said Dr. Burt Kaliski, Jr., senior vice president and chief technology officer of Verisign. "Verisign has always been committed to upholding the stability and security of the Internet and is proud to support the research that will keep the infrastructure strong for the next billion Internet users in the developing world." Verisign launched the Infrastructure Grant Program in 2010 to coincide with a yearlong celebration of the 25th Anniversary of .Com. In the inaugural program, Verisign awarded four $75,000 grants (for a total of $300,000) to university researchers to support compelling infrastructure research projects. That program concluded in October 2011, when the four winning researchers presented their findings at a grant symposium at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Building off of the success of the inaugural program, Verisign has both increased the size and narrowed the focus of the grants in 2012, soliciting research that focuses on the infrastructural and access challenges faced by users in the developing world and elsewhere. To judge the grant submissions, and determine the final grant awardees, Verisign is assembling a blue ribbon panel of experts who have played leading roles in developing the policies and technology that have supported the Internet's growth. The full list of judges will be posted in the coming weeks. Verisign will announce the winners of the 2012 Infrastructure grants in summer 2012. About Verisign VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, Verisign helps companies and consumers all over the world connect between the dots. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisigninc.com <http://www.verisigninc.com>. Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Verisign's actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as increasing competition, pricing pressure from competing services offered at prices below our prices and changes in marketing practices including those of third-party registrars; challenging global economic conditions; challenges to ongoing privatization of Internet administration; the outcome of legal or other challenges resulting from our activities or the activities of registrars or registrants; new or existing governmental laws and regulations; changes in customer behavior, Internet platforms and web-browsing patterns; the inability of Verisign to successfully develop and market new services; the uncertainty of whether our new services will achieve market acceptance or result in any revenues; system interruptions; security breaches; attacks on the Internet by hackers, viruses, or intentional acts of vandalism; the uncertainty of the expense and duration of transition services and requests for indemnification relating to completed divestitures; the uncertainty of whether Project Apollo will achieve its stated objectives; the impact of the introduction of new gTLDs; the uncertainty of whether the .com Registry Agreement renewal will occur by December 1, 2012, if at all; and when a Chief Financial Officer will be named. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in Verisign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Verisign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this announcement. ©2012 VeriSign, Inc. All rights reserved. VERISIGN, the VERISIGN logo, and other trademarks, service marks, and designs are registered or unregistered trademarks of VeriSign, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and in foreign countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Contact Us *Contact Us* For media inquiries, please contact us at +1-703-948-4179 or at pr(a)verisign.com <mailto:pr@verisign.com>

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An amendment to the Kenya Information and Communications Act 1998
by Grace Githaiga 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

Listers Just in case you missed this article, Mututho is pushing for an end to caller privacy. Read on. In an amendment to the Kenya Information and Communications Act 1998, Mr Mututho wants to make caller identity information accessible to anyone who seeks such details from a mobile operator. http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Kenyan+MP+pushes+for+end+to+caller+pr… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth and rule the World!

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David Hornik: Nice guys finish first. Eventually.
by Agosta Liko 23 Jan '12

23 Jan '12

http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/02/ideas-bank/nice-guys

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Application Window for New Top-Level Domain Names Successfully Passes One-Week Mark
by alice＠apc.org 20 Jan '12

20 Jan '12

January 19, 2012 Application Window for New Top-Level Domain Names Successfully Passes One-Week Mark Application System Functioning Smoothly Marina del Rey, California… One week after the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) began accepting applications for new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), the application system is functioning without a hitch.“I can state firmly that one week into the process, the application system for the new domain names is functioning just as it should,” said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This is a reflection of the careful planning, hard work and long hours our staff spent preparing for last week’s launch.” At one minute past midnight (UTC) on Thursday, 12 January, ICANN began accepting applications for new generic Top-Level Domains, beginning one of the biggest changes in the Internet’s evolution. The new program will greatly expand the current 22 Top-Level Domains (such as .com, .gov and .net) to include almost any word or name. It also allows, for the first time, non-Latin language scripts such as Arabic, Chinese and Cyrillic to be used in a gTLD. “I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Michael Salazar, Director of the New gTLD program. “ICANN spent six years working to ensure it got this program right and we worked particularly hard to make certain the application portion of the program went smoothly.” As of today (January 19), there are 25 successful registrants in the online TLD Application System. However, this number does not necessarily represent the total number of applications since each registrant can apply for up to 50 new generic Top-Level Domains. The deadline to register in the TLD Application System is 29 March. If applicants are not registered in the system by that date, they will be unable to apply. In early May, approximately two weeks after the new gTLD application window closes, ICANN will publish a list of the applications and who has applied for which domain name. Until then, ICANN will not comment publicly about any specific application, the total number of applications received, or who has submitted applications. Initial processing of the applications is expected to be completed in mid-November 2012 and the first new generic Top-Level Domains are expected to be online sometime in early 2013. ## FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEW gTLD PROGRAM: • Frequently Asked Questions: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/customer-service/faqs/faqs-en• Program overview: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/gtld-facts-31jul11-en.pdf• Information for rights holders: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/rights-holders-with-insert-02sep11… MEDIA CONTACTS: Brad White Director of Global Media Affairs Washington, D.C. Tel. +1 (202) 570 7118brad.white(a)icann.org Andrew Robertson Edelman Public Relations London, U.K. Tel. + 44 (7811) 341 945 andrew.Robertson(a)edelman.com About ICANN: ICANN’s mission is to ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have one global Internet. ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers. ICANN doesn’t control content on the Internet. It cannot stop spam and it doesn’t deal with access to the Internet. But through its coordination role of the Internet’s naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.

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103 Government of Kenya websites hacked overnight
by James Richu 20 Jan '12

20 Jan '12

Dear Dr Ndemo, Can you kindly explain this......... An Indonesion hacker known as *direxer* has taken down 103 government of Kenya websites overnight. The hacker is part of an online Indonesian security forum known as *Forum Code Security* and says he took down the websites following tutorials from the forum. Such tutorials usually exploit programming errors in code, known as bugs, which have not been fixed. The hacker appears to have a website at http://www.direxer.com/ though this has not been updated to reflect the hacking. In a message in the forum, the hacker says *show off by me...* *thanks for tutorial in www.code-security.com all...* *i have exploit from cs web, and i attacking to server Goverment Kenya,,,, and then,,, success full... this is deface in this night...* The government has moved fast to take the affected websites offline through a Cyber Incidence Response Team(CIRT) based at the Communications Commission of Kenya. The CIRT was formed to handle such situations and ensures Kenya's security in cyber space. Vincent Ngundi who heads CIRT has responded with the following comment "*We're on it. Thanks for the heads-up and comments*" in Kenya's *Security Forum* where the news first broke. The government normally hosts several websites in one server at The Treasury thus compromising the server may expose several websites to a hacker. The Administration Police website has been hacked several times in the recent past. At the same time, most of the websites hacked appear to have been running the Joomla Content Management system, 1. http://www.administrationpolice.go.ke/index.html 2. http://www.aideffectiveness.go.ke/index.html 3. http://www.bungomacounty.go.ke/index.html 4. http://www.businesslicense.go.ke/index.html 5. http://www.cak.go.ke/index.html 6. http://www.commstaskforce.go.ke/index.html 7. http://www.cooperative.go.ke/index.html 8. http://www.crd.go.ke/index.html 9. http://www.crisisrcentre.go.ke/index.html 10. http://www.ditkenya.go.ke/index.html 11. http://www.doshs.go.ke/index.html 12. http://www.economicstimulus.go.ke/index.html 13. http://www.eldoretmunicipal.go.ke/index.html 14. http://www.emu.go.ke/index.html 15. http://www.education.go.ke/index.html 16. http://www.environment.go.ke/index.html 17. http://www.filmservices.go.ke/index.html 18. http://www.fisheries.go.ke/index.html 19. http://www.forestryandwildlife.go.ke/index.html 20. http://www.gender.go.ke/index.html 21. http://www.governmentpress.go.ke/index.html 22. http://www.greenenergy.go.ke/index.html 23. http://www.housing.go.ke/index.html 24. http://www.ifmis.go.ke/index.html 25. http://www.immigration.go.ke/index.html 26. http://www.industrialization.go.ke/index.html 27. http://www.isc.go.ke/index.html 28. http://www.iprs.go.ke/index.html 29. http://www.itentambachtowncouncil.go.ke/index.html 30. http://www.itmis.go.ke/index.html 31. http://www.kenao.go.ke/index.html 32. http://www.kapsabetmunicipal.go.ke/index.html 33. http://www.kenyayearbook.go.ke/index.html 34. http://www.kerugoyakutusmunicipal.go.ke/index.html 35. http://www.kesi.go.ke/index.html 36. http://www.kipi.go.ke/index.html 37. http://www.kisumucountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 38. http://www.kirinyagacountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 39. http://www.kitalemunicipal.go.ke/index.html 40. http://www.kituimunicipal.go.ke/index.html 41. http://www.kkv.go.ke/index.html 42. http://www.knfparms.go.ke/index.html 43. http://www.knsdi.go.ke/index.html 44. http://www.kntc.go.ke/index.html 45. http://www.laikipiacountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 46. http://www.lands.go.ke/index.html 47. http://www.leatherdevelopmentcouncil.go.ke/index.html 48. http://www.limurumunicipal.go.ke/index.html 49. http://www.livestock.go.ke/index.html 50. http://www.lodwarmunicipal.go.ke/index.html 51. http://www.maraguacountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 52. http://www.mariakanitown.go.ke/index.html 53. http://www.maurestoration.go.ke/index.html 54. http://www.migoricountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 55. http://www.minesgeology.go.ke/index.html 56. http://www.mirp.go.ke/index.html 57. http://www.monitoring.go.ke/index.html 58. http://www.moyalecountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 59. http://www.murangacounty.go.ke/index.html 60. http://www.murangamunicipal.go.ke/index.html 61. http://www.nairobicity.go.ke/index.html 62. http://www.naivashamunicipal.go.ke/index.html 63. http://www.nakurucounty.go.ke/index.html 64. http://www.nationaldisaster.go.ke/index.html 65. http://www.nationalheritage.go.ke/index.html 66. http://www.nccs.go.ke/index.html 67. http://www.nec.go.ke/index.html 68. http://www.northernkenya.go.ke/index.html 69. http://www.nyandaruacountycouncil.go.ke/index.html 70. http://www.othayatowncouncil.go.ke/index.html 71. http://www.pec.go.ke/index.html 72. http://www.pfmr.go.ke/index.html 73. http://www.pghnyeri.go.ke/index.html 74. http://www.pharmacy.go.ke/index.html 75. http://www.prisons.go.ke/index.html 76. http://www.psrpc.go.ke/index.html 77. http://www.publichealth.go.ke/index.html 78. http://www.publicservice.go.ke/index.html 79. http://www.publicworks.go.ke/index.html 80. http://www.reformskenya.go.ke/index.html 81. http://www.refugees.go.ke/index.html 82. http://www.regional-dev.go.ke/index.html 83. http://www.roads.go.ke/index.html 84. http://www.rprlgsp.go.ke/index.html 85. http://www.scat.go.ke/index.html 86. http://www.scienceandtechnology.go.ke/index.html 87. http://www.singlewindow.go.ke/index.html 88. http://www.sprogrammes.go.ke/index.html 89. http://www.tabakatown.go.ke/index.html 90. http://www.tanathi.go.ke/index.html 91. http://www.tfdg.go.ke/index.html 92. http://www.technologycentre.ac.ke/index.html 93. http://www.theenergytribunal.go.ke/index.html 94. http://www.thekenyawewant.go.ke/index.html 95. http://www.thikamunicipal.go.ke/index.html 96. http://www.transformingkenya.go.ke/index.html 97. http://www.treasury.go.ke/index.html 98. http://www.ugunjatown.go.ke/index.html 99. http://www.ukwalatown.go.ke/index.html 100. http://www.westernkenya.go.ke/index.html 101. http://www.vihigamunicipal.go.ke/index.html 102. http://www.works.go.ke/index.html 103. http://www.youthaffairs.go.ke/index.html On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 12:00 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: Reality-on Media (bitange(a)jambo.co.ke) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:28:07 +0000 > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > To: "Pamela" <pamela(a)cardiacimplants.com>, > kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Reality-on Media > Message-ID: > > <1350874180-1326785244-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-83781638-(a)b27.c2.bise7.blackberry > > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > > In my view, you can tell if an economy is a middle income or not by > checking the availability of toilet paper in the bathroons especially > public toilets. > > There is a very high correlation of income and such essentials. In > developing countries you hardly get toilet at it is stolen by the have > nots. Kenya flip flops between low income and lower middle income status. > That is why sometimes you get the toilet paper. > The World Bank definition is too complex for ordinary people to > understand. Take your own sample when you travel and for sure my model > works. > > Ndemo. > > > Sent from my BlackBerry? > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Pamela" <pamela(a)cardiacimplants.com> > Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.keDate: > Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:07:51 > To: <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Reality-on Media > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > End of kictanet Digest, Vol 56, Issue 53 > **************************************** > -- * * * ------------------------ Jim Comptech Consultants ltd. Tel: 254 20 2503637, 254 716 852202, 254 735 195969 Occidental Plaza, 4th Flr., Muthithi Rd. Westlands. P.O.Box 73639 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya.** http://www.jimcomptech.com*

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The Google fiasco - A must watch
by robert yawe 20 Jan '12

20 Jan '12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxPfgUvfPHA&feature=youtu.be

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US Govt Websites hacked
by Brian Munyao Longwe 20 Jan '12

20 Jan '12

Not that it's any consolation but FBI sites have been hacked. "Anonymous retaliates against feds - takes down multiple sites" http://gizmo.do/xLc4Aa On Wednesday, January 18, 2012, John Gitau <jgitau(a)gmail.com> wrote: > This goes beyond government: > eg its not unheard of for a company/govt to spend money on a data center or other infrastructure, then outsource the very services that should be in that DC to some US/foreign company for quick bucks, or because it makes 'sense'. > - Our users take up a service, the log files are shipped to the 'cloud', we read about Kenyan statistics from some foreigner just because no one analyses it here, oh and you have no access to it. Today facebook can tell you all manner of things about our habits, ditto google. We then go buy trend reports. I've spent countless hrs trying to convince someone at work that 'raw data and log files' are a raw material of immense value. > - a trend thats seeing alot of foreign funding for technology startups will probably see more 'profits' flying away while a couple of Kenyans with money can't/don't want to/don't know how to take advantage of the said opportunities. > - Regionally quite a number of people look up to us to show the way forward. > > However in all these problems, Im seeing a trend where things keep improving - slowly. And yes cyber security is going to be a challenge but we can get through it if the affected people talk to the right people. Im also happy with that. And to be fair I've not done much to improve things so far. > > Gitau > > On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 5:55 PM, Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> >> @ Wash, >> >> true - not so critical data maybe on these site. HOWEVER, I join Mblayo in taking the shame because it is matter of time before critical data seats on these platforms/cloud. And if we can protect our entry level websites, then who knows who will protect our serious data in the near future... >> >> It is one thing to be brought down - it happens even to US DoD (military). It quite another to stay down - 12hrs and still counting? >> >> Vincent and Company @ CCK, arent we paying you public chums to run the National CSIRT protect our cyberspace? Or maybe we should get NSIS to blame? Either way I want my refund ;-) >> >> walu. >> >> >> --- On Tue, 1/17/12, McTim <dogwallah(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> From: McTim <dogwallah(a)gmail.com> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Government website Hacking incident a crying shame >> To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com >> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 5:37 PM >> >> http://code-security.net/archives/114 >> >> >> go.ke Websites in Kenya brought down. >> >> Whole list below. >> >> http://www.administrationpolice.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.aideffectiveness.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.bungomacounty.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.businesslicense.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.cak.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.commstaskforce.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.cooperative.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.crd.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.crisisrcentre.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.ditkenya.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.doshs.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.economicstimulus.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.eldoretmunicipal.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.emu.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.education.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.environment.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.filmservices.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.fisheries.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.forestryandwildlife.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.gender.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.governmentpress.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.greenenergy.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.housing.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.ifmis.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.immigration.go.ke/index.html >> >> http://www.industrialization.go.ke/index.html >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jgitau%40gmail.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. > > > > -- > **Gitau > -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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CLD Releases Analysis of Draft Kenyan Freedom of Information Bill
by Grace Githaiga 19 Jan '12

19 Jan '12

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth and rule the World! Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:12:32 -0400 Subject: CLD Releases Analysis of Draft Kenyan Freedom of Information Bill From: press(a)law-democracy.org To: toby(a)law-democracy.org 19 January 2012: For immediate release Analysis of Draft Kenyan Freedom of Information Bill The Centre for Law and Democracy today published its analysis of the draft Kenyan Freedom of Information Bill. The draft Bill was prepared following a wide stakeholder consultation in November 2011, and it represents a harmonised version of earlier government and civil society drafts. It is hoped that the current process will finally bring to fruition the long-standing campaign for right to information legislation in Kenya. “The draft Bill is an impressive document which scored very highly on our RTI Rating”, said Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy. “At the same time, we are recommending a number of further improvements to help ensure full implementation of the right to information.” The draft Bill has a number of strengths, including its wide scope, the narrow regime of exceptions and the establishment of an independent and powerful oversight body. A number of CLD’s recommendations are fairly technical in nature, and should be relatively uncontroversial to implement. Some of our key recommendations are: The rules on access to information held by private bodies should be better integrated into the law. The right of access should apply to everyone, not just citizens. The scope of the proactive publication obligations should be extended. Some of the exceptions should be further limited. It should be clear that public authorities bear the burden of proof in appeals against their decisions. The rules on punishment for obstruction of access should be extended. A full system for improving record management standards should be put in place. The full Commentary is available at: http://www.law-democracy.org/?p=1600 The RTI Rating, developed by CLD and Access Info Europe, is available at: www.RTI-rating.org. For further information, please contact: Toby Mendel Executive Director Centre for Law and Democracy email: toby(a)law-democracy.org tel: +1 902 431-3688 www.law-democracy.org

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On Recent GoK We Hacks
by Matunda Nyanchama 19 Jan '12

19 Jan '12

Friends, I am sure that the authorities are addressing this matter to the best of their knowledge and efforts. And I am sure that this issue presents the GoK and the Kenyan private sector a chance to learn for, as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Thinking aloud, here is how to gain the strength/resilience - Information protection be declared and understood to be a strategic imperative; one cannot run an effective knowledge economy without proper information protection framework and practices. Each ministry, department, private sector, etc needs to understand this and act in concert. - Design, clarify and communicate an information governance, risk and compliance framework; complete with a thorough no fault compliance regime. - Establish an information protection leadership with commensurate powers needed to realize the strategic imperative of information; this leadership must not be subservient to IT but be independent in a similar manner that audit is. Leadership in turn will develop an information protection organization with needed skills, organization and processes. - Develop and implement an ongoing information protection awareness regime for the nation; this would be segmented to ensure that appropriate knowledge is communicated to target audiences. (Did you know that one can actually collect business-related information (proposals, strategic plans, presentations, etc.) of a number of businesses at Internet cafes? All one needs is recover much of these from the temp folders; one can also harvest a lot fo personal information (ID card-related, etc.) from the same cafes ... implication for identity theft are humongous.) - Invest heavily in information protections skills development: require/coax academic institutions to make information risk management training a priority ... 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.

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Obama spikes SOPA
by Alice Munyua 19 Jan '12

19 Jan '12

Obama Says So Long SOPA, Killing Controversial Internet Piracy Legislation The growing anti-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) support that has swept through the gaming and Internet community found a very big ally today. With websites like Reddit and Wikipedia and gaming organizations like Major League Gaming <http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/01/17/major-league-gaming-ceo…> prepared for a blackout on January 18^th the same day that the House Judiciary Committee hearing on HR 3261was scheduled in Washington <http://www.forbes.com/places/dc/washington/>, DC President Barack Obama <http://www.forbes.com/profile/barack-obama/> has stepped in and said he would not support the bill. SOPA has been delayed, for now. The House has agreed to revisit the issue next month, but they now know the White House will veto any bill thats not more narrowly focused. READ MORE: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/01/16/obama-says-so-long-sopa… -- _________________________ Mobile Number in Namibia +264 81 445 1308 Número de Telemóvel na Namíbia +264 81 445 1308 I am away from Johannesburg - you cannot contact me on my South African numbers Estou fora de Joanesburgo - não poderá entrar em contacto comigo através dos meus números sul-africanos Rui Correia Advocacy, Human Rights, Media and Language Consultant Angola Liaison Consultant _______________

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Government Websites Hacked :- What next?
by Barrack Otieno 19 Jan '12

19 Jan '12

Dear Roy et al, I am miffed at all the hullabaloo caused by the hacking of the 100 websites. Late last year CCK hosted a workshop at the Nairobi Safari club which was widely publicised that brought together stakeholders to discuss this issues in fact the immediate former Chair of ISACA Kenya Chapter made a very elaborate presentation. In the first place the workshop was not a news item despite the efforts made by the organisers to bring in Cyber Security experts from George Mason University and the creme de la creme in the local Cyber Security community. To me this is a non issue because we are aware but somebody somewhere is aware of what needs to be done and should be held accountable, if you don't lock the door to your house at night and thieves come in , do you blame the police? We must shun mediocrity. Best Regards On Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 12:17 PM, Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > --- On *Wed, 1/18/12, Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com>* wrote: > > > From: Walubengo J <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: [kictanet] Government Websites Hacked :- What next? > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: "kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 12:07 PM > > > > *Government Websites Hacked :- What next?* > > > It has been all over the social network. Most government websites hosted > on the .*go.ke* domain were hacked by some Indonesian cyber-security > student. Apparently after several hours of teaching, the lecturer > encouraged the students to test their skills on selected government sites > and what better target than Kenya? After all Kenya is reputed to be the hub > for ICT technologies in East and Central Africa. Better still, with the > recently implemented multiple undersea fiber cables, Kenya present high > quality internet speeds that are necessary for launching sophisticated > attacks from within and the outside world. > > > With that hindsight or profiling, the hacker must have made a good > choice of a target - a target that has its technological development way > ahead of its cyber security advancement. Within hours over one hundreds of > governments sites including the not so lucky http://www.treasury.go.ke/, > http//www.lands.go.ke and www.roads.go.ke just to select a few. By the > time of going to press, twelve long hours after the attack, most of these > sites continue to be down. > > > Think about it, if Vision 2030 is to be believed, most Kenyans will be > engaging governments e-services through these sites. Think of what would > happen if this type of attack is repeated 5years from today. Ever seen the > hue and cry when MPESA is down for 10minutes? Think of that and then think > disaster when Ministry of Lands, Roads (electric trains?) and Treasury get > shut down in future - by a local university student doing her security > practicals on government sites. > > > The Social network is abuzz with chants of whom to blame. Is it > eGovernment Directorate, is it the Converged Regulator who runs the > National CSIRT (Cyber Security Incidence Response Team) or should it be the > security agent, NSIS - with its mega-billion funds to invest in security? > For ISACA-Kenya, we think it is a wakeup call for everyone, to realize that > Cyber Security is not a one-man or woman show. Just like the ongoing > "Linda-Nchi" initiative in Somali where we are all affected - each and > everyone must contribute to the overall safety of the other. Security is > indeed not entirely the Chief of General Staff's problem, but rather a > collective problem requiring a collective approach. > > > > > So in conclusion, a safer digital environment is going to take a lot > more and deliberate exercise to involve and educate each stakeholder. Most > notably ofcourse the Telecommunication Operators, Hosting and Content > Managers, Regulators, Law Enforcement, Judiciary, the ICT professionals and > Users. The cyber-security of our country is going to be as good as the > weakest link in these and possibly a wider group of stakeholders. This is a > wakeup call for a concerted and holistic look at how such an National > Cyber-Security program could be achieved. > > > Signed > > Roy Akalah > > *President* > > *ISACA-Kenya Chapter* > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke<http://mc/compose?to=kictanet@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/jwalu%40yahoo.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. > > > _______________________________________________ > ke-internetusers mailing list > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > > -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno

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Cyber Attacks on GoK - Rough Road towards Knowledge Economy
by Matunda Nyanchama 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

Rough Road towards Knowledge Economy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge
by Victor Kapiyo 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

Hey Listers, Wikipedia has blacked out its English Website as part of a campaign to stop the US House of Representatives and Senate from passing legislation (SOPA and PROTECT IT respectively) which may harm the free and open Internet and inhibit people's access to information online. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page It is interesting to note that while the US has been at the forefront of opposing Chinese censorship of the internet, it is now considering legislation that makes it not so different from the Chinese. -- Victor Kapiyo, LL.B ==================================================== *“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” Zig Ziglar *

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National & Private School Crisis
by robert yawe 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

Hi, The following reminded me of the posturing going on between the GOK and the private primary school owners association (note that the private secondary schools are silent as they are competitors with the national schools) concerning the quarter system for National school places. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/10/world/africa/south-africa-stampede/index.… Last year when this same issue came up I asked a friend (whose children are in private primary school) if national schools do well because of the physical location i.e. specific latitude and longitude, if it was then I fully support the argument but if it is not then private schools have no leg to stand on. Griffin left & Starehe faltered, Khaemba left and Alliance faltered which means that the issue is not the teachers but the administration. If the government with its wanting pay grades can produce excellent school administrators shouldn't better pay in private schools do even better? The government therefore came up with an interesting strategy, thanks to a former herds boy, where they have increased the number of national schools spread across all counties, private primary school parents are already complaining. On the stampede in South Africa what the universities did to resolve similar gerrymandering was to operate the selection process like a pre-Michuki matatu where the students rush in to claim their places, survival for the fittest, maybe the ministry of education should use the same procedure for admittance to national schools then lets see how many parents with children in private schools will participate. Regards Naomba seri kali inisaidie, haki yetu, Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya

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(Govt website) Hacker thanks CIO East African writer for exposing his blog to traffic
by Francis Hook 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

http://www.techweez.com/2012/01/18/hacker-thanks-cio-east-african-writer-fo…

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Government Websites Hacked :- What next?
by Walubengo J 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } Government Websites Hacked :- What next? It has been all over the social network. Most government websites hosted on the .go.ke domain were hacked by some Indonesian cyber-security student. Apparently after several hours of teaching, the lecturer encouraged the students to test their skills on selected government sites and what better target than Kenya? After all Kenya is reputed to be the hub for ICT technologies in East and Central Africa. Better still, with the recently implemented multiple undersea fiber cables, Kenya present high quality internet speeds that are necessary for launching sophisticated attacks from within and the outside world. With that hindsight or profiling, the hacker must have made a good choice of a target - a target that has its technological development way ahead of its cyber security advancement. Within hours over one hundreds of governments sites including the not so lucky http://www.treasury.go.ke/, http//www.lands.go.ke and www.roads.go.ke just to select a few. By the time of going to press, twelve long hours after the attack, most of these sites continue to be down. Think about it, if Vision 2030 is to be believed, most Kenyans will be engaging governments e-services through these sites. Think of what would happen if this type of attack is repeated 5years from today. Ever seen the hue and cry when MPESA is down for 10minutes? Think of that and then think disaster when Ministry of Lands, Roads (electric trains?) and Treasury get shut down in future - by a local university student doing her security practicals on government sites. The Social network is abuzz with chants of whom to blame. Is it eGovernment Directorate, is it the Converged Regulator who runs the National CSIRT (Cyber Security Incidence Response Team) or should it be the security agent, NSIS - with its mega-billion funds to invest in security? For ISACA-Kenya, we think it is a wakeup call for everyone, to realize that Cyber Security is not a one-man or woman show. Just like the ongoing "Linda-Nchi" initiative in Somali where we are all affected - each and everyone must contribute to the overall safety of the other. Security is indeed not entirely the Chief of General Staff's problem, but rather a collective problem requiring a collective approach. So in conclusion, a safer digital environment is going to take a lot more and deliberate exercise to involve and educate each stakeholder. Most notably ofcourse the Telecommunication Operators, Hosting and Content Managers, Regulators, Law Enforcement, Judiciary, the ICT professionals and Users. The cyber-security of our country is going to be as good as the weakest link in these and possibly a wider group of stakeholders. This is a wakeup call for a concerted and holistic look at how such an National Cyber-Security program could be achieved. Signed Roy Akalah President ISACA-Kenya Chapter

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Government website Hacking incident a crying shame
by Brian Munyao Longwe 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

The fact that a student on a hacking/computer security course could hack into and deface more than 100 Government of Kenya websites* in one night(!)*is a crying shame. In addition to that, the fact that it seems all or most of these sites were hosted on a single server is a travesty of best practice. Is it so difficult for GoK to invite (readily available) information security experts to design and implement a suitable online information framework for public government websites? Shaking my head, Brian -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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Google's Antics on Mocality
by Matunda Nyanchama 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

I am wondering what Google's aswer is to this clear case of dirty tricks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Re: [kictanet] 103 Government of Kenya websites hacked overnigh
by Matunda Nyanchama 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

Friends This should be of great concern to all of us. In the past we have reached out to offer help (at the very least) from an awareness, strategy and governance perspective for this is our expertise domain. We haven't succeeded. Government needs to have a clear information protection framework that is overarching and one that addresses all aspects of information protection: people, process and technology. As we have found out, often technology is acquired and deployed without the requisite knowledge/skills, protection framework and ongoing caring/feeding necessary to maintain security. Our doors remain open. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Fw: The African Executive Issue 352
by Matunda Nyanchama 18 Jan '12

18 Jan '12

FYI. ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: The Editor <editor(a)africanexecutive.com> To: mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:34 PM Subject: The African Executive Issue 352 18 - 25 January 2012 Articles in this Issue Write to the Editor Subscribe Now! Unsubscribe Our Contacts - ADVERTISEMENTS - ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE Global Energy Security: Africa’s Strategic Importance Observers indicate that rivalry is slowly leading to militarization of policies by energy importers towards the continent. Libya became the first casualty of this rivalry in 2011. [Read More] Nigeria: The Fuel Subsidy Dilemma No matter what happens, Goodluck Jonathan will be the biggest loser at the end of the day. [Read More] Vibrant Economy: Is Africa on Track? Lack of clear stipulated employment and investment policies in Africa has made many foreign investors to repatriate a big percentage of profits back to their home countries [Read More] Gabon: Aman Resorts Invests in Green Tourism By 2020, Gabon aims to attract 100,000 tourists per year from the mid-range and high-end sectors. [Read More] Leadership: Why Can't Kenya's Middle Class Deliver? Kenya, with confronted with global challenges, has no choice but to produce a leader who will defend her national interests. [Read More] Uganda LRA: Who is Fooling Who? For Museveni, the Northern Uganda conflict is but an extravaganza bonanza. [Read More] Ghana:Sekondi Industrial Estate May Endanger CDB Loan An alert on serious matters that come up on the China Development (CDB) loan facility in Ghana. [Read More] African Farmers Must Dump Organic Farming With 60% of the World’s untilled arable land, low uptake in farming technology gives wealthy nations the excuse to grab land on the continent.... [Read More] About Eastern Africa Sister Cities Mission: To promote peace and economic prosperity in Africa through mutual respect, understanding, cooperation and city twinning. [Read More] Significance of China's Construction of the African Union Headquarters China will report lengths and breadths of its infrastructural projects and exchange programs among others. Will an African report simply have a "thank you" note? [Read More] ICTs and Environmental Safety Human wildlife conflict in Amboseli National park has been reduced drastically by the use of information and communication technology [Read More] Risk Governance in Banking Risk management has a direct impact on performance. A bank needs to be both profitable and well risk-managed. Its level of profitability matters as much to the public as its profile of risk management. [Read More] WRITE TO THE EDITOR We are always glad to hear from you and our team takes the contents of the letters we receive seriously in order to ensure that the magazine is beneficial to you. Do not hesitate to write to us and make our services better. You can do this through editor(a)africanexecutive.com. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Subscribe to The African Executive magazine now to start your business relationship with us by CLICKING HERE UNSUBSCRIBE We use your feedback to improve our magazine so that it is beneficial to you. However, should you still want to unsubscribe, please CLICK HERE OUR CONTACTS The African Executive - P.O. Box 135-00100 G.P.O Nairobi KENYA Phone: 254202731497 - Cel: 254733823062 - Fax: 254202723258 - Email: editor(a)africanexecutive.com

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