- KICTANet - KICTANet

PesaPal Bill Payments ...
by Agosta Liko 21 Dec '11

21 Dec '11

Hi All PesaPal BillPay goes into Public Beta .... https://www.pesapal.com/billpayments ... Please give us feedback ...... and yes, we are adding more billers ... Enjoy

1 0

Vision 2030: ICT and Other Sectors Converged (Day 1)
by Sam Aguyo 21 Dec '11

21 Dec '11

Mr Kibati, Thanks for being in the discussion list. I take note of the open data deployment as a way of relaying public information to citizens. Also considering that that Vision 2030 flagship projects are quite a number spread out across the nation, how would you use ICT to inform the public on the status of these projects which i would closely link to the open data. Regards Sam Aguyo

6 5

CCK extends deadline for switch off mobile handsets
by Wambua, Christopher 21 Dec '11

21 Dec '11

PRESS RELEASE Listers 21st December 2011 RE: CCK EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR SWITCH OFF OF COUNTERFEIT HANDSETS The deadline for mobile operators to switch off subscribers using counterfeit phones in the country was today extended for a four-month period, effectively giving the affected subscribers reprieve to replace their handsets before they are disconnected. ICT sector regulator, the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), today announced the extension of the disconnection deadline from the end of this month to April 30 next year. Acting CCK Director-General Mr. Francis Wangusi said the extension was necessitated by the need to first undertake a consumer awareness campaign and also for the industry to establish a mechanism through which consumers could confirm the status of their mobile devices. The extension will also allow mobile operators to undertake the requisite technical preparations in readiness for disconnecting counterfeit handsets. The extension will provide the affected mobile subscribers with more time to replace their mobile handsets in view of the prevailing hard economic realities in the country. Mr. Wangusi said the industry was exploring the possibility of putting in place a system through which subscribers would be able to interrogate a central database via SMS to verify whether their devices are genuine or not. Regulatory concern over counterfeit handsets stems from the fact that counterfeit devices deny manufacturers of revenue through counterfeit production of their products. In addition, use of counterfeit handsets may expose consumers to safety and health risks as the phones may not meet the approved radiation standards. Further, counterfeit devices typically enter markets via unofficial channels thus denying the government of revenue. According to industry statistics, close to 2.4 million mobile phones in the market are counterfeit, representing 9.39 % of the active mobile devices in the country. The ongoing initiative to rid Kenya of counterfeit mobile phones is driven by CCK in conjunction with industry players, handset manufacturers, and other relevant government agencies including KeBS, Office of the President, Anti-Counterfeit Agency, and the Kenya Revenue Authority. Issued by: Francis W. Wangusi Ag. Director General

2 2

Konza; alight at the end of he tunnel
by robert yawe 21 Dec '11

21 Dec '11

It was with excitement that I read in the Tuesday Nation (20th Dec 2011) about the intention to invest in the Konza technology city by DVK Group. What was more enlightening was the fact that the Hon. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka was instrumental in inviting the group to consider investing locally. After the hullabaloo by the leaders of the county where Konza falls at the inception of the project it is positive to notice that they have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel of which I would like to assure them is not an oncoming train. Regards "Only a fool never changes his mind" Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

1 0

Re: [kictanet] Vision 2030: ICT and Other Sectors Converged (Day 1)
by Harry Delano 20 Dec '11

20 Dec '11

Dear Listers - Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning, and herein lies an opportunity to take part in shaping what should be a very important vision for this nation. I personally trust that opinion and important suggestions here are of huge value, and that it is not late for the Vision 2030 Team to incorporate some in their blue print, and also that this blue print has inbuilt flexibility to make adjustments as much as it is desirable as we move forward to implement. Dear Mr. Mugo Kibati, Welcome on board, and as a vision for this country, we congratulate the team for being bold. I believe the forum here will focus heavily on the ICT Sub-sector. But, just as the Vision 2030 correctly correlates interdependence between different projects on the map, we will not hesitate to point out that ICT needs the rest as enablers, just as the rest needs it. My first question is, what are the clear bench marks to achieve the stated vision for the country, looking at the project pillars listed? How do we measure and audit achievements to date to ascertain whether this ship is on course..? We have been on the website checking out the Key pillars and the enablers; I note that, under the Macro Enablers section, the project in which we have had keen interest falls under the heading " <http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/projects/details/Macro_enablers/2> Energy Generation of 2300MW and distributed at competitive prices" While the endeavor towards generation of enough power, for adequate, quality, reliable and affordable energy is laudable and ongoing, we urgently need to address the question of "distribution" of the same to go lock-in-step with these valiant efforts. I believe Energy distribution should be listed as a "Macro-Enabler", then this way we can now address the question of the monopolized aspect of it that currently is almost crippling and reducing the project to naught, at the expense of progress in other project areas. No doubt ICT sub-sector will be a huge victim. Left unchecked, a monopolized energy distribution network on which everything else hinges as we go forward, could as well be equated to a "national security disaster-in-awaiting". Can the team review the objectives in this area to focus heavily on this aspect also, and propose, pursue and lobby unrelentingly towards a de-monopolized energy distribution design. Let this nation have the benefit of redundancy in this area. Short of this, we are left at the mercy of the current national distributor. At the very best, it might remain a cog in the wheel of this Vision2030. I would wish to draw the team Vision2030 to the tremendous success that we've all witnessed in the Telecommunication subsector, since liberalization was introduced from around 2002/3 and competitiveness brought about the huge dividends that we now reap. We herald this as one of the greatest turning points in this industry. Let's go that route in the energy subsector. Harry

8 13

FW: Vision 2030: (2-3 days more)
by Grace Githaiga 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

Bwana MugoFYI. Rose (see message below) only replied to my address but the message is meant for the list. RgdsGrace ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:19:39 -1200 > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Vision 2030: (2-3 days more) > From: mburuw(a)gmail.com > To: ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com > > Hi i find that vision so vague (i stand corrected) but what is the > role of ordinary citizens like me running mpesa kiosks,my fellow mama > mbogas, hawkers, students etc. no one has told me how my mpesa will > bring economic growth of 10%, or my contributn is not want'd/worth it. > > Rose > > On 12/18/11, Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > Dear Mugo > > > > We welcome your request for an extra two or three days to allow you to > > respond to concerns raised. Thanks for all the information you have provided > > to us. It is enlightening and so far it has been great learning. It is our > > hope that you will continue to be on the list even after we conclude the > > Vision 2030 discussion. > > > > You have the extension. > > > > Thanks also to Harry, Joseph and Muraya for keeping this debate live! > > > > A great week to all of you. > > > > Rgds > > Grace > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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! > > > > > > > > > > > > From: mugo(a)vision2030.go.ke > > To: ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com > > CC: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > Subject: RE: [kictanet] Vision 2030: Political Pillar (Day 4) > > Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:13:59 +0300 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Grace, > > > > I know that this was to end today but I have not yet been able to respond to > > all comments and suggestions and would like to do so over the next 2 or 3 > > days if I would be allowed to do so. > > > > Regards, > > Mugo > > > > > > > > > > Mugo Kibati > > Director General > > Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat > > KUSCCO Centre, 2nd Floor - Upper Hill > > PO Box 52301 - 00200, Nairobi > > Email: mugo(a)vision2030.go.ke > > www.vision2030.go.ke > > > > > > > > From: kictanet-bounces+mugo=vision2030.go.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > [mailto:kictanet-bounces+mugo=vision2030.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On > > Behalf Of Grace Githaiga > > Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 2:23 AM > > To: Mugo Kibati > > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Vision 2030: Political Pillar (Day 4) > > > > > > > > Thank you Lucy for raising the concern on Goal 5 that touches on maternal > > health. I agree that we need to capitalize on social media to disseminate > > information on this important matter. I am sure you will get a response from > > Mr. Mugo. > > > > We now move to the last day of our discussion. > > > > Our focus shifts to the third pillar namely the political pillar (rule of > > law, electoral and political processes, transparency and accountability > > etc). http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars/index/political > > > > The objective of the pillar is stated as...'moving to the future as one > > nation and envisions a democratic system that is issue based, people > > centred, results oriented and is accountable to the public'. > > > > Listers, please continue to raise your concerns in any of the areas > > discussed so far. > > > > Have a great day. > > > > Rgds > > Grace > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:59:14 -0800 > > From: lkimani(a)yahoo.com > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Vision 2030: ICT and Other Sectors Converged (Day 3) > > To: ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com > > CC: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > > > > > > > > > > > Bw. Mugo, > > > > > > > > Thanks for taking the time to address the issues raised so far. I would > > like add my pesa nane on the Vision 2030 Social Pillar which closely ties in > > with the Millenium Development Goals. From the MTP Report attached for > > listers, I was shocked to read that the Goal 5 "Improve Maternal Health" is > > one that is unachievable and actually increased from 414 in 2003 to 488 in > > 2009? Yet this is one that should be easier to address through education > > via social media through vehicles such as the digital villages to > > disseminate information on the importance of maternal health. Programs > > enlisting churches as partners in spreading the word and most importantly a > > concerted effort by the GOK in funding clinics that focus on providing > > healthy supplemental foods and nutrition counseling for pregnant women, new > > mothers, infants and children especially in rural areas. Numerous studies > > have shown that pregnant women who participate in similar programs have > > longer pregnancies leading to fewer premature births; have fewer low birth > > weight babies; experience fewer fetal and infant deaths since they seek > > prenatal care earlier in pregnancy and consume more of such key nutrients as > > iron, protein, calcium and Vitamin C. > > > > > > > > I found the report to be defeatist in the assessment of this particular goal > > and would hope for a re-evaluation and better planning in attaining the goal > > in a Vision 2030 kind of way:-) > > > > > > > > Lucy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Sent from my mobile device > > For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in > a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. > > Nelson Mandela

1 0

Postal Corporation - A Disconnect
by robert yawe 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

It was with shock that I read about yet another strike/go slow by Postal Corp. staff but even more shocking was the list of employees, 4,000, still on the payroll of the organisation. Postal Corporation has between 400 and 600 outlets, depending on who is providing the statistic, which means that there should be an average of 6 employees per location excluding the 1,000 staff stationed in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu General Post Offices. Unfortunately when you visit the various post offices around the country and even in Nairobi most of the countered are empty with thick layers of dirt indicating that they have not be used in a long time. When I visited the Post Office in Nanyuki there where only 4 employees yet this is a major station. It is clear that the corporation is carrying a large number of ghost workers and it is time Mr, Atuoli directed his energies at rescuing organisations from such none existent workers who will soon enough cause the demise of the organisation and have genuine workers laid off. With the lack of funds at the corporation to send home the retirees (after the cancelling of the sale of the plot to Airtel), the increase in the retirement age from 55 to 60 and a management that refused to move into the 21st Century the organisation seems doomed. I still strongly believe that with the right team at the top, from the board to the senior management, PCK has the potential to become the pivotal player in the field of agency banking and for those on this list the missing link in ecommerce. I keep trotting towards that evasive post of PMG. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

2 1

Vision 2030 The Role of Home Grown Solution
by Joseph McDonald 17 Dec '11

17 Dec '11

Dear Mr.Mugo Thanks for your time and engaging with us and for your very informative answers.I have a question not only for Mr.Mugo but any body else who might offer suggestions When of the tenants of the Vision 2030 especially the Social pillar is to have a just & cohesive society enjoying equitable social development in a clean & secure environment and the country intends to build a strong sustainable framework for peace and security and to ensure that all internal conflicts and difference are resolved within the confines of the law. access to justice for the rural folks is still not easy.What role can African Customary law play on the social economical development in Kenya and how can we use home grown solutions to solve local problems.e.g Rwanda used both local and the Arusha tribunal to solve to get justice for the genocide victims.In Kenya we are only using the ICC process. Any ideas will be appreciated Thanks

2 1

Kenyan Ambassador in South Sudan Roots for Patriotism, Commends Diaspora Investment Club
by Shem Ochuodho 14 Dec '11

14 Dec '11

Over the weekend, the Ambassador of Kenya in the new nation of South Sudan, H.E. Amb. Cleveland LESHORE rooted for patriotism, commended Diaspora diplomacy, investment, remittances and knowledge and skills transfer. This he did while presiding over the NVK Investment Club's End Year 'Mbuzi Choma' Get Together at the Nile Beach Hotel (Kenyan-owned) in South Sudan's Capital, Juba. For more details, see the attached:- - H.E. Ambassador's Talking Points - Letter from the Investment Club's Leadership that summarizes its achievements from incorporation 6 months ago - Brochure of both New Vision Kenya (NVK) and its Invesment Club (NVIC) The Investment Club continues to enjoy the patronage and support of several Kenyan corporates, including:- The Embassy, Equity Bank, UAP Insurance, KCB, Jetlink, Power Technics, Metearia, Dial-a-Cab, Tricomp, GNCC, Globefontel, Nikktech, Charleston Travels, Nile Construction/Consulting, Mountain View, Tangaza, SmartCamp, Regional Trading & Investment, Hass Petroleum, CfCLife, WOI University, Jupiter, Woodlands Court, Juba Errands, Karibu Choma, Everrest Properties, CEE Express, Media (EAStandard, Nation, Advertiser, Citizen, Star), among others. We look forward to an even brighter New Year, 2012. Happy Jamhuri Day, and Warm regards, Shem NVK Co-Convenor Shem J. Ochuodho, MSc (Eng), PhD, LLD (Hon) Senior Advisor Ministry of Telecom & Postal Services Republic of South Sudan (RSS), Juba Commonwealth Telecom Organization (CTO/RSS) 2010 African Internaut Award Recipient Kenya Community Abroad (KCA) 2007 Excellence Award Winner AfricaOnline 2005 Industry Pioneer Award Recipient Father of Internet in Kenya (Computer Society of Kenya - CSK 2000) Cell: +211-977-232025/+249-955-021-040/+254-725-016679 Skype: shem.ochuodho.

2 1

AfTLD ROC workshop Burkina Faso 9 -13 January 2012 Press Release
by Barrack Otieno 14 Dec '11

14 Dec '11

Listers, Attached please find a press release for the forthcoming ROC Workshop in Ougadougou (Burkina Faso). Thank you Best Regards AfTLD Secretariat. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno

1 0

Mailing List
by Jane Ngima Muriuki 13 Dec '11

13 Dec '11

Include me on the mailing list Jane Muriuki ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

1 0

Safaricom Product
by robert yawe 13 Dec '11

13 Dec '11

Hi, Many of you might be wondering what is this device that I need so much to buy data bundles for remotely, I have decided to show it to you. This is a 3G wireless serial to Ethernet converter that we use for monitoring equipment that do not have those nice web browser interfaces such as weather monitoring and vehicle tracking systems. Many of such equipment are situated in remote locations and previously we need to send someone with a laptop to download the data. Safaricom's 3G/GPRS service has sorted out a lot of our issues I am sure they have no idea that there services are used for such a solution. I hope this will make them understand reasons for some of our outbursts when they terminate a service without fully appreciating the effects of such decisions. So long as Safaricom continues to provide such leading edge products I will have less and less need to spend my weekends climbing masts across the country and instead spend that time developing new solutions to run on their network. I noted last week that my issue is being addressed when I bought a new Safaricom dongle and after installation a web page was automatically launched with a new portal, similar to that of Orange/Telkom, http://www.safaricom.com/bundles/ from which one will be able to monitor the bundle details such as as balance as well as to load credit and purchase bundles. The system had a few flaws which I brought to their attention and I note that the issue is being rectified. Once that portal is fully operational I am sure there will be fewer chances of someone arbitrarily turning off the service. Regards

1 0

Quotations for Smart Phones...
by Michael Bullut 13 Dec '11

13 Dec '11

Greetings fellow listers, Currently, I am looking for a quotation for smart phones, preferably android-based ones that can sync with Microsoft Exchange. If you of a place or someone who sells the aforementioned, don't hesitate to drop me a line. Thank you in advance! Warm regards, Michael Bullut. --- *Cell:* *+254 723 393 114.* *Google Talk: michael.bullut **Twitter:** @Kipsang <http://twitter.com/Kipsang/> * *Blog: http://kipsang.wordpress.com/* *E-mail:* *michael.bullut(a)gmail.com* * * *---*

2 2

Vision 2030: ICT and Other Sectors Converged (Day 1)
by Grace Githaiga 13 Dec '11

13 Dec '11

Dear Listers, Dear Mr. Mugo Kibati I hope you all had a great Jamhuri weekend. Today, we begin our four days debate on the Vision 2030: ICT and other sectors Converged with our guest Mr. Mugo Kibati, the CEO of Vision 2030. We will focus on the Vision and the Foundations. The Vision: A national long-term development blue-print to create a globally competitive and prosperous nation with a high quality of life by 2030, that aims to transform Kenya into a newly industrializing, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment. http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/vision One of the dreams of the Vision 2030 is '…a Kenya that is advanced in technology where other countries look up to us for technology solutions'. For the Foundations of vision 2030 please refer to: http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars/index/macro_enablers I hope as many on this list will actively participate. This is an opportunity for us to reflect and I guess be part of the future. Karibu Bwana Kibati. It is our hope as Kictanet family, that you will also benefit from the comments and observations that will emerge out of this interraction. Over to you listers. Rgds Grace ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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!

2 2

Guido Sohne Fellowship Applications Open
by Brian Munyao Longwe 12 Dec '11

12 Dec '11

Are you a software developer under the age of 35? You may qualify for a Guido Sohne Fellowship, more information at: http://www.idlelo.net/node/3 Best regards, Brian

4 3

Commencement of the Vision 2030 Discussion - ICT & Other sectors with Mr. Mugo Kibati
by Grace Githaiga 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

Dear Listers Further to our earlier announcement about the Vision 2030 discussion, we can now confirm that Mr. Mugo Kibati will be available to field questions for four days starting Tuesday December 13 to Friday 16 December, 2011. Considering that vision 2030 talks very little about ICTs, we will title the debate Vision 2030 Discussion - ICT & Other sectors (thanks to Harry Delano). The debate will be structured along the following themes: Day 1 Tuesday December 13, 2011 We will focus on the Vision and the Foundations of the vision 2030. Vision: http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/vision Foundations of vision 2030: http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars/index/macro_enablers Day 2 Wednesday December 14, 2011 We will start looking at the the three pillars that underpin the vision. The first one will be the Economic pillar (tourism, agriculture, trade, Informed technology enabled services etc.) http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars Day 3 Thursday December 15, 2011 Social pillar (education, health, gender and youth, social development etc. http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars/index/social Day 4 Friday December 15, 2011 Political pillar (rule of law, electoral and political processes, transparency and accountability etc). http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars/index/political Listers, there is also a special request to you that for the four days, we dedicate this list to the debate of Vision 2030. We could then resume/continue with other issues thereafter. E-see you on Tuesday next week. Enjoy Jamhuri weekend and have your questions ready on the vision and the foundations :) 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!

1 0

Maasai Mara Cisco Knowledge Centre
by Dennis Kioko 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

This has been shared on Twitter, Very impressive, you would think is within Nairobi CBD http://yfrog.com/mgpvvfj -- with Regards: blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>

2 2

Congratulations to KENET
by John Matogo 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

Dear all, Join me in congratulating the KENET team for topping the CIO 100 list. (See http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/-/539550/1282462/-/item/0… ) Their efforts have truly transformed our higher educational institutions. I was fortunate to participate in an e-readiness survey of our universities in 2006 and again in 2008, I can confirm that the change witnessed between the period was phenomenal. This initiative ignited a demand for better ICT facilities by students and staff at universities. I believe universities communities are the largest Internet bandwidth consumers in the country now. Kudos too go to all the other institutions that have been recognized. Best -- Regards, JM

11 11

The Word for Your Soul
by Lizette Kraft 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

Here is the word of God for today that I felt was so appropriate to the way many of us who feel so strongly about what's going on in our country. Let us pray with one voice, for our God is still and always will be in Control. He gave us hope and we must believe that all things are possible in Him. It is for us to do what is right in His sight that will lift us up in our situations. The word of God is power in itself. *Verse: Luke 21:28* *Look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.* *- Sometimes things can get us down. - Perhaps we think that things will never change. - The issue is that things do change. - We must look up and expect it to happen.* *PRAYER: Lord, I look to You. You are my deliverer and You will make a way for me. I will not be discouraged but I will lift up my head and trust You. Amen. *-- Be blessed. Lizette Lizette Kraft P.O. Box 18488, 00500 Nairobi, Kenya Cell: 0722-800362

6 7

WARNING: Dangerous Bypass
by Odhiambo Washington 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

There was a story about robberies along the Southern Bypass recently. Some alleged that it was a copy/paste story. Today I have seen the attached story in the press. It would be nice for people to contend with jams than take this bypass in its current state. -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254733744121/+254722743223 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

5 8

Re: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pacifying Angry Bashir
by Cleophas Barmasai 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

Jane, I concur on a number of issues you raise. It almost feels like those bashing a number of other African leaders are dancing to some Western tune. Why should Kenya media be the ones at the at the forefront of this? We know fighting our own neighbours will affect us directly. Cleophas On 12/6/11, Info <info(a)amwik.org> wrote: > My two cent contribution to this discussion is that one, we should be open > minded and receive divergent issues without resulting to making demeaning > statements about the contributors. Everybody is entitled to their points of > view as articulated in our constitution. No body’s arguments is the winning > one and this forum is supposed to be a “market of ideas” which we can all > contribute to with decorum. > > > > The other thing and this is my perspective is that Africa must start to > define what democracy is all about without looking to the west because as > Winston Churchill observed, democracy was seen as a good option just because > other forms of leadership had been tested and weaknesses emerged while the > concept of democracy was largely new and untested during his times > (historians can correct me on this). I have a very strong reservation to > what the west want to prescribe to all and sundry with little respect that > other contexts and structures had been in existence and working. Just > because they may have had inherent weakness do not however subjugate them. > In fact, the reasons why our leaders are in problems is because they have > tried to ape western leadership principles without a thorough understanding > of them and their contexts, and of course there is the pressure to conform. > My take is that unless we change our strategies, we will continue to fail > miserably. > > > > When western powers invade other countries that is viewed as acceptable yet > when African states try to assist their fellow “continent” mates like what > Kenya and the other African troops is doing in Somali, it is demonized. I > strongly believe that circumstances presented Kenya with an opportunity to > assist the Somali govt and not purely because our tourists were attacked. > Whether the operation will be successful or not, only time will time but at > least what’s critical is that efforts have been made whether belatedly or > otherwise. > > > > What also troubles me is the way the West will push in their cronies to > power in Africa just to ensure that their strategic interests are taken care > off with no respect of what the citizens really want. Yet we applause for > being democratic! For those have lived abroad, truth be told that there is > just a pretext of respect for human rights especially for minorities and > other marginalized communities. Even the citizenry struggle to make ends > meet as life is so expensive. > > > > Coming to the media, a lot is expected and the media should be balanced in > presenting the different narratives, being critical of what’s happening > locally but also what is happening abroad. Its unfortunate that the western > media see nothing good from Africa and when I look at our local media, it > appears to most of the time be giving credence to that. Of course our > training is western oriented but am challenging ourselves to stretch > ourselves a little more and be contextual and relevant in our approach. > > > > As a I have mentioned earlier, let’s keep this discussion healthy and lively > and maybe from some of the ideas shared here, it could actually > inform/influence our thinking and work positively. > > > > Jane > > > > From: kictanet-bounces+info=amwik.org(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > [mailto:kictanet-bounces+info=amwik.org@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of > David Makali > Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 3:11 PM > To: info(a)amwik.org > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac ifying Angry > Bashir > > > > why is it presumed that when africans think alike with the westerners, or > publish views similar to western media, then we are aping them or we have > read and been influenced by them? isn't that self demeaning? and how did > you, ndemo, know of the Banyamulenge atrocities you allude to except > through the same media which you shamefully quote as gospel truth? And isn't > Jean Pierre Mbemba charged at the ICC for the atrocities in eastern Congo? > > > > Even more, the conclusions you extrapolate from the Financial Times on why > Tshisekedi has no foreign backing is a reversal of the writer's argument: > the fact that western powers want to back leaders who can first turn around > their countries to be peaceful and economically prosperous, but also > manipulable to enable them exploit their potential. But to say they do not > back Tshisekedi merely because he is his own man, even though it is apparent > he is not that popular, is a little overstretched. > > > > my arguments against appeasing Sudan are basic but founded on very clear > facts. What you are advocating in your winded argument is that the rule of > law should be suspended to mollify a dictator in the interest of trade. > Well, a lot can be said about that, and history is rich with examples of > people who sit pretty and enjoy the oppression of others as long as it > benefits them or does not affect their comfort. > > > > by the same twisted logic, we should not be in somalia? why? we followed the > cue of the international community and stood by as the the country > degenerated into a banana republic. now we have rushed in because some > tourists were kidnapped. the dividends of this adventure will become > apparent in March when a supplementary budget is tabled in the House but was > it worth going into Somalia if we are spending over Sh200m a week to keep > 3000 troops there? I would love to have you pronounce your opinion on that. > > > > the fundamental issue at hand with Sudan should not be lost with futile > rationalisation. a court was confronted with a case seeking the arrest of > Bashir if he ever sets foot in Kenya. the facts of the law were laid before > him. what was he expected to do? according to the wise men in govt, ndemo > included, he should have ruled otherwise or somehow found a reason to avoid > the verdict he made. so why are we wasting time talking about an independent > judiciary? yuck! > > > > if that is what machuhi calls "partisan" and "populist emotions" of > journalists then he is welcome to propagate his views. but i doubt they will > be more than the usual conformist and self preservation arguments - "bend > and let it pass" - that never changed the world. > > > > repeat: am totally ashamed at the humiliation we as a country are being > subjected to by sudan's ultimatums. > > david > > > > _______________ > > "If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, > I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." > — Isaac Asimo, Columbian Author and Scientist > _______________ > > > > PO Box 3234 > 00200 Nairobi, Kenya > cell: +254 722 517 540 > > _____ > > From: samuel ochanji <sochanji(a)yahoo.com> > To: dmakali(a)yahoo.com > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 11:21 AM > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac ifying Angry > Bashir > > Daktari, I completely agree with you on this. Our media does not set the > agenda on global events/issues and give a Kenyan or an African perspective > on these issues. Instead it simply regurgitates whatever the global media > provides us with.Anything from CNN or New York Times is the default position > of the Kenyan media. > > > > _____ > > From: "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > To: sochanji(a)yahoo.com > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 6:48 AM > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac ifying Angry > Bashir > > Grace, > Our media too needs to set the agenda right. Much of what David wrote was > heavily influenced from what he read in foreign media. Earlier I made a > comparison between what happened in Daffur and in Congo. In 2003 some 5 > million people died in the Congo. You may recall the Banyamulenge > atrocities inside Congo but in spite the fact that there were indictable > people by ICC, the issue was brushed under the carpet. > > Congo is a mineral rich country with a government that hadly know what is > going on in their country. Some people want it that way. Below see a quote > from the Financial Times and see why I made that conclusion. > > "Given the muted response to the evolving fiasco in Congo, there is > much less international appetite for outrage, or even for an accurate > count. Western countries are less enchanted with Mr Kabila than they > were in 2006, when he won a UN-supervised election, promising to bring > peace and economic recovery. He has done neither. > > But unlike Mr Ouattara in Ivory Coast, Mr Tshisekedi does not enjoy > significant backing from anyone outside the Congo. > > He is his own man. That is one reason a large number of Congolese > persist in believing that he might turn things round. At 78, he is > representative of a generation of opposition leaders who dedicated > decades to the fight against dictatorship. Most, including Mr Gbagbo > have proved disastrous in government." > > > You cannot be your own man in Africa if you need the support of Western > countries. This is a worrying statement and confirms that our media has > largely failed in setting the African agenda and begin to influence the rest > of the world. > > Virtually all mineral rich African countries are at war from the west to > central and eastern Africa. Is is a coincident? > > > Ndemo. > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry® > > -----Original Message----- > From: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com> > Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.keDate: Mon, > 5 Dec 2011 17:30:12 > To: <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac > ifying Angry Bashir > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for > people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/sochanji%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. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/dmakali%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. > > -- Sent from my mobile device Sincerely, Cleophas Barmasai "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age..." (Titus 2:11,12, NKJV)

1 0

Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pacifying Angry Bashir
by Grace Githaiga 09 Dec '11

09 Dec '11

Hey Listers This article may have nothing to do with ICTs but it dovetails into all concerns raised on the list today namely the need for: A value system Change of attitude, Divine intervention. Ndio hakuna maji, wala stima, wala gas, wala daktari. Pia swala la Bashir should concern us. Rgds Grace http://www.the-star.co.ke/opinions/david-makali/52460-why-it-is-wrong-to-pa… Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pacifying Angry Bashir Monday, 05 December 2011 00:06 BY DAVID MAKALI Sudanese President and genocide suspect Gen Omar al Bashir has scored a major diplomatic coup over Kenya. His threats of retaliation against the High Court’s arrest order that made Kenya’s executive arm squirm and whimper may go down as Kenya’s biggest diplomatic fiasco. Gen Bashir has been walking around with an arrest warrant on his head for the past five years. He has defied international law and tried to rope the continent’s fading club of dictators to his rebellion against the international criminal justice system. The hapless African Union has been browbeaten into accusing the ICC of being a racist, partisan and quasi-judicial process targeting the continent for humiliation. But those arguments fall flat for lack of alternatives and because their proponents are not credible. Its most vocal advocates have such appalling human rights records at home that nobody will listen to them. To avoid the prospect of the sad ending that his peers in the north have met, Gen Bashir has promptly promised not to seek re-election when his term expires in three years. But with every passing day and peers being routed by popular revolutions, his continued stewardship of the Sudan is even more shaky and untenable. Thanks to regional geopolitical considerations, the world continues to soft-pedal on Gen Bashir. But soon as the fragile Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the newly independent South Sudan is sewn up, he will have little room to rant and terrify pacifist neighbours like Kenya. Mr Bashir needs to ask Mr Laurent Gbagbo, now at The Hague, what happened to him. That Kenya’s ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs could fly to Khartoum to appease the Sudanese President was a bizarre display of our impotence as a sovereign state. Who between Kenya and Sudan stood to lose the most from a fall-out? Is Kenya the underdog or why is the Kenya government so beholden to Bashir when in fact the world is on Kenya’s side? Bashir could as well go ahead and bar all aircraft from Kenya from landing in Khartoum, expel the Kenyan members of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan and all Kenyans studying or working in Sudan. He can withdraw all Sudanese investments and sever all trade ties. Costly as these actions may be, Kenya’s rush to pacify Bashir was astonishing. It had the option of sitting back to let Bashir further isolate himself and provide the impetus required to further push him to account for the dead and suffering thousands of Sudanese. Instead Kenya squandered an opportunity to provide exemplary African leadership in the quest for global justice by recapitulating and thinking small. The government has no business appealing the decision of the court on behalf of Bashir. Kenyan taxpayers money should not be expended to advance injustice or to frustrate the rule of law. President Kibaki and all his ministers are bound by the national values and principles of governance enunciated in Section 10 of our constitution, to wit, all their actions must advance the rule of law and democracy. Kenya need not fret and cower from Bashir’s tantrums because it is not the first time such a diplomatic row has occurred between countries. In February 2009, Uganda’s Red Pepper published a series of articles claiming that President Muammar Gaddafi had exhibited an unusual fondness of Best Kamigisha, then 42-year-old widowed queen of Toro, one of Uganda’s five traditional kingdoms. The paper alleged that the two were romantically involved and the pretty queen had been holidaying in Tripoli, and accompanying Gaddafi on foreign trips as he paid reciprocal visit to Uganda. The tabloid persisted in its love allegations but the government initially left it to the Libyan authorities to act and the ambassador in Kampala sued the rabid tabloid for defamation, demanding $1 billion (Sh89.8 billion) in damages. The government however jumped into the fray after Gaddafi complained to Museveni. The prosecutor moved to charge the editors with criminal defamation of a foreign dignitary with intent to disturb peace and friendship between Uganda and Libya. That intervention was unnecessary in a purely civil matter but Kenya’s actions show it would be inclined to borrow a leaf from Kampala. In another similar incident, a French court indicted nine (military) aides of President Paul Kagame for the 1994 Genocide in November 2006. Kagame characteristically leaped at the French government, cutting off diplomatic ties and recalling his envoy but a deal was soon struck that restored full diplomatic ties with President Sarkozy visiting Rwanda and Kagame reciprocating the gesture last year. That did not deter German Interpol from arresting one of the indicted aides, Rose Kabuye, then Rwanda’s protocol chief against whom warrants had been issued for actions that allegedly triggered the genocide. German police handed her to the French court for trial but she was released after France dropped the charges and undertook to initiate fresh investigations. These incidents only demonstrate that in a democracy, institutions such as courts and the media must be left to perform their function. They must not be interpreted to represent the executive, nor should they mirror the thinking of the political leadership of the day. But that logic is alien to tyrants who believe courts are an extension of the political state and must convey the will of the government of the day. That’s is the case in Sudan where judges, like Kenya of yore, must always second-guess the executive. In that context, one can see the foundation of Bashir’s baseless fury. Baseless because it betrays his lack of understanding of more functional democratic societies like ours. The Kenya constitution clearly stipulates that “the general rules of international law shall form part of the law of Kenya” and further, that “any treaty or convention ratified by Kenya (such as the Rome Statute) shall form part of the law of Kenya law (2)”. The same Constitution also mandates every citizen to defend it (sect 3) and grants any Kenyan, singly or organized as a group, company, civil society or community based organization, the right to institute measures to enforce the constitution in the public interest (Chapter 17). Seeing how the constitution and international law which we have domesticated was being violated, law-abiding citizens organized as the International Commission of Jurists took the initiative of ensuring justice is done for the citizens of Sudan by seeking the arrest of one Omar al Bashir, who happens to be the President of the great African republic of Sudan. High Court Judge Nicholas Ombija obliged. As long as the Court’s order, which according to Wetangula is incapable of obedience, stands, any good intentioned Kenyan can carry out a citizen arrest of Mr Bashir. The government’s paranoid response also raises fundamental questions about our foreign policy. Ideally, diplomatic relations are forged between countries represented by leaders who come and go as Bashir surely will. It is assumed that such leaders are popular (elected) which is not always the case. And as the Libyan example has recently shown, it is the people who are sovereign: the fatal rout of Gaddafi has not deterred Kenya and other African countries from relating with the Libyan people. Bashir’s tyrannical posture only lends credence to the obvious need to democratize the Sudan. Kenya’s rightful policy should be support to the people of Sudan, not necessarily its contested leadership, which Mr Wetangula and the Kenya government have elected to suck up to. It is not the business of the Kenya government to protect suspects wanted for genocide and crimes against humanity. Government officials who took an oath to protect the constitution cannot abdicate that responsibility without inviting sanctions from Kenyans. If the Attorney General and the Minister for Internal Security cannot execute the court order when Gen Bashir ever steps on Kenyan soil, they will be liable for contempt of court proceedings and other measures to remove them from office. It is unfortunate that the government should be speaking out of turn with our new Supreme Law and the reality of the new Kenya. It should tone down its panicky diplomatic rhetoric and refer the matter to the Attorney General to pen a polite notes verbates to el Bashir regretting that there is nothing that can be done about the court order and advice him to turn up at The Hague to clear his name or avoid visiting us. The new Kenyan Constitution is no respecter of persons, even foreign presidents. And that should be our rightful foreign policy — to promote human rights and rule of law globally. Bashir’s warrant of arrest is a standing testimony of the international community’s determination to ensure the rule of law and justice for all. Bashir seized power in a military coup and progressively morphed into a civilian President but he is still a runaway despot. Claims of brutal suppression of the fundamental freedoms of Darfurians and other western Sudanese require due legal process. That is not to say he should be convicted without trial or hanged unfairly. But he must accede to one simple request — appear before the ICC and confront those charges. His streak of defiance and hostility is the stuff of a man scared of justice. Kenya should not acquiesce to his threats and intimidation or bend its laws to shield him from justice. Until the warrants are lifted, Kenya is obligated to arrest and hand him over to the ICC. It cannot hide behind the resolution of the African Union not to cooperate with the ICC because that does not supercede our constitution. Nor should considerations such as the delicate Sudan peace process and our own appointment with the ICC interfere with the rule of law. The government’s cowardly actions are demeaning of our statehood and injurious to our pride as an aspiring democracy and champion of rule of law on the continent. I am very ashamed of my government. Makali is a journalist media consultant. --

15 37

eGovernment Coordination in Counties.
by Muchiri Nyaggah 08 Dec '11

08 Dec '11

Listers. With the country set to move into a county government model, I'm wondering whether there's a framework in place (or in development) to ensure that the use of ICT in those governments is harmonized and that e-Government remains coordinated. My concerns are mostly about: 1. The level of autonomy county governments will have in regard to choice of platforms for e-Government. For instance, will they be allowed to choose their own health information system to manage healthcare delivery or disparate systems for the collection and management of local taxes? 2. The likelihood that different county governments may adopt varying standards for data formats, operating systems etc making inter-operability at the Government-to-Government (G2G) level difficult. 3. How the transition will affect human resource capacity to support existing systems such as those electronic medical records systems running in some hospitals and whether there's a way of mitigating the risk of systems with no local (county) support. Kind regards, *Muchiri* Nyaggah Principal Partner @muchiri +254 722 506400 Semacraft.com

1 0

ONLINE PERSONAL BRANDING THIS FESTIVE SEASON
by David Wambua 08 Dec '11

08 Dec '11

PERSONAL BRANDING ONLINE   Brand yourself with a .me.ke domain name this festive season Dear Listers, Did you know that the use of .me.ke domain name can provide a unique identity for you on the Internet space, hence giving you personal branding advantage and by extension a competitive edge in the market compared to generic names ? Are you also aware that the use of .me.ke domain name has the effect of improving your personal image and creates greater opportunities for business, provides distinct and fast access on the Internet due to the .KE identity , uniqueness and above all protecting your name space on the internet When people go to search for you, what comes up? If you don't have a .me.ke domain name or haven’t built a website for yourself, then other people will control your brand. You need to create a website under your full name (e.g paul(a)kamau.me.ke) so that you know what people will find when they search for you and you will be proud of it. You would be surprised by how many people will search for your name as a way to learn more about your business or vocation. This is therefore an opportunity to give people multiple ways to learn about you. Your personal website should promote and link back to your business website and should have links to your social network profiles, a professional headshot, press links, articles you’ve written, a bio and depict you as an expert in your field. This way, your online presence will have all the assets your customers or peers need.   Key Benefits DISTINCT: You will get a domain name that is distinct UNIQUE: You will get a customized email address PERSONAL website  This offer runs from 9th December to 31st December 2011 all at a discounted price of Kshs. 999/-.VAT Incl. Please contact our Marketing and Communications Manager Mr. Dick Waswa for more information on how to brand yourself this festive season on admin(a)kenic.or.ke. Regards, ............................. David I. Wambua [W] www.kenic.or.ke dot KE for Every Name in Kenya! -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by KeNIC MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. Kenya Network Information Center (KENIC)

1 0

A chip off the old block!
by robert yawe 08 Dec '11

08 Dec '11

I would like to be clear that I have no malice or ill intentions towards Safaricom, just that they set very high standards initially and therefore changed the expectations of their clients. All that I am is a creation of Safaricom and when my existence is threatened I have no option other than to scream, yell and kick. With the move of my last remaining domains to Safaricom I have all my eggs in one basket which makes me very edgy when someone threatens to drop the basket. A month ago I gave up on Telkom/Orange/Jambo in as far as their domain and mail hosting services are concerned and decided to move over to Safaricom. The migration was a nightmare, in this case the source of the problem was Safaricom and not the other fellows as would usually be the case. I finally had the migration done after 2 or so weeks and escalating e-mails short of my namesake. A month ago I got a notification for renewal of my domain from KENIC and I proceeded to request Safaricom to send me the procedure, I finally received that today after my domain has been suspended for 1 an entire week. The interesting part being that the person who responded was actually referring to an email I sent 2 months ago concerning the transfer of the domain. The most interesting issue that has go me raving is the following message (classic Telkom/Orange)' ______________ Dear Robert, Please make Transfer payment equivalent to the domain renewal fee in addition to the renewal fee Kindly send us a scanned copy of the receipt for this to be effected. Payment is made at A Safaricom Retail outlet against the respective item codes below, There are various types of domains as below with different costs as indicated. _______________ Please see highlighted text, for a company that has been feted as a leading implementer of technology this message speaks volumes. Such instructions are standard with Telkom/Orange and also KPLC (pay then report upstairs to notify reconnection department) but I did not think I would actually see day that Safaricom would get to that level and only hope into will not permeate to the voice service This is a sign of disintegration at a time when integration is called for, Safaricom has a major task ahead as it tries to breakdown the silos that are developing before they become fully entrenched and become a culture. Many times we blame individuals for situations when the main problem is with the systems in force. Is this a case of one step forward, two steps back? "You are better having me on the inside pissing out than on the outside pissing inwards" - Anonymous Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

1 0

Safaricom & Product Control
by robert yawe 08 Dec '11

08 Dec '11

Want to know where I will be during the Jamhuri Day celebrations? http://quadrantshift.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mast-climber.jpg This is not for the fun or thrill of being 100 feet off the ground on a swaying pool but to buy data bundles for monitoring devices mounted at the top various masts. Around the same time last year, or was it the year before, I raised an issue on this list about how Safaricom keeps launching and killing features without notification to those using the service, the bone of contention then was the ability to buy bundles from the credit on one phone to another. The feature was reactivated and worked brilliantly until sometime 3 months ago when I noticed that it was down and I had to use the out of bundle rates for my remote monitoring equipment. It took Safaricom 2 months to actually realise that the service was not working and this only after making me jump through hops with instructions like remove SIM card then stand on one foot as you slide it back in, remove modem then reboot the computer (the device is 100 feet of the ground on a mast), reinstall software (my devices run linux & other proprietary operating systems but I would never mention that to customer service and more recently that my post paid service limit had been exhausted. Over the years we complained about Telkom's (17,000 staff at one point) inefficiency and also the government (500,000 employees) but from the deteriorating service levels from Safaricom (3,500 employees) I believe our problem as members of the "nyele ngumu" race is being incapable of scaling, Safaricom was lean and mean now with its increasing size and staff count as it tries to scale the cracks are starting to show. My advice to Safaricom, please improve on your level of documentation as relates to features and functionalities you decide to bring to market. Your business analysts need a better helicopter (no relation to a certain church) view if you are to reduce the number of half baked products you keep spewing out. Back to the issue at hand, should I expect this feature to be reactivated or not, I need this information by the end of the week so that I know if I am leaving the Safaricom SIM cards plugged in up on the various masts I will be climbing over this long weekend or should I just drop them off? Have a wonderful Jamhuri Day Celebration on solid ground and remember the Alcoblow should be out this weekend. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

1 0

Preventing Land Ownership Fraud by "Crowd-Sourcing" information
by Thomas Kibui 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

Dear Listers, I am not sure if this has been discussed here or better still if it has been implemented somewhere but I will go ahead and talk abt it.... We have a constitution and land laws that are being flouted by corrupt officials entrusted with enforcing them for material gain. For instance if you do a search for a piece of registered land, and you get a search results duly signed and stamped by the registrar of lands at that office then the information there is in binding and should also BIND the government who is the final authority in land governance because the buyer commits his/her funds to a purchase based on the information given at the registry. We have very MANUAL registries where documents are stored in files in a library like setup and the core of those registries is a binder that holds the so called "green cards". One could liken the green card to the primary key in a DB. Due to the physical / manual methods used to change information on these paper documents and the fact that they have to be "physically" accessed, removed, edited and returned, they create a loop-hole for unscrupulous lands officials to change the content thus destroying the written history associated with a parcel of land and consequently depriving the real owners of their property / inheritance. A simple solution would be to digitize the registry .. but as you can imagine there would be a lot of resistance from the Lands officials because that completely takes away their source of corrupt funds. I know it will eventually be digitized BUT what can we do in the interim ... between now and the time that the registries will eventually be digitized ... ? Land does not move... its is people who do the moving... One can never fail to get the history of a piece of land from the surrounding neighbourhood and this is one of the "social" searches that one is advised to do when considering the purchase of a parcel somewhere. So why can't we tap into this free source of information as a way of counter checking the already tampered information which exists in local land registries I was thinking that using the technology available today we could create a free online database or use one of the existing social media sites to create an online "Land Search" resource where everyday ordinary Kenyans can check the "social" status and history of a parcel , correlate it with the information from the registry before making a decision to purchase.. The information from this DB or Social Media site will not be "legally" binding BUT it will raise red flags prevent the fraud considerably given that most land fraud cartels use deception and mis-information of "Government held information" to convince their victims. To populate it, I am thinking in the lines of "crowd-sourcing" this information and if possible tie it in on Google maps just like in www.ushahidi.com. This way , the database can show a piece of land as Red, Amber or Green depending its social history eg, - who initially owned it, - was it inherited properly, - was there a dispute, - are there wives or children who were dis-inherited who might come out of the wood-work after the purchase . Mapping it directly on google maps will alow the would be buyer to do a GPS search of sorts when he or she is "viewing" physically on the ground . This will also prevent the other form of fraud where the victim is shown a parcel which is not the one on the purported papers. There are other uses for such a database .. If YOU owns a piece of land somewhere, you can also flag it as RED to prevent fraudsters selling it with out your knowledge and fleecing an innocent victim out there. Look at it like putting a legal Caution of Caveat Emptor on a registered property etc etc This idea has its CONS .. Malicious relatives, mpango was kando husbands/wives, neighbours etc can stop you from selling or getting a bank loan from your genuine land by flagging it red or mis-informing the public about it. etc Now I am basically a Network / Security guy and I have never written a line of code so I can't tell you how this can be implemented "technically" otherwise it would be online as we speak .... But having seen the destruction peoples dreams and hard earned money in the demolition of structures in Syokimau and Eastleigh .. I can't just sympathize with the victims and stop there ... They were conned yet some were holding "genuine" papers from the government they trusted as the most trusted land ownership authority. I believe that there is something that can be done to prevent it and I am throwing this to the listers to build on and if possible .. IMPLEMENT it.. I am open to contribute wherever I can. PS: Since the framework for Ushahidi.com. already exists, maybe Ory and his team could assist .. karibu ...

3 2

Local Kenyan Content on the Internet
by Brian Munyao Longwe 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

I must say that I have been truly amazed at finding the "Kulahappy" series of videos on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/kulahappy . This is great local content, taking a humorous look at rural and urban life, and also in local languages too. They seem to have a pretty regular release schedule for the various episodes. The Kamba versions "Mukamba Kivindyo" have really cracked me up - very authentic and typical village scenarios. Brian

6 10

2063 - Kenya @ 100 Essay and Short Story Contest
by Matunda Nyanchama 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

Friends See press release from our sister business; it is almost a coincidence that we have my friend Mugo Kibati joining the discussions here. 4 ways you can participate - sponsor, contestant, judge/reviewer or advertiser: send your inquiry to kenya2063(a)nsemia.com. Kindly cascade this including the attached flyer. ---------------------------------------------------------- Nsemia Inc. Publishers announces 2063: Kenya @ 100 Short Story and Essay Contest that will run in the months of December 2011 and January 2012. The contest intends to task writers’ imagination and thought to paint a picture of the country at 100 years of age. Predicting the future has its dangers, but writers are encouraged to take creative license and imagine the journey to the 100th birthday of the country: its socio-economics, politics/freedoms, urban/rural society, pastoral/farming/working life, the family, relationships, marriage, divorce, births, deaths, child/ health care,, education system, science/research/technology/inventions; the young/old, name it! Think of how Kenya would have changed and the society that it would become. Writers are free to choose their style of presentation (persuasive, comparative, descriptive, narrative or otherwise) dictated by scenes, events, places, personalities, conditions and the like. Writers’ aim is to tell an interesting, logical story that grips readers’ attention. Preference will be given to short stories and essays that are believable with high creative elements, readable, and able to hold the interest of the reader; stories that paint a comprehensive picture the state of life of the time. The awards for the winning five essays are $1000, $750, $500, $250 and $100, respectively. In addition the top five winners will be offered publishing contracts for book length versions of their essays and short stories. The next 20 essays will be published an anthology 2063: Kenya at 100 Perspectives. We are actively seeking sponsors to broaden the award categories as such more awards will be announced as we get respective sponsors. The contest report will be published as a book of between 100 and 150 pages, featuring the top 25 contestant profiles and abstracts of their short stories and essays. Other report content will include a historical background of Kenya and developments to date, highlighting major milestones in the making of the Kenyan nation. Further, the report will have short history the Kenyan literary scene and ongoing trends; and opinions on the future of Kenyan literature in the face of globalization. A few chosen works from the Kenyan literary scene and (where relevant) from outside the country will be featured. There is limited advertising space for entities wishing to advertise in the contest report. Opportunities for participation include being a sponsor, a contestant or a judge/reviewer. Proposed categories for sponsorship include Top Female Contestant; Top Contestant Under 18 ; Top Urban Contestant; Top Urban Contestant Over 18 ; Top Contestant from rural Kenya; Top Contestant from the Diaspora ; Top Contestant from the Diaspora under 18; Top Male Contestant over 65 years and Top Female Contestant Over 65 years; Top Contestant on the subject of the girl child Interested parties can get further information, including contest rules, sponsorship information, advertising and entry form from kenya2063(a)nsemia.com. The contest closes on January 31st, 2012. - 30 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Internet "Kadonye" charges
by robert yawe 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

Hi, I am one of the those very fortunate people who rarely buy Internet access by the bandwidth or minute as I enjoy a flat rate unlimited access whether at home or in the office. Today morning I needed to use one of the dongle devices as I needed to work off-site at one of my few clients who do not have dedicated internet access. I loaded airtime on the device and proceeded to purchase a bundle, within 3 minutes of launching my browser (all 12 tabs) I noticed that I had already utilised 1.2 MB @ a rate of Kes. 0.83/- per MB. Note that I was yet to do any useful work as I waited for my desktop to settle. As you might have guessed, by the time I was ready to do some serious income generating work the bundle was over. It is now clear to me why so many of our youth who should be making productive use of the Internet are stuck to using only facebook because the costs for access are either subsidised or free which reduces an entire generation to a single web site. The kadonye economy definitely transcends to technology products at which rate the technology divide is not narrowing any time soon. I assume that the cost of bandwidth is mainly related to the international leg therefore is it possible to have a bundle that allows you unlimited access to local sites. Such a model would encourage the development and hosting of content locally. KENET could set-up peering with educational sites across the world whose access would be treated as local and our students would be able to benefit from the Internet. Please accommodate this rant from an occasional dongle user. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

5 9

LTE & the frequencies debate
by John Gitau 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

Over at the EANOG <http://www.thirdworldnetworkers.com/2011/11/east-african-network-operators-…> (http://orion.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/eanog) we had an uninformed debate on LTE and its frequency allocation. I believe most of the issues that came up can be better answered on this list. 1: How will the LTE spectrum be allocated? The media had alot to say some time back. What's valid, whats not? http://allafrica.com/stories/201109060017.html http://www.intomobile.com/2010/11/23/kenya-lte/ (just a few examples I picked out) 2: Is the millitary still using/holding onto the 2.6GHz? 3: Apart from mobile operators, who else is or should be interested in LTE and why? 4: Would someone with this information be open to a seating with us at the IHUB at our next meeting for an open Q&A. 5: How far into the process of freeing up the necessary frequencies are we? I'm sure more questions will come up but for now I believe we are more curious about no:1 because it raises questions like: if a consortium will be formed, how will maintenance and general network management be done? Gitau

3 2

Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] <OT> : No Electricity, No Fuel, No Cooking gas! I need my hot coffee or need some answers.....
by alice＠apc.org 06 Dec '11

06 Dec '11

Very frustrating frequent blackouts, rain or no rain. Bumper sticker doing rounds 'kenya hakuna matata, hakuna maji, hakuna stima, hakuna gas' Best Alice -----Original Message----- From: aki <aki275(a)gmail.com> Sender: skunkworks-bounces(a)lists.my.co.ke Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 08:17:12 To: Skunkworks forum<skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Reply-To: Skunkworks Mailing List <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Subject: [Skunkworks] <OT> : No Electricity, No Fuel, No Cooking gas! I need my hot coffee or need some answers..... _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke ------------ List info, subscribe/unsubscribe http://orion.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke

16 25

Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] <OT> : No Electricity, No Fuel, No Cooking gas! I need my hot coffee or need some answers..
by Matunda Nyanchama 06 Dec '11

06 Dec '11

On these problems, one young man of 20 years of age, Justus Siage, wrote a long letter of complaints and "advice" to the Prime Minister. We published it as a book duly termed"Letter to the Prime Minister" by Justus Siage; check it in bookshops in Nairobi. Even our own young generation knows the solution to our problems; we just need leadership to make it happen. Back to my quiet corner as we await topics on ICT. Kind 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. ________________________________ From: "kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> To: mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 6:47 AM Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 55, Issue 24 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: [Skunkworks] <OT> : No Electricity, No Fuel, No Cooking gas! I need my hot coffee or need some answers..... (Dennis Kioko) 2. Re: Why It's Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac ifying Angry Bashir (Andrea Bohnstedt) 3. Re: Why It?s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac ifying Angry Bashir (Andrea Bohnstedt) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2011 14:02:21 +0300 From: Dennis Kioko <dmbuvi(a)gmail.com> To: "S.M. Muraya" <murigi.muraya(a)gmail.com> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] <OT> : No Electricity, No Fuel, No Cooking gas! I need my hot coffee or need some answers..... Message-ID: <CADfbAQS3SqwzyesRujXAwsDU_PCx6=ebYxNUq4Q0T-vSD++vRQ(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" In Africa we want change, but few understand the cost of change and are willing to pay for it. Change demands more, the same way freedom demands more responsibility. As for Kenya Power, isn't it weird that we all complain, but it is only the island of Jersey that is concerned with how a Kenyan Parastatal was managed in the past ?

1 0

Open Data: United States and India to build an open government platform, the U.S. team has deposited open source code
by Flavio Zeni 06 Dec '11

06 Dec '11

If you have not read it already United States and India to build an open government platform<http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/12/05/datagov-goes-global#.Tt5EeXfxRPA.…>, the U.S. team has deposited open source code<http://www.data.gov/opengovplatform>

1 0

Re: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pacifying Angry Bashir
by Dennis Kioko 06 Dec '11

06 Dec '11

Also note that Eritrea recently escaped sanctions as Western firms exploiting minerals in the country would be affected -- with Regards: blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>

1 0

Re: [kictanet] We certainly need divine intervention
by Barrack Otieno 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

Listers, I have refrained from complaining despite the inflation and heavy rainfall that has caused havoc despite being a blessing when looked from another perspective. This afternoon i drive into a basement parking in one of the cities shopping malls, clearly the guys at the entrance seem to be aware that there is no space but alas i am allowed to drive in and drive around, on realising there is no space i choose to drive out and behold, i am asked to pay? pay for what i enquire?, the attendant calmly tells me that it is is the way the system is configured even though she agrees that since i didn't find a slot i am not supposed to pay, this is the second time i am having issues with www.kaps.co.ke and i hope the two Consumer watchdogs are taking note, this is plain dishonesty why should a consumer pay for a service not rendered even hawkers will tell you kuangalia ni bure (seeing is free), worse still where is this form of injustice configured in your systems? I wonder how much Kenyans could be losing through what i have observed today anyway Justice be our shield and defender. Have a great week! -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno

3 3

DiploFoundation IGCBP 2012 Call for applications
by Grace Githaiga 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

Listers Kindly circulate to your networks. Rgds Grace ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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! From: gpaque(a)gmail.com Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 10:08:12 -0430 To: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org Subject: [governance] DiploFoundation IGCBP 2012 Call for applications Hi everyone, Please pass this information on to any interested colleagues or groups. Gracias, Ginger Call for applications: Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme 2012 Who owns the cloud? Is my data secure there? Who manages Internet domains and addresses, and how? What is network neutrality? How can states provide for Internet security without breaching our basic human rights - or can they? Can we have an Internet that is both safe and open? Diplo's Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme 2012 will give you a solid base from which to discuss these and other questions, and to work towards policy solutions for users, organisations, and governments. This online programme is designed to improve Internet policy and governance-related knowledge and skills for participants from both developed and developing countries, and to enhance their participation in the global decision-shaping debates on Internet governance. The call for applications for the 2012 Introduction to Internet Governance course is now open. Please visit the call for applications for more information and to apply (deadline: 1 February 2012). Ginger Ginger (Virginia) Paque Diplo Foundation www.diplomacy.edu/ig VirginiaP(a)diplomacy.edu Join the Diplo community IG discussions: www.diplointernetgovernance.org

1 0

Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] <OT> : No Electricity, No Fuel, No Cooking gas! I need my hot coffee or need some answers.....
by Dennis Kioko 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

The biggest tragedy in Kenya is not the government, but we as the people. We support systems that do not work, and reward the same. A pal of mine says that she cannot purchase or rent a Penthouse suite in Nairobi - they always seem to leak and have rat infestations. In the US, she could cause such a purchase came with a warranty - point here is that even private sector will do sub standard work - seems to be more of the rule than an exception. As for Kenya Power, I don't know about mots areas, but where I live, a few months back we were guaranteed of a blackout if any form of precipitation happened to take place. Kenya Power did maintenance a few months ago and even in the recent strong rains in Nairobi, we have had power all through. I think blackouts nowadays are mostly maintenance and vandalism in our area. Had also talked to Kenya some people from Kenya Power HQ who informed me that the firm is on schedule to stabilise power supply through various methods including use of underground cables/insulated conductors. This though looks like will take several years to be rolled out within Nairobi. In areas under rural electification in Ukambani, I have seen them use the insulated conductors rather than the familiar bare conductors. Road construction is mostly a sham, with most roads lacking drainage, or having the drainage blocked by construction. Water logging weakens tarmac. On the same point, I am quite suspicious of the quality of Lot 3 of Thika road, by Shengli, someone should check this before its completed and results in a similar situation as the Milimani courts. Back to where I started. In the morning, I saw a matatu at the Tom Mboya Walk (joins Tom Mboya Street to Moi Avenue at the statue). The matatu was picking passengers next to a large City Council sign that read "No picking or dropping of Passengers here". People were boarding the matatu as normal. That is where Kenya's largest problem lies.

4 3

Local Content
by Dennis Kioko 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

This animation was shared today, some hard work gone into it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8LcybdCNdA&feature=player_detailpage -- with Regards: blog.denniskioko.com <http://www.denniskioko.com/>

5 4

Why is KRA (Customs) Application is Hard-Wired Microsoft?
by Walubengo J 04 Dec '11

04 Dec '11

I was at JKIA cargo this morning trying to get in some cargo. Ofcourse it is still a nightmare operation but eventually I got some Agent to help out and we sat down at his office to key the data into the Kenya Revenue (Simba System). For some reason, his Microsoft-Explorer was giving him some trouble so I told him to just try the Firefox instead. Believe it or not- the KRA system screamed at him and said "YOU CAN ONLY USE MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER ver 6 AND ABOVE!!!!". What?? Folks, if this is not intimidation, tell me what is. Who in the 21st Century writes software ONLY for one platform? Software today should be read from your Windows/Linux/Android/Mac/etc/ Platforms. It should be accessible from your laptop, smart-phone, dump-phone,tv/etc. Now how comes a critical public system is ONLY accessible through Microsoft platform? I am not against Microsoft - I still use alot of it at a corporate level; HOWEVER, we cannot allow a Publicly Procured system to be tied to a single platform.(review procurement rules). I recall one Lister raising this issue 3years ago and I thought it had been addressed! Either the PS Ndemo + eGovt Sec, Dr. Getao helps us out or we task Steve Mutoro to open a file on this issue. Forcing clearing agents to BUY Microsoft products (when they can use a free one) to clear goods for customers is not a proper way of developing a country. walu.

9 14

Invite: Leveraging Information for Prosperity
by Marie-Ann Kinyanjui 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Dear Listers, It gives me great pleasure to announce that our very own Bitange Ndemo has been chosen to feature in a global Smarter Government briefing to talking about Kenya's experiences in using open data and information to deliver targeted services to citizens. If you would like to attend this event, please feel free to register here: http://events.unisfair.com/rt/ibm~opengov?code=salese (Embedded image moved to file: pic51175.gif) (Embedded image moved to file: pic10536.jpg) Fiscal and economic uncertainty is growing. Even as governments scramble to cut costs, they are seeking new recipes to kick-start new economic growth. They may already have one. (Embedded image moved to file: pic62518.gif) A new report on this issue by the IBM Institute for Business Value says that if we think about it differently, "opening up" to leverage information and intelligence might just give governments the opportunity to drive outcomes like innovation, jobs, new economic growth with citizens, while avoiding costs. But "open" can mean something different to each government around the world, and at each level of government. It's time to reset the perspective and "open" for outcomes. Join us on December 14, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. EST, in a webcast where you will hear the highlights from one of the authors. You also will hear from innovative leaders as they share the steps they took to "open up", the results they achieved and lessons they have learned and what they think needs to happen next. Their experiences will enrich the discussion and, we hope, stimulate your own creative actions. (Embedded image moved to file: pic29410.jpg) Please check the registration page for agenda and speaker updates. (Embedded image moved to file: pic08685.gif) Copyright IBM Corporation 2011. All rights reserved. IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com and the Smarter Planet icon are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at "Copyright and trademark information" at ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml. Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.© Copyright IBM Corporation 2011. All Rights Reserved. Kind Regards, Marie-Anne (Kui) Kinyanjui External Relations Specialist IBM Growth Markets Unit, STG Mid-Markets Phone: +254 721 676543 (Embedded image moved to file: E-mail: MARIEKIN(a)ke.ibm.com pic57091.gif)IBM Find me on: (Embedded image moved to file: pic56534.jpg)LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/mkinyanjui (Embedded image moved to file: pic03229.jpg)Twitter: http://twitter.com/KuiKinyanjui

1 0

Resolved: e-commerce; a matter of trust
by robert yawe 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Hi, The issue was resolved promptly, I would like to than George Ikua for his inspiring presentation at the CIO100 Symposium on how social media is changing how business do business. "He who leaves by social media dies by social media" Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 ________________________________ From: Joshua Mwaniki -MiH IA <Joshua(a)mocality.com> To: "robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk" <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Sent: Wednesday, 30 November 2011, 11:56 Subject: FW: [kictanet] e-commerce; a matter of trust Hi Robert I refer to the mail below. I'd like to apologize for the inconvenience. This is actually the first I am hearing of this. I did some basic follow up, and I am told there was a problem with the invoicing. If this was the situation, then I hope you understand that from out Finance departments point of view, they cannot release any payments without receiving any invoice. We have had situations previously that brought up some questions with auditing. If you were not appraised of this in good time, then kindly let me know, so that I can follow up with the responsible people. However, if there is anything else that you think came into play that I may not be aware about, kindly let me know. We strive to ensure that we build a business based on 'good relationships' and this situation is obviously not an example of this. Looking forward to hearing from you. -- Regards, Joshua Mwaniki Country Manager – Kenya |Mocality.com Block C (8), Saachi Plaza| Argwings KodheK Road. (Opp. Radar Security) |Kilimani,Nairobi. +254 733 55 44 88 | +254 701 114 119 Twitter: Mwaniki Skype: Mwaniki 10 From: Muchiri Nyaggah <muchiri(a)semacraft.com> Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:20:40 +0300 To: <joshua(a)mocality.com> Subject: Fwd: [kictanet] e-commerce; a matter of trust Fyi. Sent from my Android device ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "robert yawe" <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Date: Nov 30, 2011 9:07 AM Subject: [kictanet] e-commerce; a matter of trust To: <muchiri(a)semacraft.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Hi, I think many of those promoting e-commerce and related solutions are doing the initiative a disservice by by being transparent and trustworthy actions that we keep us aware from fully exploiting the opportunities that keep presenting themselves. I recently interacted with a site called Mocallity both as a vendor and consumer of the their deals (a product similar to groupon) unfortunately the experiences have left me with a sour taste in my mouth. If anyone our there knows how to get in touch with the managers/owners of Mocality please forward this on to them before the issue blows out of proportion and rubbishes the gains we have made so far in e-commerce. Vendor - I used the service to promote a seminar I was ran about 2 months ago, the response was impressive as I got 11 registrations, unfortunately I am yet to receive the payments from Mocality even though they received payment from the participants on registration for the seminar. Things have gotten so scary now that they are not even responding to my emails Consumer issue 1 - I participated in one of the deals and bought tickets for ice skating, they send me confirmation by SMS but when I arrived at Panari to redeem the coupons they insisted that I bring printouts of the coupons. I wonder why send me the coupons details by SMS then still expect me to carry physical coupons. It would be like safaricom sending you a SMS confirming receipt of funds then sending you a cheque to bank by post. We need to either embrace technology wholly as Mama Mboga has or not at all. Consumer issue 2 - More recently I again participated in a deal by Mocality, I must be the sucker for pain, where I bought some glass storage bowls. After the deal closed it took them 3 days to finally deliver them to me but only after 5 phone calls, 10 emails and a post on their website otherwise it would have taken longer. Let us get it clear that e-commerce is commerce and in both cases you need a reliable supply chain system even if what you are supplying is a service. In addition you cannot maintain the brick on mortar mentality when dealing with an online business, in Mocalities case the customer service works from 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday for both voice and email requests. I am generally an advocate of an industries self regulation but when it fails I will not hesitate to pull out the "sirikali tusaidie" trump card. 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/muchiri%40semacraft.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

1 0

International Open Data Day
by Phares Kariuki 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

Come join us for a discussion on Open Data at the Business Lounge on the international open data day, this Saturday, 3rd December, from 9 am to 1 pm. Kenya is the first Country in sub-Saharan Africa and only the second in Africa to launch an open data portal. The opportunity for citizen engagement, government efficiency and for the developer community is huge. How can we take advantage of this opportunity? Come and: - Learn more about open data. - Find out how your local and national government could do more to release open data. - Engage local non-profits and companies in the uses of open data for the products and missions - Meet & network with tons of cool people in Nairobi - Voice your opinion & share your ideas with the people and media attending. - Find out about apps being created, and get to play around with them as well. - Help out with parts of the conceptualization, creation, design, advertisement and testing of apps. - Conduct an open tutorial sessions around using open data,like learning how to customize google maps to show the data you want to show. - Have lots and lots of fun. Thanks! -- Warm Regards, Phares Kaboro Kariuki

1 0

"Nokia boss quits as regional office moves to Jo’Burg"
by Chris Foster 01 Dec '11

01 Dec '11

"Nokia boss quits as regional office moves to Jo’Burg" http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Nokia+boss+quits+as+regio… Seems a shame if this is confirmed to be true. From what I've seen, some of the sucess of Nokia can be connected to it being closely integrated in the region, not only as a sales force, but in pushing locally for appropriate products, marketing, policy and distribution. This seems particularly important in the mobile sector, given the need to be responsive to increasingly strong competition in the region, particularly from emerging Chinese firms. Nokia never had a huge workforce in Kenya, so I'm guessing this is not related to cost cutting, and as the article says, it seems to grow against the grain of other multinationals who are looking to become more connected locally into the Kenyan and regional market. Thanks Chris -- Christopher Foster PhD Researcher, Centre for Development Informatics (CDI) University of Manchester, UK Skype: cgfoster

7 7

Fw: The African Executive Issue 345
by Matunda Nyanchama 30 Nov '11

30 Nov '11

FYI ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: The Editor <editor(a)africanexecutive.com> To: mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 10:28 PM Subject: The African Executive Issue 345 30 - 07 December 2011 Articles in this Issue Write to the Editor Subscribe Now! Unsubscribe Our Contacts - ADVERTISEMENTS - ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE Zambia Constitutional Review: A Reflection President Sata needs to be supported by all Zambians, especially when it comes to the fight against poverty. When he succeeds, we all benefit. When he fails, it is our children who will bear the ills. [Read More] Rusesabagina: Hero or Villain? It is sad to note that someone is given the prize for Human Rights and Justice but those that he “saved and did justice” are ignored. [Read More] Libya: The Tough, Slippery Road Ahead Libyans have a fighting chance to create a new, prosperous and united country. The ball is now in the court of Libyans of all walks of life to make a difference in the transformation of their country. [Read More] Kenya: Why MPs Must be Shown the Door It would be a great idea to begin focusing and helping reform minded Kenyans build credible campaign strategies. [Read More] Ernestina Naadu and Africa’s Expectant Women African cultural superstitions impinge on pregnancy so much so that, “It is believed that witches and evil spirits are capable of stealing the pregnancy or interfering with it. [Read More] Climate Change: Address Neglected Foods Conservation of genetic material good for food security [Read More] Invitation to Political Theory Seminar at Daystar The poor state of theoretical thinking in Kenya has bothered many people. To address this, a seminar will be held at Daystar University in January to April 2012 on African political thought. [Read More] Africa May Not Play China Against the West To escape the recurring episodes of global systems working against Africans; it’s urgent that analysts focus on systems and their impact on local challenges. [Read More] Kenya County Representatives Brainstorm on City Twinning The forum emphasized the need to use twinning for economic benefit rather than ceremonial agreements. [Read More] Domestic Tourism in Mombasa It is ironic that while domestic tourism ought to improve living standards of people in respective tourist circuits, this has not happened in Mombasa. [Read More] Climate Change Debate: Will Developing Nations Lose Out? The Climate change debate should include use of knowledge driven economy as a benchmark to sustainability. [Read More] Zimbabwe 2012 Budget Statement: A Review The finalisation of the securitised lease for A2 farmers will make it easier for farmers to secure lines of credit. [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

1 0

Business Daily Article on Konza City
by Matunda Nyanchama 30 Nov '11

30 Nov '11

Kenya Courts Silicon Valley As It Aims to Become Continent's High-Tech Centre Enjoy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

e-commerce; a matter of trust
by robert yawe 30 Nov '11

30 Nov '11

Hi, I think many of those promoting e-commerce and related solutions are doing the initiative a disservice by by being transparent and trustworthy actions that we keep us aware from fully exploiting the opportunities that keep presenting themselves. I recently interacted with a site called Mocallity both as a vendor and consumer of the their deals (a product similar to groupon) unfortunately the experiences have left me with a sour taste in my mouth. If anyone our there knows how to get in touch with the managers/owners of Mocality please forward this on to them before the issue blows out of proportion and rubbishes the gains we have made so far in e-commerce. Vendor - I used the service to promote a seminar I was ran about 2 months ago, the response was impressive as I got 11 registrations, unfortunately I am yet to receive the payments from Mocality even though they received payment from the participants on registration for the seminar. Things have gotten so scary now that they are not even responding to my emails Consumer issue 1 - I participated in one of the deals and bought tickets for ice skating, they send me confirmation by SMS but when I arrived at Panari to redeem the coupons they insisted that I bring printouts of the coupons. I wonder why send me the coupons details by SMS then still expect me to carry physical coupons. It would be like safaricom sending you a SMS confirming receipt of funds then sending you a cheque to bank by post. We need to either embrace technology wholly as Mama Mboga has or not at all. Consumer issue 2 - More recently I again participated in a deal by Mocality, I must be the sucker for pain, where I bought some glass storage bowls. After the deal closed it took them 3 days to finally deliver them to me but only after 5 phone calls, 10 emails and a post on their website otherwise it would have taken longer. Let us get it clear that e-commerce is commerce and in both cases you need a reliable supply chain system even if what you are supplying is a service. In addition you cannot maintain the brick on mortar mentality when dealing with an online business, in Mocalities case the customer service works from 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday for both voice and email requests. I am generally an advocate of an industries self regulation but when it fails I will not hesitate to pull out the "sirikali tusaidie" trump card. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

1 0

The 2012 World Conference On International Telecommunications: Another Brewing Storm Over Potential UN Regulation Of The Internet
by Alice Munyua 29 Nov '11

29 Nov '11

Dear all, Something for us to consider. The International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) forms a binding international treaty under the International Telecommunications Unions (ITU)and go back to the early days of the ITU when there were two separate treaties, dealing with telegraph and telephone. The ITRs were adopted, as a single treaty, at the World Administrative Telegraphy and Telephone Conference held in Melbourne, 1988 (WATTC-88). The ITRs can be amended through a World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and the next amendment is scheduled for 2012. Before then a process of review of the ITRs, which began in 1998 continues. The ITR comprise 10 articles, which deal with definition of international telecommunication services, cooperation between countries and national administrations, safety of life and priority of telecommunications and charging and accounting principles. The adoption of the ITRs since 1988 is often taken as the start of the wider liberalisation process in international telecommuniactions and so a very important process for the ICT sector. The ITU plenipotentiary approved aWorld Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) and the Council constituted an expert group (council Resolution 1312) to pursue PP Resolution 146 (Antalya 2006) among others. While its quite a complex legal/political process, (well at least to me) our liberalisation process has led to one of the fastest growing ICT markets and wee therefore need to engage in this process. Below is an interesting article from a legal perspective. Best Alice http://www.whoswholegal.com/news/features/article/29378/the-2012-world-conf… The 2012 World Conference On International Telecommunications: Another Brewing Storm Over Potential UN Regulation Of The Internet Ambassador David A Gross and Ethan Lucarelli of Wiley Rein LLP consider the possible effects of the renegotiated UN International Telecommunication Regulations. Ambassador David A Gross and Ethan Lucarelli, Wiley Rein LLP Ambassador David A Gross and Ethan Lucarelli, Wiley Rein LLP Once again, many companies in the telecoms and information and communications technology (ICT) sector are facing the spectre of a United Nations agency (in this case the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)) regulating critically important aspects of the internet as well as substantially expanding its jurisdiction over the telecoms and ICT industries. It is important that telecoms, technology, and ICT lawyers, consultants, and advisers -- both in-house and outside -- carefully monitor the domestic and international preparations by governments leading up to this major international treaty conference as it will potentially have a material impact on companies throughout the entire sector. Specifically, in December 2012, the ITU will be holding a major treaty-writing conference in Dubai that many countries would like to use to significantly expand the jurisdiction and legal authority of the ITU, even potentially giving this United Nations agency greater influence over internet governance as well as major telecoms issues such as accounting rates and termination charges for next-generation networks, data privacy, cybersecurity, international mobile roaming, and equipment specifications. For more than two decades, the story of global economic policy has been one of promoting competition and increasing liberalisation across various industries, especially the telecoms and internet sectors. Today, however, significant government and civil society support is developing for a different policy outlook. Driven largely by the global financial troubles of recent years together with persistent concerns about the implications of the growth of the internet for national economies, social structures and cultures, some governments and others are now actively reconsidering the continuing viability of liberalisation and competition-based policies. The ITU's World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) could signal a shift in the regulatory paradigm on both the international and national levels. At the conference, a major 1988 treaty known as the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) will be renegotiated. Some within the ITU and among its 193 member states would like to see major changes to the treaty, particularly with respect to the internet as well as wireless, IP-based, and next-generation networks, which have historically been mostly free of intrusive economic and other regulation. Stating his belief that a substantial expansion of the scope of treaty is necessary, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré recently asserted that "[w]e need updated ITRs because without them we risk the collapse of the ICT networks which underpin all communications technologies, including the internet." Other countries, however -- notably, the United States -- believe instead that the WCIT should adopt only minor changes to the ITRs as necessary to modernise the existing provisions of the treaty, and that new provisions and authorities are unnecessary. Because of the ITU's international visibility, decisions made at the conference could signal to both domestic regulators and other international intergovernmental organisations that a move toward more intrusive economic and other regulation is appropriate. It seems fair to say that the decisions made by governments at WCIT will help define the international regulatory environment for the internet and telecoms in the 21st century. THE ITU AND THE INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATIONS The ITU, established more than 100 years ago, is a specialised agency within the United Nations that focuses on telecommunications and ICT. The ITU allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develops technical standards to promote interconnection and technical interoperability, and works to improve telecommunications access for underserved communities. The ITU has historically disclaimed any authority to regulate domestic telecommunications, clearly recognising in the ITU Constitution the "sovereign right of each state to regulate its telecommunication." While the ITU has a limited scope of regulatory authority over international radio-communication issues, it also adopts recommendations on a wide range of topics and facilitates the adoption of international treaties. ITU recommendations do not have the force of law, but rather set forth suggested regulations and requirements for national regulatory authorities. These recommendations address standardisation, economic and technical issues. By distinction, international treaties are generally binding law for all nations that are signatories to the treaty. The ITRs are a binding 1988 treaty that established important general principles relating to international telecommunications services and transport, interconnection and interoperability of telecommunications facilities, and accounting and settlement of international voice traffic between administrations. While the ITRs provide a general framework for mutual agreements between countries regarding the exchange of telecommunications traffic, the ITRs also allow for private agreements between non-governmental organisations (e.g., telecommunications carriers). This is the typical method for most agreements for the exchange of international traffic today. THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS Since the ITRs were adopted in 1988, the international telecommunications marketplace has experienced rapid technological change, the development of competitive and liberalised markets, and the privatisation of national telecommunication service providers. As a result, in December 2012, the ITU will host the World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai to revise and modernise the treaty for the first time since its adoption. So far, there is no international consensus about the scope of appropriate modifications to the treaty. For some governments, the WCIT presents an opportunity to significantly expand the jurisdiction and role of the ITU into previously unregulated, lightly regulated or domestically regulated aspects of the emerging digital economy. Some of the proposed changes to the ITRs could position the ITU as a supra-national regulator and require signatory nations to enact conforming domestic laws. ITU Secretary-General Touré has asserted that the recent problems in the financial and banking sectors were caused by "inadequate regulation and regulatory supervision" and he has called for the international community to agree to "a framework that will avoid any catastrophe" in the telecoms sector. Participation will be limited to representatives of national governments. However, private sector entities generally have opportunities to help inform the policymaking in advance of the conference, such as through meetings with individual governments, participation in working groups or preparatory meetings, and appearances before international or regional organisations. Many governments allow members of the private sector to be on their national delegations to ITU conferences. PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ITRS Typically, international telecommunications issues such as international mobile roaming, internet peering, and internet governance are handled today through a combination of negotiated agreements between private parties, bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, and non-governmental technical or civil society organisations. Some countries, however -- particularly within the developing world -- object to the current situation on the grounds that the system does not pay sufficient regard to their economic and other needs, that it disproportionately favours major international telecom and technology companies, and that the United States government has too much direct influence in decision-making. To address these perceived inequities, several new provisions and modifications for the ITRs have been proposed: /Internet management/ Several countries have proposed to move oversight or "control" of aspects of the internet and internet development from the non-governmental multi-stakeholder mechanisms such as ICANN and replace them with the ITU. /Internet charges/ Some governments would also like the ITU to play a greater role in regulating peering, termination charges for data traffic, and other internet-related rate issues to, among other things, potentially lower certain internet backbone costs and to capture for domestic coffers some of the value of international VoIP services entering their countries. /Mandated application of ITU recommendations/ The ITU has issued non-binding recommendations on topics ranging from accounting rates and tariff issues to the construction, installation and protection of telecommunications cables, to the power flux density of wireless transmitters. While these recommendations are only advisory at the moment, some proposals could transform some or all of these recommendations into mandatory treaty provisions with the force of law. /International regulation of roaming/ The ITU currently does not have legal authority to directly regulate either retail or wholesale international mobile roaming rates, but WCIT could expand the ITU's authority over international roaming, especially regarding wholesale rates. /Cybersecurity/ Some countries are seeking to include cybersecurity and cybercrime provisions into this treaty so that the ITU can impose new regulations and establish itself as the organisational home for international cybersecurity policymaking. Included within this could be broad new data privacy, spam, and child protection regulations. /Developing country issues/ Some developing world countries suggest that the ITRs be modified to allow them to charge carriers from the developed world higher rates. In addition, some countries also would like to modify the ITRs to lower the costs for developing world countries when they bargain with commercial carriers for international telecoms and internet services, as well as to ensure "transparency" for retail and wholesale prices and quality of service. These and the other changes proposed in the WCIT preparatory process could greatly expand the scope of the ITRs and grant the ITU substantial new regulatory powers, thereby radically changing the regulatory landscape. The effects of these revisions could affect the fundamental economic structure of the entire ICT sector. For example, making the ITU Recommendations mandatory would effectively supersede established industry practice and domestic regulations with respect to core aspects of equipment design and network operations. Similarly, proposals related to how companies can collect and use customer data, cybersecurity, or child protection would interject an international intergovernmental organisation into the relationship between service providers and their customers. Additionally, the combined effect of the proposals would be to bring under ITU authority the core functions of many established and effective international non-governmental organisations such as IEEE, ISOC, ICANN, and W3C, particularly with respect to the design of systems and infrastructure, the development of protocols, and the management of domain and numbering resources. /Other Proposals for Increased International Regulation of the Internet/ Perhaps even more significant than the specific reform proposals being considered in the run up to the WCIT is what these proposals represent in terms of the broader regulatory paradigm. The outcome of the 2012 WCIT may signal to regulators on both the international and national levels what the appropriate role of government should be in the 21st century regarding the internet and telecoms generally. Governments, particularly in the developing world, could interpret the introduction of new interventionist regulations through the ITRs as signalling that increased regulation of the ICT sectors is appropriate, which could ultimately hinder investment and competition in these markets. Indeed, discussions regarding international internet policymaking are already gaining momentum within the UN and various other international forums. Some of these proposals are more specific than others, and they each have different likelihoods of producing real results, but taken together, they demonstrate the widespread attention these issues are receiving by governments around the world. To illustrate: /India's proposal for a new UN agency/ In late October 2011, India submitted to the UN a proposal for the establishment of a new mechanism for internet-related public policy activities to be called the United Nations Committee for Internet-Related Policies (CIRP). As proposed, the CIRP would oversee the bodies responsible for operational functioning of the internet and global standard setting, as well as crisis management and international public policy matters. /International Convention on Cybercrime/ Russia has long sought UN action regarding cybersecurity and internet-transmitted information. In September 2011, Russia, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan submitted to the UN General Assembly a proposal for the adoption of an International Code of Conduct for Information Security. Among other things, this Code would commit signatories to cooperating in "curbing the dissemination of information that incites terrorism, secessionism or extremism or that undermines other countries' political, economic and social stability." /World Technology Policy Forum/ In 2013, the ITU will convene the 5th World Telecommunication/Information and Communication Technology Policy Forum to discuss internet issues related to the ITU's involvement in internet-related public policy. Unlike the WCIT, this Policy Forum will not create binding international treaty documents, and therefore it may be a more comfortable forum for some of these discussions. /London Conference/ In early November 2011, the United Kingdom hosted an international Conference on Cyberspace in London, which emphasised the development of uniform international norms for private and governmental behaviour online. This conference is expected to become an annual forum for policy discussions among high-level ministers and other governmental representatives, with meetings already being planned for the next two years. Despite the broad and dramatic scope of various governmental proposals -- which could affect core aspects of running an ICT, telecoms, or internet-based business -- the WCIT preparatory process is not receiving sufficient attention from most businesses and others. The WCIT could lead to new regulations governing how these businesses are run and how such businesses may interact with their customers, partners, and vendors, as well as how they can innovate and provide new and improved services. Moreover, because of the implicit attacks on established mechanisms of internet governance, the WCIT has the potential to destabilise and politicise standardisation processes and the management of the internet architecture in a way that could also hinder innovation and efficiency. Many national delegations are interested in hearing the concerns of industry and others. Interested companies and other groups should take steps to monitor the conference preparatory processes and should be on the lookout for opportunities to inform and influence the debate. --

1 1

[AfriNIC-announce] Alice Munyua Winner of the NI&I Service Award!!
by Alice Munyua 29 Nov '11

29 Nov '11

Dear Colleagues and friends, Sincere thanks for the congratulation messages and good wishes. It is an honor to have been selected for this award and I thank you for the support. Best regards Alice Munyua

1 0

Konza City in 48 months
by robert yawe 29 Nov '11

29 Nov '11

Hi, Here is why with the help of the Chinese we can have the Konza Technology City operational in 48 months http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FynWETakS9U Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

3 3