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Creation of digital citizens database overdue
by Victor Kapiyo 05 Jul '18

05 Jul '18

A recent article by Dr. Ndemo in the dailies today states that "The Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications announced at the American Chamber of Commerce meeting in Gigil last week that plans are at an advanced stage to capture biometric data of all Kenyan citizens within the next few months." https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/columnists/Creation-of-digital… I am worried about these plans by the GoK. I dunno about y'all. *Victor Kapiyo* Partner | *Lawmark Partners LLP* *Suite No. 8, Centro House, Westlands, Nairobi | **Web: www.lawmark.co.ke <http://www.lawmark.co.ke> * ==================================================== *“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” Zig Ziglar*

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Africa Domain names
by Peter Wakaba 05 Jul '18

05 Jul '18

Listers, came across this.... *PRESS RELEASE* *Af Proxy Services Relaunch - A Boost For (Dotafrica) .Africa Resellers* *AF Proxy Services Ltd platform to provision .africa domain names and to participate in growing the African digital economy* PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, July 5, 2018/ -- Registrars and/or Resellers (RaRs) that are not ICANN-accredited but wish to provision dotAfrica (.africa) domain names can now do so by simply becoming a reseller on the AF Proxy Domain Name Registration Platform. African RaRs do not have to undergo the expensive and time-consuming ICANN accreditation process in order to sell dotAfrica domain names. AF Proxy ( www.Proxy.Net.za) registration services allows non ICANN-accredited RaR/Resellers to seamlessly integrate with its relaunched AF Proxy Services Ltd platform to provision .africa domain names and to participate in growing the African digital economy. “AF Proxy Services Ltd is itself accredited by ICANN, making its relaunched proxy platform a true plug-and-play solution for African RaRs wanting a low-cost retail route without the need for complicated development work,” said Lucky Masilela, AF Proxy Services Ltd CEO. This exciting and enabling domain name registration outlet was relaunched at the Africa DNS Forum organised by AfTLD in Cotonou, Benin, this week. This is an annual forum attended by leading African domain name industry stakeholders. “Our dynamic and intuitive registrar website and reseller-based administrative portal was developed/designed to improve the reseller experience,” says Mr. Masilela . Delegates attending the DNS Forum in Cotonou also noted that the dotAfrica extension, which is Africa’s new home on the World Wide Web, recently passed the 16 000 domain name registration milestone. “No doubt, *AF Proxy* has opened up a whole new reseller market, which is expected to deliver more excellent results over the coming years following this most recent upgrade,” says Mr. Masilela . The benefits of the .africa domain name for brand owners and other .africa domain name holders include showcasing the brand and its commitment to the continent. In addition, .africa can help brands to establish a home for Africa-specific products and services while expanding the brand's regional influence. The acquisition of valuable online real-estate in a fast-growing and high-potential market can also be achieved with a .africa domain name. Mr Masilela added that the AF Proxy platform will also enable RaRs/Resellers to provision the ZAdotCity domain names of dotjoburg, dotcapetown and dotdurban. Briefly, the *www.AFProxy.africa* <http://www.AFProxy.africa> domain registration platform allows a non-ICANN Accredited Registrar to integrate with its domain management system to provision domain names in the dotAfrica gTLD and the ZAdotCity domains using the default Proxy Registrar. “All users of the AF Proxy service become resellers of AF Proxy Registrar which is a smart solution aimed at boosting new dotAfrica gTLD domain name registrations,” concludes Mr Masilela. *Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ZA Central Registry.* *Media Contact: * Name: Kgomotso Mosenogi Title: Head of Corporate Communications Email: Info(a)AFProxy.africa / CorporateComms(a)AFProxy.africa -- *Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up, it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a gazelle or a lion. When the sun comes up, you better start running. - In "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman.*

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Sh4.7 billion health data technology in limbo
by Grace Bomu 05 Jul '18

05 Jul '18

Listers, Trending story that raises among other questions: health data without data protection laws; the status and utility of NOFBI and of course, public spending. -------------------------------------- A local IT firm is on the spot over delayed implementation of the country’s Healthcare Information Technology system, 10 months after it was awarded the contract at a cost of Sh4.7billion. Seven Seas Technologies is unable to explain their inability to complete a multi-billion shilling project that sought to centralise data centre at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to senior officials at the Ministry of Health. Senior ministry officials have downplayed the matter, although medics at the radiology department decry work inefficiencies occasioned by system installation delays. Read on here <http://A local IT firm is on the spot over delayed implementation of the country’s Healthcare Information Technology system, 10 months after it was awarded the contract at a cost of Sh4.7billion. Seven Seas Technologies is unable to explain their inability to complete a multi-billion shilling project that sought to centralise data centre at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to senior officials at the Ministry of Health. Senior ministry officials have downplayed the matter, although medics at the radiology department decry work inefficiencies occasioned by system installation delays.> -- Grace Mutung'u Skype: gracebomu @Bomu PGP ID : 0x33A3450F

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Fwd: [programme-announce-il] ** INVITING APPLICATIONS for the 2018 Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Programme **
by Barrack Otieno 04 Jul '18

04 Jul '18

Listers, For your information, attention and action. Regards ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Niel Harper <harper(a)isoc.org> Date: Mon, Jul 2, 2018 at 11:23 PM Subject: [programme-announce-il] ** INVITING APPLICATIONS for the 2018 Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Programme ** To: "programme-announce-il(a)elists.isoc.org" < programme-announce-il(a)elists.isoc.org> Dear All, The Internet Society is inviting applications for its 2018 Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). IGF Ambassadors will gain valuable insight and experience through their exposure to a range of stakeholders and discussions from numerous disciplines across the Internet ecosystem, and ultimately benefit from their immersion in the IGF week of activities. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups as equals, in discussions on public policy issues relating to the Internet. While there are no negotiated outcomes, the IGF informs and inspires those with policy-making power in both the public and private sectors. At their annual meeting delegates discuss, exchange information and share good practices with each other. The IGF facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise. *2018 IGF AMBASSADORS PROGRAMME* Ambassadorships will be awarded through a competitive application process. The current selection round is for the following: *** **13th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), November 11-14 November, 2018 in Paris, France *** *INFORMATION AND APPLICATION LINKS* Information about the IGF Ambassadors programme and the application links for First-Time and Returning Ambassadors can be found at the below link: https://www.internetsociety.org/leadership/igf-ambassadors/ *SELECTION TIMELINE* *2 July, 2018* Open Call for Applications *22 July, 2018* Close Call for Applications *3 August, 2018* Notify Successful Candidates I encourage you to apply for this opportunity or pass this information about the programme to individuals in your network that have a keen interest in the Internet governance and policy activities of the IGF. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Niel Harper at *harper(a)isoc.org* <harper(a)isoc.org>. Regards, ----------------------------- *Niel Harper* Director, NGL & Fellowships Internet Society 1775 Wiehle Avenue Reston, VA 20190 Email: harper(a)isoc.org Skype: OlokunBB Follow us on Twitter @ISOC_NextGen <https://twitter.com/ISOC_NextGen> _______________________________________________ Programme-announce-il mailing list Programme-announce-il(a)elists.isoc.org https://elists.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/programme-announce-il -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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The Sixth Africa DNS Forum to take place in Cotonou, Benin www.dnsforum.africa
by Barrack Otieno 03 Jul '18

03 Jul '18

Listers, On 3-5 July, the sixth Africa DNS Forum <https://dnsforum.africa/> will take place under the theme “Building a Sustainable Domain Name Industry in Africa” in Cotonou, Benin. The Forum is co-organized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Africa Top Level Domains Organization (AfTLD <http://aftld.org/#&panel1-1>), and AfRegistrar <http://afregistrar.org/>. It will be hosted by the Regulatory Authority of Communications Electronics in Benin (ARCEP <https://www.arcep.fr/>). This year's forum follows on the success of the preceding forums, held in Durban, South Africa (2013), Abuja, Nigeria (2014), Nairobi, Kenya (2015), Marrakech, Morocco (2016), and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2017). Over the past six years, the Africa DNS Forum has become an important annual event, bringing together regional players and world experts in the DNS field to share experiences, best practices, and provide updates on developments in the domain industry. This year's three-day event builds on the takeaways from the previous one, and addresses key issues that directly concern the regional industry. Among this year's topics are data protection and privacy, registry and registrar platform development, Internationalized Domain Names and Universal Acceptance initiatives in Africa, and investment opportunities in the Africa DNS industry. Moreover, on 6 July, the African Internet community will celebrate 20 years of Internet Governance in Africa <http://internethistory.africa/>. Representatives of ICANN leadership as well as the Internet pioneers of Africa will come together for the celebrations in Benin, twenty years after the first African Internet Governance Forum was held in Benin in 1998. The anniversary will be marked by a day-long event themed “An Efficient Governance of Internet in the Service of Africa Development.” Representatives of ICANN, Internet Society (ISOC), local governmental authorities, United Nations Development Programme, Internet pioneers of Africa, and more will be partaking in the event. For more information on the event, visit www.internethistory.africa. The first week of July will allow the regional Internet stakeholders to celebrate and reflect back upon the journey of the Internet in Africa, and discuss ways to improve the Internet penetration rates, online business opportunities, and participation in the global Internet Governance across the continent. We look forward to both events that will give us the opportunity to once again convene with our African stakeholders. For registration and more information on the Africa DNS Forum, visit www.dnsforum.africa. Kindly note that you can participate remotely. Best Regards -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254733206359 Skype: barrack.otieno PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

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Young Scientists Kenya: INVITATION: YSK NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION; 5TH & 6TH July 2018, KICC TSAVO BALL ROOM
by WANGARI KABIRU 02 Jul '18

02 Jul '18

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The Economist: Netflix lessons to The FAANGS
by WANGARI KABIRU 29 Jun '18

29 Jun '18

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#copyfighters
by WANGARI KABIRU 29 Jun '18

29 Jun '18

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Google to sign Internet balloon deals with Kenya telcos - Business Daily
by Ali Hussein 28 Jun '18

28 Jun '18

Listers This is a welcome development. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Google-to-sign-Inte… Google to sign Internet deals with Kenya telcos Wednesday, June 27, 2018 9:10 By IVY NYAYIEKA Visitors stand next to a high altitude WiFi internet hub, a Google Project Loon balloon, on display in Christchurch, USA. The project aims to bring Internet to global populations currently without web access. AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE Technology giant Google is looking to sign deals with Kenyan telecommunications operators that will deliver mobile internet coverage to remote locations through a network of floating balloons that could also significantly cut costs. Google, through its Project Loon, has embarked on a global campaign to increase internet connectivity among the millions of people living in rural areas without ground stations and fibre connections. Kenya’s Ministry of ICT welcomed the move arguing that an aerial network would bring down costs and deepen internet use across all segments of the population. “It is companies such as X [formerly Google X] that innovate and provide solutions that benefit our city. We welcome the use of high-altitude balloons to create an aerial wireless network that offers real benefits to consumers,” said principal secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Sammy Itemere. The PS, who was speaking during the opening of a workshop to sensitise stakeholders on the balloon technology, said the balloon network with up to 4G-LTE speeds, would help Kenya multiply ICT’s impact on the economy. A 2017 report by Jumia and GSMA mobile found that 67 per cent of Kenyans can access the internet, mainly using mobile devices. This was above Africa’s 18 per cent average. Loon balloons are less expensive to install than communications satellites and are known to offer stronger internet connectivity. This potentially means a huge reduction in the cost of internet connection for telecoms operators - a benefit that may trickle down to users. The balloons enable the nearest telecommunications partner’s ground station to receive the wireless internet signals that are then transmitted across the network of balloons and then back down to users’ mobile phones on the ground. Each balloon can cover up to 5000 square kilometers and uses only renewable energy. Google said it has deployed 10 balloons for testing in Nakuru, Nanyuki, Nyeri and Marsabit. Locally, Telkom said it has been in consultation with Project Loon but no partnerships have been confirmed. “Telkom has not yet deployed any service on this solution as we are still in discussions with the team from Loon to conclude on potential partnerships and synergies, using their solutions,” George Mlaghui, the chief corporate communications officer at Telkom said in a statement. Yesterday, it emerged that there is anxiety over the safety of the unmanned Loon balloons given the incident at the end of last year, when a balloon that was being navigated to land in a sparsely populated area landed on a farm in Meru. Globally, balloon crashes have occurred in nearly 10 countries, including Panama and the USA. Project Loon has however been lauded for its role in providing internet to disaster-stricken areas. Notably, it partnered with AT&T to provide coverage to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. It also worked with the Peruvian government and Telefonica when floods destroyed infrastructure in Peru. ICT ministry officials said the balloon technology would complement the national fibre network that has been laid out in all counties, and which they are working on further extending to sub counties. READ: Kenya tops in phone internet traffic globally Tech start-ups, telcos unite to spread innovation gains Ali Hussein Principal AHK & Associates +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle Sent from my iPad

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Fwd: Conference Announcement
by John Gitau 28 Jun '18

28 Jun '18

Good day All It gives me great pleasure to announce that SAFNOG-4, in collaboration with EANOG (East Africa Network Operators Group) and tzNOG (Tanzania Network Operators Group), and hosted by TISPA (Tanzania Internet Service Providers Association) will be held between the 24th - 29th September, 2018, in the warm and sunny city of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.. What is exciting about this year's SAFNOG meeting is that it will be partnering with EANOG and tzNOG, to include both plenary and workshop sessions during the week, as part of the agenda. The main plenary meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dar Es Salaam hotel between 24th - 26th September, while the the workshop will be held at the Bank of Tanzania building between 26th - 29th September, 2018. Details about the event registration and agenda will be made available at these locations: - *www.safnog.org* <http://safnog.org> - *www.tznog.or.tz (to be updated)* <http://www.tznog.or.tz/> - *www.eanog.org (to be updated)* <http://www.eanog.org/> Please mark your calendars. SAFNOG, EANOG, tzNOG and TISPA look forward to seeing you in Dar Es Salaam. Cheers, John Gitau -- **Gitau

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