Wainaina, The issues are several but lets not muddy the waters by mixing up separate, distinct and in some of the ones you have listed misinterpreted issues to revert back to what the opponents of accountability and transparency did when they rushed in to silence, resulting in a very energised thread on issues that some feel very strongly about. Naturally some will share the same views as those below and others will disagree:
A: That the PS (I&C) announce that policies shall be developed in an open, transparent and consultative manner. He also must organise a forum to kickstart non-emotive talks by mid-November.
PS Ndemo so far has defended his proposal and has not yielded an inch. The PS does not appear willing to incorporate alternative views into policy making, and has not indicated the way forward as yet. We thank him for responding however and ask him to remember that he serves the greater Kenyan public not foreign interests and in that light his proposal should be shelved for the sake of public input. Your suggestion is appropriate and the PS could also borrow a leaf from CCK who engage in wide reaching public consultations that invite parties to provide views in writing while also publishing them before policies changes are implemented. On a matter so critical as changes in local ownership reductions to ZERO percent wider public consultations should be held or in the alternate the cabinet and parliament can define this policy on behalf of all Kenyans. As a public servant the PS is duty bound to represent all Kenyans and not selective groups of Kenyans or foreigners (a matter that would run afoul of the law -- Public Officer Ethics Act).
B: That PS Ndemo resigns and is replaced with a person of your choice.
Nobody has clearly called for PS Ndemo's resignation, if Ndemo has received a specific request to do so he should let the public know. The executive arm of government makes appointments to the office of the PS, lets not twist issues of accountability and transparency into matters of partisan politics. We want a better Kenya than that, not a Kenya where one's own is the only acceptable choice regardless of whether one can carry out the job or not. Naturally if public servants feel that they are unable to serve the Kenyan public without favour and not just foreigners and special interests then they should make honourable decisions on whether to continue with that office or not. We are simply asking PS Ndemo to act in the interests of ALL Kenyans and not to do by assumption, to respect and uphold the rule of law so as to help Kenyans fight the rotten culture of impunity and to carry out the duties of his office diligently and to the best of his abilities. Naturally doing so does not grant one a licence to act as one deems fit while forgetting who one works for.
C: That the Econet licence, Kencall licence and related MoUs, contracts signed by PS (I&C) be cancelled.
1. The Econet licence was cancelled by the Minister for I&C. Econet went to court in an attempt to overturn the decision and failed when the High Court through Justice Ibrahim Mohammed made a final ruling in the matter see HC1640/2004. The Econet licence was cancelled and thus remains cancelled as upheld by a court of law. We must respect our institutions, our laws and the judiciary if we hope to bury the rotten culture of acting with impunity kwenye kaburi la kusahau. 2. Kencall obtained its licence legally. It is not operating under the false pretence of operating on a valid licence that was cancelled. Kencall has helped put Kenya on the BPO map. Opportunities or relaxations in policy available to Kencall should also be availed to Kenyans serious about building our economy. There is no quarrel with Kencall from this quarter on this, there may be in others. To thwart further speculation PS Ndemo should name the foreign characters who have been meeting him in his office under circumstances that would amount to blackmailing a government official into submitting to their demands. 3. The MoUs are the matter of a tribunal appointed by the President. PS Ndemo and the Minister for Energy have not told Kenyans of the extent to which Kenyans were committed to. The MoU should be publicly made available and released. The case of MOUs with foreigners, just shows that the PS and other government officials are putting foreigners ahead of Kenyans. Is PS Ndemo willing to sign an MOU with Kenyans promising to work towards increasing their local ownership percentages in ICT firms? I think not, we should not be accountable to foreigners and fail to be accountable to our fellow citizens. Does the MOU Ndemo sign grant Kenyans preferential access to Libya's ICT sector? Kenyans want to know what is in this MOUs which by all indications to date are lop sided and favour foreigners and their nations. 4. Contracts or agreements signed under false pretences should be cancelled. In any case they are invalid under laws of the land as pertains to cancelled documents by public authority. The matter of an agreement that claimed to settle out of court a case that was already out of court before the sham agreement by way of a FINAL ruling should not be misused to subvert the rule of law and our judiciary. We must put a STOP to the culture of impunity and rampant disregard of the law and judiciary. If a public servant is sacked for upholding the rule of law, let it be so, Kenyans will respect them for standing up for what is right.
D: That all stakeholders Govt., KICTANET, KIF, CA, etc organise an "ICT Investment" policy forum to be held in Nairobi around mid- November 2008.
5. Agreed to in principle, all stakeholders including public and the Diaspora should be formally invited. The policy forum should also involve friends of Kenya who realise the value of having Kenyans having increased ownership in the ICT sector more so fellow Africans who are investing in our economy. However Kenyans must drive the discussion, the PS should come to the forum with an open mind ready to incorporate the views of Kenyans.
I hope this shall help us focus on defining and achieving a common goal so that we desist from personal attacks on integrity, racial profiling and so on...
Some of us obviously feel very impassioned and disturbed at the sheer nature of PS Ndemo's bulldozed actions. Personal and other attacks will not help us define proper policy, let us respect one another going forward. I have to agree with you on this point and ask the self appointed censors of non-concurring opinion to take note of what their actions exacerbated. Asante. Peterson
Good day, Wainaina
Edith,There are some useful lessons - but these lessons do not include:
1. How to give away your national treasures - like bandwidth - to foreign entities just because they say they can not do any business with local entrepreneurs. In fact I know this for a fact, you would never get a license to operate in UAE if this was your argument. Further to this lesson I would like to point to these additional countries that would laugh you out of town if you made that argument - US (some businesses like Airline, Military and Defense, Telecommunications (not ISP), Radio & TV), India, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the whole of Middle East, South Africa, Japan (especially Japan)
2. How not be conned. Kenya seems to heading there with its eyes opened. When a man approaches a woman, it would be a very stupid woman, who knowing what a man is capable of, to accept the BS that the man is feeding her. And if she does then she deserves what she gets. Kenya will get what it deserves and very soon. A good example is Russia and its oligarchs - all members of the Forbes Richest.
3. Great leadership is necessary to grow a country. A leadership with intestinal fortitude to say no under pressure. Top to bottom,
4. That the local mwananchi can invest in their own country and manage its growth
5. That a great nation looks upon its diaspora to grow it - a la Israel and India
6. That a great nation does not wait to be raped twice - We seem to be following a process that will guarantee our raping despite how Kenyan some members of this committee think they are. Its just a matter of time before they pick up their bags and leave. I really do not think that as a national planner I should be putting my eggs in that basket.
Joe
On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 4:55 PM, <eadera@idrc.or.ke> wrote:
Anyone has taken the time to thoroughly study the secret behind Dubai's tremendous growth? (U.A.E in general). There are some useful lessons!
---- Original Message ---- From: j.maina@ymail.com To: eadera@idrc.or.ke Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: PS Ndemo, ECONET Scandal aand
Vested
Interests Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:03:50 -0700 (PDT)
Lizette
I think that you have racially inclined your mind.
When did KENCALL directors become Kenyans? After getting good friends to bribe their way to this country. And let me tell you that the money the so called investors are using are Kenyan money not money from foreign banks.
They have come and borrowed from Kenyan banks. How much does
most profitable telecomms companies leave in this country, very small amount. We have Telecomms companies which are on their marks. They have very inferior systems and dont actually deliver in service but make billions and run away with the billions.
Dada Lizette, we know that there are Kenyans who are white,
black coloured and all but know that I am a mixed race Kenyan and really sad when our brotehrs have to suffer because of bad policies from people like PS
JM
----- Original Message ---- From: Lizette Kraft <lfkraft@gmail.com> To: j.maina@ymail.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 1:52:07 PM Subject: [kictanet] Fwd: PS Ndemo, ECONET Scandal aand Vested Interests
Just my two pennies worth here.
Kenya is not an Island that it can survive on its own even
local investment. Most times we dont have the funds. I do agree though about the Government and banks not supporting local investors with loans etc. They must start giving them the opportunity to setup local expertise and turn them in money making ventures, if only they wouldn't fleece their own companies. Even America, the giant needs investors!!! You all have a valid point but use it for the best interests of Kenya and its people first and foremost. Not just self interest for the few. And by the way Kenyans come in all shapes, sizes, COLOURS, and creed. So please don't generalise who is kenyan and who is not!!! Kencall directors and owners are Kenyan and not outsiders if I understand correctly. When we are taxed whether individually or coorporately, the money is used for Kenya and Kenyans and not for outsiders who invested! Forcing local partnership in foreign owned companies has
its negative and positive effects. This needs to be look at more seriously to make it a win-win situation. It has been known in the past that foreign investors with forced local partnership have been subjected to threats and intimidation by the local partners when they wanted more than
fare share, (given to them mind you). Thus the weariness o
of being forced now. This does not attract any investor. But
On 10/16/08, Joseph Manthi <jmanthi@gmail.com> wrote: the through their the
foreigners should not fleece the country either!
Let us have some constructive critisism without being
racially inclined. Fight to make things right no matter what but without pinpointing nationalities or colours of people.
On 10/7/08, John Maina <j.maina@ymail.com> wrote: http://www.wananchiforums.com/showthread.php?p=3150#poest3150
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