Blessed new month!
Kindly find comments, with thanks!
Blessed day.
Regards/Wangari
Re: [kictanet] Day 3 of 3: 2016 ICT Year in Review
Feedback - Information Infrastructure Issues
Thanx Bomu, Wangari, Rop, Barrack, Wambui and others for your
reactions...the floor is actually open for belated reactions on previous
thematic areas, just keep the subject line in context.
Today we share the feedback on the last thematic area :- Information
Infrastructure as given below.
a) 86% of the respondents felt that government
digitization (Huduma Centers, eCitizen portal, etc) program has been useful to
a very large extent. 12% felt it was moderately useful with a very small
minority1.5 thinking it has not been useful.
The usefulness is
undoubted when you look at access, possibly when you compare with a past when
it was not as efficient.
Kenya has won awards
and honourable global recognition for some of the initiatives such as Huduma
Centers.
Let us move the
discourse forward now. Is this the best there is?
- Could we define a
future then gauge from it
- What other practices
are there in other countries
- How is the business
and technical community riding on this “like over the top services”
Areas to interrogate;
- Local supply
- Local labour
What are the declared hidden
costs;
- The user pays the fee
for the service
- There is an
administration fee e.g business name search went higher.
What are the undeclared
hidden costs;
- Buy a phone that is
compliant
- The user absorbs the
other hidden costs – internet bundles, cybercafé charge – cybers charge Ksh
200-500 to assist with PIN registry plus cybercafé per minute charges
- Centralised services
away from our local chiefs means transport costs
- These undeclared
hidden costs are poverty propagators – the well to do seeking for efficiency
may not feel the pinch loudly, what of the hard-pressed?
- Who is benefiting – Phone
companies, ISPs, local cybers
b) 48% of the respondents felt that the
digitization of government operations has gone to the other sectors to a
moderate extent. 30% felt this cross-sector absorption of ICTs has not really
happened while 10% feel it has to a very large extent.
A wholesome survey on the national state would aid
to respond to this with affirmative
- This is where CSOs plug in and conduct a neutral
survey
PR is important
- Discussions in public recently were on how IFMIS
is said to propagate fraud by senior officials – Governors who define
mwananchis mindset a lot. Leaders should be held accountable
c) 52% of the respondents felt that the local
content industry has NOT been well supported. 34% felt it has been moderately
supported while only 8% felt it has been supported to a very large extent.
We need a shared
appreciation of local content – and to broaden the scope
- This has been taken
to be for TV, Radio mainly in the arts. - This would elicit heavy emotions versus
rationalisation
- Universities and higher level institutions can take this one
d) 70% of the respondents felt that the issue of
information security has not been adequately addressed. 25% thought it had been
moderately addressed while only 4% felt it had been addressed to a very large
extent.
This must get into the Internet Governance
conversations
- Lack of security or protection negates and reduces the
thrust of ICTs driving the economy
God is merciful to us certainly because the day “said
fraudstar types” descend, Kenyans are in trouble
- As a general public, awareness on security even
physical security is not an every day factor
- This makes digital security a farfetched subject
to most
- Until money is involved
- Data is conceptual
Private sector as the provider of services must be
increasingly liable to protect its customers. Consumers trust that the producer
is in the market and certified because they offer a good product – which includes
protection from all harm
- Might this be a factor in increase in cost of
some services
- Consumer education should be reinforced. By
Government, CSOs and private sector – the way a product/service is broadcasted,
the dangers should be highlighted too
d) The following were
mentioned as key info-infrastructure interventions that have not been
addressed/misaddressed:
Misguided/aggressive e-Content regulation maybe
counter-productive to local content industry. Security surveillance without
Data Protection Act is counter-productive. The Government Shared Service
concept still not effective, particularly at County levels. Expand eGov
Services to be accessible thro USSD, Improve the user-interface on most
Government websites, enhance cyber security and offer public awareness programs
on the same.
The detailed report is attached and we have until tomorrow mid-day to
close this up.
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Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa - "Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth".