Hi Muthoni,

This also addresses the Senate query posted by Liz Orembo concerning how our industry can help with emergencies such as the pathogenic one we are in right now. Will try to summarize some thoughts in one long paragraph :)

Energy (to power the internet) is connected to water infrastructure (cooling data centres). Data centres (even in a single container) require physical planning (national & county level approvals always require kickbacks). County offices have been burning (arson - evidence destruction/ data protection). Schools are under counties, therefore ward level internet infrastructure (providers) also needs protection. Community policing (public participation) is required. Technology to enable public participation (including online learning) is not being prioritized until now. Local radio stations may be the most important but are not enough. Infrastructure to download recorded (digital) data should be available in all public schools.

https://www.govtech.com/em/safety/Arson-Homeland-Security.html

Now think of all the on going criminal cases in Kenya relating to the above, sure to be delayed/destroyed in our courts. In this decade, will we "succeed" like in the past 5 decades in fighting AGAINST (transparency, education) in Kenya? Remember these 2012 threads? Bitange Ndemo at his best!

http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2012-January/015115.html - enjoy - over 10 pages - clicking next "thread"

On Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 12:17 AM Dorcas Muthoni via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

Hi John,

Thanks for mentioning the other pioneers I may have missed. Big thanks to them too.

Regards, Muthoni

On Sat, 4 Apr 2020, 20:05 John Kariuki, <kariuki_jn@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Muthoni,

I agree with you on the need to consider Internet as a Public Utility. It is not difficult to implement it. It is not expensive either. Bundles will never fully meet users needs for internet service. Remember the cost curve of ICTs. Regarding the beginning of internet in Kenya in the early nineties, there was some work done by USAID (Leyland Initiative) lead by John Mark though not often acknowledged. Even more work was done by African Online. It is worth checking on it.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Sat, Apr 4, 2020 at 16:53, Dorcas Muthoni via kictanet
<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

Hi all,

This is an article I wrote recently: http://www.afchix.org/blog_post/internet-should-be-public-utility/

Happy to here your thoughts.

The regulatory framework needs to be future looking. The COVID-19 situation is bringing us back to the table to revise what we otherwise thought was reasonable use and penetration of the Internet in Kenya and across Africa.

Good time to revive like APC, KICTANET etc to revisit policy advocacy on universally accessible and affordable Internet access. Internet should be considered as critical as other services like water, electricity, sewerage etc.

We all know the school calendar is in total jeopardy and talks on having kids repeat 2020 on the table.

Universally accessible and affordable Internet access is what will give us a continuity strategy for education and support telemedicine. These are some of the areas where growth must happen.

Regards, Muthoni
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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.