Hey Dorcas, Thanks for capturing the spirit of the moment. The B.O.D meeting is in just under 3 Hours. Let's hope all is well, and good tidings will come from the briefing we anticipate after they conclude. Good to note, as Njeri (Rionge) mentioned earlier, we keeping in touch. Let's not relent.. Thanks.. Harry _____ From: kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Dorcas Muthoni Sent: Friday, January 22, 2010 10:56 AM To: harry@comtelsys.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICANN meeting and security concerns I have read that the Jamaican cleric has finally been deported. I have no experience with ICANN meetings but i believe the Kenyan organizing committee can be proactive around these circumstances and provide a joint statement with Kenya security agencies, hotels, government etc on how they will support the ICANN meeting from a security perspective. Perhaps provide a feed during this board meeting to have a Kenyan word on the table. We have nothing to loose in being proactive to keep the meeting in Nairobi but showing teamwork with all parties. On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 10:30 AM, Wamuyu Gatheru <wamuyulearn@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: This security issue and the meeting is multifaceted. However, security assessments are often made in regard to context (i.e Adam's question if Friday and worse will recur). I think the answer to that question, in regard terrorists, would be similar in any country. The probability is 50:50. Europe got a bomber on a US bound flight...No one, anywhere in the world, can be guranteed that a terrorist will not strike them. The Kenya govt., long before ICANN Nrb plans, has been working closely with Americans on terrorism - so intelligence is as good as it can be. There are broader issues here that make Kenya a very weak partner to ICANN. A board meeting is being planned to discuss security in Kenya and the input of local organisers is not central to that meeting. This is an unfair set up that is likely to work against the meeting being held in Nairobi. This naming and numbering institution needs to be democratised so that all players have equal power. Then no one will be threatening to cancel a meeting (without good and objective reason) where govt agencies (who already have enough to do) are already in planning mode. rgds, Wamuyu _____ From: Adam Peake <ajp@glocom.ac.jp> To: wamuyulearn@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wed, 20 January, 2010 16:50:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICANN meeting and security concerns At 12:36 PM +0000 1/20/10, Grace Bomu wrote:
This would be unreasonable. There are many high profile meetings going on in Nairobi despite our insecurity problems. In addition, conference tourists who come to Nairobi venture out to social spots in search of entertainment on their own. It is a high time we got more reps into the decision making organs of ICANN. Any Kenyans running?
On 1/20/10, alice@apc.org <alice@apc.org> wrote:
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ICANN meeting and security concerns
20 01 2010 By rebecca wanjiku Comments: 0
Available in: English
In March 2008, Nairobi was supposed to host Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meeting. This is a huge meeting, ICANN uses about $ 2 million for these meetings, am sure you know what it means for the economy.
But the events that followed the 2007 elections meant that the meeting was cancelled, it was such a shame but that was understandable; after all, you do not want the people who control internet resources to fall into the
of rival tribal gangs or to be caught in the cross fire.
After another round of presentations last year, the Kenya delegation led by Kenic and the Communications Commission of Kenya was able to convince
ICANN community that Kenya is safe enough, and they agreed to host the meeting this March.
We have been busy sweeping the roads and upgrading the hotels just to make sure that the most important ICANN community is happy, but they have never been, and I do not think they will ever be, if you ask me. I have been talking to sources within the organizing committee and ICANN has always had one niggling problem after another.
Last Friday's fracas with the muslims seems to have tipped the balance; ICANN now is contemplating moving the meeting to another safer city.
But if you ask me or any other ordinary Kenyan, I think ICANN does not understand the country and how it operates. Since 1998, Kenya has never been secure, according to US and UK embassies, yet its their installations
make us targets.
For whatever reasons, the country has always been rated poorly security wise, but which city is safe? New York? J' Burg? Cairo? Cassablanca? Am sure this is open to debate.
I think ICANN has its double standards; if they were truly concerned about the security, the meeting in Seoul would not have taken place; South Korea is always under alert because of North Korea nuclear intentions.
The meeting in Mexico city would not have gone on, after all every one
is said to carry a gun and the senior executives within ICANN membership were at risk of kidnappings. But the meetings took place.
So, why all the security farce about Nairobi?
I would love to point out a similar incident during the 2005 or around
Cricket world cup, where New Zealand forfeited their match with Kenya in Nairobi because of security situation. Sri Lanka agreed to play their match in Nairobi provided they were given top notch security, the government obliged.
By the time the plane carrying the Sri Lanka cricket team entered the Kenyan air space, they were escorted by helicopter gunships and all the other stuff you see in the movies. But Sri Lanka soon realized that no one was bothered with them; we whipped them and by the time they were going back to the airport, they took taxis and realized that no one cares.
In short, ICANN should know that they will come, they will hold their meeting, they will go away, and no one will probably remember they were here. How many people know about ICANN and what it does? How many people know that the people present are online millionaires?
ICANN has made demands that the meeting be moved to the UNEP Complex in Gigiri, and that the government should pay for all the charges bla bla... I think this is a move to alienate themselves from the ordinary kenyans. Getting to Gigiri is hectic let alone getting through the mean UN security staff.
Trust me, I have had my share of security incidences in Nairobi, but I do not think its worth canceling a meeting.
From my sources, I am told the government is paying for the gala dinner and all that, in other countries, ICANN has paid for that. So I think this is just a way for ICANN to make their demands and demonstrate their authority.
I am not saying that security measures should be ignored, but just know
poor security rating means more hardship allowance for the UN and embassy staff, so its in their interest to show Kenya on fire all the time.
One thing you should know that Kenya is a highly political company, all year round, stupid politics and we the media love it and exalt it, so deal with that. When you come and when you go, we will remain the same, and it does not mean ICANN will change anything, so get over it.
By the way, most people who will come will be holed up in lavish 5-star hotels where the thugs will not reach. The insecurity problem is for
like us who will have to walk home and deal with the neighborhood thugs.
The upshot of it is that ICANN should come, hold their meeting, give us
Grace, Hi. Good idea, and ICANN's nominating committee is taking applications for candidates now <http://nomcom.icann.org/> I too hope the meeting happens. Looking forward to seeing many of you in a couple of months, and hopefully at the KICC or a bar in town, not stuck on a bus for hours on the way to or from the UN :-) How many local people would bother to attend of the meeting was at the UN? Understand from Rebecca's comment it's something like a separate country and a pain to get in. ICANN meetings should be open. That's one of the requirements of the request for proposals for holding a meeting. And I think McTim's right, the host country paying for a gala dinner is another requirement (ICANN picks up the rest of the bill for the meeting, everything from conference rooms to power.) A thought, or really a question about last Friday's disturbances. Were they a one off, or might they happen again? Is this a permanent or semi-permanent change, or will the trouble pass and be over when the Jamaican guy is deported and things calm down? I know this is impossible to answer 100%, and I'm definitely not looking for an official position on this, but what do those of you in Nairobi think? If I were an ICANN board member thinking about the meeting, this might be useful to hear comments on. Adam traps the that there there that people the
revenue, visit Maasai Mara and all the other areas, and go home. I am sure there will be enough cops guarding everywhere.
So, insecure or not, I think the meeting should go on. If you guys are not convinced, then you can move the meeting to wherever you want!
Ends
by rebecca
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