Hi and thans for signing me onto this mailing list.
I want to support the sentiments of Walu with regard to broadening the policy discussion and turning the focus of FOI away from the media-government nexus. We must refocus the whole purpose to emphasize the place of FOI in human and people�s rights.
Media only ride on the basic right of each Kenyan to access any information that affects or influences their ability to fully enjoy their rights. That would include information held by non-governmental actors as well as government � industries that release pollutants into water or air or fail to disclose harmful ingredients in their products; NGOs that handle funds in the names of communities or fail to make honest disclosure of the purpose for which they ask communities for data; government agents holding information that affects an individuals land rights, health rights, right to justice etc.
When we curtail the discussion to media rights then we short-circuit the possibility of enabling people to see the broad contribution that such legislation could make to our progress as a country and we encourage the resistance to this bill.
Rose Lukalo-Owino
From: joseph kihanya <kihanyajn@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Kenya ICT Action Network - KICTANet <kictanet@kictanet.or.ke>
To: rlukalo@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 3: What Policies should inform the FOI?
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 06:21:40 -0800 (PST)
Hi,
Thanks Walu.
Between my Intro and your post I think that is the summary for the day!
Alex, I am making a comment on your post too.
Oh well, day 4 approaches.
All the three days themes are open to all until friday when I must summarise al comments to present on Tuesday 20th .
Kihanya
----- Original Message ----
From: John Walubengo <jwalu@yahoo.com>
To: kihanyajn@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 3:42:08 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 3: What Policies should inform the FOI?
Thanx Kihanya for your efforts. Indeed this is a fairly
un-convential topic in that it has no obvious or immediate
financial connotations - hence the slower responses...
But back to my contribution. I think the policy informing
the Freedom Of Information bill should look towards
empowering the citizens through facilitating their access
to knowledge/information. We need to think through how our
collective data regarding our heritage, history, social and
economic transactions can be harnessed and made to serve
the common good.
I know this bill has tended to create controversy because
it has often been looked at in the narrow terms of the Govt
vs the Media i.e. Media seeks info visa-vis Govt sits on
Info. True, this could be one of the issues but it should
not limit our scope because the bill should be a reflection
of broader policy issues that touch on different data
sitting on various platforms such as (Private) Media
Broadcasters, Mobile service providers, ISPs, eBankers,
etc.
How for example can KTN be asked to share (or sell) their
valuable film clips to the Kenya Archives dept? How can the
East African Standard avail their 100years+ data to the
public? When or Why should Safaricom/Celtel divulge the
SMS transcript of a certain subscriber to the Police, to
the Media or the Private Investigator? What kind of data
security standards and practices should we place for
critical and national data stores such as KRA, KPA,
Immigration, etc? What of the Certification Authority (CA)
providers that are likely to play a cenral role in a future
eCommerce environment, how will they collect, protect and
avail their data?
So I think these are some of the Policy issues that need to
be thrashed out in the process of coming up with the final
FOI bill.
walu.
--- joseph kihanya <kihanyajn@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I trust we may now move on to day 3. Those with comments
> still on day 1 and 2 can still do so.
> The themes were...
>
> Day 1: Why Freedom of Information (FOI) Act?
> Day 2: What are the current modalities for accessing data
> held by Data Handlers (Govt or Private Sector)?
>
>
> Today's topic really looks as to waht should be the basic
> reasoning behind the FOI policy and hence law.
>
> The principles listed hereunder have been recognized by
> Article 19 ( an international organizatioin dealing with
> freedomm of te press and related issues) as what should
> guide the FOI laws(policy).
>
> � PRINCIPLE 1. Maximum disclosure
>
> That the law should seek this as its underpinning
> philosophy.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 2. Obligation to publish
>
> That there should be an obligation to publish and
> requests should be for non-crucial/ essential / bulky
> information.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 3. Promotion of open government
>
> That the law should promote / recognise the importance
> of open government.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 4. Limited scope of exceptions
>
> That the exceptions should be clear , precise and
> allowable in a democratic society/ i,e should not take
> away what the law seeks to grant.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 5. Processes to facilitate access
>
> Clear processes for request should exist.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 6. Costs
>
> These should be kept at a minimum for the public has
> already paid for the creation of the information through
> taxation.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 7. Open meetings
>
> Other than informnation, there should bea promotion of
> open dialogue at decsion making level.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 8. Disclosure takes precedence
>
> The tests that are to be applied by the commssioner and
> the appeal tribunal should seek disclosre unless the
> exceptions and the public interest demand otherwise.
>
> � PRINCIPLE 9. Protection for whistleblowers
>
> That those who disclose information that is in the public
> interest, inspite of the exceptions should not be
> victimised/ should be protected.
>
>
> Lets go!
>
> Kihanya
>
>
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________________
> Finding fabulous fares is fun.
> Let Yahoo! FareChase search your favorite travel sites to
> find flight and hotel bargains.
> http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet@kictanet.or.ke
> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> Please unsubscribe or change your options at
>
http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com
>
____________________________________________________________________________________
Get your own web address.
Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business.
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains/?p=BESTDEAL
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@kictanet.or.ke
http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kihanyajn%40yahoo.com
____________________________________________________________________________________
No need to miss a message. Get email on-the-go
with Yahoo! Mail for Mobile. Get started.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/mail
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@kictanet.or.ke
http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/rlukalo%40hotmail.com