#KeIGF15 Online Discussions Day One: Inclusiveness and Diversity
Listers, Since promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has become a litigious society, and the ICT/Internet sector has not been spared. For instance, the processes used to constitute public ICT bodies was contested while a good part of the digital migration process also played out in the public galleries. Looking at Kenya's past journey in ICT/Internet governance, has it been inclusive? Are we presently adhering to Article 10 on public participation in local Internet governance matters? Do the present mechanisms facilitate meaningful participation of all including those with disabilities? What are the roles of the various stakeholders and are they all playing their roles? Is the ICT environment in Kenya inclusive—that is, with an atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and have access to the same opportunities? What is the state of Universal Access and implementation of Universal Service Fund in Kenya? Are the USF Council members representative of the Internet community in Kenya? Are all stakeholders' interests taken into consideration in forming the USF council? Welcome to the discussion. -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu
Many thanks Grace, On the topic of inclusiveness and diversity, i think there is need for the community to go back to the drawing board. We have had parallel initiatives by different players in the sector that are meant to strengthen the local Internet Community resulting in duplication of efforts and misinformation. I think there is need for a local calendar outlining key events by all stakeholders in the Internet Community to ensure there is proper participation where possible as per our constitutional requirements. It would also be good for our Ministry of Information and Communication and the Communications Authority to have Stakeholder engagement personnel who provide constant updates to the community and participate in online debates highlighting government positions. Best Regards On 7/20/15, Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Listers,
Since promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has become a litigious society, and the ICT/Internet sector has not been spared. For instance, the processes used to constitute public ICT bodies was contested while a good part of the digital migration process also played out in the public galleries.
Looking at Kenya's past journey in ICT/Internet governance, has it been inclusive?
Are we presently adhering to Article 10 on public participation in local Internet governance matters? Do the present mechanisms facilitate meaningful participation of all including those with disabilities?
What are the roles of the various stakeholders and are they all playing their roles?
Is the ICT environment in Kenya inclusive—that is, with an atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and have access to the same opportunities?
What is the state of Universal Access and implementation of Universal Service Fund in Kenya?
Are the USF Council members representative of the Internet community in Kenya? Are all stakeholders' interests taken into consideration in forming the USF council?
Welcome to the discussion.
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu
-- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/
Thank you Grace and Barrack for this important topic. I will start by sharing the sentiments of the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi. http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Kenyans-must-be-involved-in-all-process... The speaker lamented that public participation ... and consultation in matters of national building are either not happening, or not enough. "citizens wanted to be consulted on everything being done on their behalf by their leaders and that transparency was not optional", he said. As it stands, the Communications Authority of Kenya is in limbo after the court threw out the sitting board pending appeal. Is it possible that there was proper consultation by the Ministry and Cabinet Secretary of ICT, but some people did not feel their "interests" were covered well enough and opted to run to the courts? Well, being a member of the CA board may attract bigger allowances, probably the reason why the litigants did not bother with the important Universal Service Fund (USF) Council. The USF is supposed to be the ultimate inclusiveness and diversity tool when it comes to offering a semblance of uniform communication services to all Kenyans may it be radio, postal, telecommunications or cyber services. I am yet to see any report on how the USF Council has contributed to bridging the digital divide using the funds at their disposal. A little history here will help. The Universal Service Advisory Council (USAC) was entrenched in the Kenya Information and Communications act (1998) to advice the then CCK and give policy guidance in the implementation of the USF. The term of the first USAC expired in January 2014, and a new Council put in place from May 2014 to May 2017. I understand there are a few pilot projects that have been setup across the country by the USF, but we would like to see a report on the same from the said Council, and probably measure the effectiveness of these projects. There is also the issue of "Multi-stakeholder-ism", how is it playing out in our ICT landscape? Does the word make any sense to the different stakeholders? How are partnerships forged between say government and business community or academia? Well, I have seen many initiatives in the country where the different stakeholders have partnered and blended really well to transform the society. A good case is our celebrated ICT hubs especially in Nairobi ... iHub, iLab, C4Dlab, Nairobi Garage, e.t.c. where businesses have partnered with the government and academia and the technical community to give our youth hope and opportunities in life. "The Kenyan Dream". Truly, multistakeholderism can work. We only need to put more effort, and recognise the important role eac stakeholder plays. Sincerely, ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya "There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson
Hi Grace B Let me respond on two questions you have raised. On Kenyans being litigious: IMHO many people opt for litigation (which is tiresome and wastes alot of time) if they feel they have no other option(s) to discuss their issue(s). And this may be one way of putting checks on systems. What we should be asking though is, has this been the only way to resolve conflicts in this sector? And if so, why? Did people feel that there was no room to discuss their concerns? And is it possible that there are other forms of conflict resolution that were not considered? Would bringing the complainants onto the table for some negotiation have forestalled the court cases? And how should we take things forward? Article 10 of Kenya's Constitution places people at the heart of policy making processes. And lets be fair. CA has for example been buying space in newspapers to call on this or that input, and ICTA has infact on several occasions posted the calls on our lists. However, the call for public participation stops there! There is usually no interaction afterwards. And this is a weakness. We therefore need a framework that clarifies on this public participation process. The framework should for example map how views and ideas suggested are reflected in an outcome document of a policy process. If views/suggestions from certain stakeholders are not taken on board, then legitimate reasons for their lack of incorporation (either grounded in law or offensive to public morality) should be provided. This is to avoid suspicion and a feeling from concerned stakeholders who feel the need to participate legitimately in a process, that their time was not wasted and that those calling for public participation were not just giving lip service to article 10 of our constitution. RgdsGG Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 08:59:37 +0300 Subject: [kictanet] #KeIGF15 Online Discussions Day One: Inclusiveness and Diversity From: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke CC: nmutungu@gmail.com To: ggithaiga@hotmail.com Listers, Since promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has become a litigious society, and the ICT/Internet sector has not been spared. For instance, the processes used to constitute public ICT bodies was contested while a good part of the digital migration process also played out in the public galleries. Looking at Kenya's past journey in ICT/Internet governance, has it been inclusive? Are we presently adhering to Article 10 on public participation in local Internet governance matters? Do the present mechanisms facilitate meaningful participation of all including those with disabilities? What are the roles of the various stakeholders and are they all playing their roles? Is the ICT environment in Kenya inclusive—that is, with an atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and have access to the same opportunities? What is the state of Universal Access and implementation of Universal Service Fund in Kenya? Are the USF Council members representative of the Internet community in Kenya? Are all stakeholders' interests taken into consideration in forming the USF council? Welcome to the discussion. -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ggithaiga%40hotmail.co... 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.
Thank you all for your input. I understand that we are still in transition to the new constitutional dispensation but sometimes one gets the feeling that we could do better as a nation, that we could establish norms that would serve us well into the future. In the ICT sector, we had already established consultation as a norm even before the new Constitution. I guess the question is how we can have more meaningful participation. I think one practical way is to avail information to citizens so that they can have what it takes to play their part. @GG, Generally, it is not a bad thing to have matters interpreted in court as it creates jurisprudence for use by later generations. For example, we now know who is eligible to serve in boards of public bodies thanks to the CA cases. (No, it is not the lawyer in me speaking here). However, court processes tend to be adversarial, time consuming and sort of lock out participation by non parties. We could explore non court means of dispute resolution. BTW, does anyone have information/statistics on how the ADR by KENIC has been working? @Meshack, you make a good point about participation and devolution. This is an area with great opportunities for engagement with citizens. I see individual leaders at both national and county level engaging with their "people" on social media about topical issues, but it is yet to catch on as a corporate culture by county government structures. @ Barrack, I agree that participation is so important there should be staff dedicated to engaging the public. Perhaps this is a proposal we can suggest to stakeholders at the IGF? @Mwendwa, could there also be a lack of awareness or information on USF/USAC? Maybe if we had an idea about the projects and activities, we may be able to appreciate the fund.... Regards, 2015-07-21 5:38 GMT+03:00 Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga@hotmail.com>:
Hi Grace B
Let me respond on two questions you have raised.
On Kenyans being litigious: IMHO many people opt for litigation (which is tiresome and wastes alot of time) if they feel they have no other option(s) to discuss their issue(s). And this may be one way of putting checks on systems. What we should be asking though is, has this been the only way to resolve conflicts in this sector? And if so, why? Did people feel that there was no room to discuss their concerns? And is it possible that there are other forms of conflict resolution that were not considered? Would bringing the complainants onto the table for some negotiation have forestalled the court cases? And how should we take things forward?
Article 10 of Kenya's Constitution places people at the heart of policy making processes. And lets be fair. CA has for example been buying space in newspapers to call on this or that input, and ICTA has infact on several occasions posted the calls on our lists. However, the call for public participation stops there! There is usually no interaction afterwards. And this is a weakness. We therefore need a framework that clarifies on this public participation process. The framework should for example map how views and ideas suggested are reflected in an outcome document of a policy process. If views/suggestions from certain stakeholders are not taken on board, then legitimate reasons for their lack of incorporation (either grounded in law or offensive to public morality) should be provided. This is to avoid suspicion and a feeling from concerned stakeholders who feel the need to participate legitimately in a process, that their time was not wasted and that those calling for public participation were not just giving lip service to article 10 of our constitution.
Rgds GG
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 08:59:37 +0300 Subject: [kictanet] #KeIGF15 Online Discussions Day One: Inclusiveness and Diversity From: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke CC: nmutungu@gmail.com To: ggithaiga@hotmail.com
Listers,
Since promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has become a litigious society, and the ICT/Internet sector has not been spared. For instance, the processes used to constitute public ICT bodies was contested while a good part of the digital migration process also played out in the public galleries.
Looking at Kenya's past journey in ICT/Internet governance, has it been inclusive?
Are we presently adhering to Article 10 on public participation in local Internet governance matters? Do the present mechanisms facilitate meaningful participation of all including those with disabilities?
What are the roles of the various stakeholders and are they all playing their roles?
Is the ICT environment in Kenya inclusive—that is, with an atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and have access to the same opportunities?
What is the state of Universal Access and implementation of Universal Service Fund in Kenya?
Are the USF Council members representative of the Internet community in Kenya? Are all stakeholders' interests taken into consideration in forming the USF council?
Welcome to the discussion.
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ggithaiga%40hotmail.co... 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.
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu <http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu>
On 21 July 2015 at 08:51, Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
@Mwendwa, could there also be a lack of awareness or information on USF/USAC? Maybe if we had an idea about the projects and activities, we may be able to appreciate the fund....
Probably that is the case. Of course it's the work of CA and the USAC to drum it's functions, and achievements to the general public. For example, Vision2030 secretariat always ensure there is publicity for any infrastructure project in Kenya by putting a huge billboard where such events are happening. Before USAC post their achievements, let me post what is available in the 2014 annual report from CA. http://ca.go.ke/images//downloads/PUBLICATIONS/ANNUALREPORTS/Annual%20Report... 5.2Universal Access Pilot Projects In preparation for the implementation of the USF, the Authority has undertaken a number of pilot projects including: Schoolbased ICT centres, Community ICT access points, ICT centres in learning institutions for persons with disabilities, Web Portal for persons with disabilities and E-Resource centres in KNLS community libraries. The pilot projects act as test beds for future implementation of a national rollout. 5.2.1 Persons with Disabilities During the year under review, the Authority continued to support the following ICT centres in learning institutions for persons with disabilities namely: • Kibos Special School for the Visually Impaired • Joyland Special School for the Physically Disabled • Kuja Secondary School for the Hearing Impaired • St Lucy School for the Visually Impaired • Mombasa Secondary School for the Physically Disabled • Thika High School for the Blind • Rev Muhoro School for the Deaf • Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind 5.2.2 ICT Centres The Authority continued to facilitate the provision of maintenance service for school-based ICT centres and Community ICT access points namely: Mashuuru Secondary School, Kitundu Telecentre, Sirisia Telecentre, Sabatia Telecentre, Wiyumiririe Secondary School and Kamunyaka Kiumu Secondary School. 5.2.3 E-Resource Centres The Authority supported the establishment of E-Resource Centres in 10 community libraries managed by the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) in the FY 2012/13. It also supported the provision of internet connectivity to these centres during this period. The performance of this pilot phase has provided the Authority and the KNLS with adequate lessons for future implementation of similar initiatives in other community libraries. Regards ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya "There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson
GG You raise an important issue regarding the framework and process of public participation and engagement. I sometimes get the distinct feeling that we pay lip service to this important aspect of our new constitution. A few examples:- 1. Notices for important public discussions being sent out 48 hours before the event. Almost as if whoever does this wants to give as short a notice as possible so that you can have as little participation as possible. 2. Zero follow up after the engagement. Or when there's follow up you get the distinct feeling that the engagement was just for cosmetics. 3. Major engagements where only the 'politically correct' are involved. My take is that Multi Stakeholderism is like the bitter pill that one needs to take to cure an ailment and once taken its easier on the body and your health dramatically improves. Ali Hussein Tel: +254 713 601113 On Jul 21, 2015 5:38 AM, "Grace Githaiga via kictanet" < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Hi Grace B
Let me respond on two questions you have raised.
On Kenyans being litigious: IMHO many people opt for litigation (which is tiresome and wastes alot of time) if they feel they have no other option(s) to discuss their issue(s). And this may be one way of putting checks on systems. What we should be asking though is, has this been the only way to resolve conflicts in this sector? And if so, why? Did people feel that there was no room to discuss their concerns? And is it possible that there are other forms of conflict resolution that were not considered? Would bringing the complainants onto the table for some negotiation have forestalled the court cases? And how should we take things forward?
Article 10 of Kenya's Constitution places people at the heart of policy making processes. And lets be fair. CA has for example been buying space in newspapers to call on this or that input, and ICTA has infact on several occasions posted the calls on our lists. However, the call for public participation stops there! There is usually no interaction afterwards. And this is a weakness. We therefore need a framework that clarifies on this public participation process. The framework should for example map how views and ideas suggested are reflected in an outcome document of a policy process. If views/suggestions from certain stakeholders are not taken on board, then legitimate reasons for their lack of incorporation (either grounded in law or offensive to public morality) should be provided. This is to avoid suspicion and a feeling from concerned stakeholders who feel the need to participate legitimately in a process, that their time was not wasted and that those calling for public participation were not just giving lip service to article 10 of our constitution.
Rgds GG
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 08:59:37 +0300 Subject: [kictanet] #KeIGF15 Online Discussions Day One: Inclusiveness and Diversity From: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke CC: nmutungu@gmail.com To: ggithaiga@hotmail.com
Listers,
Since promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has become a litigious society, and the ICT/Internet sector has not been spared. For instance, the processes used to constitute public ICT bodies was contested while a good part of the digital migration process also played out in the public galleries.
Looking at Kenya's past journey in ICT/Internet governance, has it been inclusive?
Are we presently adhering to Article 10 on public participation in local Internet governance matters? Do the present mechanisms facilitate meaningful participation of all including those with disabilities?
What are the roles of the various stakeholders and are they all playing their roles?
Is the ICT environment in Kenya inclusive—that is, with an atmosphere in which all people feel valued and respected and have access to the same opportunities?
What is the state of Universal Access and implementation of Universal Service Fund in Kenya?
Are the USF Council members representative of the Internet community in Kenya? Are all stakeholders' interests taken into consideration in forming the USF council?
Welcome to the discussion.
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ggithaiga%40hotmail.co... 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.
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Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com
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.
participants (5)
-
Ali Hussein -
Barrack Otieno -
Grace Githaiga -
Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) -
Mwendwa Kivuva