Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote: From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200 primary school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into... The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more practical and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities. Rgds, Manu "New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction. As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in this country on your three fingers ;-) walu. --- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
“ICT Integration” is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ‘products’ across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today’s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article. http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316 ‘Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.’ Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles. ‘In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers’ In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ‘dangle’ teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes. ‘The entire ICT education is in tatters’ An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ‘implementation dip’ – that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ‘ICT networks’ and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented. Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ‘in tatters’ ‘the situation is bad’, ‘alarmed professionals’ ‘obsolete hardware’ to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational. Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM .....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ...... Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master’s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level. There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore. Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak’s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees. Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security. See http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316& for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary and Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and training the teachers. This in a short period of time. Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month. They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast. They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses. Ikua -- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200 primary school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more practical and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in this country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article. http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316 ?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.? Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles. ?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers? In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes. ?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented. Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational. Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM .....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ...... Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level. There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore. Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees. Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security. See http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316& for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
-----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________
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Listers, Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy. tim mwololo On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary and Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and training the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke>
wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200 primary school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more practical and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in this country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>= education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software? Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens... Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options. Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving officials... --- "Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse. Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928 regards, Alex On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary and Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and training the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200 primary school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more practical and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in this country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based. When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages. This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own. After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages. I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised pertinent issues to chew on. It would be good to comment on issues based on facts. Ek , because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya -----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software? Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens... Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options. Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving officials... --- "Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse. Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928 regards, Alex On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary and Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and training the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200 primary school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more practical and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in this country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based.
When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages.
This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own.
After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages.
I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised
Eunice, Consumer public watchdog role of public offices is called for by the ICT Policy. 9.6 (c) "Consumers and users will be expected to participate in ensuring continued review of Government policy in accordance with technological and consumer trends." I put it that Ndemo and Eunice are playing around with words to conceal and “manage” public perception of what they are actually implementing all while giving lip service support to FOSS, if not using every evidence and opportunity they get to attempt to discredit FOSS and its local ICT entrepreneurs. Ndemo and the Board actually got shs 320 million from the World Bank for proprietary software licenses and surrounding expenses for their projects."Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million" The World Bank required ICT policy (also on software) to be followed. It was not followed and Ndemo's statement “What each party (Proprietary or OSS) does should not concern policy” is thus null and void. Why did they not also have a provision for Open Source Software on the funding proposals? Eunice has questioned my credibility I am therefore providing indisputable evidence-right to reply candidly giving my defense at this public court - interpret below document reference in this context. Excuse me for not sending it onlist but you may also ask the World Bank, if you want. Courtesy of US Freedom of Information Act (governs World Bank information) on 31 July, 2008, I requested and was directed to the complete “KENYA TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (TCIP/CIP 1)” dated 5 March, 2007. Which I read and observed its stated terms of use: “This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. ” ----excerpt----- 25.TCIP contribution to connect Government. TCIP will fund the following: The internal LAN connections in two buildings which are shared with government offices (NSSF and Utalii House) along with their connections to the fiber optics network to serve five small Ministries. This is estimated cost US$1 million. The enterprise software licenses for government staff and the document management system for government records will be procured and deployed in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy, along with the hardware required for storage o f the data. Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million. The project will also fund the software and hardware required for the IP Platform and the Network Operations Center, also in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy. This subcomponent i s estimated at US$7 million. Furthermore, TCIP will fund the training, change management and capacity building which will enable the government to take full advantage o f the internal systems and to ensure that they are professionally deployed and maintained. Considerable resources are required, on the order o f US$4 million. 26.Leveraging other sources of finance. Other development partners have indicated their willingness to fund the National Data Center and the Disaster Recovery Center; it should be noted that success o f the Government o f Kenya’s communication network is contingent on secured funding for all elements described above. 27. T U P Component 2d - Support to the Digital Village initiative – US$lO million TCIP will support the scaling-up of successfully piloted Digital Village initiative. Digital villages are e-centers that provide a suite o f services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure. These services include, but are not limited to: e-mail and internet access; e-banking (e.g., money transfer services such as Posta Pay); eGovernment (e.g., police abstract forms, tax returns, P3 forms, and driving license applications); e- business (e.g., franchised postal and courier services); e-learning; e-health; e-markets (e.g., agricultural commodity pricing and exchange); and e-monitoring *(e.g., real-time local level monitoring of development funds and projects)*. Pilot Digital Villages are run by private entrepreneurs who obtained training in business and information technology from a certified program. This component will support the Government over 3 years to roll out and scale up the successfully piloted Digital Village initiative which aims at providing internet access and e-services at the grassroots level via public-private partnerships. 28.TCIP support to include training, a grant facility, I T support, and internet connectivity. The provision o f training programs in business and information technology from a certified program will be supported by the project (US$2 million). Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Digital Village development loan from a revolving fund: the Digital Village Fund (DVF). The project will contribute US$4 million to the Government funded DVF over a three year period in 3 installments. Although initially envisaged as a grant facility, the DVF could be structured as a revolving fund (the funds allocated to each entrepreneur would be repayable into the DVF over a 3 year period). These funds received by the entrepreneurs will be used to finance set-up costs and the required infrastructure (computers, printers, software etc). The grant facility will be managed by the ICT Board Grant Manager and will follow the governance and disbursement mechanisms set in the Grants Operational Manual (the manual will be formulated as part o f the technical assistance activity specified in l(c) above). Over the first 3 years the project will support the provision o f IT support to Digital Villages (US$2 million) and finance internet connectivity (US$2 million) which are critical to support the incubation o f the initiative and ensure sustainability. Overall it i s expected this project component will support the establishment of 300 Digital Villages over a 3 year period. -- end citation -- Conclusions: 1.Digital Villages funding need not be 'loans' to the entrepreneurs since as 'grants' was provided for. What was the rationale used by the ICT board to decide all Digital Villages funds should be loaned to the entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities? (In as much as it was also provided for) 2. We appreciate the power of Freedom of Information law. 3. I highly doubt Dr. Ndemo's commitment to our Freedom of Information law legislation. 4.It is not proper for the PS to lay claim on “A good policy levels the play ground.” 5.'Problem solving postponement' routine while the PPDA, 2005 law is in place? “That is why we need the procurement rules change to give everybody an equal chance.” is a mere 'perception management' path/decoy. 6.Elsewhere, we strongly differ on ethics as regards Public Office use to promote private interests and own gain. The PS now reportedly appears Safaricom (private mobico) television commercials and obviously “he received something.” He responds saying that he sees nothing wrong with that, “apologies for what?” he asks. 7.If you want to know what local technical community feels of the current ICT leadership in government, a local mailing member recently wrote “Ideas and issues should be floated regularly and resoundingly so that at the end of the day there are no excuses why in some countries you can receive almost all services online while here we fondly believe 'download and print' is e-government. 8.Perhaps the 2006 ICT Policy may have erred in professing Kenya had automagically found High Level ICT leadership and calling for it to be “protected” . Previous ICT Policy drafts lamented absence of high level leadership. 9.Processes and leaderships that suppress (irrepressible) truths only serve to entrench public resentment of government culminating to disasters like early last year's. We should work hard to avoid their repeat.. Above document refers to 300 digital villages and up until Eunice's message the ICT Board training materials developed were proprietary software-base, none were on FOSS. I hope for specific responses to all above issues raised. Gakuru On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM, <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> wrote: pertinent issues to chew on.
It would be good to comment on issues based on facts.
Ek
, because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya
-----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT
courses
It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software?
Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens...
Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options.
Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving
---
"Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse.
Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928
regards,
Alex
On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary
and
Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and
the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200
school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more
and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in
officials... training primary practical this
country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>=
education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke]
On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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Alex, I have never appeared in any commercial in my life. I do not know where this all came from. The only branded T-shirt I wore recently was the Kenya Sevens one while they were playing in Ireland. This was a patriotic gesture. The Kenya Green is not the Safaricom green. On Software, I think FOSS is losing a great opportunity in the one million lap top campaign by focusing on a wrong premise. In any democratic society, you have a right to choose what you want. Government cannot force people to adopt either prorietary software or FOSS. The fat that I use FOSS, I cannot use my office to intervere with other people's liberties. Regards Ndemo.
Eunice,
Consumer public watchdog role of public offices is called for by the ICT Policy. 9.6 (c) "Consumers and users will be expected to participate in ensuring continued review of Government policy in accordance with technological and consumer trends."
I put it that Ndemo and Eunice are playing around with words to conceal and manage public perception of what they are actually implementing all while giving lip service support to FOSS, if not using every evidence and opportunity they get to attempt to discredit FOSS and its local ICT entrepreneurs.
Ndemo and the Board actually got shs 320 million from the World Bank for proprietary software licenses and surrounding expenses for their projects."Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million" The World Bank required ICT policy (also on software) to be followed. It was not followed and Ndemo's statement What each party (Proprietary or OSS) does should not concern policy is thus null and void. Why did they not also have a provision for Open Source Software on the funding proposals?
Eunice has questioned my credibility I am therefore providing indisputable evidence-right to reply candidly giving my defense at this public court - interpret below document reference in this context. Excuse me for not sending it onlist but you may also ask the World Bank, if you want.
Courtesy of US Freedom of Information Act (governs World Bank information) on 31 July, 2008, I requested and was directed to the complete KENYA TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (TCIP/CIP 1) dated 5 March, 2007.
Which I read and observed its stated terms of use: This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.
----excerpt----- 25.TCIP contribution to connect Government. TCIP will fund the following: The internal LAN connections in two buildings which are shared with government offices (NSSF and Utalii House) along with their connections to the fiber optics network to serve five small Ministries. This is estimated cost US$1 million.
The enterprise software licenses for government staff and the document management system for government records will be procured and deployed in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Governments I C T policy, along with the hardware required for storage o f the data. Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million.
The project will also fund the software and hardware required for the IP Platform and the Network Operations Center, also in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Governments I C T policy. This subcomponent i s estimated at US$7 million.
Furthermore, TCIP will fund the training, change management and capacity building which will enable the government to take full advantage o f the internal systems and to ensure that they are professionally deployed and maintained. Considerable resources are required, on the order o f US$4 million.
26.Leveraging other sources of finance. Other development partners have indicated their willingness to fund the National Data Center and the Disaster Recovery Center; it should be noted that success o f the Government o f Kenyas communication network is contingent on secured funding for all elements described above.
27. T U P Component 2d - Support to the Digital Village initiative US$lO million TCIP will support the scaling-up of successfully piloted Digital Village initiative. Digital villages are e-centers that provide a suite o f services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure.
These services include, but are not limited to: e-mail and internet access; e-banking (e.g., money transfer services such as Posta Pay); eGovernment (e.g., police abstract forms, tax returns, P3 forms, and driving license applications); e- business (e.g., franchised postal and courier services); e-learning; e-health; e-markets (e.g., agricultural commodity pricing and exchange); and e-monitoring *(e.g., real-time local level monitoring of development funds and projects)*. Pilot Digital Villages are run by private entrepreneurs who obtained training in business and information technology from a certified program. This component will support the Government over 3 years to roll out and scale up the successfully piloted Digital Village initiative which aims at providing internet access and e-services at the grassroots level via public-private partnerships.
28.TCIP support to include training, a grant facility, I T support, and internet connectivity. The provision o f training programs in business and information technology from a certified program will be supported by the project (US$2 million). Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Digital Village development loan from a revolving fund: the Digital Village Fund (DVF). The project will contribute US$4 million to the Government funded DVF over a three year period in 3 installments. Although initially envisaged as a grant facility, the DVF could be structured as a revolving fund (the funds allocated to each entrepreneur would be repayable into the DVF over a 3 year period). These funds received by the entrepreneurs will be used to finance set-up costs and the required infrastructure (computers, printers, software etc). The grant facility will be managed by the ICT Board Grant Manager and will follow the governance and disbursement mechanisms set in the Grants Operational Manual (the manual will be formulated as part o f the technical assistance activity specified in l(c) above). Over the first 3 years the project will support the provision o f IT support to Digital Villages (US$2 million) and finance internet connectivity (US$2 million) which are critical to support the incubation o f the initiative and ensure sustainability. Overall it i s expected this project component will support the establishment of 300 Digital Villages over a 3 year period.
-- end citation --
Conclusions:
1.Digital Villages funding need not be 'loans' to the entrepreneurs since as 'grants' was provided for. What was the rationale used by the ICT board to decide all Digital Villages funds should be loaned to the entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities? (In as much as it was also provided for)
2. We appreciate the power of Freedom of Information law.
3. I highly doubt Dr. Ndemo's commitment to our Freedom of Information law legislation.
4.It is not proper for the PS to lay claim on A good policy levels the play ground.
5.'Problem solving postponement' routine while the PPDA, 2005 law is in place? That is why we need the procurement rules change to give everybody an equal chance. is a mere 'perception management' path/decoy.
6.Elsewhere, we strongly differ on ethics as regards Public Office use to promote private interests and own gain. The PS now reportedly appears Safaricom (private mobico) television commercials and obviously he received something. He responds saying that he sees nothing wrong with that, apologies for what? he asks.
7.If you want to know what local technical community feels of the current ICT leadership in government, a local mailing member recently wrote Ideas and issues should be floated regularly and resoundingly so that at the end of the day there are no excuses why in some countries you can receive almost all services online while here we fondly believe 'download and print' is e-government.
8.Perhaps the 2006 ICT Policy may have erred in professing Kenya had automagically found High Level ICT leadership and calling for it to be protected . Previous ICT Policy drafts lamented absence of high level leadership.
9.Processes and leaderships that suppress (irrepressible) truths only serve to entrench public resentment of government culminating to disasters like early last year's. We should work hard to avoid their repeat..
Above document refers to 300 digital villages and up until Eunice's message the ICT Board training materials developed were proprietary software-base, none were on FOSS.
I hope for specific responses to all above issues raised.
Gakuru
Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based.
When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages.
This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own.
After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages.
I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised
On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM, <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> wrote: pertinent issues to chew on.
It would be good to comment on issues based on facts.
Ek
, because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya
-----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT
courses
It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software?
Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens...
Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options.
Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving
---
"Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse.
Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928
regards,
Alex
On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary
and
Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and
the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200
school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more
and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in
officials... training primary practical this
country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>=
education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke]
On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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Thanks for such 'espionage' research ;-) ..... I hope Dr Ndemo can respond to each matter raised. That said, it has fueled greater interest in the 'Freedom of Information Act'. What's the status there? Wainaina On 7/4/09, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
Eunice,
Consumer public watchdog role of public offices is called for by the ICT Policy. 9.6 (c) "Consumers and users will be expected to participate in ensuring continued review of Government policy in accordance with technological and consumer trends."
I put it that Ndemo and Eunice are playing around with words to conceal and “manage” public perception of what they are actually implementing all while giving lip service support to FOSS, if not using every evidence and opportunity they get to attempt to discredit FOSS and its local ICT entrepreneurs.
Ndemo and the Board actually got shs 320 million from the World Bank for proprietary software licenses and surrounding expenses for their projects."Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million" The World Bank required ICT policy (also on software) to be followed. It was not followed and Ndemo's statement “What each party (Proprietary or OSS) does should not concern policy” is thus null and void. Why did they not also have a provision for Open Source Software on the funding proposals?
Eunice has questioned my credibility I am therefore providing indisputable evidence-right to reply candidly giving my defense at this public court - interpret below document reference in this context. Excuse me for not sending it onlist but you may also ask the World Bank, if you want.
Courtesy of US Freedom of Information Act (governs World Bank information) on 31 July, 2008, I requested and was directed to the complete “KENYA TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (TCIP/CIP 1)” dated 5 March, 2007.
Which I read and observed its stated terms of use: “This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. ”
----excerpt----- 25.TCIP contribution to connect Government. TCIP will fund the following: The internal LAN connections in two buildings which are shared with government offices (NSSF and Utalii House) along with their connections to the fiber optics network to serve five small Ministries. This is estimated cost US$1 million.
The enterprise software licenses for government staff and the document management system for government records will be procured and deployed in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy, along with the hardware required for storage o f the data. Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million.
The project will also fund the software and hardware required for the IP Platform and the Network Operations Center, also in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy. This subcomponent i s estimated at US$7 million.
Furthermore, TCIP will fund the training, change management and capacity building which will enable the government to take full advantage o f the internal systems and to ensure that they are professionally deployed and maintained. Considerable resources are required, on the order o f US$4 million.
26.Leveraging other sources of finance. Other development partners have indicated their willingness to fund the National Data Center and the Disaster Recovery Center; it should be noted that success o f the Government o f Kenya’s communication network is contingent on secured funding for all elements described above.
27. T U P Component 2d - Support to the Digital Village initiative – US$lO million TCIP will support the scaling-up of successfully piloted Digital Village initiative. Digital villages are e-centers that provide a suite o f services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure.
These services include, but are not limited to: e-mail and internet access; e-banking (e.g., money transfer services such as Posta Pay); eGovernment (e.g., police abstract forms, tax returns, P3 forms, and driving license applications); e- business (e.g., franchised postal and courier services); e-learning; e-health; e-markets (e.g., agricultural commodity pricing and exchange); and e-monitoring *(e.g., real-time local level monitoring of development funds and projects)*. Pilot Digital Villages are run by private entrepreneurs who obtained training in business and information technology from a certified program. This component will support the Government over 3 years to roll out and scale up the successfully piloted Digital Village initiative which aims at providing internet access and e-services at the grassroots level via public-private partnerships.
28.TCIP support to include training, a grant facility, I T support, and internet connectivity. The provision o f training programs in business and information technology from a certified program will be supported by the project (US$2 million). Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Digital Village development loan from a revolving fund: the Digital Village Fund (DVF). The project will contribute US$4 million to the Government funded DVF over a three year period in 3 installments. Although initially envisaged as a grant facility, the DVF could be structured as a revolving fund (the funds allocated to each entrepreneur would be repayable into the DVF over a 3 year period). These funds received by the entrepreneurs will be used to finance set-up costs and the required infrastructure (computers, printers, software etc). The grant facility will be managed by the ICT Board Grant Manager and will follow the governance and disbursement mechanisms set in the Grants Operational Manual (the manual will be formulated as part o f the technical assistance activity specified in l(c) above). Over the first 3 years the project will support the provision o f IT support to Digital Villages (US$2 million) and finance internet connectivity (US$2 million) which are critical to support the incubation o f the initiative and ensure sustainability. Overall it i s expected this project component will support the establishment of 300 Digital Villages over a 3 year period.
-- end citation --
Conclusions:
1.Digital Villages funding need not be 'loans' to the entrepreneurs since as 'grants' was provided for. What was the rationale used by the ICT board to decide all Digital Villages funds should be loaned to the entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities? (In as much as it was also provided for)
2. We appreciate the power of Freedom of Information law.
3. I highly doubt Dr. Ndemo's commitment to our Freedom of Information law legislation.
4.It is not proper for the PS to lay claim on “A good policy levels the play ground.”
5.'Problem solving postponement' routine while the PPDA, 2005 law is in place? “That is why we need the procurement rules change to give everybody an equal chance.” is a mere 'perception management' path/decoy.
6.Elsewhere, we strongly differ on ethics as regards Public Office use to promote private interests and own gain. The PS now reportedly appears Safaricom (private mobico) television commercials and obviously “he received something.” He responds saying that he sees nothing wrong with that, “apologies for what?” he asks.
7.If you want to know what local technical community feels of the current ICT leadership in government, a local mailing member recently wrote “Ideas and issues should be floated regularly and resoundingly so that at the end of the day there are no excuses why in some countries you can receive almost all services online while here we fondly believe 'download and print' is e-government.
8.Perhaps the 2006 ICT Policy may have erred in professing Kenya had automagically found High Level ICT leadership and calling for it to be “protected” . Previous ICT Policy drafts lamented absence of high level leadership.
9.Processes and leaderships that suppress (irrepressible) truths only serve to entrench public resentment of government culminating to disasters like early last year's. We should work hard to avoid their repeat..
Above document refers to 300 digital villages and up until Eunice's message the ICT Board training materials developed were proprietary software-base, none were on FOSS.
I hope for specific responses to all above issues raised.
Gakuru
Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based.
When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages.
This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own.
After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages.
I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised
On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM, <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> wrote: pertinent issues to chew on.
It would be good to comment on issues based on facts.
Ek
, because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya
-----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT
courses
It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software?
Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens...
Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options.
Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving
---
"Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse.
Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928
regards,
Alex
On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary
and
Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and
the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200
school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more
and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in
officials... training primary practical this
country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>=
education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke]
On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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Wainaina, Freedom of Information Bill is needs a few more weeks to go through the process before it gets to Parliament later in the year. It is one of the Agenda 4 items and should go through once it gets to Parliament. Regards Ndemo.
Thanks for such 'espionage' research ;-) .....
I hope Dr Ndemo can respond to each matter raised.
That said, it has fueled greater interest in the 'Freedom of Information Act'. What's the status there?
Wainaina
On 7/4/09, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
Eunice,
Consumer public watchdog role of public offices is called for by the ICT Policy. 9.6 (c) "Consumers and users will be expected to participate in ensuring continued review of Government policy in accordance with technological and consumer trends."
I put it that Ndemo and Eunice are playing around with words to conceal and manage public perception of what they are actually implementing all while giving lip service support to FOSS, if not using every evidence and opportunity they get to attempt to discredit FOSS and its local ICT entrepreneurs.
Ndemo and the Board actually got shs 320 million from the World Bank for proprietary software licenses and surrounding expenses for their projects."Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million" The World Bank required ICT policy (also on software) to be followed. It was not followed and Ndemo's statement What each party (Proprietary or OSS) does should not concern policy is thus null and void. Why did they not also have a provision for Open Source Software on the funding proposals?
Eunice has questioned my credibility I am therefore providing indisputable evidence-right to reply candidly giving my defense at this public court - interpret below document reference in this context. Excuse me for not sending it onlist but you may also ask the World Bank, if you want.
Courtesy of US Freedom of Information Act (governs World Bank information) on 31 July, 2008, I requested and was directed to the complete KENYA TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (TCIP/CIP 1) dated 5 March, 2007.
Which I read and observed its stated terms of use: This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.
----excerpt----- 25.TCIP contribution to connect Government. TCIP will fund the following: The internal LAN connections in two buildings which are shared with government offices (NSSF and Utalii House) along with their connections to the fiber optics network to serve five small Ministries. This is estimated cost US$1 million.
The enterprise software licenses for government staff and the document management system for government records will be procured and deployed in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Governments I C T policy, along with the hardware required for storage o f the data. Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million.
The project will also fund the software and hardware required for the IP Platform and the Network Operations Center, also in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Governments I C T policy. This subcomponent i s estimated at US$7 million.
Furthermore, TCIP will fund the training, change management and capacity building which will enable the government to take full advantage o f the internal systems and to ensure that they are professionally deployed and maintained. Considerable resources are required, on the order o f US$4 million.
26.Leveraging other sources of finance. Other development partners have indicated their willingness to fund the National Data Center and the Disaster Recovery Center; it should be noted that success o f the Government o f Kenyas communication network is contingent on secured funding for all elements described above.
27. T U P Component 2d - Support to the Digital Village initiative US$lO million TCIP will support the scaling-up of successfully piloted Digital Village initiative. Digital villages are e-centers that provide a suite o f services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure.
These services include, but are not limited to: e-mail and internet access; e-banking (e.g., money transfer services such as Posta Pay); eGovernment (e.g., police abstract forms, tax returns, P3 forms, and driving license applications); e- business (e.g., franchised postal and courier services); e-learning; e-health; e-markets (e.g., agricultural commodity pricing and exchange); and e-monitoring *(e.g., real-time local level monitoring of development funds and projects)*. Pilot Digital Villages are run by private entrepreneurs who obtained training in business and information technology from a certified program. This component will support the Government over 3 years to roll out and scale up the successfully piloted Digital Village initiative which aims at providing internet access and e-services at the grassroots level via public-private partnerships.
28.TCIP support to include training, a grant facility, I T support, and internet connectivity. The provision o f training programs in business and information technology from a certified program will be supported by the project (US$2 million). Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Digital Village development loan from a revolving fund: the Digital Village Fund (DVF). The project will contribute US$4 million to the Government funded DVF over a three year period in 3 installments. Although initially envisaged as a grant facility, the DVF could be structured as a revolving fund (the funds allocated to each entrepreneur would be repayable into the DVF over a 3 year period). These funds received by the entrepreneurs will be used to finance set-up costs and the required infrastructure (computers, printers, software etc). The grant facility will be managed by the ICT Board Grant Manager and will follow the governance and disbursement mechanisms set in the Grants Operational Manual (the manual will be formulated as part o f the technical assistance activity specified in l(c) above). Over the first 3 years the project will support the provision o f IT support to Digital Villages (US$2 million) and finance internet connectivity (US$2 million) which are critical to support the incubation o f the initiative and ensure sustainability. Overall it i s expected this project component will support the establishment of 300 Digital Villages over a 3 year period.
-- end citation --
Conclusions:
1.Digital Villages funding need not be 'loans' to the entrepreneurs since as 'grants' was provided for. What was the rationale used by the ICT board to decide all Digital Villages funds should be loaned to the entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities? (In as much as it was also provided for)
2. We appreciate the power of Freedom of Information law.
3. I highly doubt Dr. Ndemo's commitment to our Freedom of Information law legislation.
4.It is not proper for the PS to lay claim on A good policy levels the play ground.
5.'Problem solving postponement' routine while the PPDA, 2005 law is in place? That is why we need the procurement rules change to give everybody an equal chance. is a mere 'perception management' path/decoy.
6.Elsewhere, we strongly differ on ethics as regards Public Office use to promote private interests and own gain. The PS now reportedly appears Safaricom (private mobico) television commercials and obviously he received something. He responds saying that he sees nothing wrong with that, apologies for what? he asks.
7.If you want to know what local technical community feels of the current ICT leadership in government, a local mailing member recently wrote Ideas and issues should be floated regularly and resoundingly so that at the end of the day there are no excuses why in some countries you can receive almost all services online while here we fondly believe 'download and print' is e-government.
8.Perhaps the 2006 ICT Policy may have erred in professing Kenya had automagically found High Level ICT leadership and calling for it to be protected . Previous ICT Policy drafts lamented absence of high level leadership.
9.Processes and leaderships that suppress (irrepressible) truths only serve to entrench public resentment of government culminating to disasters like early last year's. We should work hard to avoid their repeat..
Above document refers to 300 digital villages and up until Eunice's message the ICT Board training materials developed were proprietary software-base, none were on FOSS.
I hope for specific responses to all above issues raised.
Gakuru
Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based.
When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages.
This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own.
After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages.
I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised
On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM, <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> wrote: pertinent issues to chew on.
It would be good to comment on issues based on facts.
Ek
, because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya
-----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT
courses
It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software?
Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens...
Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options.
Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving
---
"Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse.
Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928
regards,
Alex
On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary
and
Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and
the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200
school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more
and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in
officials... training primary practical this
country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
> From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses > > To: jwalu@yahoo.com > Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" > <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Betty, > > > > Thanks for your response on the article > mentioned below. Will go > through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which > ICT in Education has > already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all > of us have or may be > persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost. > > > > > ?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry > of Education focus, and > steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya > improve both teaching and > learning environment, with better education ?products? > across all levels. > > > > Kind regards > > > > B. K. Sang > > > > > > > > From: > kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke > [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>= education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] > On > Behalf Of Betty Ogange > > Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM > > To: Barnabas K. Sang > > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality > - We lack an > accreditation system for ICT courses > > > > > > > > > Hallo David, > Last week there was furore in this forum > about media > misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article > that you make > reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be > accurate in the areas that > you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with > a few points raised > in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
> > > ?Unlike other academic fields, very > little has been done > to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no > primary teacher training > college offers comprehensive pre-service training in > information technology.? > > Anyone with a modest interest in education in > Kenya would not > miss something as obvious as a subject in the national > curriculum when reporting > in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few > colleges had ICT skills > courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house > curricula that were > independently developed by each college. The Primary > Teacher Education (PTE) > ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of > Education has been in > force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a > compulsory subject in all > primary teacher training colleges. It is examined > internally at the end of > the first year and all students must pass in the subject, > among other > subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are > several > implementation hitches in this programme arising from the > fact that ICT is > being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and > has yet to be > mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. > The debate around > ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to > operationalise it right > from curriculum development to classroom level > implementation continues in > the education circles. > > ?In-service training is often > provided by trainers who > are just barely literate in > computers? > > In my knowledge, this has happened especially > in instances when > some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as > an additional offer to > the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to > teach the course, but > in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has > posted trained > lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also > been some highly > professional training offered to college lecturers by > Microsoft (in > conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - > IAT) and the Kenya > Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya > and the Nepad > e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached > teachers in selected > secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the > rest of the ICT > initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets > and time-lines have > compromised continuity and impact of some of these > training programmes. > > ?The > entire ICT education is in tatters? > An interesting analogy there. But I see a > sector that is struggling > with what some scholars in educational reform have called > an ?implementation > dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally > tend to get worse before > they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in > implementing large > scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. > In our country, > there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of > Education, the KIE and a > number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. > On the other hand, > there has been the tendency (by education leaders) > towards elaborate policy > documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose > mandates remain > indeterminate. All these need to be researched and > accurately presented. > > Accurate reporting by the media and objective > analysis of both > the positives and difficulties are important in helping > the public target > their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the > use of expressions > such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, > ?alarmed professionals? > ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in > Kenya sounds to me fairly > sensational. > > Betty > > > > > > --- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma > <otwomad@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> > > Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We > lack an accreditation > system for ICT courses > > To: ogange@yahoo.com > > Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" > <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM > > > .....universities > offer many degrees but their quality and market demand > differ...... > > > > > > Although > nearly all universities offer degrees, only the > University of Nairobi, Jomo > Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and > Strathmore have > Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at > doctoral level. > > > There > is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT > departments. According to > Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time > lecturers with PhDs > in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three > of six, which is the > same number for Strathmore. > > > Kenyatta > University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD > or an equivalent > qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight > lecturers have a PhD. Two of > six of United States International University has > doctoral degrees. > > > Many > lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as > engineers, software > developers or in the emerging area of computer and > network security. > > > > > > See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
> > for full story > > > > > > -- > > David Otwoma, > > Chief Science Secretary, > > National Council for Science and Technology, > > Utalii House 9th Floor, > > Mobile tel: +254 722 141771, > > Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915, > > P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya > > email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke > > www.ncst.go.ke > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: ogange@yahoo.com > > Unsubscribe or change your options at
http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ogange%40yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > >_______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: jwalu@yahoo.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at
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House committees open doors for public scrutiny Nation Reporters July 7 2009 Parliamentary committees opened doors to the public and the media for the first time in Kenya’s history, as the budgetary allocations of various ministries were being scrutinised In the past, such sessions were held in camera, with only members of Parliament, the respective government officials and parliamentary staff allowed to attend. Even Hansard records – the verbatim recordings of the proceedings of the House and those of its various committees – have not been available to the media in the past.... <http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/620926/-/xwugenz/-/index.html> *Question:* Would this be indicative of a parliamentary will to enact FOI, if tabled soon? Alex On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 6:55 PM, <bitange@jambo.co.ke> wrote:
Wainaina, Freedom of Information Bill is needs a few more weeks to go through the process before it gets to Parliament later in the year. It is one of the Agenda 4 items and should go through once it gets to Parliament.
Regards
Ndemo.
Thanks for such 'espionage' research ;-) .....
I hope Dr Ndemo can respond to each matter raised.
That said, it has fueled greater interest in the 'Freedom of Information Act'. What's the status there?
Wainaina
On 7/4/09, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:
Eunice,
Consumer public watchdog role of public offices is called for by the ICT Policy. 9.6 (c) "Consumers and users will be expected to participate in ensuring continued review of Government policy in accordance with technological and consumer trends."
I put it that Ndemo and Eunice are playing around with words to conceal and “manage” public perception of what they are actually implementing all while giving lip service support to FOSS, if not using every evidence and opportunity they get to attempt to discredit FOSS and its local ICT entrepreneurs.
Ndemo and the Board actually got shs 320 million from the World Bank for proprietary software licenses and surrounding expenses for their projects."Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million" The World Bank required ICT policy (also on software) to be followed. It was not followed and Ndemo's statement “What each party (Proprietary or OSS) does should not concern policy” is thus null and void. Why did they not also have a provision for Open Source Software on the funding proposals?
Eunice has questioned my credibility I am therefore providing indisputable evidence-right to reply candidly giving my defense at this public court - interpret below document reference in this context. Excuse me for not sending it onlist but you may also ask the World Bank, if you want.
Courtesy of US Freedom of Information Act (governs World Bank information) on 31 July, 2008, I requested and was directed to the complete “KENYA TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (TCIP/CIP 1)” dated 5 March, 2007.
Which I read and observed its stated terms of use: “This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. ”
----excerpt----- 25.TCIP contribution to connect Government. TCIP will fund the following: The internal LAN connections in two buildings which are shared with government offices (NSSF and Utalii House) along with their connections to the fiber optics network to serve five small Ministries. This is estimated cost US$1 million.
The enterprise software licenses for government staff and the document management system for government records will be procured and deployed in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy, along with the hardware required for storage o f the data. Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million.
The project will also fund the software and hardware required for the IP Platform and the Network Operations Center, also in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy. This subcomponent i s estimated at US$7 million.
Furthermore, TCIP will fund the training, change management and capacity building which will enable the government to take full advantage o f the internal systems and to ensure that they are professionally deployed and maintained. Considerable resources are required, on the order o f US$4 million.
26.Leveraging other sources of finance. Other development partners have indicated their willingness to fund the National Data Center and the Disaster Recovery Center; it should be noted that success o f the Government o f Kenya’s communication network is contingent on secured funding for all elements described above.
27. T U P Component 2d - Support to the Digital Village initiative – US$lO million TCIP will support the scaling-up of successfully piloted Digital Village initiative. Digital villages are e-centers that provide a suite o f services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure.
These services include, but are not limited to: e-mail and internet access; e-banking (e.g., money transfer services such as Posta Pay); eGovernment (e.g., police abstract forms, tax returns, P3 forms, and driving license applications); e- business (e.g., franchised postal and courier services); e-learning; e-health; e-markets (e.g., agricultural commodity pricing and exchange); and e-monitoring *(e.g., real-time local level monitoring of development funds and projects)*. Pilot Digital Villages are run by private entrepreneurs who obtained training in business and information technology from a certified program. This component will support the Government over 3 years to roll out and scale up the successfully piloted Digital Village initiative which aims at providing internet access and e-services at the grassroots level via public-private partnerships.
28.TCIP support to include training, a grant facility, I T support, and internet connectivity. The provision o f training programs in business and information technology from a certified program will be supported by the project (US$2 million). Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Digital Village development loan from a revolving fund: the Digital Village Fund (DVF). The project will contribute US$4 million to the Government funded DVF over a three year period in 3 installments. Although initially envisaged as a grant facility, the DVF could be structured as a revolving fund (the funds allocated to each entrepreneur would be repayable into the DVF over a 3 year period). These funds received by the entrepreneurs will be used to finance set-up costs and the required infrastructure (computers, printers, software etc). The grant facility will be managed by the ICT Board Grant Manager and will follow the governance and disbursement mechanisms set in the Grants Operational Manual (the manual will be formulated as part o f the technical assistance activity specified in l(c) above). Over the first 3 years the project will support the provision o f IT support to Digital Villages (US$2 million) and finance internet connectivity (US$2 million) which are critical to support the incubation o f the initiative and ensure sustainability. Overall it i s expected this project component will support the establishment of 300 Digital Villages over a 3 year period.
-- end citation --
Conclusions:
1.Digital Villages funding need not be 'loans' to the entrepreneurs since as 'grants' was provided for. What was the rationale used by the ICT board to decide all Digital Villages funds should be loaned to the entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities? (In as much as it was also provided for)
2. We appreciate the power of Freedom of Information law.
3. I highly doubt Dr. Ndemo's commitment to our Freedom of Information law legislation.
4.It is not proper for the PS to lay claim on “A good policy levels the play ground.”
5.'Problem solving postponement' routine while the PPDA, 2005 law is in place? “That is why we need the procurement rules change to give everybody an equal chance.” is a mere 'perception management' path/decoy.
6.Elsewhere, we strongly differ on ethics as regards Public Office use to promote private interests and own gain. The PS now reportedly appears Safaricom (private mobico) television commercials and obviously “he received something.” He responds saying that he sees nothing wrong with that, “apologies for what?” he asks.
7.If you want to know what local technical community feels of the current ICT leadership in government, a local mailing member recently wrote “Ideas and issues should be floated regularly and resoundingly so that at the end of the day there are no excuses why in some countries you can receive almost all services online while here we fondly believe 'download and print' is e-government.
8.Perhaps the 2006 ICT Policy may have erred in professing Kenya had automagically found High Level ICT leadership and calling for it to be “protected” . Previous ICT Policy drafts lamented absence of high level leadership.
9.Processes and leaderships that suppress (irrepressible) truths only serve to entrench public resentment of government culminating to disasters like early last year's. We should work hard to avoid their repeat..
Above document refers to 300 digital villages and up until Eunice's message the ICT Board training materials developed were proprietary software-base, none were on FOSS.
I hope for specific responses to all above issues raised.
Gakuru
Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based.
When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages.
This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own.
After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages.
I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised
On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM, <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> wrote: pertinent issues to chew on.
It would be good to comment on issues based on facts.
Ek
, because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya
-----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT
courses
It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software?
Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens...
Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options.
Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving
---
"Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse.
Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928
regards,
Alex
On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary
and
Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and
the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
> forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa > <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote: > > From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> > Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an > accreditation system for ICT courses > To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> > Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM > > And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200
> school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with > Institute of > Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala > Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised > by > the Computers for Schools. > On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to > Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however > would > like > the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics > and > more > to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While > the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more > premium > on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone > IT > graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or > think > outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly > restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to > venture > into... > > The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more
> and > focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities. > > Rgds, > > Manu > > "New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other > reason but because they are not already common." > P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities > -----Original Message----- > From: > kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke > [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> <kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] > On > Behalf Of Walubengo J > Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM > To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an > accreditation system for ICT courses > > > I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching > fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 > high > school > headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving > them > basic > ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such > trainings > regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in > the > right direction. > > As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the > statistics > are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in
officials... training primary practical this
> country on your three fingers ;-) > > walu. > > > > --- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> > wrote: > >> From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an > > accreditation system for ICT courses >> >> To: jwalu@yahoo.com >> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" >> <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Betty, >> >> >> >> Thanks for your response on the article >> mentioned below. Will go >> through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which >> ICT in Education has >> already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all >> of us have or may be >> persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost. >> >> >> >> >> ?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry >> of Education focus, and >> steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya >> improve both teaching and >> learning environment, with better education ?products? >> across all levels. >> >> >> >> Kind regards >> >> >> >> B. K. Sang >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> From: >> kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke >> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang><kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>= education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] >> On >> Behalf Of Betty Ogange >> >> Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM >> >> To: Barnabas K. Sang >> >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions >> >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality >> - We lack an >> accreditation system for ICT courses >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Hallo David, >> Last week there was furore in this forum >> about media >> misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article >> that you make >> reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be >> accurate in the areas that >> you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with >> a few points raised >> in the article. > >
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
>> >> >> ?Unlike other academic fields, very >> little has been done >> to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no >> primary teacher training >> college offers comprehensive pre-service training in >> information technology.? >> >> Anyone with a modest interest in education in >> Kenya would not >> miss something as obvious as a subject in the national >> curriculum when reporting >> in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few >> colleges had ICT skills >> courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house >> curricula that were >> independently developed by each college. The Primary >> Teacher Education (PTE) >> ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of >> Education has been in >> force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a >> compulsory subject in all >> primary teacher training colleges. It is examined >> internally at the end of >> the first year and all students must pass in the subject, >> among other >> subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are >> several >> implementation hitches in this programme arising from the >> fact that ICT is >> being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and >> has yet to be >> mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. >> The debate around >> ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to >> operationalise it right >> from curriculum development to classroom level >> implementation continues in >> the education circles. >> >> ?In-service training is often >> provided by trainers who >> are just barely literate in >> computers? >> >> In my knowledge, this has happened especially >> in instances when >> some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as >> an additional offer to >> the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to >> teach the course, but >> in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has >> posted trained >> lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also >> been some highly >> professional training offered to college lecturers by >> Microsoft (in >> conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - >> IAT) and the Kenya >> Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya >> and the Nepad >> e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached >> teachers in selected >> secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the >> rest of the ICT >> initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets >> and time-lines have >> compromised continuity and impact of some of these >> training programmes. >> >> ?The >> entire ICT education is in tatters? >> An interesting analogy there. But I see a >> sector that is struggling >> with what some scholars in educational reform have called >> an ?implementation >> dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally >> tend to get worse before >> they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in >> implementing large >> scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. >> In our country, >> there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of >> Education, the KIE and a >> number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. >> On the other hand, >> there has been the tendency (by education leaders) >> towards elaborate policy >> documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose >> mandates remain >> indeterminate. All these need to be researched and >> accurately presented. >> >> Accurate reporting by the media and objective >> analysis of both >> the positives and difficulties are important in helping >> the public target >> their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the >> use of expressions >> such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, >> ?alarmed professionals? >> ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in >> Kenya sounds to me fairly >> sensational. >> >> Betty >> >> >> >> >> >> --- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma >> <otwomad@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> >> >> Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We >> lack an accreditation >> system for ICT courses >> >> To: ogange@yahoo.com >> >> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" >> <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> >> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM >> >> >> .....universities >> offer many degrees but their quality and market demand >> differ...... >> >> >> >> >> >> Although >> nearly all universities offer degrees, only the >> University of Nairobi, Jomo >> Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and >> Strathmore have >> Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at >> doctoral level. >> >> >> There >> is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT >> departments. According to >> Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time >> lecturers with PhDs >> in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three >> of six, which is the >> same number for Strathmore. >> >> >> Kenyatta >> University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD >> or an equivalent >> qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight >> lecturers have a PhD. Two of >> six of United States International University has >> doctoral degrees. >> >> >> Many >> lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as >> engineers, software >> developers or in the emerging area of computer and >> network security. >> >> >> >> >> >> See > > >
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
>> >> for full story >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> David Otwoma, >> >> Chief Science Secretary, >> >> National Council for Science and Technology, >> >> Utalii House 9th Floor, >> >> Mobile tel: +254 722 141771, >> >> Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915, >> >> P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya >> >> email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke >> >> www.ncst.go.ke >> >> >> >> -----Inline Attachment Follows----- >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> kictanet mailing list >> >> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke >> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> >> >> This message was sent to: ogange@yahoo.com >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ogange%40yahoo.com >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Inline Attachment Follows----- >> >>_______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: jwalu@yahoo.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com >> > > > > >_______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > >
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Dear Alex, I am not sure why you got your information about the ICT board having rolled out 300 digital Villages with proprietary software from these are not fact based.
When that time comes, the entrepreneurs will be free to procure whichever computer brands with whichever operating systems they prefer they feel will enable them operate the digital villages.
This is why the board is training entrepreneurs who will be capable of making prudent business decisions on their own.
After the training they will apply for grants from the board, through an agency, with which to procure what they need to be able to run their digital villages.
I believe Dr Ndemo clarified the government policy and Sang raised
Alex, Sticking with your concern that ICT Board has committed to equip 300 digital villages with computers loaded with proprietary software, I regret that I have gone through the long email below and still did not find evidence or confirmation of the same. My earlier response thus remains. Policy is MoICs mandate and listers will agree with me that every effort is made to receive contributions from all stakeholders including the ICT board and kictanet, to name just two. Information about TCIP is readily available at the board, its website, RCIP section in world bank website. I however comment you for the lengths you went to get the details. I hope this clears all concerns about ICT boards digital villages ( Pasha Centres) implementation. Kind regards Ek Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya -----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 17:15:20 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses Eunice, Consumer public watchdog role of public offices is called for by the ICT Policy. 9.6 (c) "Consumers and users will be expected to participate in ensuring continued review of Government policy in accordance with technological and consumer trends." I put it that Ndemo and Eunice are playing around with words to conceal and “manage” public perception of what they are actually implementing all while giving lip service support to FOSS, if not using every evidence and opportunity they get to attempt to discredit FOSS and its local ICT entrepreneurs. Ndemo and the Board actually got shs 320 million from the World Bank for proprietary software licenses and surrounding expenses for their projects."Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million" The World Bank required ICT policy (also on software) to be followed. It was not followed and Ndemo's statement “What each party (Proprietary or OSS) does should not concern policy” is thus null and void. Why did they not also have a provision for Open Source Software on the funding proposals? Eunice has questioned my credibility I am therefore providing indisputable evidence-right to reply candidly giving my defense at this public court - interpret below document reference in this context. Excuse me for not sending it onlist but you may also ask the World Bank, if you want. Courtesy of US Freedom of Information Act (governs World Bank information) on 31 July, 2008, I requested and was directed to the complete “KENYA TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (TCIP/CIP 1)” dated 5 March, 2007. Which I read and observed its stated terms of use: “This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. ” ----excerpt----- 25.TCIP contribution to connect Government. TCIP will fund the following: The internal LAN connections in two buildings which are shared with government offices (NSSF and Utalii House) along with their connections to the fiber optics network to serve five small Ministries. This is estimated cost US$1 million. The enterprise software licenses for government staff and the document management system for government records will be procured and deployed in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy, along with the hardware required for storage o f the data. Licenses, the management system and the rudimentary data warehouse are estimated at US$4 million. The project will also fund the software and hardware required for the IP Platform and the Network Operations Center, also in a manner consistent with the standards and guidelines specified in the Government’s I C T policy. This subcomponent i s estimated at US$7 million. Furthermore, TCIP will fund the training, change management and capacity building which will enable the government to take full advantage o f the internal systems and to ensure that they are professionally deployed and maintained. Considerable resources are required, on the order o f US$4 million. 26.Leveraging other sources of finance. Other development partners have indicated their willingness to fund the National Data Center and the Disaster Recovery Center; it should be noted that success o f the Government o f Kenya’s communication network is contingent on secured funding for all elements described above. 27. T U P Component 2d - Support to the Digital Village initiative – US$lO million TCIP will support the scaling-up of successfully piloted Digital Village initiative. Digital villages are e-centers that provide a suite o f services to the public via computers connected to the internet, digital cameras, printers, fax machines and other communication infrastructure. These services include, but are not limited to: e-mail and internet access; e-banking (e.g., money transfer services such as Posta Pay); eGovernment (e.g., police abstract forms, tax returns, P3 forms, and driving license applications); e- business (e.g., franchised postal and courier services); e-learning; e-health; e-markets (e.g., agricultural commodity pricing and exchange); and e-monitoring *(e.g., real-time local level monitoring of development funds and projects)*. Pilot Digital Villages are run by private entrepreneurs who obtained training in business and information technology from a certified program. This component will support the Government over 3 years to roll out and scale up the successfully piloted Digital Village initiative which aims at providing internet access and e-services at the grassroots level via public-private partnerships. 28.TCIP support to include training, a grant facility, I T support, and internet connectivity. The provision o f training programs in business and information technology from a certified program will be supported by the project (US$2 million). Prospective entrepreneurs who have obtained certification will be eligible to apply for a Digital Village development loan from a revolving fund: the Digital Village Fund (DVF). The project will contribute US$4 million to the Government funded DVF over a three year period in 3 installments. Although initially envisaged as a grant facility, the DVF could be structured as a revolving fund (the funds allocated to each entrepreneur would be repayable into the DVF over a 3 year period). These funds received by the entrepreneurs will be used to finance set-up costs and the required infrastructure (computers, printers, software etc). The grant facility will be managed by the ICT Board Grant Manager and will follow the governance and disbursement mechanisms set in the Grants Operational Manual (the manual will be formulated as part o f the technical assistance activity specified in l(c) above). Over the first 3 years the project will support the provision o f IT support to Digital Villages (US$2 million) and finance internet connectivity (US$2 million) which are critical to support the incubation o f the initiative and ensure sustainability. Overall it i s expected this project component will support the establishment of 300 Digital Villages over a 3 year period. -- end citation -- Conclusions: 1.Digital Villages funding need not be 'loans' to the entrepreneurs since as 'grants' was provided for. What was the rationale used by the ICT board to decide all Digital Villages funds should be loaned to the entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities? (In as much as it was also provided for) 2. We appreciate the power of Freedom of Information law. 3. I highly doubt Dr. Ndemo's commitment to our Freedom of Information law legislation. 4.It is not proper for the PS to lay claim on “A good policy levels the play ground.” 5.'Problem solving postponement' routine while the PPDA, 2005 law is in place? “That is why we need the procurement rules change to give everybody an equal chance.” is a mere 'perception management' path/decoy. 6.Elsewhere, we strongly differ on ethics as regards Public Office use to promote private interests and own gain. The PS now reportedly appears Safaricom (private mobico) television commercials and obviously “he received something.” He responds saying that he sees nothing wrong with that, “apologies for what?” he asks. 7.If you want to know what local technical community feels of the current ICT leadership in government, a local mailing member recently wrote “Ideas and issues should be floated regularly and resoundingly so that at the end of the day there are no excuses why in some countries you can receive almost all services online while here we fondly believe 'download and print' is e-government. 8.Perhaps the 2006 ICT Policy may have erred in professing Kenya had automagically found High Level ICT leadership and calling for it to be “protected” . Previous ICT Policy drafts lamented absence of high level leadership. 9.Processes and leaderships that suppress (irrepressible) truths only serve to entrench public resentment of government culminating to disasters like early last year's. We should work hard to avoid their repeat.. Above document refers to 300 digital villages and up until Eunice's message the ICT Board training materials developed were proprietary software-base, none were on FOSS. I hope for specific responses to all above issues raised. Gakuru On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM, <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> wrote: pertinent issues to chew on.
It would be good to comment on issues based on facts.
Ek
, because the board has Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya
-----Original Message----- From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:24 To: <eunicekariuki@ict.go.ke> Cc: <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fw: RE: One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT
courses
It is not and in fact the law reinforces it. But while Section 34 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 is very clear on procurement, public officials continually break this law by choosing to purchase proprietary software. Those in the know say that savings on proprietary licences, in one year alone, are enough to bring elevate 1 district's ICT to the level Nairobi enjoys. What motivates government procurement officials to insist on spending public funds on proprietary software?
Also consider the case of ICT Board 300+ "digital villages" all rolled out on proprietary software. This means those entrepreneuers will every year pay Operating syetem and surrounding sofwtare licences ad infinitum. Talk of unnecessary cost burdens...
Despite local Open Source Software community calling on the ICT Board to inform and train them on the abundantly available FOSS options.
Over to Uhuru Kenyatta and treasury public expenditure cost-saving
---
"Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday directed the Public Procurement Oversight Authority - PPOA to develop guidelines that will ensure that procurement of public goods and services is done transparently while safeguarding public funds from misuse.
Uhuru who addressed a news conference immediately after reading the budget estimates to parliament, said the Public Procurement Oversight Authority has to ensure transparency among government departments that deal with procurement." <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57928
regards,
Alex
On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Mwololo Tim<timwololo@gmail.com> wrote:
Listers,
Our 2006 national ICT policy is silent on open source software (OSS). As we think of a review of this policy, which according to me is due due to a number of issues (Vision 2030, BPO, and many other developments), we should think seriously about a section on OSS policy.
tim mwololo
On 6/29/09, Evans Ikua <ikua@lpakenya.org> wrote:
There is also Camara Kenya (the local office of camara.ie) that has done tremendous work in the area of putting hardware in schools, both Primary
and
Secondary, installing open source software, supporting them, and
the teachers. This in a short period of time.
Their work has mainly been in the coast region but they are also getting into the hinterland. They have about 150 volunteers from Ireland who have just come in and they will conduct trainings for about a month.
They have equipped schools in the whole of Lamu island, and many schools at the coast.
They are achieving much more by using FOSS as a computer installed with Linux gives much more to a student as opposed to one installed with Windows. Because they are not spending a penny on software licenses, they are able to supply like twice the number of PCs than if they were to have the schools buy licenses.
Ikua
-- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org
Quoting Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>:
forwarded--- On Thu, 6/25/09, Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> wrote:
From: Emmanuel Khisa <emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke> Subject: RE: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu@yahoo.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:11 AM
And Project Discovery Kenya has been able to train more that 200
school teachers over the last five years in conjunction with Institute of Software technologies...I also know that similar training went on in Yala Division last April for Primary school teachers in the division organised by the Computers for Schools. On the subject of lack of adequate professors, I will leave that to Academicians and those keen on interrogating academics, I however would like the ICT training to move from over concentration with the academics and more to the more handson...more like incubator based learning approach...While the Far East economies have good universities, they still put more premium on handson skills...It is sad that even our graduate engineers let alone IT graduates (who by the way take a lot of flack) cannot invent or think outside the box...I mean no invention ever comes out of these highly restricted courses yet only a select few universities dare to venture into...
The answer in my opinion lies in building skills that are more
and focussed on creating entrepreneural opportunities.
Rgds,
Manu
"New opinions are always suspected and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." P Before printing, think about the Environment and your responsibilities -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa=kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emmanuel.khisa<kictanet-bounces%2Bemmanuel.khisa> =kadet.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Walubengo J Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 8:41 AM To: emmanuel.khisa@kadet.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject,varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
I agree that something is happening within the High-School teaching fraternity. Last April, Multimedia University College trained 80 high school headteachers from Samburu and I think Transmara Districts, giving them basic ICT skills...am aware Strathmore University, IAT etc also do such trainings regularly...It may not be enough, but its definitely a good kick in the right direction.
As for the University Level IT faculty staff. Unfortunately the statistics are likely to be true. You can count the number of IT Professors in
officials... training primary practical this
country on your three fingers ;-)
walu.
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> wrote:
From: Barnabas K. Sang <bksang@education.go.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an
accreditation system for ICT courses
To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 11:32 PM
Betty,
Thanks for your response on the article mentioned below. Will go through it and perhaps respond on key issues raised, which ICT in Education has already done or planned. I hope it will minimize fears all of us have or may be persuaded to think all is totally misplaced and lost.
?ICT Integration? is currently Ministry of Education focus, and steps already put in place are expected to make Kenya improve both teaching and learning environment, with better education ?products? across all levels.
Kind regards
B. K. Sang
From: kictanet-bounces+bksang=education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+bksang <kictanet-bounces%2Bbksang>=
education.go.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke]
On Behalf Of Betty Ogange
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:31 PM
To: Barnabas K. Sang
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
Hallo David, Last week there was furore in this forum about media misrepresentation of the Kenyan situation. The article that you make reference to in today?s Standard (24.06.09) may be accurate in the areas that you have highlighted. However, I wish to take issue with a few points raised in the article.
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316
?Unlike other academic fields, very little has been done to train most teachers in ICT skills. Currently, no primary teacher training college offers comprehensive pre-service training in information technology.?
Anyone with a modest interest in education in Kenya would not miss something as obvious as a subject in the national curriculum when reporting in a national daily. Prior to the year 2004, a few colleges had ICT skills courses for pre-service teachers based on in-house curricula that were independently developed by each college. The Primary Teacher Education (PTE) ICT curriculum developed by the Kenya Institute of Education has been in force since the year 2004 and ICT is taught as a compulsory subject in all primary teacher training colleges. It is examined internally at the end of the first year and all students must pass in the subject, among other subjects, in order to proceed to second year. There are several implementation hitches in this programme arising from the fact that ICT is being taught as a discrete subject in the curriculum and has yet to be mainstreamed in the other subjects in the PTE curriculum. The debate around ICT- pedagogy integration in education and how to operationalise it right from curriculum development to classroom level implementation continues in the education circles.
?In-service training is often provided by trainers who are just barely literate in computers?
In my knowledge, this has happened especially in instances when some hardware providers ?dangle? teacher training as an additional offer to the institution. TTCs used to hire ICT technicians to teach the course, but in the last 2 years, the Teacher Service Commission has posted trained lecturers of ICT to a number of TTCs. There have also been some highly professional training offered to college lecturers by Microsoft (in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Technology - IAT) and the Kenya Technical Teachers College. Computers for Schools Kenya and the Nepad e-schools teacher training programmes have also reached teachers in selected secondary schools. Lack of co-ordination (as with the rest of the ICT initiatives in Kenya ), lack of clear training targets and time-lines have compromised continuity and impact of some of these training programmes.
?The entire ICT education is in tatters? An interesting analogy there. But I see a sector that is struggling with what some scholars in educational reform have called an ?implementation dip? ? that for a number of reasons things normally tend to get worse before they can get better. There are lots of difficulties in implementing large scale ICT initiatives in the education sector world over. In our country, there have been positive efforts by the Ministry of Education, the KIE and a number of stakeholders in education, and these do count. On the other hand, there has been the tendency (by education leaders) towards elaborate policy documents, ?ICT networks? and trust funds whose mandates remain indeterminate. All these need to be researched and accurately presented.
Accurate reporting by the media and objective analysis of both the positives and difficulties are important in helping the public target their attention and effort. Besides the inaccuracies, the use of expressions such as ?in tatters? ?the situation is bad?, ?alarmed professionals? ?obsolete hardware? to describe ICT in education in Kenya sounds to me fairly sensational.
Betty
--- On Wed, 6/24/09, David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com> wrote:
From: David Otwoma <otwomad@gmail.com>
Subject: [kictanet] One subject, varying quality - We lack an accreditation system for ICT courses
To: ogange@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 9:32 AM
.....universities offer many degrees but their quality and market demand differ......
Although nearly all universities offer degrees, only the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Strathmore have Master?s programmes and only UON and Jkuat teach at doctoral level.
There is a diminishing number of staff with PhDs in ICT departments. According to Prof Rodrigues, UoN has the highest number of full-time lecturers with PhDs in ICT that stands at eight of 18, while Jkuat has three of six, which is the same number for Strathmore.
Kenyatta University has nine full-time but none of them have a PhD or an equivalent qualification, while none of the Kabarak?s eight lecturers have a PhD. Two of six of United States International University has doctoral degrees.
Many lecturers have no experience as ICT professionals as engineers, software developers or in the emerging area of computer and network security.
See
http://www.eastandard.net/education/InsidePage.php?id=1144017693&cid=316&
for full story
--
David Otwoma,
Chief Science Secretary,
National Council for Science and Technology,
Utalii House 9th Floor,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 5687 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
email: otwomad@gmail.com & otwoma@ncst.go.ke
www.ncst.go.ke
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participants (7)
-
bitange＠jambo.co.ke -
eunicekariuki＠ict.go.ke -
Evans Ikua -
Gakuru Alex -
Mwololo Tim -
Wainaina Mungai -
Walubengo J