Bwana Ndemo, As I reflected on your unenviable job as a "cyber cop" (watching you on The Trend last Friday) and stumbled on this article by Gaitho entitled "The demented postings on social media must stop before blood flows" http://www.nation.co.ke/blogs/-/446672/1723754/-/ee6vonz/-/index.html it occurred to me that we probably need something deeper, while we must address the madness online. You're on record here advocating for policy/decision-making based on empirical/research evidence. I recall your spirited campaign about the Cancer Bill that MPs excitedly passed without the benefit of scientific evidence as to "the actual cause of cancers in Kenya". You argued that you wished they did not get excited about addressing the symptoms of the problem, but the root cause. As you crack down on cyber haters (to address the symptoms of the problem), could we also ask ourselves a couple of questions (listers, feel free to add more questions) to get to the ROOT CAUSE of this ANGER: *why are people so angry? *is this anger only in cyberspace? *If not, to what extent is it a reflection of simmering (unexpressed) anger on the ground? *what are the implications of unexpressed anger? *why are people comfortable to express such deep anger online and not offline? What are they afraid of? *How can long-lasting co-existence be achieved, once and for all? * etc etc etc Someone has work to do as we try to address the short-term symptoms - is it the academic community? or pollsters can have a post-election job to do? I don't know, but the RROT CAUSE, we must find including the solutions. Reflective Edith
Bwana Ndemo, As I reflected on your unenviable job as a "cyber cop" (watching you on The Trend last Friday) and stumbled on this article by Gaitho entitled "The demented postings on social media must stop before blood flows" http://www.nation.co.ke/blogs/-/446672/1723754/-/ee6vonz/-/index.html it occurred to me that we probably need something deeper, while we must address the madness online. You're on record here advocating for policy/decision-making based on empirical/research evidence. I recall your spirited campaign about the Cancer Bill that MPs excitedly passed without the benefit of scientific evidence as to "the actual cause of cancers in Kenya". You argued that you wished they did not get excited about addressing the symptoms of the problem, but the root cause. As you crack down on cyber haters (to address the symptoms of the problem), could we also ask ourselves a couple of questions (listers, feel free to add more questions) to get to the ROOT CAUSE of this ANGER: *why are people so angry? *is this anger only in cyberspace? *If not, to what extent is it a reflection of simmering (unexpressed) anger on the ground? *what are the implications of unexpressed anger? *why are people comfortable to express such deep anger online and not offline? What are they afraid of? *How can long-lasting co-existence be achieved, once and for all? * etc etc etc Someone has work to do as we try to address the short-term symptoms - is it the academic community? or pollsters can have a post-election job to do? I don't know, but the RROT CAUSE, we must find including the solutions. Reflective Edith
Edith Even as we talk about the failure of technology, we have to revisit the issue of 'tribe' and it's implications to the national syc particularly as it relates to the power to allocate resources. It is not far fetched to see why those who wield political power will wield economic power. This has happened in the last fifty years and barring any miracles (bishop Amadi) and if you take account the 'tyranny of numbers' it could happen in the next one hundred years. The solution in my view lies in the constitution. If we have faith in that document, and indeed we have, it should be revisited again to see whether safeguards can be included to ensure that any Kenyan can ' dream ' that one day an El Molo can wield political power. That one day you could look at an election as an event rather than a full time engagement. Is there a young energetic, newly elected MP out there who can stand up to this challenge, go to parliament and take up the gauntlet to revist the costitution? Maybe for starters a look at the Swiss system, American system or a hybrid will be of help. After all our constitution is a hybrid of sorts one more will not do any harm! Coming back to technology, why is it that hackers are always ahead of cyber cops???????. It will be interesting to see what the Supreme Court makes of this mess! Madete On Tuesday, March 19, 2013, Edith Adera wrote:
Bwana Ndemo,****
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As I reflected on your unenviable job as a “cyber cop” (watching you on The Trend last Friday) and stumbled on this article by Gaitho entitled “The demented postings on social media must stop before blood flows” http://www.nation.co.ke/blogs/-/446672/1723754/-/ee6vonz/-/index.html it occurred to me that we probably need something deeper, while we must address the madness online.****
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You’re on record here advocating for policy/decision-making based on empirical/research evidence. I recall your spirited campaign about the Cancer Bill that MPs excitedly passed without the benefit of scientific evidence as to “the actual cause of cancers in Kenya”. You argued that you wished they did not get excited about addressing the symptoms of the problem, but the root cause.****
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As you crack down on cyber haters (to address the *symptoms* of the problem), could we also ask ourselves a couple of questions (listers, feel free to add more questions) to get to the ROOT CAUSE of this ANGER:****
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*why are people so angry? ****
*is this anger only in cyberspace? ****
*If not, to what extent is it a reflection of simmering (unexpressed) anger on the ground?****
*what are the implications of unexpressed anger?****
*why are people comfortable to express such deep anger online and not offline? What are they afraid of?****
*How can long-lasting co-existence be achieved, once and for all?****
* etc etc etc****
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Someone has work to do as we try to address the short-term symptoms – is it the academic community? or pollsters can have a post-election job to do? I don’t know, but the RROT CAUSE, we must find including the solutions.*** *
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Reflective Edith****
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Amb. Madete, Your email points to an important issue about upholding the rule of law over other considerations. These articles on the tendering process for the faulty IEBC kits maybe drives your point home. http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000079945&story_title=Kenya-Chaotic-tender-process-led-to-faulty-kits http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000080094&story_title=Hassan:-I-didn%E2%80%99t-chair-tender-committee I'm however not sure if "touching" the constitution is the answer, as we know the constitution has been "mutilated" before and watered down! More fiddling may water it down further rather than strengthen it! I think it's more about safeguarding at all costs, what's right - truth, justice/the rule of law. For as long as we stick to other considerations, not even in the next 50 years, but until eternity, we will be stuck. Edith From: Bruce Madete [mailto:madetebruce@gmail.com] Sent: March 21, 2013 6:29 AM To: Edith Adera Cc: KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Cyber Cop Edith Even as we talk about the failure of technology, we have to revisit the issue of 'tribe' and it's implications to the national syc particularly as it relates to the power to allocate resources. It is not far fetched to see why those who wield political power will wield economic power. This has happened in the last fifty years and barring any miracles (bishop Amadi) and if you take account the 'tyranny of numbers' it could happen in the next one hundred years. The solution in my view lies in the constitution. If we have faith in that document, and indeed we have, it should be revisited again to see whether safeguards can be included to ensure that any Kenyan can ' dream ' that one day an El Molo can wield political power. That one day you could look at an election as an event rather than a full time engagement. Is there a young energetic, newly elected MP out there who can stand up to this challenge, go to parliament and take up the gauntlet to revist the costitution? Maybe for starters a look at the Swiss system, American system or a hybrid will be of help. After all our constitution is a hybrid of sorts one more will not do any harm! Coming back to technology, why is it that hackers are always ahead of cyber cops???????. It will be interesting to see what the Supreme Court makes of this mess! Madete On Tuesday, March 19, 2013, Edith Adera wrote: Bwana Ndemo, As I reflected on your unenviable job as a "cyber cop" (watching you on The Trend last Friday) and stumbled on this article by Gaitho entitled "The demented postings on social media must stop before blood flows" http://www.nation.co.ke/blogs/-/446672/1723754/-/ee6vonz/-/index.html it occurred to me that we probably need something deeper, while we must address the madness online. You're on record here advocating for policy/decision-making based on empirical/research evidence. I recall your spirited campaign about the Cancer Bill that MPs excitedly passed without the benefit of scientific evidence as to "the actual cause of cancers in Kenya". You argued that you wished they did not get excited about addressing the symptoms of the problem, but the root cause. As you crack down on cyber haters (to address the symptoms of the problem), could we also ask ourselves a couple of questions (listers, feel free to add more questions) to get to the ROOT CAUSE of this ANGER: *why are people so angry? *is this anger only in cyberspace? *If not, to what extent is it a reflection of simmering (unexpressed) anger on the ground? *what are the implications of unexpressed anger? *why are people comfortable to express such deep anger online and not offline? What are they afraid of? *How can long-lasting co-existence be achieved, once and for all? * etc etc etc Someone has work to do as we try to address the short-term symptoms - is it the academic community? or pollsters can have a post-election job to do? I don't know, but the RROT CAUSE, we must find including the solutions. Reflective Edith
participants (2)
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Bruce Madete -
Edith Adera