Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi again Daktari, Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum. In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the approach of implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being to take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza? I appreciate the politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more practical to change the location while maintaining the approach? My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon. President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long". Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 ________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? Robert, The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude? I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists. Have some optimist day. Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing a tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one of the directors of the firm who called me to his office.  He said something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness".  I solved the problem by implementing a procedure on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years.  We suffer from institutionalised mediocrity, for example, how does the City Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.Â
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela have perennial water problems imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off. Â
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with time the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their ivory towers that is all it shall remain.  I have not asked for any remuneration to praise, criticise or make recommendations, instead of paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark?Â
Lets have a realistic week. Â Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry® ________________________________
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke> ReplyTo: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs. Â
Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and that is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours. Â My children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm. Â Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today. Â
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far as infrastructure is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used when Buckingham Palace was being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same. Â
The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or less of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be positive). Â The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree. Â How many lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . . Â I am sure someone is already writing a response to this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment. Â This is an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society. Â
From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I said in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft plots. Â
As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool never changes his mind" Â or the political one "in politics there are no permanent friends or foes". Â
Even Bill Gates, who initially dismissed the Internet as a passing cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best forgotten.Â
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be man enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building today and what will be built tomorrow. Â City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre, TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year. Â Daktari I ask you,Â
- Â does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher? Â - Â do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? - Â when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?
If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws and are subject to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges.Â
I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to be developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting. Â The intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and colour like in the case of Konza than function and application of global standards.
Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement? Â We both listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project? Â We need to move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have.Â
Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing in the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing structure. Â The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.
We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth to death unless we face our demons and conquer them we shall not make any progress.  Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other cultures? Â
For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . .
In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post master general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out of Nazareth, they said". Â
PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I agree that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to standing up on its own two feet. Â
Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment.
With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop.
Regards Â
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the organization will be on its knees. I see no reason for celebrating contradictions of our policy makers. We have traveled this road before and came through. You recall the registration of Teams that almost derailed the entire process.
Our culture lets us down in every aspect. We treasure negativity and pray that one falls in every positive step that is made. When Confucious said, " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the opportunities of moving at least one step. Yes we have seen white elephants but that does not mean we don't try.
Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for real estate to rent. Two months there is not one building in Nairobi that meets international standards. Large buildings have only one fire escape that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is no exit. Just look at any ceiling to check if there are water sprinklers. Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates more than 300 people. I could say more..
Konza is not in any threat. This is our future where we shall create not only employment but a safe work environment. I would bet that Robert will be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza.
In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was another story about the rise of rental cost in China. A clear opportunity for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue Mellon University Partnership).
Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I will talk her out of it. Robert if you continue like this, you will make a bad father in law.
Ndemo.
Hi,
Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = spanner in the works
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÂÂ
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
 From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert  I can’t argue with your points…  We need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in place that we don’t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our hands.
ÂÂ
Guys, it’s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. That’s why Risk Management will be a critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors.  Robert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that..  PS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlands…J    Ali Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O Box 14556-00100 +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya   Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo   From:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Hussein,  Interesting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and replaced with beacon to beacon multi story structures.  Living in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the landscape change.  I watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well thought out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it.  All this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and many others who could have stopped the carnage.   Go to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels to plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100).  We are already replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse, beginning with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers.   The road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums and shanties, then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments.  Also lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required to make it work?  Imagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw it and you and many might be too young to have lived through the destruction of a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acre piece of empty piece land.  I am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong when I have history backing my position.  Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Robert  I would like to be more optimistic about Konza.ÂÂ
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza.  Have some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :)   Ali Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group +254 773/713 601113  "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: @Walu,
 In short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public.  The statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent for the way forward as relates to government land.  Konza is government land and is and will be governed by the law of the land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to put up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender for its sell.  At which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win as we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card.  We will then offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports.   My group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 and sell them to the public to recover our investment.  Visit the area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth.   That was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province.  The architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election?  Let us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
stores.
 Runda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while but Konza will be a still birth.   What is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions for us?            will the land be sold to prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?            will the government allocate the land to prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?            how long will it take to develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?            when the infrastructure is complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?            if the first tenant moves in sometime around 2030 will the concept still be viable?            is the rest of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?            once Raila becomes President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will allow that level of national resources to be spent in that region instead of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is a marginalized county (highest child mortality rate) and it gave him their vote as a block?  Until we get a comprehensive report from the various players i.e. treasury, ministry of information, ministry of lands, AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the project shall remain as dead as a dodo irrespective of how many flashy advertisements are run by a sub-entity of a sub-entity of a substantial participant in the project.  Walu, in your case which ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus.  Regards  PS.  China government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming of a City.  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  @Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one. Konza City, scuttled? I had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM Listers,  Are we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like.  This is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project,  We are aware that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done by enthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng recently clarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon.  KICT eat in peace.  Regards  PS.  Liko lets go look for something more productive to do with our time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business plans.   Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ...  Samsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 8:30 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon. President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long". **
This is sort of what was said about TEAMs in many quarters - look where we are now. And also the fact that the "TEAMs Model" has been recognised worldwide and touted as a great example of PPP aimed at major infrastructure. As this discussion wraps up I will share this: While the optimist, pessimist and realist argued about who should have the only remaining glass of water and why - the opportunist drank it. Does the shoe fit? Best regards, Brian
*From:* "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> *To:* robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> *Cc:* "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> *Sent:* Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57
*Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude?
I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists.
Have some optimist day.
Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing a tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one of the directors of the firm who called me to his office.  He said
something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness". Â I solved the problem by implementing a procedure
on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years.  We suffer from institutionalised mediocrity, for example, how does the City
Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.Â
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela have perennial water problems
imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off. Â
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with
time
the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their ivory towers that is all it shall remain.  I have not asked for any remuneration to praise, criticise or make recommendations, instead of
paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark?Â
Lets have a realistic week. Â
Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry®
________________________________
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke> ReplyTo: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs. Â
Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and
that
is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours. Â My
children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm. Â Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today. Â
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far as infrastructure is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves
on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used when Buckingham Palace was
being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same. Â
The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or
less
of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be positive). Â The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish
fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree. Â How many
lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . . Â I am sure someone is already writing a response to
this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment. Â This is
an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society. Â
From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I
in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft
said plots.
Â
As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool never changes his mind" Â or the political one "in politics there are no permanent friends or foes". Â
Even Bill Gates, who initially dismissed the Internet as a passing
cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best forgotten.Â
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be
man
enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building today and what will be built tomorrow. Â City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre,
TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year. Â Daktari I ask you,Â
- Â does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher? Â - Â do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? - Â when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?
If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws and are subject
to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges.Â
I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to
be
developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting. Â The
intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and colour like in the case of Konza than function and application of global standards.
Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement? Â We both
listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project? Â We need to move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have.Â
Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing
in
the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing structure. Â The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.
We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth
to
death unless we face our demons and conquer them we shall not make any progress.  Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the
tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other cultures? Â
For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . .
In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post
master
general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out of Nazareth, they said". Â
PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I
agree
that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to standing up on its own two feet. Â
Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment.
With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop.
Regards Â
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the organization will be on its knees. I see no reason for celebrating contradictions of our policy makers. We have traveled this road before and came through. You recall the registration of Teams that almost derailed the entire process.
Our culture lets us down in every aspect. We treasure negativity and pray that one falls in every positive step that is made. When Confucious
said, " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the opportunities of moving at least one step. Yes we have seen white
elephants but that does not mean we don't try.
Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for real estate to rent. Two months there is not one building in Nairobi that meets international standards. Large buildings have only one fire escape
that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is no exit. Just look at any ceiling to check if there are water
sprinklers. Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates more than 300 people. I could say more..
Konza is not in any threat. This is our future where we shall create not only employment but a safe work environment. I would bet that Robert
will be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza.
In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was another story about the rise of rental cost in China. A clear
opportunity for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue Mellon University Partnership).
Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I will talk her out of it. Robert if you continue like this, you will make
a bad father in law.
Ndemo.
Hi,
Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = spanner in the works
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.html <http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÂÂ>
Regards ÂÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
 From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke>
To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert  I can’t argue with your points… ÂÂ
We need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in place that we don’t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our hands.
ÂÂ
Guys, it’s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. That’s why Risk Management will be a
critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors. ÂÂ
Robert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that..  PS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlands…J   ÂÂ
Ali Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O Box 14556-00100
+254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya   Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo  ÂÂ
From:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Hussein, ÂÂ
Interesting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and replaced with beacon to beacon multi story structures. ÂÂ
Living in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the landscape change.  I watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class
development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well thought out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it. ÂÂ
All this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and many others who could have stopped the carnage.  ÂÂ
Go to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels to plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100).  We are already
replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse, beginning with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers.   The road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums and shanties,
then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments. ÂÂ
Also lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required to make it work? ÂÂ
Imagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw it and you and many might be too young to have lived through the destruction of a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can
now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acre piece of empty piece land. ÂÂ
I am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong when I have history backing my position.  Regards ÂÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Robert  I would like to be more optimistic about Konza.ÂÂ
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza. ÂÂ
Have some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :)  ÂÂ
Ali Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group +254 773/713 601113 ÂÂ
"You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis,
member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: @Walu,
ÂÂ
In short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public.  The
statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent for the way forward as relates to government land. ÂÂ
Konza is government land and is and will be governed by the law of the land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to put up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender for its sell. ÂÂ
At which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win as we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card.  We will then
offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports.  ÂÂ
My group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 and sell them to the public to recover our investment.  Visit the
area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth.  ÂÂ
That was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province.  The architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential
candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election? ÂÂ
Let us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
stores.
ÂÂ
Runda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while but Konza will be a still birth.  ÂÂ
What is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions for us?            will the land be sold to
prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?            will the government
allocate the land to prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?            how long will it take to
develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?            when the infrastructure is
complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?            if the first tenant moves
in sometime around 2030 will the concept still be viable?            is the rest of Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?            once Raila becomes
President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will allow that level of national resources to be spent in that region instead of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is a marginalized county (highest child mortality rate) and it gave
him their vote as a block? ÂÂ
Until we get a comprehensive report from the various players i.e. treasury, ministry of information, ministry of lands,
AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the project shall remain as dead as a dodo irrespective of how many flashy advertisements are run by a sub-entity of a sub-entity of a
substantial participant in the project. ÂÂ
Walu, in your case which ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus.  Regards  PS.  China government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any
other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming of a City. ÂÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  @Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one. Konza City, scuttled? I
had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM Listers, ÂÂ
Are we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like. ÂÂ
This is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project, ÂÂ
We are aware that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done by enthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng recently clarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon.  KICT eat in peace.  Regards  PS.  Liko lets go look for something more productive to do with our time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business plans.  ÂÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ... ÂÂ
Samsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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-- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe@gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."
Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>:
Hi again Daktari,
Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum.
In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the approach of implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being to take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza? Â I appreciate the politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more practical to change the location while maintaining the approach?
My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon.  President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long".
Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance.
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude?
I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists.
Have some optimist day.
Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing aÃÂ tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one of the directors of the firm who called me to his office. ÃÂ He said something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness". ÃÂ I solved the problem by implementing a procedure on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years. ÃÂ We suffer from institutionalised mediocrity, for example,ÃÂ how doesÃÂ the City Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.ÃÂ
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela haveÃÂ perennialÃÂ water problems imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off. ÃÂ
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with time the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their ivory towers that is all it shall remain. ÃÂ I have not asked for any remuneration to praise, criticise or makeÃÂ recommendations, instead of paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark?ÃÂ
Lets have a realistic week. ÃÂ Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ Â From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerryî ________________________________
From:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke> ReplyTo:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs. ÃÂ
Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and that is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours. ÃÂ My children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm. ÃÂ Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today. ÃÂ
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far asÃÂ infrastructureÃÂ is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used whenÃÂ BuckinghamÃÂ Palace was being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same. ÃÂ
The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or less of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be positive). ÃÂ The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree. ÃÂ How many lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . . ÃÂ I am sure someone is already writing a response to this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment. ÃÂ This is an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society. ÃÂ
From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I said in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft plots. ÃÂ
As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool never changes his mind" ÃÂ or the political one "in politics there are no permanent friends or foes". ÃÂ
Even Bill Gates, whoÃÂ initiallyÃÂ dismissed the Internet as a passing cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best forgotten.ÃÂ
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be man enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building today and what will be built tomorrow. ÃÂ City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre, TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year. ÃÂ Daktari I ask you,ÃÂ
- ÃÂ does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher? ÃÂ - ÃÂ do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? - ÃÂ when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?
If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws andÃÂ areÃÂ subject to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges.ÃÂ
I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to be developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting. ÃÂ The intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and colour like in the case of Konza than function and application of global standards.
Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement? ÃÂ We both listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project? ÃÂ We need to move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have.ÃÂ
Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing in the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing structure. ÃÂ The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.
We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth to death unless we face our demons andÃÂ conquer themÃÂ we shall not make any progress. ÃÂ Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other cultures? ÃÂ
For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . .
In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post master general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out of Nazareth, they said". ÃÂ
PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I agree that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to standing up on its own two feet. ÃÂ
Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment.
With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop.
Regards ÃÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ Â From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the organization will be on its knees.ÃÂ I see no reason for celebrating contradictions of our policy makers.ÃÂ We have traveled this road before and came through.ÃÂ You recall the registration of Teams that almost derailed the entire process.
Our culture lets us down in every aspect.ÃÂ We treasure negativity and pray that one falls in every positive step that is made.ÃÂ When Confucious said, " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the opportunities of moving at least one step.ÃÂ Yes we have seen white elephants but that does not mean we don't try.
Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for real  estate to rent.àTwo months there is not one building in Nairobi that meets international standards.àLarge buildings have only one fire escape that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is no exit.àJust look at any ceiling to check if there are water sprinklers. Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates more than 300 people.àI could say more..
Konza is not in any threat.ÃÂ This is our future where we shall create not only employment but a safe work environment.ÃÂ I would bet that Robert will be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza.
In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was another story about the rise of rental cost in China.àA clear opportunity for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue  Mellon University Partnership).
Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I will talk her out of it.ÃÂ Robert if you continue like this, you will make a bad father in law.
Ndemo.
Hi,
Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = spanner in the works
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÃâÃÂ
Regards ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
 ________________________________
ÃÂ From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert ÃâàI canâââ‰â¢t argue with your pointsâââ¬Ã¦ ÃâàWe need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in place that we donâââ‰â¢t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our hands.
Guys, itâââ‰â¢s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. Thatâââ‰â¢s why Risk Management will be a critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors. ÃâàRobert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that.. ÃâàPS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlandsâââ¬Ã¦J ÃâàÃâàÃâàAli Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O BoxÃâà14556-00100 +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya ÃâàÃâàTwitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo ÃâàÃâàFrom:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? ÃâàHussein, ÃâàInteresting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and replaced withÃâàbeaconÃâàto beacon multi story structures. ÃâàLiving in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the landscape  change. ÃâàI watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well thought out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it. ÃâàAll this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and many others who could have stopped the carnage. ÃâàÃâàGo to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels to plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100). ÃâàWe are already replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse,  beginning with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers. ÃâàÃâàThe road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums andÃâàshanties, then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments. ÃâàAlso lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required to make it work? ÃâàImagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw it and you and many might be too young to have  lived through theÃâàdestructionÃâàof a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acreÃâàpieceÃâàofÃâàempty pieceÃâàland. ÃâàI am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong when I have history backing my position. ÃâàRegards ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? ÃâàRobert ÃâàI would like to be more optimistic about Konza.ÃâÃÂ
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza. ÃâàHave some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :) ÃâàÃâàAli Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology  GroupÃâà+254 773/713 601113 Ãâà"You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.".Ãâà- E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: @Walu,
ÃâàIn short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public. ÃâàThe statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent for the way forward as relates to government land. ÃâàKonza is government land and is and will be governed by  the law of the land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to put up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender for its sell. ÃâàAt which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win as we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card. ÃâàWe will
 Ãâàthen
offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports. ÃâàÃâàMy group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 and sell them to the public to recover our investment. ÃâàVisit the area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing  example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth. ÃâàÃâàThat was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province. ÃâàThe architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election? ÃâàLet us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
 stores.
ÃâàRunda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while but Konza will be a still birth. ÃâàÃâàWhat is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions for us?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàwill the land be sold to
prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàwill the government
allocate the land to prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàhow long will it take to
develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and  electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàwhen the infrastructure is
complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàif the first tenant moves
in sometime around 2030 will the concept still be viable?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàis the rest of Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?
President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will allow that level of national resources to be  spent in that region instead of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is aÃâàmarginalizedÃâàcounty (highest child mortality rate) and it gave him their vote as a block? ÃâàUntil we get a comprehensive report from the various players i.e.Ãâàtreasury, ministry of information,ÃâàministryÃâàof lands, AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the project shall remain as dead as aÃâàdodo irrespective of how many flashy advertisements are run by aÃâàsub-entityÃâàof aÃâàsub-entityÃâàof a substantial participant in the project. ÃâàWalu, in your case which  ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus. ÃâàRegards ÃâàPS. ÃâàChina government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming of a City. ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy  Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? Ãâà@Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one.ÃâàKonza City, scuttled?ÃâàI had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM Listers, ÃâàAre we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like. ÃâàThis is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project,ÃâàÃâàWe are aware  that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done byÃâàenthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng recentlyÃâàclarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon. ÃâàKICT eat in peace. ÃâàRegards ÃâàPS. ÃâàLiko lets go look for something more productive to do with our time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàonce Raila becomes plans.ÃâàÃâÃÂ
ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ... ÃâàSamsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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Robert, I don't think your comments need tolerance or patience. I believe it is very healthy and constructive to debate on such pertinent issues. It brings out various factors that may not have been considered or that may still be salvaged. In my view, thinking through your comments should light up some bulbs. Your main query,if I understand you well,is whether our country strategy to develop the industry is on the right track. I have had many discussions with both local and international industry stakeholders and encountered exactly the same comments/queries so I am not surprised to hear you raising them. I think listers should give their comments,suggestions, opinions on this, even though it is in progress. Many good ideas are likely to spring from this. Regards, Gilda Odera
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Robert et al, Whereas i agree to your positive criticism we run the risk of analysis paralysis, i attended the town hall meeting at UoN where Dr. Ndemo presented the title deed for Konza City, during the same meeting i noticed something that was not so clear to the naked eye and this were vested interests, there are those who were for it and those who were against it for whatever reasons yet we ate from the same plate. Whereas i agree that we may have had a bad history or past as a country , we must not use this as a compass for our future, remembering the past will only turn us into pillars of salt, tasteless salt for that matter, must we compare Konza to the Smart City in Egypt of similar cities in Dubai as Mr. Mutinda posits? we could as well have something bigger , in any case we are learning from the mistakes that were made in those countries. I therefore propose that the project should proceed, we don't need to know what the future holds otherwise we will defeat the very defination of innovation, furthermore we are in a new constitutional dispension and we are likely to have institutional measures and safeguards that will ensure such projects don't fail as has been the case in the past. Having attended the presentation on Tatu City at Strathmore University i noticed the challenges that the planners were facing based on the same issues being raised by Bobby, what impressed me however is now the project team was able to convincingly respond to the queries being raised and when i left i had not doubt it was a great idea, i suppose this is the approach we should adopt with regard to Konza so that all questions are not lumped at an individual, i guess the time is also ripe for another townhall meeting so that stakeholders can engage the project team lest we scuttle another great initiative, if there is no one to offer space i suggest we congregate at Uhuru Park, it is close to Dr. Ndemos office. My two tiles for the technology park On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 9:54 AM, <godera@skyweb.co.ke> wrote:
Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>:
Hi again Daktari,
Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum.
In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the approach of implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being to take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza? Â I appreciate the politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more practical to change the location while maintaining the approach?
My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon.  President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long".
Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance.
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude?
I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists.
Have some optimist day.
Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing a tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one of the directors of the firm who called me to his office.  He said something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness".  I solved the problem by implementing a procedure on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years.  We suffer from institutionalised mediocrity, for example, how does the City Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.ÂÂ
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela have perennial water problems imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off. ÂÂ
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with time the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their ivory towers that is all it shall remain.  I have not asked for any remuneration to praise, criticise or make recommendations, instead of paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark?ÂÂ
Lets have a realistic week.  Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ Â From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry® ________________________________
From:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke> ReplyTo:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs. ÂÂ
Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and that is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours.  My children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm.  Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today. ÂÂ
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far as infrastructure is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used when Buckingham Palace was being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same. ÂÂ
The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or less of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be positive).  The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree.  How many lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . .  I am sure someone is already writing a response to this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment.  This is an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society. ÂÂ
From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I said in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft plots. ÂÂ
As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool never changes his mind"  or the political one "in politics there are no permanent friends or foes". ÂÂ
Even Bill Gates, who initially dismissed the Internet as a passing cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best forgotten.ÂÂ
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be man enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building today and what will be built tomorrow.  City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre, TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year.  Daktari I ask you,ÂÂ
-  does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher?  -  do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? -  when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?
If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws and are subject to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges.ÂÂ
I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to be developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting.  The intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and
colour > > like in the case of Konza than function and application of global > > standards. > > > > Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification > > right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master > > plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement?  We both > > listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose > > relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you > > refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project?  We need to > > move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have. > > > > Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing in > > the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you > > react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing > > structure.  The images on TV are a simulation and are not real. > > > > We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth to > > death unless we face our demons and conquer them we shall not make > any > > progress.  Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the > > tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, > > Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our > > cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other > > cultures?  > > > > For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that > > means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut > > and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . . > > > > In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post master > > general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out > > of Nazareth, they said".  > > > > PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I agree > > that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to > > standing up on its own two feet.  > > > > Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at > > the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment. > > > > With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop. > > > > Regards > >  > > > > Robert Yawe > > KAY System Technologies Ltd > > Phoenix House, 6th Floor > > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > > Kenya > > > > > > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> > > To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' > > <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? > > > > Robert, > > Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the > > organization will be on its knees. I see no reason for celebrating > > contradictions of our policy makers. We have traveled this road before > > and came through. You recall the registration of Teams that almost > > derailed the entire process. > > > > Our culture lets us down in every aspect. We treasure negativity and > > pray > > that one falls in every positive step that is made. When Confucious > > said, > > " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you > > should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the > > opportunities of moving at least one step. Yes we have seen white > > elephants but that does not mean we don't try. > > > > Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for > > real > > estate to rent. Two months there is not one building in Nairobi that > > meets international standards. Large buildings have only one fire > escape > > that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is > > no exit. Just look at any ceiling to check if there are water > > sprinklers. > > Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates > > more than 300 people. I could say more.. > > > > Konza is not in any threat. This is our future where we shall create > not > > only employment but a safe work environment. I would bet that Robert > > will > > be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza. > > > > In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was > > another story about the rise of rental cost in China. A clear > > opportunity > > for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive > > through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue > > Mellon > > University Partnership). > > > > Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with > > my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I > > will talk her out of it. Robert if you continue like this, you will > make > > a bad father in law. > > > > > > > > Ndemo. > > > > > > > > > > > >> Hi, > >> > >> Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = > >> spanner in the works > >> > >> >
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
 ________________________________
 From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert  I can’t argue with your points…  We need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in place that we don’t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our hands.
 Ã‚ÂÂ
Guys, it’s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. That’s why Risk Management will be a critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors.  Robert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that..  PS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlands…J    Ali Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O Box 14556-00100 +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya   Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo   From:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Hussein,  Interesting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and replaced with beacon to beacon multi story structures.  Living in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the landscape  change.  I watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well
out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it.  All this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and many others who could have stopped the carnage.   Go to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels to plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100).  We are already replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse,  beginning with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers.   The road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums and shanties, then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments.  Also lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required to make it work?  Imagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw it and you and many might be too young to have  lived through the destruction of a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acre piece of empty piece land.  I am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong when I have history backing my position.  Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Robert  I would like to be more optimistic about Konza.ÂÂÂ
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza.  Have some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :)   Ali Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology  Group +254 773/713 601113  "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: @Walu,
 In short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public.  The statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent for the way forward as relates to government land.  Konza is government land and is and will be governed by  the law of the land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÃ⠀šÃ‚ thought put
up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender for its sell.  At which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win as we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card.  We will then offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports.   My group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 and sell them to the public to recover our investment.  Visit the area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing  example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth.   That was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province.  The architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election?  Let us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
 stores.
 Runda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while but Konza will be a still birth.   What is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions for us?
           will the land be sold to
prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?
           will the government
allocate the land to prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?
           how long will it take to
develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and  electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?
           when the infrastructure is
complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?
           if the first tenant moves
in sometime around 2030 will the concept still be viable?
           is the rest of Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?
President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will allow that level of national resources to be  spent in that region instead of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is a marginalized county (highest child mortality rate) and it gave him their vote as a block?  Until we get a comprehensive report from the various players i.e. treasury, ministry of information, ministry of lands, AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the project shall remain as dead as a dodo irrespective of how many flashy advertisements are run by a sub-entity of a sub-entity of a substantial participant in the project.  Walu, in your case which  ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus.  Regards  PS.  China government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming of a City.  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy  Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  @Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one. Konza City, scuttled? I had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM Listers,  Are we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like.  This is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project,  We are aware  that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done by enthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng recently clarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon.  KICT eat in peace.  Regards  PS.  Liko lets go look for something more productive to do with our time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business
           once Raila becomes plans. ÂÂÂ
 Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ...  Samsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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Robert,
I don't think your comments need tolerance or patience. I believe it is very healthy and constructive to debate on such pertinent issues. It brings out various factors that may not have been considered or that may still be salvaged. In my view, thinking through your comments should light up some bulbs. Your main query,if I understand you well,is whether our country strategy to develop the industry is on the right track. I have had many discussions with both local and international industry stakeholders and encountered exactly the same comments/queries so I am not surprised to hear you raising them. I think listers should give their comments,suggestions, opinions on this, even though it is in progress. Many good ideas are likely to spring from this.
Regards,
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for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT Â enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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-- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt "May our dreams defy the laws of gravity." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. CAN WE MOVE FORWARD!! From: kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Barrack Otieno Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:33 AM To: Edith Adera Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? Robert et al, Whereas i agree to your positive criticism we run the risk of analysis paralysis, i attended the town hall meeting at UoN where Dr. Ndemo presented the title deed for Konza City, during the same meeting i noticed something that was not so clear to the naked eye and this were vested interests, there are those who were for it and those who were against it for whatever reasons yet we ate from the same plate. Whereas i agree that we may have had a bad history or past as a country , we must not use this as a compass for our future, remembering the past will only turn us into pillars of salt, tasteless salt for that matter, must we compare Konza to the Smart City in Egypt of similar cities in Dubai as Mr. Mutinda posits? we could as well have something bigger , in any case we are learning from the mistakes that were made in those countries. I therefore propose that the project should proceed, we don't need to know what the future holds otherwise we will defeat the very defination of innovation, furthermore we are in a new constitutional dispension and we are likely to have institutional measures and safeguards that will ensure such projects don't fail as has been the case in the past. Having attended the presentation on Tatu City at Strathmore University i noticed the challenges that the planners were facing based on the same issues being raised by Bobby, what impressed me however is now the project team was able to convincingly respond to the queries being raised and when i left i had not doubt it was a great idea, i suppose this is the approach we should adopt with regard to Konza so that all questions are not lumped at an individual, i guess the time is also ripe for another townhall meeting so that stakeholders can engage the project team lest we scuttle another great initiative, if there is no one to offer space i suggest we congregate at Uhuru Park, it is close to Dr. Ndemos office. My two tiles for the technology park On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 9:54 AM, <godera@skyweb.co.ke<mailto:godera@skyweb.co.ke>> wrote: Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>>:
Hi again Daktari,
Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum.
In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the approach of implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being to take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza? Â I appreciate the politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more practical to change the location while maintaining the approach?
My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon.  President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long".
Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance.
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>" <bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>" <bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude?
I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists.
Have some optimist day.
Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing a tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one of the directors of the firm who called me to his office.  He said something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness".  I solved the problem by implementing a procedure on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years.  We suffer from institutionalised mediocrity, for example, how does the City Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.ÂÂ
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela have perennial water problems imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off. ÂÂ
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with time the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their ivory towers that is all it shall remain.  I have not asked for any remuneration to praise, criticise or make recommendations, instead of paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark?ÂÂ
Lets have a realistic week.  Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
________________________________ Â From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerry® ________________________________
From:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke><bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>> ReplyTo:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs. ÂÂ
Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and that is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours.  My children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm.  Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today. ÂÂ
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far as infrastructure is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used when Buckingham Palace was being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same. ÂÂ
The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or less of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be positive).  The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree.  How many lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . .  I am sure someone is already writing a response to this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment.  This is an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society. ÂÂ
From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I said in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft plots. ÂÂ
As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool never changes his mind"  or the political one "in politics there are no permanent friends or foes". ÂÂ
Even Bill Gates, who initially dismissed the Internet as a passing cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best forgotten.ÂÂ
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be man enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building today and what will be built tomorrow.  City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre, TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year.  Daktari I ask you,ÂÂ
-  does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher?  -  do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? -  when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?
If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws and are subject to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges.ÂÂ
I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to be developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting.  The intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and colour like in the case of Konza than function and application of global standards.
Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement?  We both listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project?  We need to move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have.ÂÂ
Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing in the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing structure.  The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.
We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth to death unless we face our demons and conquer them we shall not make any progress.  Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other cultures? ÂÂ
For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . .
In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post master general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out of Nazareth, they said". ÂÂ
PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I agree that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to standing up on its own two feet. ÂÂ
Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment.
With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop.
Regards ÂÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
________________________________ Â From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>" <bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke<mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the organization will be on its knees. I see no reason for celebrating contradictions of our policy makers. We have traveled this road before and came through. You recall the registration of Teams that almost derailed the entire process.
Our culture lets us down in every aspect. We treasure negativity and pray that one falls in every positive step that is made. When Confucious said, " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the opportunities of moving at least one step. Yes we have seen white elephants but that does not mean we don't try.
Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for real  estate to rent. Two months there is not one building in Nairobi that meets international standards. Large buildings have only one fire escape that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is no exit. Just look at any ceiling to check if there are water sprinklers. Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates more than 300 people. I could say more..
Konza is not in any threat. This is our future where we shall create not only employment but a safe work environment. I would bet that Robert will be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza.
In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was another story about the rise of rental cost in China. A clear opportunity for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue  Mellon University Partnership).
Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I will talk her out of it. Robert if you continue like this, you will make a bad father in law.
Ndemo.
Hi,
Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = spanner in the works
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
 ________________________________
 From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke<mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke>> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert  I can’t argue with your points…  We need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in place that we don’t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our hands.
Guys, it’s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. That’s why Risk Management will be a critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors.  Robert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that..  PS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlands…J    Ali Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O Box 14556-00100 +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya   Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo   From:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Hussein,  Interesting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and replaced with beacon to beacon multi story structures.  Living in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the landscape  change.  I watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well thought out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it.  All this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and many others who could have stopped the carnage.   Go to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels to plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100).  We are already replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse,  beginning with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers.   The road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums and shanties, then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments.  Also lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required to make it work?  Imagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw it and you and many might be too young to have  lived through the destruction of a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acre piece of empty piece land.  I am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong when I have history backing my position.  Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke<mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke>> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Robert  I would like to be more optimistic about Konza.ÂÂÂ
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza.  Have some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :)   Ali Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology  Group +254 773/713 601113  "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> wrote: @Walu,
 In short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public.  The statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent for the way forward as relates to government land.  Konza is government land and is and will be governed by  the law of the land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to put up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender for its sell.  At which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win as we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card.  We will
 Ã‚ then
offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports.   My group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 and sell them to the public to recover our investment.  Visit the area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing  example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth.   That was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province.  The architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election?  Let us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
 stores.
 Runda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while but Konza will be a still birth.   What is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions for us?
           will the land be sold to
prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?
           will the government
allocate the land to prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?
           how long will it take to
develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and  electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?
           when the infrastructure is
complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?
           if the first tenant moves
in sometime around 2030 will the concept still be viable?
           is the rest of Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?
President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will allow that level of national resources to be  spent in that region instead of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is a marginalized county (highest child mortality rate) and it gave him their vote as a block?  Until we get a comprehensive report from the various players i.e. treasury, ministry of information, ministry of lands, AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the project shall remain as dead as a dodo irrespective of how many flashy advertisements are run by a sub-entity of a sub-entity of a substantial participant in the project.  Walu, in your case which  ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus.  Regards  PS.  China government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming of a City.  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com<mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com>> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy  Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  @Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one. Konza City, scuttled? I had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com<mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM Listers,  Are we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like.  This is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project,  We are aware  that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done by enthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng recently clarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon.  KICT eat in peace.  Regards  PS.  Liko lets go look for something more productive to do with our time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business
           once Raila becomes plans. ÂÂÂ
 Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225<tel:%2B254722511225>, +254202010696<tel:%2B254202010696>
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com<mailto:agostal@gmail.com>> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ...  Samsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a  multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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qualifications._______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Robert,
I don't think your comments need tolerance or patience. I believe it is very healthy and constructive to debate on such pertinent issues. It brings out various factors that may not have been considered or that may still be salvaged. In my view, thinking through your comments should light up some bulbs. Your main query,if I understand you well,is whether our country strategy to develop the industry is on the right track. I have had many discussions with both local and international industry stakeholders and encountered exactly the same comments/queries so I am not surprised to hear you raising them. I think listers should give their comments,suggestions, opinions on this, even though it is in progress. Many good ideas are likely to spring from this. Regards, Gilda Odera
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On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:45 AM, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.or.ke> wrote: > *"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."* > > *~ Eleanor Roosevelt* > > * * > > *"May our dreams defy the laws of gravity."* > > *~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.***** > > * * > > *CAN WE MOVE FORWARD!!* > Amen and Hallelujah! > ** > > ** ** > > *From:* kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto: > kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *Barrack > Otieno > *Sent:* Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:33 AM > *To:* Edith Adera > > *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?**** > > ** ** > > Robert et al,**** > > ** ** > > Whereas i agree to your positive criticism we run the risk of analysis > paralysis, i attended the town hall meeting at UoN where Dr. Ndemo > presented the title deed for Konza City, during the same meeting i noticed > something that was not so clear to the naked eye and this were vested > interests, there are those who were for it and those who were against it > for whatever reasons yet we ate from the same plate.**** > > ** ** > > Whereas i agree that we may have had a bad history or past as a country , > we must not use this as a compass for our future, remembering the past will > only turn us into pillars of salt, tasteless salt for that matter, must we > compare Konza to the Smart City in Egypt of similar cities in Dubai as Mr. > Mutinda posits? we could as well have something bigger , in any case we are > learning from the mistakes that were made in those countries.**** > > ** ** > > I therefore propose that the project should proceed, we don't need to know > what the future holds otherwise we will defeat the very defination of > innovation, furthermore we are in a new constitutional dispension and we > are likely to have institutional measures and safeguards that will ensure > such projects don't fail as has been the case in the past.**** > > ** ** > > Having attended the presentation on Tatu City at Strathmore University i > noticed the challenges that the planners were facing based on the same > issues being raised by Bobby, what impressed me however is now the project > team was able to convincingly respond to the queries being raised and when > i left i had not doubt it was a great idea, i suppose this is the approach > we should adopt with regard to Konza so that all questions are not lumped > at an individual, i guess the time is also ripe for another townhall > meeting so that stakeholders can engage the project team lest we scuttle > another great initiative, if there is no one to offer space i suggest we > congregate at Uhuru Park, it is close to Dr. Ndemos office.**** > > ** ** > > My two tiles for the technology park **** > > On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 9:54 AM, <godera@skyweb.co.ke> wrote:**** > > Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>: > > > Hi again Daktari, > > > > Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other > > lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the > > discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum. > > > > In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the > approach of > > implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being > to**** > > > take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza?  I appreciate the > **** > > > politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more > practical to > > change the location while maintaining the approach? > > > > My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that > as**** > > > Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack > > staying power, except in the marathon.  President Moi reiterated this > when**** > > > he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long". > > > > Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance. > > > > Regards**** > > >  > > Robert Yawe > > KAY System Technologies Ltd > > Phoenix House, 6th Floor > > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > > Kenya > > > > > > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> > > To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>**** > > > Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy > > Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? > > > > Robert,**** > > > The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are > lazy**** > > > as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or > **** > > > we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This > morning**** > > > I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk > **** > > > on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we**** > > > bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? > > Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from > **** > > > doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a > Yes > > we can attitude? > > > > I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can > take > > care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in > > Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on > > occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have > > spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the**** > > > responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers*** > * > > > envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance > > but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak**** > > > because some of us are irreversible pesmists. > > > > Have some optimist day. > > > > > > Ndemo. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Daktari, > > > > > > Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you > > > know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation? > > > > > > I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot > do > > > what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals > first > > > change within ourselves. > > > > > > As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to > > > inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back > to > > > the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a > > > situation that kept pissing me off. > > >**** > > > > While throwing a tantrum about this issue it caught the attention > of one > > > of the directors of the firm who called me to his office.  He said* > *** > > > > something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who > > > lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your > **** > > > > level of cleanliness".  I solved the problem by implementing a > procedure**** > > > > on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the > > > workshop. > > > > > > Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must > have an**** > > > > appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years.  We > suffer > > > from institutionalised mediocrity, for example, how does the City > **** > > > > Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular > traffic > > > while on the other hand they insist that when building residential > houses > > > be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 > > > parking spaces per unit. > > > > > > From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take > > > resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not > > > create development rather it shall reassign development that was > intended**** > > > > for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game. > > > > > > Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela have perennial water*** > * > > > problems > > > imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks > off.**** > > > >  **** > > > > > > > The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until > > > after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project > into > > > the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with > time > > > the citizenry will build a bridge across. > > > > > > Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from > their**** > > > > ivory towers that is all it shall remain.  I have not asked for any > > > remuneration to praise, criticise or make recommendations, instead > of**** > > > > paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your > > > taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I > asked**** > > > > Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark? **** > > > > > > > Lets have a realistic week.**** > > > >  **** > > > > Regards > > > > > > Robert Yawe > > > KAY System Technologies Ltd > > > Phoenix House, 6th Floor > > > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > > > Kenya > > > > > > > > > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > > > > > > > > ________________________________**** > > > > From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke>**** > > > > To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > > Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 > > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? > > > > > > > > > Robert,**** > > > > Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority > was > > > to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to > > > protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew > nothing > > > about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my > **** > > > > house, I will not save myself. > > > > > > Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day > and**** > > > > age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is > why**** > > > > Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar. > > > > > > Regards > > > > > > > > > Ndemo.**** > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry® > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>**** > > > > Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) > > > To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke>**** > > > > ReplyTo: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>**** > > > > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? > > > > > > Hi Daktri, > > > > > > Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline > yesterday**** > > > > of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs.  **** > > > > > > > Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on > > > your portable gadget. > > > > > > I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and > that**** > > > > is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours. >  My**** > > > > children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the > > > groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they > are > > > allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers > from an > > > early age. > > > > > > So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in > law > > > and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad > > > minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty > > > leaders. > > > > > > The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and > you > > > can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the > **** > > > > real estate realm.  Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from > 40/- > > > per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today.  **** > > > > > > > The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area > > > that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over > > > 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is > > > literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far**** > > > > as infrastructure is concerned so please lets stop deceiving**** > > > ourselves > > > on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a > > > blank canvas. > > > > > > As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build* > *** > > > > using methods and standards that where used > when Buckingham Palace**** > > > was > > > being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it > **** > > > > would take us 3 years to do the same.  **** > > > > > > > The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the > > > related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this > > > post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun > building > > > a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed > rail > > > to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or > less > > > of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be** > ** > > > > positive).  The entire City will be ready for occupation before we* > *** > > > finish > > > fencing Konza in 2013. > > > > > > On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and**** > > > > administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree.  How many* > *** > > > > lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that > launched > > > Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, > **** > > > > Virtual City . . .  I am sure someone is already writing a response > to**** > > > > this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only > brought > > > in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued. > > > > > > Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that > > > Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced > City**** > > > > of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment. >  This is**** > > > > an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of > society.**** > > > >  **** > > > > > > > From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I > said > > > in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by > > > slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft > plots.**** > > > >  **** > > > > > > > As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a > > > reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a > fool**** > > > > never changes his mind"  or the political one "in politics there > are no > > > permanent friends or foes".  > > > > > > Even Bill Gates, who initially dismissed the Internet as a > passing**** > > > > cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the > new > > > opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing > > > with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best* > *** > > > > forgotten. **** > > > > > > > My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became > > > clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be > man > > > enough to pull the plug? > > > > > > As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit > > > points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been > fighting > > > for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid > of > > > requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is > > > essential in countries where it snows. > > > > > > The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it > will > > > be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building* > *** > > > > today and what will be built tomorrow.  City Hall Annexe, Nation > Centre,**** > > > > TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD > are > > > fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for > **** > > > > this year.  Daktari I ask you, > > > > > > -  does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and > extinguisher? > > >  > > > -  do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? > > > -  when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?**** > > > > > > > If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws**** > > > and are subject**** > > > > to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on > > > our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking > **** > > > > metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges. **** > > > > > > > I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower > to be**** > > > > developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting.  The > **** > > > > intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and > colour > > > like in the case of Konza than function and application of global > > > standards. > > > > > > Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification > > > right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master > **** > > > > plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement?  We > both**** > > > > listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose > > > relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you > **** > > > > refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project?  We need > to > > > move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have. > **** > > > > > > > Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are > seeing in > > > the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you > > > react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing** > ** > > > > structure.  The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.**** > > > > > > > We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from > birth to**** > > > > death unless we face our demons and conquer them we shall not > make > > any > > > progress.  Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on > the**** > > > > tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, > > > Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our > > > cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape > other**** > > > > cultures?  **** > > > > > > > For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that > > > means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your > hut > > > and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . . > > > > > > In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post > master > > > general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come > out**** > > > > of Nazareth, they said".  **** > > > > > > > PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I > agree > > > that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to > **** > > > > standing up on its own two feet.  **** > > > > > > > Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push > at > > > the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment. > > > > > > With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop. > > > > > > Regards**** > > > >  > > > > > > Robert Yawe > > > KAY System Technologies Ltd > > > Phoenix House, 6th Floor > > > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > > > Kenya > > > > > > > > > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > > > > > > > > ________________________________**** > > > > From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>**** > > > > To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > > Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' > > > <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > > Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 > > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? > > > > > > Robert, > > > Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the**** > > > > organization will be on its knees. I see no reason for celebrating > > > contradictions of our policy makers. We have traveled this road > before > > > and came through. You recall the registration of Teams that almost > > > derailed the entire process. > > > > > > Our culture lets us down in every aspect. We treasure negativity > and > > > pray > > > that one falls in every positive step that is made. When Confucious > **** > > > > said, > > > " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that > you > > > should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the* > *** > > > > opportunities of moving at least one step. Yes we have seen white* > *** > > > > elephants but that does not mean we don't try. > > > > > > Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for > > > real**** > > > > estate to rent. Two months there is not one building in Nairobi > that > > > meets international standards. Large buildings have only one fire* > *** > > > escape > > > that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because > there is**** > > > > no exit. Just look at any ceiling to check if there are water**** > > > > sprinklers. > > > Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates* > *** > > > > more than 300 people. I could say more.. > > > > > > Konza is not in any threat. This is our future where we shall > create > > not > > > only employment but a safe work environment. I would bet that > Robert**** > > > > will > > > be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza. > > > > > > In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was > **** > > > > another story about the rise of rental cost in China. A clear**** > > > > opportunity > > > for us to start offering affordable destination and making it > competitive > > > through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue**** > > > > Mellon**** > > > > University Partnership). > > > > > > Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere > with > > > my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, > I**** > > > > will talk her out of it. Robert if you continue like this, you will > **** > > > make > > > a bad father in law. > > > > > > > > > > > > Ndemo. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> Hi, > > >> > > >> Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = > > >> spanner in the works > > >> > > >> > >**** > > > http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÃâ > €šÃ‚ > > >> > > >> > > >> Regards > > >>  **** > > > >> Robert Yawe > > >> KAY System Technologies Ltd > > >> Phoenix House, 6th Floor > > >> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > > >> Kenya > > >> > > >> > > >> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > >> > > >> > > >>**** > > > > ________________________________ > > >> From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke>**** > > > >> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > >> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > >> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 > > >> Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? > > >> > > >> > > >> Robert**** > > > >>  > > >> I can’t argue with your points… > > >>  **** > > > >> We need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to > > >> not > > >> shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put > > >> in**** > > > >> place that we don’t have another Buruburu, Dandora > on our > > hands. > > >> > > > Ã‚ > > >> Guys, it’s good to be skeptical but its better still > to > > offer > > >> solutions > > >> to avoid such eventualities. That’s why Risk > Management**** > > > will be a > > >> critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors.**** > > > >>  **** > > > >> Robert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that.. > **** > > > >>  > > >> PS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlands…J > > >>  > > >>  > > >>  **** > > > >> Ali Hussein|Managing Partner > > >> > > >> Telemedia Africa > > >> Azania Technology Group > > >> Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road**** > > > >> P O Box 14556-00100**** > > > >> +254 773/713 601113 > > >> Nairobi, Kenya**** > > > >>  > > >>  > > >> Twitter: @AliHKassim > > >> Skype: abu-jomo > > >>  > > >>  **** > > > >> From:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] > > >> Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM > > >> To: Ali Hussein > > >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > > >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?**** > > > >>  > > >> Hussein, > > >>  **** > > > >> Interesting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of > 5 > > >> years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny > > >> parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone > fences > > >> with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I > once > > >> swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and > **** > > > >> replaced with beacon to beacon multi story structures. > > >>  **** > > > >> Living in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st > > >> Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the > > >> landscape**** > > > > change.  I watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class > **** > > > >> development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well > thought > > >> out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today > and > > >> then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it.**** > > > >>  **** > > > >> All this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, > > >> City > > >> Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry > of > > >> Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce > and**** > > > >> many others who could have stopped the carnage.  > > >>  **** > > > >> Go to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the > > >> dailies, > > >> and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels > > >> to**** > > > >> plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100).  We are* > *** > > > already > > >> replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse,**** > > > > beginning**** > > > >> with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy > > >> skyscrapers.**** > > > >>  > > >>  **** > > > >> The road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums**** > > > and shanties,**** > > > >> then > > >> we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high > > >> speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out > of > > >> the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments.* > *** > > > >>  **** > > > >> Also lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national > > >> projects > > >> to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 > we > > >> shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and > > >> agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support > required > > >> to make it work?**** > > > >>  **** > > > >> Imagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I > saw > > >> it > > >> and you and many might be too young to have**** > > > > lived through > > >> the destruction of a brilliant project but I was, so > maybe**** > > > you can > > >> now > > >> better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a > nation > > >> to control the development of a 5,000**** > > > acre piece of empty > > >> piece land. > > >>  **** > > > >> I am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong > > >> when > > >> I have history backing my position.**** > > > >>  > > >> Regards > > >>  **** > > > >> Robert Yawe > > >> KAY System Technologies Ltd > > >> Phoenix House, 6th Floor > > >> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 > > >> Kenya > > >> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > >> > > >> ________________________________ > > >> > > >> From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> > > >> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > >> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 > > >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?**** > > > >>  > > >> Robert > > >>  > > >> I would like to be more optimistic about Konza. **** > > > >> > > >> What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that > > >> isn't what was intended for Konza.**** > > > >>  **** > > > >> Have some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for > > >> speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think > > >> Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :)**** > > > >>  > > >>  **** > > > >> Ali Hussein > > >> Managing Partner > > >> Telemedia Africa > > >> Azania Technology**** > > > > Group > > >> +254 773/713 601113 > > >>  **** > > > >> "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but > > >> in**** > > > >> business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo > Lewis,**** > > > >> member, Advertising Hall of Fame > > >> > > >> On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > wrote: > > >> @Walu,**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>In short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned > to > > >>> an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public.** > ** > > > >>>  The**** > > > >>> statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the > > >>> plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent > > >>> for > > >>> the way forward as relates to government land.**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Konza is government land and is and will be governed by**** > > > > the law of the**** > > > >>> land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to > put > > >>> up > > >>> a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to > tender > > >>> for its sell.**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>At which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win > > >>> as**** > > > >>> we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card.  We > will**** > > > then > > >>> offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject > > >>> the > > >>> offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with > **** > > > >>> views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports. >  > > >>> **** > > > >>>My group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 > **** > > > >>> and sell them to the public to recover our investment. >  Visit the**** > > > >>> area > > >>> around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a > > >>> living and breathing**** > > > > example of what Konza will look like by the year > > >>> 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth.  > > >>> **** > > > >>>That was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary > to > > >>> relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley > Province.**** > > > >>>  The architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential > **** > > > >>> candidate, > > >>> what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election?**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Let us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we > > >>> know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains > with > > >>> hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective > investors > > >>> who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning > > >>> into > > >>> a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have > > >>> become > > >>>**** > > > > stores. > > >>> **** > > > >>>Runda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while > > >>> but > > >>> Konza will be a still birth.**** > > > >>> > > >>> **** > > > >>>What is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions > > >>> for > > >>> us? > >**** > > > >>>           > **** > > > will the land be sold to > > >>> prospective investors > > >>> better known as speculators or leased to investors? > >**** > > > >>>           > **** > > > will the government > > >>> allocate the land to > > >>> prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists? > >**** > > > >>>           > **** > > > how long will it take to > > >>> develop the > > >>> infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient > > >>> water, > > >>> sewerage services and**** > > > > electricity to its residents 200 years down the > > >>> road? > > > > >>>           > **** > > > when the infrastructure is > > >>> complete and the land > > >>> allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in? > >**** > > > >>>           > **** > > > if the first tenant moves > > >>> in sometime around 2030 > > >>> will the concept still be viable? > >**** > > > >>>           > **** > > > is the rest of Africa, > > >>> Asia, Eastern Europe and > > >>> the Maldives sleeping? > >**** > > > >>>           > **** > > > once Raila becomes > > >>> President, after beating a > > >>> joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he > > >>> will > > >>> allow that level of national resources to be**** > > > > spent in that region instead**** > > > >>> of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an > > >>> International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents > speak > > >>> fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is**** > > > >>> a marginalized county (highest child mortality rate) > and**** > > > it gave > > >>> him > > >>> their vote as a block?**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Until we get a comprehensive report from the various players**** > > > >>> i.e. treasury, ministry of > > information, ministry of lands,**** > > > >>> AG's > > >>> Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President > > >>> the**** > > > >>> project shall remain as dead as a dodo irrespective of how > many > > >>> flashy > > >>> advertisements are run by a sub-entity of > > a sub-entity of a**** > > > >>> substantial participant in the project.**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Walu, in your case which**** > > > > ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up**** > > > >>> a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an > entire > > >>> self sufficient campus.**** > > > >>> > > >>>Regards > > >>> > > >>>PS.  China government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus > any**** > > > >>> other > > >>> projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status > becoming > > >>> of > > >>> a City.**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O > Box > > >>> 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > >>> > > >>>________________________________ > > >>> > > >>>From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> > > >>>To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > >>>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy**** > > > > Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>**** > > > >>>Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 > > >>>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?**** > > > >>> > > >>>@Yawe, > > >>> > > >>>u seem to b on the inside loop on this one. Konza City, > > >>> scuttled? I**** > > > >>> had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might > need > > >>> guidance on what next? > > >>> > > >>>And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international > > >>> stakeholders - what would they make of your statement? > > >>> > > >>>walu. > > >>> > > >>>--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > >>> > > >>>From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> > > >>>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... > > >>>To: jwalu@yahoo.com > > >>>Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > >>>Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM > > >>>Listers,**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Are we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to > > >>> institutes of education such as Universities who already issue > degrees > > >>> in > > >>> computer science and the like.**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>This is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being > > >>> run**** > > > >>> on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project, > > >>> > > >>>We are aware > > > that all the great software applications developed over the > > >>> past 3 decades have been done by enthusiasts or as Philip > Ochieng > > >>> recently clarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to > > change > > >>> any > > >>> time soon. > > >>> > > >>>KICT eat in peace. > > >>> > > >>>Regards > > >>> > > >>>PS.  Liko lets go look for something more productive to do > with**** > > > our > > >>> time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business**** > > > plans.  > > >>> **** > > > >>>Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O > Box > > >>> 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 > > >>> > > >>>________________________________ > > >>> > > >>>From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> > > >>>To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk > > >>>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> > > >>>Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 > > >>>Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ...**** > > > >>> **** > > > >>>Samsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational > > >>> Institution > > >>> > > >>>The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution > to > > >>> launch a Kenyan software development certification > > >>> > > >>>:) > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>>_______________________________________________ > > >>>kictanet mailing list > > >>>kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > > >>>http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > >>> > > >>>Unsubscribe or change your options at > > >>> > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/robertyawe%40yahoo.co.uk > > >>> > > >>>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder > platform > > >>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > >>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the > ICT > > >>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > > >>> development. > > >>> > > >>>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > >>> online that**** > > > > you follow in real life: respect people's times and**** > > > >>> bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, > > >>> respect > > >>> privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > >>> > > >>>-----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > >>>_______________________________________________ > > >>>kictanet mailing list > > >>>kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > > >>>http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > >>> > > >>>Unsubscribe or change your options at > > >>> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com > > >>> > > >>>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a**** > > > > multi-stakeholder platform**** > > > >>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > >>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the > ICT > > >>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > > >>> development. > > >>> > > >>>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > >>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > > >>> bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, > > >>> respect > > >>> privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.*** > * > > > >>> **** > > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >>>kictanet mailing list > > >>>kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > > >>>http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > >>> > > >>>Unsubscribe or change your options at > > >>> > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > >>> > > >>>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder > platform > > >>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > >>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the > ICT > > >>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > > >>> development. > > >>> > > >>>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > >>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > > >>> bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, > > >>> respect > > >>> privacy, do**** > > > > not spam, do not market your wares or**** > > > >>> qualifications._______________________________________________ > > >> kictanet mailing list > > >> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke**** > > Robert, > > I don't think your comments need tolerance or patience. > I believe it is very healthy and constructive to debate on such pertinent > issues. It brings out various factors that may not have been considered or > that > may still be salvaged. In my view, thinking through your comments should > light > up some bulbs. > Your main query,if I understand you well,is whether our country strategy to > develop the industry is on the right track. > I have had many discussions with both local and international industry > stakeholders and encountered exactly the same comments/queries so I am not > surprised to hear you raising them. > I think listers should give their comments,suggestions, opinions on this, > even > though it is in progress. > Many good ideas are likely to spring from this. > > Regards, > > Gilda Odera**** > > > >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > >> > > >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > > >> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > > >> > > >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder > platform > > >> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > >> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the > ICT > > >> sector in support of the national aim of ICT**** > > > > enabled growth and**** > > > >> development. > > >> > > >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > >> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > > >> bandwidth, > > >> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, > > >> do > > >> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > **** > > ------------------------------------------------- > This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/**** > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet**** > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail.com > **** > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.**** > > > > **** > > ** ** > > -- > Barrack O. Otieno**** > > +254721325277**** > > +254-20-2498789 > Skype: barrack.otieno**** > > http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/ **** > > ** ** > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/blongwe%40gmail.com > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe@gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."
I think we all agree Konza City must move forward. I dont speak for Yawe but I dont think he is against the idea of Konza. From his reads, I find that perhaps he is providing the alternative case scenarios or second opinion. This is always necessary and done in big projects - it even has a term for it in academic and project management circles - "Risk Analysis/Management". Only this time he is unleashing it fast and furious - but at least it is free ;-) walu. --- On Wed, 2/15/12, Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com> wrote: From: Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 11:54 AM On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:45 AM, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.or.ke> wrote: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt "May our dreams defy the laws of gravity."~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. CAN WE MOVE FORWARD!! Amen and Hallelujah! From: kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Barrack Otieno Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:33 AM To: Edith Adera Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? Robert et al, Whereas i agree to your positive criticism we run the risk of analysis paralysis, i attended the town hall meeting at UoN where Dr. Ndemo presented the title deed for Konza City, during the same meeting i noticed something that was not so clear to the naked eye and this were vested interests, there are those who were for it and those who were against it for whatever reasons yet we ate from the same plate. Whereas i agree that we may have had a bad history or past as a country , we must not use this as a compass for our future, remembering the past will only turn us into pillars of salt, tasteless salt for that matter, must we compare Konza to the Smart City in Egypt of similar cities in Dubai as Mr. Mutinda posits? we could as well have something bigger , in any case we are learning from the mistakes that were made in those countries. I therefore propose that the project should proceed, we don't need to know what the future holds otherwise we will defeat the very defination of innovation, furthermore we are in a new constitutional dispension and we are likely to have institutional measures and safeguards that will ensure such projects don't fail as has been the case in the past. Having attended the presentation on Tatu City at Strathmore University i noticed the challenges that the planners were facing based on the same issues being raised by Bobby, what impressed me however is now the project team was able to convincingly respond to the queries being raised and when i left i had not doubt it was a great idea, i suppose this is the approach we should adopt with regard to Konza so that all questions are not lumped at an individual, i guess the time is also ripe for another townhall meeting so that stakeholders can engage the project team lest we scuttle another great initiative, if there is no one to offer space i suggest we congregate at Uhuru Park, it is close to Dr. Ndemos office. My two tiles for the technology park On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 9:54 AM, <godera@skyweb.co.ke> wrote: Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>:
Hi again Daktari,
Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other
lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum.
In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the approach of
implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being to> take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza? Â I appreciate the politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more practical to change the location while maintaining the approach?
My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon.  President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long".
Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance.
Regards> Â
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>
To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy
Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert,> The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy> as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning> I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we> bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life?
Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from> doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude?
I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on
occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the> responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists.
Have some optimist day.
Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you
know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first
change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to
the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing a tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one
of the directors of the firm who called me to his office.  He said> > something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness".  I solved the problem by implementing a procedure> > on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the
workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an> > appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years.  We suffer
from institutionalised mediocrity, for example, how does the City> > Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses
be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not
create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended> > for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.ÂÂ
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela have perennial water problems imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off.> > ÂÂ
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with time
the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their> > ivory towers that is all it shall remain.  I have not asked for any
remuneration to praise, criticise or make recommendations, instead of> > paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark? > > Lets have a realistic week.> >  Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ Â From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke>> > To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert,> > Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to
protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my> > house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and> > age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo.> > Sent from my BlackBerry®
________________________________
From:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke> ReplyTo:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>> > Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs.  > > Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on
your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and that> > is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours.  My children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an
early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty
leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm.  Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today.  > >
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is
literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far> > as infrastructure is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used when Buckingham Palace> was being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same.  > > The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the
related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail
to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or less of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be> > positive).  The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and> > administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree.  How many lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . .  I am sure someone is already writing a response to> > this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment.  This is> > an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society.  > > From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I said in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by
slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft plots.> >  > > As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a
reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool> > never changes his mind"  or the political one "in politics there are no
permanent friends or foes". ÂÂ
Even Bill Gates, who initially dismissed the Internet as a passing> > cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new
opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best> > forgotten.ÂÂ
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be man enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of
requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will
be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building> > today and what will be built tomorrow.  City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre, TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year.  Daktari I ask you,ÂÂ
-  does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher?  -  do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house?
-  when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?> > If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws and are subject> > to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges. > > I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to be developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting.  The> > intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and colour
like in the case of Konza than function and application of global standards.
Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement?  We both> > listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose
relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you> > refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project?  We need to move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have.ÂÂ
Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing in the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing structure.  The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.> > We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth to death unless we face our demons and conquer them we shall not make any progress.  Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other cultures?  > > For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut
and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . .
In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post master general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out of Nazareth, they said".  > > PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I agree that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to standing up on its own two feet.  > > Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment.
With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop.
Regards> > ÂÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________> >Â From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'
<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the> > organization will be on its knees. I see no reason for celebrating
contradictions of our policy makers. We have traveled this road before and came through. You recall the registration of Teams that almost derailed the entire process.
Our culture lets us down in every aspect. We treasure negativity and pray that one falls in every positive step that is made. When Confucious said, " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the opportunities of moving at least one step. Yes we have seen white> > elephants but that does not mean we don't try.
Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for
real> > estate to rent. Two months there is not one building in Nairobi that meets international standards. Large buildings have only one fire escape that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is> > no exit. Just look at any ceiling to check if there are water sprinklers. Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates> > more than 300 people. I could say more..
Konza is not in any threat. This is our future where we shall create
not
only employment but a safe work environment. I would bet that Robert will be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza.
In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was> > another story about the rise of rental cost in China. A clear opportunity for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue  Mellon> > University Partnership).
Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with
my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I> > will talk her out of it. Robert if you continue like this, you will make a bad father in law.
Ndemo.
Hi,
Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = spanner in the works
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÂÂÂ
Regards  > >> Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
 ________________________________  From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert  I can’t argue with your points…  > >> We need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to
not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in> >> place that we don’t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our
hands.
 Ã‚ÂÂ
Guys, it’s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. That’s why Risk Management will be a critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors.> >>  Robert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that..> >>  PS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlands…J
   > >> Ali Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group
Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road> >> P O Box 14556-00100> >> +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya   Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo   From:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?> >>  Hussein,  Interesting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences
with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and> >> replaced with beacon to beacon multi story structures.
 > >> Living in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the
landscape> > change.  I watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class> >> development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well thought
out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it.> >>  All this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of
Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and> >> many others who could have stopped the carnage.   Go to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels
to> >> plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100).  We are> already replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse,  beginning> >> with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers.   > >> The road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums> and shanties, then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of
the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments.> >>  > >> Also lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national
projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required
to make it work?> >>  > >> Imagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw
it and you and many might be too young to have> > lived through the destruction of a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acre piece of empty piece land.  > >> I am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong
when I have history backing my position.> >>  Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?  Robert  I would like to be more optimistic about Konza. > >>
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza.> >>  Have some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :)   > >> Ali Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology  Group +254 773/713 601113  > >> "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but
in> >> business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis,> >> member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: @Walu,
 > >>>In short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public.  The> >>> statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent
for the way forward as relates to government land.> >>> > >>>Konza is government land and is and will be governed by  the law of the> >>> land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to put up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender
for its sell.> >>> > >>>At which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win
as> >>> we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card.  We will> then offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject
the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with> >>> views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports. ÂÂÂ
 > >>>My group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100> >>> and sell them to the public to recover our investment.  Visit the area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing  example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth.   > >>>That was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to
relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province.> >>>  The architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election?> >>> Let us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors
who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
 stores.  > >>>Runda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while
but Konza will be a still birth.> >>>  > >>>What is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions
for us?            will the land be sold to prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?
           > will the government
allocate the land to
prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?            how long will it take to develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and  electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?
           when the infrastructure is
complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?
           > if the first tenant moves
in sometime around 2030
will the concept still be viable?            is the rest of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?            once Raila becomes President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will
allow that level of national resources to be> >Â spent in that region instead> >>> of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an
International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is> >>> a marginalized county (highest child mortality rate) and it gave him their vote as a block?> >>> Until we get a comprehensive report from the various players> >>> i.e. treasury, ministry of information, ministry of lands, AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the> >>> project shall remain as dead as a dodo irrespective of how many
flashy advertisements are run by a sub-entity of a sub-entity of a> >>> substantial participant in the project.  > >>>Walu, in your case which> > ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus.> >>>ÂÂÂ
Regards  PS.  China government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any> >>> other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming
of a City.> >>> > >>>Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box
55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy> > Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?> >>>ÂÂÂ
@Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one. Konza City, scuttled? I> >>> had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need
guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM
Listers,> >>> > >>>Are we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to
institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like.> >>> This is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run> >>> on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project,ÂÂÂ
 We are aware  that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done by enthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng
recently clarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon.  KICT eat in peace.
 Regards  PS.  Liko lets go look for something more productive to do with> our
time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business> plans.   > >>>Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box
55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ...  > >>>Samsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a> >Â multi-stakeholder platform> >>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize,
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
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kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.keRobert,
I don't think your comments need tolerance or patience. I believe it is very healthy and constructive to debate on such pertinent issues. It brings out various factors that may not have been considered or that may still be salvaged. In my view, thinking through your comments should light up some bulbs. Your main query,if I understand you well,is whether our country strategy to develop the industry is on the right track. I have had many discussions with both local and international industry stakeholders and encountered exactly the same comments/queries so I am not surprised to hear you raising them. I think listers should give their comments,suggestions, opinions on this, even though it is in progress. Many good ideas are likely to spring from this. Regards, Gilda Odera> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
sector in support of the national aim of ICT> >Â enabled growth and> >> development.
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I too don't find Yawe opposing the project, In fact, I see him more as pre empting several scenarios taht may not be anticipated, and thus, his suggestions can be used to prevent them from occurring.
I might be wading into this probably raging waters rather late, but nonetheless.. The Optimist-Pessimist-Realist-Opportunist scenario model as alluded to earlier in our context is probably one of the most skewed reference model to be in existence to date that is to account for the tiny handful of oligarchs who strut our landscape at the expense of the rest of the populace. This I call "oligarchic opportunism" not "Capitalism, even with a human face". Now it seems a race for time, for each one of us to get admitted into the most "prestigious" club. In fact creating level playing terms in this same context might never turn out to be a level playing field in that sense of the word after all, but rather, an eskewed level playing field. When you place the elephant and the deer in the same field to graze, guess who will send the other scampering..! To guarantee and attain equal opportunities for all will really take us a long time to achieve. We are simply are not anywhere near there yet. So that it can possibly help this project move forward, I believe the big question here that needs and beg answer is how do we safely and uncompromisingly navigate past and beyond heavily vested interests. This, as sure as is day and night, will scuttle this project. The Ps has already alluded to this, regarding "heavenly" promises he's getting. As a PPP initiative, this is the single major threat we have in conducting a SWOT analysis on this project. Let's immunize it. Some things are never really that plain to the eye.. And please, let us dream and dream wisely..! Harry From: kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Dennis Kioko Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 2:22 PM To: harry@comtelsys.co.ke Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? I too don't find Yawe opposing the project, In fact, I see him more as pre empting several scenarios taht may not be anticipated, and thus, his suggestions can be used to prevent them from occurring.
What happened to my post? This below is not what I had sent.... Quoting godera@skyweb.co.ke:
Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>:
Hi again Daktari,
Seems this discussion has been reduced to a two horse race, as no other lister seems to want to weigh in their two cents maybe we should take the discussion offline it will be more interesting as we can suspend decorum.
In closing the public discussion I ask why didn't you pursue the approach of implementing the project in mouth size bits with the initial stage being to take over the Sameer Park as a spring board to Konza? Â I appreciate the politics that killed the location but wouldn't it have been more practical to change the location while maintaining the approach?
My reason for bringing this up is because I have realised over time that as Kenyan's we tend to come up with grandiose plans but we seriously lack staying power, except in the marathon.  President Moi reiterated this when he said "that the memory of the Kenyan is only 3 weeks long".
Listers thanks for your tolerance and perseverance.
Regards  Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke>; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 13 February 2012, 16:57 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, The African story is very complicated. I do not know whether we are lazy as Hon. Kailemi Mwiria noted in his article in the Standard yesterday or we have a third world mentality in first world applications. This morning I was on KISS FM and both presenters wondered a loud how someone can walk on one of these new flyovers and hope to avoid an accident. Are we bringing modernity too quickly before our people can adopt urban life? Does this knowledge on the gap between modernity and culture stop us from doing those things that will take us forward? How does Africa adopt a Yes we can attitude?
I am sure you know that I do not need anybody to bark for me. I can take care of myself. I am also quite sure that what we want to achieve in Konza is within the grasp of our knowldge to sustain it. Yes on occassions I have questioned our resolve to finish ignorance. We have spent more than 40 years fighting the same. We all have the responsibility to ensure that we deal with it as our founding fathers envisioned. In the developed world you sometimes see similar ignorance but they do not speak about it as we do. I found out that we speak because some of us are irreversible pesmists.
Have some optimist day.
Ndemo.
Hi Daktari,
Thank you for the frank response to my question but I ask, now that you know what is right why haven't you remedied the situation?
I will give you a short story that might better explain why we cannot do what you are proposing as relates to Konza unless we as individuals first change within ourselves.
As a technical manager for a IT company many years ago I kept having to inspect equipment for cleanliness as they left the workshop going back to the client as many of times no one took the effort to clean them well a situation that kept pissing me off.
While throwing aÃÂ tantrum about this issue it caught the attention of one of the directors of the firm who called me to his office. ÃÂ He said something that remains etched in my mind "how do you expect someone who lives in an unclean environment, by your standards, to appreciate your level of cleanliness". ÃÂ I solved the problem by implementing a procedure on what must be done before any equipment left the premises from the workshop.
Daktari, as an individual I believe you share in my faith and must have an appreciation to why a journey of a few weeks took 40 years. ÃÂ We suffer from institutionalised mediocrity, for example,ÃÂ how doesÃÂ the City Council of Nairobi on one hand say they need to reduce vehicular traffic while on the other hand they insist that when building residential houses be it flats or semi detached one must provide the equivalent of 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
From my response to Mr. Munyao, it is clear that Konza shall take resources away from other areas which would mean the project shall not create development rather it shall reassign development that was intended for other areas, what is better known as a zero sum game.ÃÂ
Machakos, Wote, Athi River and Kitengela haveÃÂ perennialÃÂ water problems imagine how much worse the situation will get once the new City kicks off. ÃÂ
The countries growing demand for energy and water will not stop until after Konza which is the reason why we must incorporate the project into the national strategy and stop trying to built a moated castle - with time the citizenry will build a bridge across.
Konza is a great dream, but until all those involved get down from their ivory towers that is all it shall remain. ÃÂ I have not asked for any remuneration to praise, criticise or makeÃÂ recommendations, instead of paying misguided individuals to try and silence my questions and your taking pot shots at my person why not ask the simple question that I asked Mr. Munyao - for who does he bark?ÃÂ
Lets have a realistic week. ÃÂ Regards
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ Â From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Friday, 10 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Thank you for the clarification. When I built my house, the priority was to cover myself against rain and sun shine. Walls and the grills to protect me from any lateral attack. Just like my neighbour I knew nothing about building codes. Today I realize if there is a small fire in my house, I will not save myself.
Such naivety should not be replicated in public buildings in this day and age. We must begin to develop global standards buildings. That is why Konza is not just a new city but an exemplar.
Regards
Ndemo. Sent from my BlackBerryî ________________________________
From:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:36:31 +0000 (GMT) To: bitange@jambo.co.ke<bitange@jambo.co.ke> ReplyTo:Â robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Hi Daktri,
Your silence was becoming a concern especially with the headline yesterday of an impending reshuffle and or reduction of PSs. ÃÂ
Welcome back, I see you thought this post through as it was not done on your portable gadget.
I will respond beginning with the last point, I am a great father and that is not my inflated ego speaking but the opinion of my neighbours. ÃÂ My children are the opinion leaders in their peer groups, they dictate the groups direction, they are giving the space to speak their minds, they are allowed to defend their positions and have been their own thinkers from an early age.
So Dr. Ndemo your daughter will be fortunate to have me as a father in law and your grand children will have in me a great, insightful and broad minded grand father which are essential to the development of mighty leaders.
The cost of rent is going up faster in Kenya than it is in China and you can take that as fact not opinion because I am an active player in the real estate realm. ÃÂ Commercial rent in Upper Hill has rising from 40/- per square foot 5 years ago to 120/- today. ÃÂ
The cost of land in Nanyuki 3 years ago was 120,000/- per acre, an area that is less than 5 kilometres from the CBD, today the price is over 600,000/-, I will not even try bringing up the issue of Kisumu as it is literally obscene. We are not competitive at all in as far asÃÂ infrastructureÃÂ is concerned so please lets stop deceiving ourselves on that front, Tanzania is much cheaper and Southern Sudan is more of a blank canvas.
As we look at the issue of land and building note that we still build using methods and standards that where used whenÃÂ BuckinghamÃÂ Palace was being built, where the Chinese can build a 500 room hotel in 45 days it would take us 3 years to do the same. ÃÂ
The speed with which they can put up new developments complete with the related infrastructure means that before you finish responding to this post they will have moved 500 kilometres from Shanghai and begun building a new city, complete with an international airport and a high speed rail to Beijing, that will offer rents that are equivalent to one third or less of what we shall be able to offer in Konza in 2015 (you see I can be positive). ÃÂ The entire City will be ready for occupation before we finish fencing Konza in 2013.
On the man power front, we are busy churning out lawyers and administrators clearly we are barking up the wrong tree. ÃÂ How many lawyers and business administrators where there in the team that launched Apple, Microsoft (1), Google, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, MPesa, PesaPal, Virtual City . . . ÃÂ I am sure someone is already writing a response to this but note that the microsofts and googles of this world only brought in the team of lawyers when they where big enough to get sued.
Dr. Ndemo it is shocking that you can actual say on an open forum that Kenya is unsafe and that investors should not come until the fenced City of Konza is ready as it will offer a safe working environment. ÃÂ This is an indication that you have moved to that exclusive 1% sector of society. ÃÂ
From your statement you are actually supporting and confirming what I said in a previous post on this same issue that Konza shall be surrounded by slums as the land around it is being subdivided into 50 ft x 100 ft plots. ÃÂ
As an investor I will invest elsewhere for now until Konza becomes a reality at which point I will apply the wise man's principle "only a fool never changes his mind" ÃÂ or the political one "in politics there are no permanent friends or foes". ÃÂ
Even Bill Gates, whoÃÂ initiallyÃÂ dismissed the Internet as a passing cloud, did not hesitate to turn around and take full advantage of the new opportunity when it became apparent, but he also realised that dealing with IBM however lucrative it seemed on the onset was a marriage best forgotten.ÃÂ
My question to you and the team pushing Konza is , if today it became clear that the project will have no viable economic impact will you be man enough to pull the plug?
As I indicated above we build castles which require as few entry/exit points as possible, those in the real estate industry have been fighting for the revision of the the building code since 1987 so as to get rid of requirements such as the 45 degree pitched roof requirement which is essential in countries where it snows.
The plans for Konza will not be vetted by any new team of experts it will be the same ones who are approving the plans for what we are building today and what will be built tomorrow. ÃÂ City Hall Annexe, Nation Centre, TelePosta, Nyayo House and many of the high rise buildings in the CBD are fire traps yet they have had their occupation certificates renewed for this year. ÃÂ Daktari I ask you,ÃÂ
- ÃÂ does the kitchen in your house have a fire blanket and extinguisher? ÃÂ - ÃÂ do you have approval for the 7 foot wall around your house? - ÃÂ when was the last time you where involved in a fire drill?
If not you are in contravention of the council by-laws andÃÂ areÃÂ subject to a fine and instead of us raising issues that have a direct impact on our survival we are keeping the Council in court over issues of parking metres and mobile toilet effluent discharge charges.ÃÂ
I had the opportunity to see the winning design for the campus tower to be developed at the University of Nairobi and it was most wanting. ÃÂ The intellectual elite at the University still got swayed by pomp and colour like in the case of Konza than function and application of global standards.
Strathmore University on the other hand went for the LEED certification right from design stage, please send me the section in the Konza master plan where LEED certification is mentioned as a requirement? ÃÂ We both listened to the presentation about Hydrabad and the issues that arose relating to its development how they where handled, why is it that you refuse to carry out a SWOT analysis on the Konza project? ÃÂ We need to move beyond dreaming towards the reality that is the Kenya we have.ÃÂ
Listers please do not get confused with the presentation you are seeing in the media, Konza City is still only a piece of empty land, many of you react to my posts as if I am suggesting that we demolish an existing structure. ÃÂ The images on TV are a simulation and are not real.
We have massive cultural issues, baggage that we shall carry from birth to death unless we face our demons andÃÂ conquer themÃÂ we shall not make any progress. ÃÂ Confucius was Chinese and the Chinese child has grown on the tenets of Confucius we have grown up on the tenets of Wangu wa Makere, Oloibon Lenana, Lwanda Magere and Chief Nikango how can we leverage our cultural heritage to improve our modern lives without trying to ape other cultures? ÃÂ
For example, it has been proven that no African dialect as a word that means "maintenance" as we did not need it, we buried you inside your hut and let it waste away while the Maasai . . . .
In closing I will respond to my pet issue of my appointment as post master general, I will start with a quote from the bible "what good can come out of Nazareth, they said". ÃÂ
PCK is lying flat on its back like an envelop (thanks Ntimama), so I agree that if I was already PMG it would be on its knees today on the way to standing up on its own two feet. ÃÂ
Thank you for your confidence, I hope you will act on this as you push at the next board meeting of PCK for my appointment.
With that wise crack I clear my cache and exit the loop.
Regards ÃÂ
Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________ Â From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: bitange@jambo.co.ke; 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, 9 February 2012, 20:39 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert, Had we hired you as PCK Chief with this kind of pessimism, the organization will be on its knees.ÃÂ I see no reason for celebrating contradictions of our policy makers.ÃÂ We have traveled this road before and came through.ÃÂ You recall the registration of Teams that almost derailed the entire process.
Our culture lets us down in every aspect.ÃÂ We treasure negativity and pray that one falls in every positive step that is made.ÃÂ When Confucious said, " a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step", he meant that that you should not look at the challenges of covering the 1,000 miles but the opportunities of moving at least one step.ÃÂ Yes we have seen white elephants but that does not mean we don't try.
Two of the world's outsourcing companies have been around searching for real  estate to rent.àTwo months there is not one building in Nairobi that meets international standards.àLarge buildings have only one fire escape that if there was fire, people will die not from fire but because there is no exit.àJust look at any ceiling to check if there are water sprinklers. Some fancy buildings have only one toilet in a floor that accomodates more than 300 people.àI could say more..
Konza is not in any threat.ÃÂ This is our future where we shall create not only employment but a safe work environment.ÃÂ I would bet that Robert will be among the first to seek opportunities at Konza.
In the same paper that Robert extracted the Konza story from there was another story about the rise of rental cost in China.àA clear opportunity for us to start offering affordable destination and making it competitive through partnership in capacity development (Read Carnigue  Mellon University Partnership).
Honestly as liberal I have said to myself that I will never intervere with my daughter's choice of boyfriend but if I find her with Robert's son, I will talk her out of it.ÃÂ Robert if you continue like this, you will make a bad father in law.
Ndemo.
Hi,
Konza = public land = freeze by Orengo = national lands commissioner = spanner in the works
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539552/1323050/-/56yje2z/-/index.htmlÃâÃÂ
Regards ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya
Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
 ________________________________
ÃÂ From: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: 'robert yawe' <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 11:06 Subject: RE: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City?
Robert ÃâàI canâââ‰â¢t argue with your pointsâââ¬Ã¦ ÃâàWe need realists. However having said that the suggestion would be to not shy aware from such developments but to ensure that mechanisms are put in place that we donâââ‰â¢t have another Buruburu, Dandora on our hands.
Guys, itâââ‰â¢s good to be skeptical but its better still to offer solutions to avoid such eventualities. Thatâââ‰â¢s why Risk Management will be a critical aspect of such potentially paradigm shifting endeavors. ÃâàRobert, we need your contrarian view points. Please do not lose that.. ÃâàPS. I am old enough to know what happened in Eastlandsâââ¬Ã¦J ÃâàÃâàÃâàAli Hussein|Managing Partner
Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O BoxÃâà14556-00100 +254 773/713 601113 Nairobi, Kenya ÃâàÃâàTwitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo ÃâàÃâàFrom:robert yawe [mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 10:40 AM To: Ali Hussein Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? ÃâàHussein, ÃâàInteresting that you bring up Buru Buru where I lived from the age of 5 years, when there where picket fences, kids swings, slides and nanny parks, until I left at the age of 18 when there were 7 foot stone fences with broken glass toppings, churches and bars in the places where I once swung, metal sheet granny houses and even entire houses demolished and replaced withÃâàbeaconÃâàto beacon multi story structures. ÃâàLiving in Buru Buru & going to school in Eastleigh I commuted from 1st Avenue, through Juja Road and then down Outer Ring Road watching the landscape  change. ÃâàI watched as Huruma went from a lovely middle class development to what it is today, Dandora transformed from a well
out cluster development to the multi story structures you see today and then Umoja which well there is nothing to explain it. ÃâàAll this happened right under the nose of a President, UNEP, Habitat, City Council of Nairobi, AAK, ISK, IEK, UON, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Public Works, Parliament, Kenya Airforce and many others who could have stopped the carnage. ÃâàÃâàGo to the areas around Konza, or just read the classifieds in the dailies, and watch the subdivision of plots from the initial seven acre parcels to plots of as small as an eight of an acre (50 x 100). ÃâàWe are already replicating Nairobi only that now it is being done in reverse,  beginning with the surrounding slums and hopefully end with the glassy skyscrapers. ÃâàÃâàThe road to Konza shall be literally lined with slums andÃâàshanties, then we shall have proposals to allow helipads, overpasses, windowless high speed trains and overhead cable cars to get the investors in and out of the technopolis without exposing them to the unsightly developments. ÃâàAlso lets not forget that we have been unable to handle national projects to date yet we had a central government, come sometime in August 2013 we shall have 47 little governments all with their specific interests and agendas, what is the likelihood that Konza will get the support required to make it work? ÃâàImagine Buru Buru happened to an estate that was fully developed, I saw it and you and many might be too young to have  lived through theÃâàdestructionÃâàof a brilliant project but I was, so maybe you can now better understand my skepticism when it comes to our ability as a nation to control the development of a 5,000 acreÃâàpieceÃâàofÃâàempty pieceÃâàland. ÃâàI am not a pessimist I am a realist, let the dreamers prove me wrong when I have history backing my position. ÃâàRegards ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 19:02 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? ÃâàRobert ÃâàI would like to be more optimistic about Konza.ÃâÃÂ
What you are describing is a Buruburu type land grab and I'm sure that isn't what was intended for Konza. ÃâàHave some faith my brother... In fact I think Robert there is room for speculation... Though I suspect not in the way we are used to... Think Speculation 3.0 with a dash of new tech... :) ÃâàÃâàAli Hussein Managing Partner Telemedia Africa Azania Technology  GroupÃâà+254 773/713 601113 Ãâà"You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.".Ãâà- E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame
On Feb 7, 2012, at 3:14 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: @Walu,
ÃâàIn short what the AG said was that government land cannot be assigned to an individual or entity but must be offered to the general public. ÃâàThe statement was initially targeted at the Airtel/Postal/IBM deal of the plot opposite Yaya Centre but it spoke volumes as it gave a precedent for the way forward as relates to government land. ÃâàKonza is government land and is and will be governed by  the law of the land as relates to such resource, therefore if Microsoft wanted to put up a campus in Konza on a 20 acre plot the government would have to tender for its sell. ÃâàAt which point Yawe and Co-speculators Inc. will tender and likely win as we shall play the nationalist, county and tribe card. ÃâàWe will
offer the same land to Microsoft at an inflated price who will reject the offer and opt to locate to the Lakeview Techno City next to RIAT with views from the largest fresh water lake offering water sports. ÃâàÃâàMy group and I will then subdivide the 20 acres into broty of 50 x 100 and sell them to the public to recover our investment. ÃâàVisit
 Ãâàthought then the
area around Bamburi and London Distillers in Athi River/Mavoko area for a living and breathing  example of what Konza will look like by the year 2020, it is even more pronounced from GoogleEarth. ÃâàÃâàThat was the initial location of the EPZ before it was felt necessary to relocate the same 2 kilometres down the road into Rift Valley Province. ÃâàThe architect of that relocation is an aspiring presidential candidate, what stops him from relocating Konza if he wins the election? ÃâàLet us not blind ourselves to the reality and return to the Kenya we know, the EPZ continues to struggle many years later, JKIA remains with hundreds of empty plots still being held onto by prospective investors who where allocated the land over 30 years ago, Baba Dogo is turning into a large residential area and the KIE sheds in Industrial Area have become
 stores.
ÃâàRunda Closeburn will definitely fly, Tatu will limp along for a while but Konza will be a still birth. ÃâàÃâàWhat is the strategy for Konza and can someone answer these questions for us?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàwill the land be sold to
prospective investors better known as speculators or leased to investors?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàwill the government
allocate the land to prospective investors a.k.a Karurarists?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàhow long will it take to
develop the infrastructure noting that Nairobi still cannot provide sufficient water, sewerage services and  electricity to its residents 200 years down the road?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàwhen the infrastructure is
complete and the land allocated how long will it be before the first tenant moves in?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàif the first tenant moves
in sometime around 2030 will the concept still be viable?
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàis the rest of Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe and the Maldives sleeping?
President, after beating a joint force of Kalonzo, Uhuru & Ruto, what is the likelihood that he will allow that level of national resources to be  spent in that region instead of relocate the same to for example Nyanza where there is already an International Airport, is closer to Southern Sudan, the residents speak fluent english plus has english like names to boot, it is aÃâàmarginalizedÃâàcounty (highest child mortality rate) and it gave him their vote as a block? ÃâàUntil we get a comprehensive report from the various players i.e.Ãâàtreasury, ministry of information,ÃâàministryÃâàof lands, AG's Chambers, local government, county representatives and the President the project shall remain as dead as aÃâàdodo irrespective of how many flashy advertisements are run by aÃâàsub-entityÃâàof aÃâàsub-entityÃâàof a substantial participant in the project. ÃâàWalu, in your case which  ever way it goes nothing affects your setting up a lab, but if I was the University I would look at putting up an entire self sufficient campus. ÃâàRegards ÃâàPS. ÃâàChina government is to build 1000 houses in Kisumu plus any other projects that they deem necessary to giving Kisumu the status becoming of a City. ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com> To: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy  Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:04 Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ...Konza City? Ãâà@Yawe,
u seem to b on the inside loop on this one.ÃâàKonza City, scuttled?ÃâàI had advised my boss to book a university lab there and now I might need guidance on what next?
And thats me as a local stakeholder, what of the international stakeholders - what would they make of your statement?
walu.
--- On Mon, 2/6/12, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
From: robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Weird Things ... To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Date: Monday, February 6, 2012, 5:25 PM Listers, ÃâàAre we seriously having this discussion, please leave certification to institutes of education such as Universities who already issue degrees in computer science and the like. ÃâàThis is just another tax guzzling scheme like the Konza adverts being run on TV yet the AG has already scuttled the project,ÃâàÃâàWe are aware  that all the great software applications developed over the past 3 decades have been done byÃâàenthusiasts or as Philip Ochieng recentlyÃâàclarified amateurs, a situation that is not about to change any time soon. ÃâàKICT eat in peace. ÃâàRegards ÃâàPS. ÃâàLiko lets go look for something more productive to do with our time, wachana na mambo ya certification na business
ÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàÃâàonce Raila becomes plans.ÃâàÃâÃÂ
ÃâàRobert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
________________________________
From:Agosta Liko <agostal@gmail.com> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2012, 14:00 Subject: [kictanet] Weird Things ... ÃâàSamsung launched its 2nd Engineering Academy with a local Educational Institution
The ICT Board on the other hand is working with a Foreign Institution to launch a Kenyan software development certification
:)
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Robert,
I don't think your comments need tolerance or patience. I believe it is very healthy and constructive to debate on such pertinent issues. It brings out various factors that may not have been considered or that may still be salvaged. In my view, thinking through your comments should light up some bulbs. Your main query,if I understand you well,is whether our country strategy to develop the industry is on the right track. I have had many discussions with both local and international industry stakeholders and encountered exactly the same comments/queries so I am not surprised to hear you raising them. I think listers should give their comments,suggestions, opinions on this, even though it is in progress. Many good ideas are likely to spring from this.
Regards,
Gilda Odera
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participants (8)
-
Barrack Otieno -
Brian Munyao Longwe -
Dennis Kioko -
Edith Adera -
godera＠skyweb.co.ke -
Harry Delano -
robert yawe -
Walubengo J