[kictanet] Faith in local web hosting

[brian]

I am coming late to this debate .... more follows:

On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 06:03:46 +0000 (GMT), robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> Your analogy of a Road from Mwea to Kericho is an interesting one, if you
> have noticed all roads have led to Nairobi for many years it is only after
> those satellite locations have grown sufficient traffic through Nairobi
> that we have developed direct linkages.  A case in point is the road
> connecting from Machakos to Thika, Kitengela to Rongai, and the now being
> constructed Njambini Road.
> 
> Why didn't we develop this roads at independence? 

I differ strongly on this. Most roads in Africa were built to support the largely extractive industrial practices of colonial masters and the post-independence regimes which turned a blind eye to the economic pillage of our countries. Most of these roads are what we continue to re-carpet, repair and depend on for our basic transport. Same applies to telecommunications and other major infrastructure.

Any new infrastructure in an African country, be it a road, an airline route or an optic fibre cable needs to be thought out from a fresh standpoint and a mindset that leans towards building internal capacity or providing the platform/environment/atmosphere for local/internal capacity to be built.

I have elaborated on this in an AfrISPA position paper - "One Voice - A VOIP Position Paper" while Mucheru has highlighted the market structure and regulatory regimes to support African country's emergent and blossoming ICT sectors in another AfrISPA position paper entitled "The Rules of Engagement" Copies of these papers can be availed freely upon request.

Mblayo