[kictanet] Of monkeys and loaded guns

Fri Jul 6 08:50:11 EAT 2007

Dear All:

This is above my known pro-consumer advocacy. It is
about your civic duty time and resources investment
wastage by the ministry of information and
communications.

No matter how nice the ICT policy is, it is not the
law thus your contributions to the process are mist
and dew.

I am afraid I will not let off government so easily,
obviously because I have faced very bad forces and
know better some of the dynamics at play, foremost
their deliberate (twice) refusal to register the ICT
Consumer Association of Kenya-reason it would disrupt
lucrative telecoms status quo. Do not waste your time
with KACA who have failed to sue even where there
exists ample evidence, and now are blaming
"limitations"

When we were asked to discussion Bill version before
parliament, nobody responded, why? The Ministry is
proposing to pass a law that is against the spirit of
the nation. In other words an illegal law. Apathy may
have come because the government is confident of
i-house numbers to pass any law they want.

The ICT Policy reflected in previous (February-2006
not the one before Parliament) draft Bill reflected
our collective ICT aspirations that were tough to
reach at Mombasa (and Engineer Rege Consumers respect
you.)

Comparing the tabled Bill with KCA 1998 legitimises
backdoor violation government policy commitment. We
should compare the current that bill with the February
2006 draft. But you cannot have it! When the
www.information.go.ke downgraded their website, the
document was dropped.

Picking one example - Internet Censorship

Would one not suspect recent opposition websites
"hackings", curiously Ruto's redirected to KACA?  

The ministry Bill has chosen to be silent thereby
facilitating internet censorship - because it not
illegal. We are not only getting worse off that Uganda
and Tanzania but are now fast speeding towards
Zimbabwe where censorship is legal. (see my recent
post)

since May 2006, the top five most popular Ethiopian
web sites (including CyberEthiopia) and several blogs
have been blocked and are inaccessible across
Ethiopia. The apparent objective is to prevent the
dissemination of information that is critical of the
current regime.

See
http://www.cyberethiopia.com/net/docs/internet_repression_in_ethiopia.ht
ml

RSF had also reported the censorship along with other
media watchdogs and had called on the relevant
ministries in Ethiopia, but no reaction
so far.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17783

We need to consider "Web Database to Fix Corrupt
Politicians" and urge the public to report whenever
politicians are seen wining and dining with
steak-holders while we, stakeholders, remain served on
their plates.

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2007/04/maplight

Lastly, what is the point of e-government expenditure
when even simple government officials do not answer
emails? Unless a fundamental commitment to respond to
public email is visible, perhaps we should save all
than tax money for a better purpose.

Otherwise, rushing passage of a patchwork bill will
not help Kenya much only to maintain and restrengthen
the status quo. We have also "performance contracts"
with our core work and we soon have to ask the
government to pay for our endless "consultative" time
results of which are deliberately left out of intended
documents.

I have a suggestion to make why don't we all post our
wish list and present these to Gideo Moi - Chairman,
ICT committee. This way, the law makers conscience
will be awakened and we shall have better chances
challenging the law in courts later should the
lawmakers proceed to enact a law against the peoples
wishes?

Purpose:

1. To read people's e-Kenya desires, readiness, and
awaken us all from ICT Bill apathy because while in
this state they will pass the law right under our
noses

2. To rekindle and influence ICT Bill discussion -
apathy will see a weak law pass right under our noses
3. Enhance diversified list participation
4. Innovative engagement - Wish lists are
non-committal so nobody (no flare-ups?)
5. Question budgetary allocation trends (eg ICT Board
gets Sh140 million set-up but Sh70 million to actual
outsourcing???)

So let us compile our wish list and deliver them to
Giden Moi and Hon. Kaparo.

Alex Gakuru

--- alice <alice at apc.org> wrote:

> For more than I can remember "stakeholders" in the
> ICT sector have been 
> urging, lobbying, at times threatening government to
> do its job re; 
> ensure a conducive policy and regulatory environment
> within which the 
> sector can thrive and contribute to development and
> poverty eradication.
> 
> The government has done just that, and more, the
> process of developing 
> the ICT bill was and has been one of the most
> participatory policy 
> making processes most of us had ever been involved
> in despite the 
> initial set backs Re; secret ICT policy and bill.
> 
> We have lagged behind our neighbors, Uganda and
> Tanzania because of our 
> out of date legislative and regulatory regime and a
> lack of focus and 
> coordination in addressing ICT challenges and
> opportunities.
> 
> Now that the current government is clearly committed
> to removing 
> barriers to ICT development there has been for the
> longest time the need 
> to develop a comprehensive act and set of
> regulations driven by the 
> input and commitment of all the groups and sectors
> who will be 
> responsible for turning it into reality
> 
> We now have a bill, which was presented to
> parliament for the first 
> reading. Instead of condemning the bill in its
> entirety, we must work 
> together to ensure that we have one that supports
> the growth of the 
> sector and clearly links to all the other
> development issues.
> 
> We have a one or two weeks to input into the process
> before it goes for 
> second reading and the media sector needs to at
> least give the KCA 
> amendment bill a chance.
> 
> best
> alice
> 
> Note: My comments are entirely personal and do not
> reflect any position of the organizations I am
> affiliated with.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rebecca Wanjiku wrote:
> > The last one week has been preoccupied with talk
> of the media bill 
> > (Media Council bill) and the implications it has
> on the media.
> >
> > i will therefore not dwell on the details about
> monkeys and loaded 
> > guns because the slogan-loaded tirades were traded
> in public.
> > Beyond the media bill, there is the KCA (98)
> amendment bill which went 
> > through first reading last week.
> > But what are we hearing? It’s all about the media
> and cross ownership. 
> > The grievances the media has and how the
> government wants to regulate 
> > or gag it.
> > What about other aspects of ICT? Is the media
> council bill wholly 
> > wrong? How comes the KCA is not receiving as much
> attention as it should?
> > Is there anything good in KCA that can be
> preserved or worked on? What 
> > about the voice of ICT stakeholders who may have a
> divergent opinion.
> > The media prides itself as the agenda setter and
> gate keeper in the 
> > society; they say that whatever is written or
> aired is the wish of the 
> > people, that that’s all that you want to read. But
> is it the case?
> > The next stop for the media is the high court,
> challenging the 
> > government on the bill. They have consulted a law
> firm to file the suit.
> > But is the KCA all about media?
> > What is your take?
> >
> >
> > Tel. 254 720 318 925
> >
> > blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/
> >
> >
>
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> >
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> >
> >
>
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