[kictanet] Tribute to Alare

[Paul Kukubo]

 A couple of days ago, the ICT community - indeed, Kenya - woke up to the shocking news that one of our own, Alari Alare had passed on.
 
 Members of the ICT community will particularly feel the loss of this great man, who was more than a journalist. Many of us especially those of us who have worked in Public Service will fondly remember the terse messages that he would send us saying that the public needed to know what we are doing. He constantly reminded of our responsibility not only to perform but also to inform the public of our work. 
  
As the board busies itself crystallising many years of thoughts and ideas from the wider ICT fraternity into concrete action plans in the form of ICT strategic plan, (which is now being finalised) I am very saddened that he has passed on. He input would have been very useful in validating our thinking. 
  
When I met members of the ICT Journalists team in December, we spoke about the need to carry along all Kenyans in what we did at the board. I am sure the other members of the ICT Journalists fraternity will maintain the pace. 

 Alari went often well beyond the call duty to find out and demystify for Kenyans what ICT was about and clarify its place in their lives in simple language. I cannot forget the number of interviews when I heard him sardonically commend us for making a good pubic statement, and then ask, "Could you now translate that into normal-speak?"
 
 We shall miss Alari Alare. We shall miss his passion and commitment to the cause of ICT. We shall in steadfastly rededicate ourselves to our work and passions in ICT; try to remember what he stood for and what he taught us in the short time we had him: "if people understand what you are on about, people will jump on board."
 
 The Kenya ICT Board, on behalf of the ICT Fraternity, wishes to convey its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues, of our friend, Alari Alare and wish him, God's speed. 

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Celtel Kenya