[kictanet] PS Ndemo, ECONET Scandal aand Vested Interests
mwananchi at hushmail.com
mwananchi at hushmail.com
Thu Oct 16 09:30:22 EAT 2008
Wainaina,
The issues are several but lets not muddy the waters by mixing up
separate, distinct and in some of the ones you have listed
misinterpreted issues to revert back to what the opponents of
accountability and transparency did when they rushed in to silence,
resulting in a very energised thread on issues that some feel very
strongly about.
Naturally some will share the same views as those below and others
will disagree:
>A: That the PS (I&C) announce that policies shall be developed in
>an open, transparent and consultative manner. He also must
organise a
>forum to kickstart non-emotive talks by mid-November.
PS Ndemo so far has defended his proposal and has not yielded an
inch. The PS does not appear willing to incorporate alternative
views into policy making, and has not indicated the way forward as
yet. We thank him for responding however and ask him to remember
that he serves the greater Kenyan public not foreign interests and
in that light his proposal should be shelved for the sake of public
input.
Your suggestion is appropriate and the PS could also borrow a leaf
from CCK who engage in wide reaching public consultations that
invite parties to provide views in writing while also publishing
them before policies changes are implemented. On a matter so
critical as changes in local ownership reductions to ZERO percent
wider public consultations should be held or in the alternate the
cabinet and parliament can define this policy on behalf of all
Kenyans.
As a public servant the PS is duty bound to represent all Kenyans
and not selective groups of Kenyans or foreigners (a matter that
would run afoul of the law -- Public Officer Ethics Act).
>B: That PS Ndemo resigns and is replaced with a person of your
>choice.
Nobody has clearly called for PS Ndemo's resignation, if Ndemo has
received a specific request to do so he should let the public know.
The executive arm of government makes appointments to the office of
the PS, lets not twist issues of accountability and transparency
into matters of partisan politics. We want a better Kenya than
that, not a Kenya where one's own is the only acceptable choice
regardless of whether one can carry out the job or not.
Naturally if public servants feel that they are unable to serve the
Kenyan public without favour and not just foreigners and special
interests then they should make honourable decisions on whether to
continue with that office or not.
We are simply asking PS Ndemo to act in the interests of ALL
Kenyans and not to do by assumption, to respect and uphold the rule
of law so as to help Kenyans fight the rotten culture of impunity
and to carry out the duties of his office diligently and to the
best of his abilities. Naturally doing so does not grant one a
licence to act as one deems fit while forgetting who one works for.
>C: That the Econet licence, Kencall licence and related MoUs,
>contracts signed by PS (I&C) be cancelled.
1. The Econet licence was cancelled by the Minister for I&C. Econet
went
to court in an attempt to overturn the decision and failed when
the
High Court through Justice Ibrahim Mohammed made a final ruling
in the
matter see HC1640/2004. The Econet licence was cancelled and thus
remains cancelled as upheld by a court of law. We must respect
our
institutions, our laws and the judiciary if we hope to bury the
rotten
culture of acting with impunity kwenye kaburi la kusahau.
2. Kencall obtained its licence legally. It is not operating under
the false pretence of operating on a valid licence that was
cancelled.
Kencall has helped put Kenya on the BPO map. Opportunities or
relaxations in policy available to Kencall should also be
availed to
Kenyans serious about building our economy. There is no quarrel
with
Kencall from this quarter on this, there may be in others.
To thwart further speculation PS Ndemo should name the foreign
characters who have been meeting him in his office under
circumstances that would amount to blackmailing a government
official
into submitting to their demands.
3. The MoUs are the matter of a tribunal appointed by the
President. PS
Ndemo and the Minister for Energy have not told Kenyans of the
extent
to which Kenyans were committed to. The MoU should be publicly
made
available and released. The case of MOUs with foreigners, just
shows that the PS and other government officials are putting
foreigners ahead of Kenyans. Is PS Ndemo willing to sign an MOU
with
Kenyans promising to work towards increasing their local
ownership
percentages in ICT firms? I think not, we should not be
accountable to
foreigners and fail to be accountable to our fellow citizens.
Does the
MOU Ndemo sign grant Kenyans preferential access to Libya's ICT
sector? Kenyans want to know what is in this MOUs which by all
indications to date are lop sided and favour foreigners and their
nations.
4. Contracts or agreements signed under false pretences should be
cancelled. In any case they are invalid under laws of the land
as
pertains to cancelled documents by public authority.
The matter of an agreement that claimed to settle out of court a
case
that was already out of court before the sham agreement by way
of a
FINAL ruling should not be misused to subvert the rule of law
and our
judiciary.
We must put a STOP to the culture of impunity and rampant
disregard of
the law and judiciary. If a public servant is sacked for
upholding the
rule of law, let it be so, Kenyans will respect them for
standing up
for what is right.
>D: That all stakeholders Govt., KICTANET, KIF, CA, etc organise an
>"ICT Investment" policy forum to be held in Nairobi around mid-
>November 2008.
>
5. Agreed to in principle, all stakeholders including public and
the
Diaspora should be formally invited. The policy forum should
also
involve friends of Kenya who realise the value of having Kenyans
having increased ownership in the ICT sector more so fellow
Africans
who are investing in our economy.
However Kenyans must drive the discussion, the PS should come to
the
forum with an open mind ready to incorporate the views of
Kenyans.
>I hope this shall help us focus on defining and achieving a common
>goal so that we desist from personal attacks on integrity, racial
>profiling and so on...
Some of us obviously feel very impassioned and disturbed at the
sheer nature of PS Ndemo's bulldozed actions. Personal and other
attacks will not help us define proper policy, let us respect one
another going forward.
I have to agree with you on this point and ask the self appointed
censors of non-concurring opinion to take note of what their
actions exacerbated. Asante.
Peterson
>Good day,
>Wainaina
>
>On 10/16/08, Joseph Manthi <jmanthi at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Edith,There are some useful lessons - but these lessons do not
>include:
>>
>> 1. How to give away your national treasures - like bandwidth -
>to foreign
>> entities just because they say they can not do any business with
>local
>> entrepreneurs. In fact I know this for a fact, you would never
>get a license
>> to operate in UAE if this was your argument. Further to this
>lesson I would
>> like to point to these additional countries that would laugh you
>out of town
>> if you made that argument - US (some businesses like Airline,
>Military and
>> Defense, Telecommunications (not ISP), Radio & TV), India,
>Singapore,
>> Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the whole of Middle East,
>South Africa,
>> Japan (especially Japan)
>>
>> 2. How not be conned. Kenya seems to heading there with its eyes
>opened.
>> When a man approaches a woman, it would be a very stupid woman,
>who knowing
>> what a man is capable of, to accept the BS that the man is
>feeding her. And
>> if she does then she deserves what she gets. Kenya will get what
>it deserves
>> and very soon. A good example is Russia and its oligarchs - all
>members of
>> the Forbes Richest.
>>
>> 3. Great leadership is necessary to grow a country. A leadership
>with
>> intestinal fortitude to say no under pressure. Top to bottom,
>>
>> 4. That the local mwananchi can invest in their own country and
>manage its
>> growth
>>
>> 5. That a great nation looks upon its diaspora to grow it - a la
>Israel and
>> India
>>
>> 6. That a great nation does not wait to be raped twice - We seem
>to be
>> following a process that will guarantee our raping despite how
>Kenyan some
>> members of this committee think they are. Its just a matter of
>time before
>> they pick up their bags and leave. I really do not think that as
>a national
>> planner I should be putting my eggs in that basket.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 4:55 PM, <eadera at idrc.or.ke> wrote:
>>
>>> Anyone has taken the time to thoroughly study the secret behind
>>> Dubai's tremendous growth? (U.A.E in general). There are some
>useful
>>> lessons!
>>>
>>>
>>> >
>>> >---- Original Message ----
>>> >From: j.maina at ymail.com
>>> >To: eadera at idrc.or.ke
>>> >Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: PS Ndemo, ECONET Scandal aand
>Vested
>>> >Interests
>>> >Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:03:50 -0700 (PDT)
>>> >
>>> >>Lizette
>>> >>
>>> >>I think that you have racially inclined your mind.
>>> >>
>>> >>When did KENCALL directors become Kenyans? After getting good
>>> >friends to bribe their way to this country. And let me tell
>you that
>>> >the money the so called investors are using are Kenyan money
>not
>>> >money from foreign banks.
>>> >>
>>> >>They have come and borrowed from Kenyan banks. How much does
>the
>>> >most profitable telecomms companies leave in this country,
>very small
>>> >amount. We have Telecomms companies which are on their marks.
>They
>>> >have very inferior systems and dont actually deliver in
>service but
>>> >make billions and run away with the billions.
>>> >>
>>> >>Dada Lizette, we know that there are Kenyans who are white,
>black
>>> >coloured and all but know that I am a mixed race Kenyan and
>really
>>> >sad when our brotehrs have to suffer because of bad policies
>from
>>> >people like PS
>>> >>
>>> >>JM
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>----- Original Message ----
>>> >>From: Lizette Kraft <lfkraft at gmail.com>
>>> >>To: j.maina at ymail.com
>>> >>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
><kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> >>Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 1:52:07 PM
>>> >>Subject: [kictanet] Fwd: PS Ndemo, ECONET Scandal aand
>Vested
>>> >Interests
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>Just my two pennies worth here.
>>> >>
>>> >>Kenya is not an Island that it can survive on its own even
>through
>>> >local investment. Most times we dont have the funds. I do
>agree
>>> >though about the Government and banks not supporting local
>investors
>>> >with loans etc. They must start giving them the opportunity to
>setup
>>> >local expertise and turn them in money making ventures, if
>only they
>>> >wouldn't fleece their own companies. Even America, the giant
>needs
>>> >investors!!! You all have a valid point but use it for the
>best
>>> >interests of Kenya and its people first and foremost. Not just
>self
>>> >interest for the few. And by the way Kenyans come in all
>shapes,
>>> >sizes, COLOURS, and creed. So please don't generalise who is
>kenyan
>>> >and who is not!!! Kencall directors and owners are Kenyan and
>not
>>> >outsiders if I understand correctly. When we are taxed whether
>>> >individually or coorporately, the money is used for Kenya and
>Kenyans
>>> >and not for outsiders who invested! Forcing local partnership
>in
>>> >foreign owned companies has
>>> >> its negative and positive effects.
>>> >>This needs to be look at more seriously to make it a win-win
>>> >situation. It has been known in the past that foreign
>investors with
>>> >forced local partnership have been subjected to threats and
>>> >intimidation by the local partners when they wanted more than
>their
>>> >fare share, (given to them mind you). Thus the weariness o
>>> >>of being forced now. This does not attract any investor. But
>the
>>> >foreigners should not fleece the country either!
>>> >>
>>> >>Let us have some constructive critisism without being
>racially
>>> >inclined. Fight to make things right no matter what but
>without
>>> >pinpointing nationalities or colours of people.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>On 10/7/08, John Maina <j.maina at ymail.com> wrote:
>>> >>http://www.wananchiforums.com/showthread.php?p=3150#poest3150
>>> >>
>>> >>_______________________________________________
>>> >>kictanet mailing list
>>> >>kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
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>>> >>
>>> >>This message was sent to: lfkraft at gmail.com
>>> >>Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>
>>http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/lfkraft%40gma
>il.
>>> >com
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>--
>>> >>Lizette Kraft
>>> >>P.O. Box 18488, 00500
>>> >>Nairobi, Kenya
>>> >>Cell: 0722-800362
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Joseph Manthi
>> CEO
>> MEO Ltd
>> http://www.meoltd.com
>>
>
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