[kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)

Sat Dec 4 15:29:27 EAT 2010

Thanks Edith.  I know all other operators are on this list.  I want to urge them to provide names of their DVs implementers as Safaricom has done so the civil society can conduct a public audit.  I do not always have to be the intermediary.

We must be careful in defining Universal Access to avoid misleading the public.  As I said, we must embrace evidence based decision making and as we tackle poverty, the past has a lot to offer.  Some our serios challenges include the NGOs.  They  have completely  messed up our rural folks to the extent we need serious intervention.  We were not able to train on DVs  as many people as we wanted since majority made demands to be paid just as it is done with NGOs.  You start a class with 40 and end up with 5.  Appearing in some rural villages elists a Puvlovian tendencies.

We must not make our people dependent.  In my view this must be criminalized.  Politicians have perfected this habbit.  If we want to succeed, hard work and rebuilding our value systems must flow through our systems like blood.

I am reading a Hopper brothers book, The Puritan Gift.  If I had the powers I would make it a mandatory read for every soul in Kenya.  It reveals how a reformist movement from the Catholic Church to Anglican fought through hard work, fear of God and values to overcome 15th century European problems (surprisingly similar our today problems) to become so wealthy in the new world.  The Puritan Ethic to which they subsribed to, was implanted in Japan by Macuther and spread through NICs of Asia including China and brought enormous success.

In a roundabout way, I am introducing our shortcomings and how we can move from a fragmented (tribalized) lot as defined by politicians to reformists brought together by a common value system or ideology.  Success as a people is pipe dream if logic and understanding are on the periphery.  

Ndemo.

Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 18:06:46 
To: bitange at jambo.co.ke<bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: RE: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)

Bwana Ndemo,

Safaricom and their partners need to do a better job to let people know that these DVs exist and exactly where they are (especially in this case when they have been asked to do so in lieu of paying for UA funds!!). I would love to see one of these DVs and what model is being used.

Operators who have not met the target and deadline (I hope a deadline was given) should be penalized and asked to pay up the 1% as Kenyans at the bottom of the pyramid are not getting the services.

The study was specifically targetting households in the poorest enumeration areas of Kenya (level 4 and 5 according the KNBS classification) - it was a rigourous study design in which two panels were conducted in 2007/2008 and 2009/2010 and the same households were traced to assess impact over time. It tells you that these services are yet to reach the most remote areas. 

We must also recognize that there are other areas where Kenya did better than its neighbors in the study especially in the area of human capital, income, inclusion etc. But clearly, the area of universal access requires more work.

Once we've consolidated the findings at the regional level, we'll have clear recommendations on what Kenya could do differently to tilt the balance in favor of the poor. I agree with you, absolutely, on the need to identify some of these practical (pragmatic ideas) to get them implemented and tested! Within the context of the Counties, we can do alot to achieve universal access.

It was unfortunate that you could not attend the meeting, but there will be another opportunity when we will share the final findings (and provide regional comparisons)

Nice weekend!

Edith
________________
Edith Ofwona Adera
Senior Program Specialist
ICT4D Program and Climate Change & Water Program
International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le développement international
Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
Tel: +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
eadera at idrc.or.ke | www.idrc.ca | www.crdi.ca
________________________________________
From: bitange at jambo.co.ke [bitange at jambo.co.ke]
Sent: 03 December 2010 16:05
To: Edith Adera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)

Edith,
Safaricom moved with speed to roll out.  I will find out the new person responsible for DVs in Safaricom and link her/him to you.

It is unfortunate that I did not attend the function.  I understand these were study findings that did not find out in detail what we as the implenters were doing and where.  IBM study which visted several DVs started from our offices and the findings have direct impact because we shall seek to implement all the recommendations.

It is criminal that there are youth and women in this country who do not know that there is money available for setting up business.  It is also equally inexusable that we have unemployed graduates who should be trained to write business plans for youth and women enterprises.  There is enough money in CDF to provide such training.

We (all of us) must begin to dirty our hands by moving from conference rooms to begin hands on training in rural Kenya.  In 1963 we agreed that ignorance is one of the diseases we wanted to eliminate but 47 years down the road a Kenyan is suffering somewhere yet there is plenty of resources to move us forward.  I fail to understand for example, how we tolerate  a dirty city, uncollected rates and a high unemployment.

We have agency banking law that would make DVs an instant success as remote banking facilities but even the most educated Kenyan sometimes has no idea this law exists.  How can we move from complaining to discussing such issues that are bound to signicantly affect our lifes?

Ndemo.

Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 14:33:03
To: bitange at jambo.co.ke<bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: RE: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)

Bwana Ndemo,

The mood on the universal access issue was that of "frustration" at the workshop, and no one seemed to be aware that " one operator has already rolled out 500 of these DVs" - is this information available within the public domain? Where are these DVs? Which operator? Are there targets and a penalty for the rest not rolling out given that this is in lieu of paying for UA -  which is a citizen right?

I can't agree with you more on the need to have young people bold enough to " take the appropriate risks to innovate and develop successful enterprises". I dare to add that we need "A new breed of young people" that will:-
* exude self-confidence;
*will demonstrate effective leadership with integrity;
*will have the ethos of community service;
*and will take risks, innovative and build mega businesses.

The issue of targeting the age of 15-29 years was prominent in the discussions at the workshop. Unfortunately, not many young people know that these funds exist or even how to access them (this was evident in a recent regional forum we organized on youth and ICTs and youth from Kibera and rural Kenya were shocked to learn of it!).

Indeed, the idea of the research work is to "emphasize evidence based decision-making" - the prominence and active participation of representatives from the Ministry of Planning, Poverty Unit and Vision 2030 was very welcome by participants! and it's our hope that some of the ideas that came out of the forum will be taken up. The PS challenged the academia to partner with govt. to do further analysis on the census data (which has now been released) to further explore the issues on ICTs and poverty (since ICT questions were quite prominent in the census).

We look forward to more information on the 500 DVs.

Edith

-----Original Message-----
From: kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of bitange at jambo.co.ke
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 1:34 PM
To: Edith Adera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)

Listers,
I am on record several times complaining the slow pace by the World Bank to release the funds for the Pasha project.  I am told that this will happen in January even though their pilot projects are operational.

This did not stop us from advancing the digital village concept.  We invited the operators to roll them out in return for not paying the first year USF.  One operator has already rolled out 500 of these DVs.  There is a committee in place to help the rest of the operators roll out.

IBM conducted a study on DVs to help further develop the value proposition.  As a result we have key corporations willing to participate.  For example CFC Stanbic want their online share trade to be on DVs.

The challenge we have is getting entrepreneurs from every constituency.  Most regions folks expect grants.  The resources available are for revolving funds.  In other words loans to set up the enterprise.  There is plenty of loanable resources from Youth and Women Enterprise to the world bank.  Our people must get to understand risk and enterprise.  Individually we must spend all our energies to educate our people.

I must state here that the last time we advertised, 95 percent of the 2000 applications came from one ethnic group.  We could not move for obvious reasons.  I would hope in future listers seek to understand the problem before rushing to making conclusions.  At this time of our development we must emphasize evidence based decisions.

We are talking to MPs to assist disseminate some of these information.  Our Parliamentary Chairman Hon. Eng. Spends most of the time explaining and encouraging MPs to sensatize their own people.  We cannot for for example to North Hor and put up a DV without willing people to run it.

On NOFBI I do not know what you are talking about because I know some operators are using the network and it is managed by TKL.

Ndemo.

Sent from my BlackBerry(r)

-----Original Message-----
From: John Kieti <jkieti at gmail.com>
Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 10:36:25
To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Universal Access in Kenya (Is it really working?)

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