[kictanet] the budget and ICT

Fri Jun 11 14:49:53 EAT 2010

Well put Andrea and as someone put it there is a difference between
having computers in schools and using computers in schools. Clearly we
have got some thinking to do, i hope our good friends in government
can see the salient issues being raised

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 1:46 PM, Andrea Bohnstedt
<andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:
> Good points, Barrack.
>
> I have wondered along the same lines:
>
> Just throwing computers out there makes little sense. I suspect that unless
> the use of computers is integrated into some sort of teaching or training
> effort, then rural people, like everyone else, will use them to surf the web
> for online dating, Facebook, music, smut and so on (I'd love to see stats
> from the Pasha centres which websites people actually visit). That's all
> cool, except I don't think it needs to be covered by taxpayers.
>
> It'd be great to have computer training etc in schools. But then wouldn't it
> be more sensible to include this in schools' overall budget and leave the
> administration up to them? Obviously there are a whole bunch of issues with
> school as we can see from the FPE money that went safari, but if schools
> can't manage those funds, they won't be able to manage computers either.
>
> Happy footie/furahi day,
> Andrea
>
> On 11 June 2010 14:38, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Interesting discussion going on , i am abit pessimistic though about
>> the success of this new initiative, my greatest concern is whether the
>> move is well informed or that there is a potential of it turning into
>> a White elephant of sorts. We have had many initiatives aimed at
>> ensuring ICT tools are available and accessible to all, however there
>> has been very little feedback or research on how this initiatives have
>> faired on or their real impact on the community.
>> That said i am asking myself whether it is better to teach a man how
>> to fish or whether we should keep buying fish for them. To elaborate
>> if we focus on capacity building we will enable the people to see the
>> need for buying computers whether refurbished or not, when they buy
>> the computers they will expect to get value for money (aka roi) and as
>> such we are likely to see more innovative communities proping up from
>> all corners of the country, it is for this reason that i feel this
>> move is ill advised and something needs to be done before the money
>> goes down the drain, computers are not an end in themselves they are
>> just a means to an end, the notion that they are an end must be done
>> away with.
>> Well i suppose it is time the communication commision or any other
>> relevant body conducted a study on the impact of previous initiatives
>> similar to the one being implemented i suppose it is our right as
>> citizens of this great republic to be informed. I fully support the
>> other issues raised by fellow listers, i would also like to know where
>> we are with the e-mado project and where it fits in this arrangement.
>> I would like to hear from stakeholders their take on this matter
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 11:36 AM, Ngũgĩ Kĩmani <ngugi at mafundi.co.ke>
>> wrote:
>> > Back in March 2010, the Kenyan government had announced a proposed ban
>> > on
>> > second-hand computers, aimed at avoiding dumping and reducing electronic
>> > waste in the country.
>> >
>> > Well I've not heard that the ban is being enforced, or lifted, but I am
>> > a
>> > buyer of second hand branded computers and I have established that they
>> > are
>> > indeed more stable and reliable than "new" assembled klones.
>> >
>> > I would advocate that the sale of second hand Dells and HPs and Compaqs
>> > etc
>> > be allowed to continue, in fact be encouraged over assembly of klones,
>> > because some of those computers have a minimum of 256 MB RAM +
>> > 2.something
>> > processors and this is clearly adequate to run most open source
>> > applications. What does a new user of computers need anyway - just OS
>> > proficiency + word processing + spreadsheet. They can then move to
>> > faster
>> > computers as their proficiency increases.
>> >
>> > :)
>> >
>> > --
>> > Ngũgĩ Kĩmani
>> > Fundi wa Mitambo
>> >
>> >
>> > On 11 June 2010 11:58, Josiah Mugambi <jmugambi at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> It is safe I suppose to assume that not all targeted schools have a
>> >> reliable (if any) source of electricity. Is there a plan for this?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Josiah Mugambi
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 11:35 AM, Vitalis Olunga <volunga at yahoo.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> The plan (purchasing of) for computers for schools, if implemented,
>> >>> seems
>> >>> more sustainable than the last year's budget for mobile ICT buses for
>> >>> constituencies. What the constituency leaders should now work for is
>> >>> to
>> >>> ensure the allocation of resources from the CDF to build computer labs
>> >>> in
>> >>> schools where they may be lacking. Many emerging schools may still be
>> >>> lacking computer labs and science labs as of now. One such school
>> >>> where I am
>> >>> the chairman of BGO (Obambo, Siaya) is yet to have a computer lab in
>> >>> place, and has no equipped science lab,  but is it one of the best in
>> >>> the
>> >>> district (both in academic performance and sports).
>> >>> Regards
>> >>>
>> >>> Vitalis
>> >>>
>> >>> ________________________________
>> >>> From: "ikua at lpakenya.org" <ikua at lpakenya.org>
>> >>> To: volunga at yahoo.com
>> >>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>> >>> Sent: Fri, June 11, 2010 9:20:18 AM
>> >>> Subject: [kictanet] the budget and ICT
>> >>>
>> >>> Listers,
>> >>> The Government will spend 1.3B to buy 300 computers in each of the 210
>> >>> constituencies. That means that each of the 63,000 computers will cost
>> >>> the
>> >>> taxpayer KSh 20,634/=. This is a very good initiative.
>> >>>
>> >>> Now, they say that these computers will be assembled by institutions.
>> >>> I
>> >>> just hope this does not mean they will go for clones. They would do
>> >>> much
>> >>> better with branded, refurbished computers. As far as I know, the
>> >>> minister
>> >>> did not mention anything touching on used computers in the budget.
>> >>>
>> >>> Now then, at this price, there is absolutely no allowance for software
>> >>> purchases. Which is all well as these computers can be loaded with
>> >>> open
>> >>> source software that will give much more value to the investment
>> >>> anyway. So
>> >>> we will be watching keenly to see what kind of deals Microsoft will
>> >>> try to
>> >>> push at the government to include their software in these computers,
>> >>> probably at a ¨small price¨.
>> >>>
>> >>> The open source community is available and willing to advise the
>> >>> Government on the best way of ensuring that tax payer money is used
>> >>> prudently for the benefit of this country.
>> >>>
>> >>> Ikua
>> >>> LPA-Kenya
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
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>> >>
>> >>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Barrack O. Otieno
>> +41767892272
>> Skype: barrack.otieno
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Andrea Bohnstedt
> Publisher
> +254 720 960 322
> www.ratio-magazine.com
>

-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
+41767892272
Skype: barrack.otieno