[kictanet] the budget and ICT

Fri Jun 11 14:57:19 EAT 2010

On that note, ICT Board: What DO people do on those Pasha Centre computers??
Does it match the Alexa stats for most popular sites in Kenya?

On 11 June 2010 14:49, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
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> >> >
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> >> >
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail.com
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> 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
>

-- 
Andrea Bohnstedt
Publisher
+254 720 960 322
www.ratio-magazine.com
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