[kictanet] the budget and ICT

Fri Jun 11 15:01:00 EAT 2010

and better still Posta also had an interesting project which never
was, are there lessons to be learnt?

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 1:57 PM, Andrea Bohnstedt
<andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:
> 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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>> >> > This message was sent to: otieno.barrack at gmail.com
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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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>> >> This message was sent to: andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com
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>> >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/andrea.bohnstedt%40ratio-magazine.com
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > 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
>

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