[kictanet] Will broadband have an impact on e-Government demand andsupply in Kenya?

[Lilian Karanja]

Dear Andrew:
It is good to hear about the
progress made with e-Learning. Keep up with the good work, it is quite
encouraging.
Additionally, the Government of
Kenya (GoK) needs to be increasingly strategic when it comes to delivery of its
own services to ‘mwanachi’. The Kenya e-Government Programme should appreciate the
relationship between e-Government services and broadband connections. GoK needs
to add as much value to broadband with; local content, e-Learning (as noted by
Andrew Gakiria), interactive e-Gov applications, etc. Broadband can and will
create a million or more job opportunities (if not more), if and only if we add
as much value to it as possible. And my point is, the GoK (again) just as it
did with ‘the bringing of broadband to Kenya and the region’ should lead the
way with a pro-active e-Gov/Civic Engagement program so as to fast track the
use, value and appreciation of broadband especially among ‘mwananchi’. This is
really what am passionate about, if I may say so.


Such e-Gov/Civic Engagement programs
can attempt to discuss topics like:

How can access to broadband amplify the goals of open
     and accessible government (increasing public awareness and participation
     in government)?What are new uses of broadband that would further open
     government and civic participation?How do new media, including social networking tools,
     advance civic participation, and are there limitations or concerns associated
     with such use?How can broadband infrastructure and services improve
     citizen access to local and national government news, information,
     dialogue with government and other citizens, transactional efficiency, and
     participation in governance?  Does access to broadband increase the ability of the
     average citizen to make her voice heard by the government and other
     citizens, and if so, how can this be advanced?What are the benefits of video streaming or video
     conferencing of government meetings to enable participation by those who
     cannot attend a meeting in person (because of distance, cost, disability,
     illness, and the like)?Are there other applications of broadband technology
     that can improve civic participation and how can they be encouraged?


The Government of Kenya is like our
mother, if not one. She always needs to do more than others (the private sector).
She needs to try and move faster and ahead of others so as to make all of us
feel secure and comfortable using ICTs and the Internet. (I repeat) she
needs to lead the way in adding value to broadband, so that we can all
appreciate that it is the right thing to do, to go online.






Lilian





--- On Tue, 3/23/10, Gakiria <gakiria at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Gakiria <gakiria at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Will broadband have an impact on e-Government demand andsupply in Kenya?
To: "Lilian" <l_wkaranja at yahoo.com>
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 3:36 PM

Dear Lillian,

Thank you for your query. Among many other initiatives being
undertaken by Government to harness the opportunities brought about by
increased and available bandwidth is the establishment of the National
e-Learning taskforce domiciled in the ministry of Information &
communications.

the mandate of this multi stakeholder team is to develop our National
e-Learning strategy and implementation plan,with emphasis being on the
implementation. Our great nation is blessed with boundless intangible
assets. .key being a deep human resource pool. The aim of this
initiative is to leverage on these intangible assets and convert them
into tangible outcomes. .job/wealth creation,improved livelihoods for
all.

all this rides on a singular focus on leveraging our knowledge
resources as our strategic comparative advantage.

in recognition of our leadership position in matters ICT4D in the
region, COMESA and UNEP have entrusted Kenya with the task of
developing and running regional capacity building programs through
e-Learning.

Andrew
KeLC

On 3/23/10, Harry Delano <harry at comtelsys.co.ke> wrote:
> Thanks Lilian, for your contribution on Broadband, let's keep this debate
> alive.
>
> I suppose I may just need to collate some of this valuable contributions, on
> this forum which we can then
> transmit onwards at an opportune time for consideration.
>
> I like your proposal on a "Pragmatic National Broadband Plan" - it is a
> crucial agenda that we need to pursue
> relentlessly..
>
> This would be the way to go, to harness this rich resource for the
> betterment of this nation..
>
> Regards,
> Harry
>
>   _____
>
> From: kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
> Behalf Of Lilian Karanja
> Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 1:43 PM
> To: harry at comtelsys.co.ke
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: [kictanet] Will broadband have an impact on e-Government demand
> andsupply in Kenya?
>
>
>
>
> Dear Listers:
>
> Now that broadband technology is here, and we know that it is certainly
> going to enhance the competitiveness of our economy and sustain economic
> growth, am increasingly wondering what strategies the Government of Kenya is
> working on, to develop broadband applications that will enhance the delivery
> of public services to citizens. There is no doubt that the Government of
> Kenya has taken great strides to harness the implementation and use of
> broadband technologies with the Ministry of Information and Communications
> leading the way.
>
> Is there an e-Gov/Civic Engagement program that will evaluate how broadband
> can improve the performance of government specifically in terms of
> transparency and citizen participation and more generally in terms of
> effectiveness and efficiency? Such engagement programs with 'mwananchi', on
> broadband and eGovernment, will consider various ways all levels of
> government, can use broadband to improve public service performance and
> delivery, including lessons that might apply, for the purposes of developing
> a pragmatic national broadband plan. The Government of Kenya needs to take
> stock, consider and pay keen attention to the potential benefits of
> universal broadband in enabling various government operations to move to a
> digital platform in terms of improved performance, cost savings, and
> strategic benefits to the communications infrastructure.
>
> The Government should initiate such programs with the support of the private
> sector. 'Mwanachi' needs to know how they are a part of e-Government and now
> 'this' new phenomenon, 'broadband', and what they can do to enjoy the
> privileges that both bring.
>
>
>
>
> Lilian.
>
>
>
>


-- 
Gakiria Andrew
Coordinator
Kenya eLearning Centre
Nairobi, KENYA

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