[kictanet] Face-to-face link with MP at the touch of a button

[Barrack Otieno]

We are certainly on the right path. Thius is great i hope it is
sustainable should other constituencies choose to embrace it.

Congratulations Hon Rege
On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 11:47 AM, Mwololo Tim <timwololo at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hon Rege,
> Pongezi Mhe. Kweli umeonyesha njia. Now push it in parliament so that it
> becomes commonplace. It is part of e-citizens and can be funded from CDF
> funds. tim waema
>
> On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 12:35 PM, alice <alice at apc.org> wrote:
>>
>> We are getting there.
>>
>> Congratulations Hon. Rege
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>> A conference hall fitted with a huge screen is all constituents will need
>> to communicate with their MP.
>>
>> That is a reality for the people of Karachuonyo in Nyanza, who have
>> embraced teleconferencing in a big way.
>>
>> To talk to their MP, Mr James Rege, all they need do is walk to the local
>> office and book an appointment. Once an appointment has been secured, at the
>> touch of a button, they will be talking to the MP.
>>
>> The technology comes at a time when the government seeks to reduce the
>> costs incurred by Members of Parliament during their day-to-day duties.
>>
>> *Other duties*
>>
>> If the technology is embraced by all the constituencies, the MPs will
>> efficiently be able to monitor their constituencies’ development without
>> having to travel there. This will free the leaders for other duties such as
>> attending parliamentary sessions.
>>
>> Mr Rege, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and
>> Communication, said the technology will enable constituents to have a
>> face-to-face conversation with their MP without having to travel to Nairobi,
>> where the legislators spend most of their time in order to attend Parliament
>> and other business.
>>
>> “When the facility is fully installed by the government in all
>> constituencies, the Treasury will be able to cut the costs incurred by MPs
>> by half. Many MPs travel to their constituencies four times a week, which
>> costs the taxpayers a huge sum of money” he said.
>>
>> *Two trips*
>>
>> Mr Rege said that to instal the teleconference equipment, a constituency
>> needs only Sh120,000. This, he added, is what an MP spends for two trips to
>> his constituency on average.
>>
>> “Sometimes, an MP uses the amount on travelling to his constituency to
>> attend an hour’s meeting. The amount saved can be used to assist in the
>> construction of schools and upgrading roads, among other projects.”
>>
>> Mr Rege said that with the technology, he was able to attend to his
>> constituents and follow up development without having to miss parliamentary
>> proceedings.
>>
>> The TelePresence virtual meeting also allows the MP to communicate with
>> the district and provincial administrators and hold live interactive
>> meetings using the connectivity of the Internet.
>>
>> Mr Rege said the technology will ensure that information is not distorted,
>> as well as providing a channel for instant feedback.
>>
>> The teleconference kit was installed on April 30 at the Rachuonyo
>> Constituency Development offices by Smoothtel and Tandberg High Definition.
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
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Skype: barrack.otieno