[kictanet] Bitange for President? Further Extension!

[bitange at jambo.co.ke]

Grace,
I shall try to respond.

Q:  Murigi had raised the concern of how the billions returned annually to
the Treasury could be utilized to provide social goods and services,  and
would be possible to set aside 1.5 % of the budget for ICTs?

A:  We need not return monies that have already been set a side for
specific projects.  Most of these are either loans or donor funds that are
tied to a specific project.  Most of these projects have conditionalties
that do not make sense even in the best of times.  "Candidates" Ndemo will
suspend all donor funds that we did not solicit for.  You will be shocked
to learn that in some projects you have several competing funds.  One good
example is KEMSA.  Even if you get the best logistics expert you will
still be innefficient since there are more than 600 donors with their own
conditionalities.  It will be much easier to manage things within your own
capacities and avoid running around trying to please every donor.  We had
a similar problem in ICT but we said if something does not meet our
projected priorities, we do not want the money.  This paid off and you
begin to see logic on what we are trying to do.

Some donors give aid even when you do not want it then tie it to
conditionalities that will take many months to meet.  Further we need to
change the procurement law.  Specifically, we need to punish losers who
bring frivoulous appeals that delay implementation.  Such suppliers should
be made to pay costs of delaying the project if they lose.  We also need
to reduce tender process period.  It takes up to six months sometimes to
complete a donor funded procurement process.  By the time you begin
implementation you are returning the money.  There are also contractors
who do not meet timelines hoping to hurry up the accounting officers to
pay in order to avoid pending bills.


Q:  Harry Delano to comment on how ICTs be utilized to help confront
tribal and racial profiling.

A:  I have responded to this a number of times.  We have begun the process
of developing a public key infrastructure (PKI) that will give every
citizen a unique ID that even used in itself can be a good identifier. 
With such infrastructure we do not have to use names that automatically
starts the profile of the citizen.

George Nyabuga requested for an update on digital migration process. His
questions were:
1. What is the progress on the migration from analogue to digital? Will
the country meet the deadline for the migration?

A:  We have made significant progress and for sure we shall meet the
deadline as promissed.

2. Has the government released enough funding for the process? How much is
required,and what has the government released?

A:  We have given KBC Ksh. 600 million for the project.  They are about to
launch DVBT2 in some parts of the country.  This should happen before the
end of the year and we should cover at least 70% of the country by June. 
Northern Kenya and other remaining parts will be served via sattelite or
DTH.  This means that the entire country will indeed have access to
Digital TV by end of June.

3. What is the state of digital media uptake in Kenya at the moment?

A:  We slowed down the uptake of DVBT since the technology had changed but
we should get back to an aggressive programme of promoting DVBT2.

4. What is the position of KBC as far as digitization is concerned?

A:  KBC through its subsidiary Signet is the only current signal
distributor and as stated, we should be ready by June.

5. Will the public service obligation of KBC change?

A:  No.  We shall even improve on the existing programs since we shall
have more resourses.  Here I really want help with especially educational
content or edutainment programs.  We are in a sorry state with respect to
content as we unlease more resources. George, this is where the
Universities need to come in as a revenue stream.  I will donate my time
to content development advisory.


6. What ‘public service’ obligation will commercial media have any under
the digital regime?

A:  We have always wanted commercial broadcsters to dedicate at least one
minute every hour to public service.  We can use that minute to promote
peace for example and many other social interventions.


Regards


Ndemo.




>
> Listers
>
> Again, there are requests to allow 'Candidate" Ndemo to continue engaging
> with listers. We have consulted and considering that some concerns raised
> are important, we are now extending it to August 31, 2011. Please raise
> your concerns within this extension period.
>
> And now to "Candidate Ndemo". Could you kindly respond the following
> issues raised by listers?
>
>
> Murigi had raised the concern of how the billions returned annually to the
> Treasury could be utilized to provide social goods and services,  and
> would be possible to set aside 1.5 % of the budget for ICTs?
>
> Harry Delano to comment on how ICTs be utilized to help confront tribal
> and racial profiling.
>
> George Nyabuga requested for an update on digital migration process. His
> questions were:
> 1. What is the progress on the migration from analogue to digital? Will
> the country meet the deadline for the migration?
> 2. Has the government released enough funding for the process? How much is
> required, and what has the government released?
> 3. What is the state of digital media uptake in Kenya at the moment?
> 4. What is the position of KBC as far as digitization is concerned?
> 5. Will the public service obligation of KBC change?
> 6. What ‘public service’ obligation will commercial media have any under
> the digital regime?
>
>
> And finally in response to Yawe’s concerns on the Somali community, could
> you kindly go ahead and elaborate on the economic implications of the
> issue?
>
> Kind Regards
> GG
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life
> is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go
> forth and rule the World!
>
>
>
>> From: bitange at jambo.co.ke
>> Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:10:27 +0000
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Bitange for President? Xenophobia
>> CC: kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> To: ggithaiga at hotmail.com
>>
>> Harry,
>> Examine Robert's logic through his metaphor of how long a cow takes to
>> die out of hunger. If he meant that we should have seen it coming then
>> he is a master of contradiction.
>>
>> What is happening around Lake Victoria must be stopped. If indeed this
>> were businessmen, then they need not spend money to silencing
>> politicians. Infact some politicians speak like Robert. "Our people are
>> lazy". This is a grave matter. We cannot fight poverty by telling our
>> people to compete in a 200 meter race when the vistors are starting at
>> 100 meter spot (Capital unlimited) and we cannot vouch on the sources of
>> their immense financial strength.
>>
>> The impact of excess liquidity in the market affects everyone through
>> inflation and inflated property prices as well as rent. You do not need
>> an economist to tell you this.
>>
>> I do not blame Robert's puritanical reaction. This is typical of us when
>> we fail to look at a global picture. If it wasn't the fact that the
>> official "campaign" is over I would have spent more time on the economic
>> implications of the issue at hand.
>>
>>
>> Ndemo.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>



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