[kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac ifying Angry Bashir

[bitange at jambo.co.ke]

Grace,
I am at University Oxford on the invitation by Prof. Woods, Dean of the Blavatinik School of Government to discuss the school's future curriculum in the face a dynamic world.  Our discussion centered on Challenges of Government, the innovation imperative.

This evening, several academics, philosophers and few Government bureaucrats helped craft the School's value proposition (future direction stating what needs to be achieved, the role of technology and Government and the matrix to measure the achievement).  

Some thinkers felt that its student selection need to change from purely academic to students with a passion in Government.  There is a need to change teaching from current general academic to more practical field based research.  There must be focus on data analytic to create evidence based policy.  Teach students to appreciate crowd sourcing tools  in policy development.

Do more research in governance and come up with a common understanding on what the real definitions of such terms as corruption, governance etc.  Above all teach ethics especially with the aim of students appreciating how to build trust in public service.

The issue of ethics bothers the European as much as it bothers us, the difference is that their judicial system works.  The Euro crisis is to some extent the product of corruption.  They are dealing with it by denying some of the weaker nations some autonomy and save the face of Europe.

We too need to learn from the European experience.  Before we create a single currency in East Africa, we need to agree on a harmonized fiscal policy otherwise we shall dive into a deep hole.

Some of the problems we have can be solved through intra Africa trade.  We need to create internal dependences to the extent that Sudan cannot threaten Kenya as it did.  We need to also learn from other countries that national interests are far more greater than being politically right.  More people died in the Congo war than in Dafur yet we want to be the ones to implement international treaties at the expense of our people.  Some Nations trading with Sudan have far greater capacity to implement international treaties than we do but their national interests especially in oil are greater than just trying to be politically right.

Diplomacy, politics and national interests are what the executive arms do not Judiciary.  Unless we want to politicise our Judiciary, we may be trying to chew more than we can swallow.  There is precedence from Britain that can help us close this chapter.

Ndemo.     



Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga at hotmail.com>
Sender: kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.keDate: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 17:30:12 
To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: [kictanet] Why It’s Wrong For Kenya To Try Pac
 ifying Angry Bashir

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