[kictanet] Open Data - Where does it sit?

[robert yawe]

Hi Rad,

I agree with you on the lack of local capacity within the so called ISP 
community, a company I mentor offers their data stream services using the SAAS 
model and after running around discussing with those providers who have no 
appreciation of the various technologies it was realised that it made more sense 
to set-up a data centre.

The organisation has put up the data centre with redundant links, air 
conditioning , long run power backup and fire suppressants at a monthly 
operating cost equivalent to  one quarter what they would have been paying 
for collocation and a tenth on a hosting package.

They are experiencing new headaches every day but they are not about to through 
in the towel, recently they have received enquiries from other organisations who 
would like to utilise the facility an issue the organisation is seriously 
looking into.  

Since the KICT Board is no longer subsidising the BPO organisations 
international bandwidth maybe those funds could be used to develop local hosting 
capabilities in the MSME sector.  The board keeps looking for bottomless holes 
to pour money into yet they are half full cups that would be best filled up 
first.  Even in the bible it is said that to those who have more shall be added 
can we as a faith based nation uphold this doctrine instead of rewarding the 
servant who buried his talents.

My conviction is that running away from a difficulty is a sign of weakness 
and cowardliness which is why my advice to the organisation was to put up their 
own facility even though it might have been cheaper to host on google, godaddy, 
or amazon as their contribution to building Kenya.


It is my expectation that KIXP will be forward looking enough to remove the 
hurdles of connecting to them as that would allow better local performance to 
the data centre.  I am forced to humble myself on this issue because the saviour 
we had been awaiting in the form of a national exchange point seems to have 
missed the flight.

This entire issue of mis-pricing, overpricing and fleecing is as a direct result 
of the failure of the KICT Board to prioritise its programs based on the needs 
of the industry and not the whims of the world bank and other foreign masters.  

Thanks to Dr. Ndemo and others with whom he worked selflessly to bring the TEAMs 
and EASY cable systems to fruition.

The lack of local capacity to host our own data cannot be chocolate coated by 
the release of the data it would be the same as re-inviting the British to take 
over the running of our government as their economy has performed better than 
ours cheaper during the period that we have been independent.

Paul, I think that it is only manly for you to accept failure in your mandate 
before you go the way of Councillor Majiwa (failure to discharge his duties).  

I feel that the failure of KICTB has been more as a result of overstepping its 
mandate from marketing Kenya as a destination for ICT to becoming an 
implementing agency.  It's single sighted approach to treating ICT as BPO and 
mobile applications only, has had the effect of stagnating other areas of the 
sector, it was refreshing to hear at a KICTB function where they indicated that 
their emphasis will now be towards ITES.

For instance the open data project was an opportune chance for the government to 
jump start local hosting and demonstrate confidence in that ICT sub-sector. 
 This would also allow us to target the countries in the region for hosting of 
their open data thus meeting the objective of becoming the destination of choice 
for regional data.

The net effect of KICTB's action in the industry has been to pour cold water on 
local hosting as in this case of justifying the hosting of the data in a foreign 
country.  We cannot on one hand be crusading about local content while on the 
other we are going out of our way to place our content elsewhere.  

The action by KICTB is synonymous to Kenya Tourist Board or Brand Kenya placing 
adverts telling Kenyans to travel to South Africa yet their mandate is to 
develop domestic tourism and also bring tourists to Kenya.

The rest of us are not any better as we only give lip service to our so called 
convictions, I asked before on what platform do we as listers on KICTANET stand 
and as is usually the case there was no response silence was all I got, but 
there is still hope for us as a profession and a nation which is why I am not 
even considering a green card.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, apart from me as PMG, in that there is 
a unit that was set-up under the communications act whose mandate was to police 
the KICT Board as well as others, its called the National Communications 
Secretariat.  As industry stake holders lets find it, take it over (like civil 
society has done with the judiciary) and from their we shall have control over 
our own destinies.

So fellow listers, we have a chance to grow teeth that can actually bite but do 
we want them?

"With great power comes even greater responsibility" - Spiderman movie

Interesting reading

http://books.google.com/books?id=-NKurl1tiIcC&pg=PP10&lpg=PP10&dq=%22national+communications+secretariat%22+kenya&source=bl&ots=UqhOmrc3VK&sig=-QOIBgNwkxQ0ucdWHU5k0XOTSks&hl=en&ei=IjYdTvz4HcSHrAexkayODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=%22national%20communications%20secretariat%22%20kenya&f=false


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=20&ved=0CEcQFjAJOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.information.go.ke%2Findex2.php%3Foption%3Dcom_docman%26task%3Ddoc_view%26gid%3D4%26Itemid%3D37&rct=j&q=%22national%20communications%20secretariat%22%20kenya&ei=IjYdTvz4HcSHrAexkayODA&usg=AFQjCNEM83_1IBXdzqVqCnnEttnKye-iNw&cad=rja>


The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) parent agency is actually the 
National Communications Secretariat 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Commission_of_Kenya)

http://www.information.go.ke/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=4&Itemid=37
 Read Page 10 on the point number 2.6.1

The NCS was allocated 90 million in the 2009/2010 budget yet it only has 3 staff 
members


Regards
 Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya


Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696




________________________________
From: Rad! <conradakunga at gmail.com>
To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Mon, 11 July, 2011 17:59:31
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Open Data - Where does it sit?

I am interested in getting partners to run some solutions as IAAS and SAAS and 
being a patriotic Kenyan I first attempted to get quotes for what I wanted. 
My findings I am sad to say were

	1. Few providers even understand the concept of SAAS & IAAS. To 
spare embarrassment to employees who have on their payroll engineers unable to 
differentiate the cloud from websites, I won't name names
	2. Those that do have laughable prices. I fiercely love my country and its 
people but my friends I refuse to pay 10-45 times the prices I am getting at 
Amazon / Microsoft / Rackspace because the providers are Kenyan. (Yes. That was 
45 times)
This is why I am saying i have no problem hosting abroad until local providers 
get their act together and can have reasonable prices and services.

Remember the Ministry also has a fiscal responsibility to spend our taxes 
wisely.

If all things are held constant I will pick a local provider any day of the week 
and twice on sunday but at 45 times the price? And with no redundancy? I am 
afraid not.
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