[kictanet] Dr Ndemo Farewell

Tue Apr 30 10:17:37 EAT 2013

elsewhere I jotted

Dear Dr. Ndemo,

It sure was a great honor and pleasure to have had an opportunity to
interact with you. Just to mention two cases in ICT (while I was at
NCST) and one in my new home (Energy).

While at NCST (it has been upgraded to National Commission for
Science, Technology and Innovation) you were the 1st PS who saw
clearly the need to merge ICT Parks (under MoI&C), Science &
Technology Parks (under MoHES&T), Industrial and Business Parks (under
MoI and MoT) etc. as contained in the Medium Term Plan (2008 -2012).
Seeing Konza Techno City come up, I have to state that as an advisor
(role of NCSTI) it gave most of us satisfaction that there were those
like you ready ....as late Thomas Sankara said  “You cannot carry out
fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case,
it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old
formulas, the courage to invent the future. It took the madmen of
yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want
to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future”.

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/It-looks-like-a-competent-Cabinet--but-where-is-the-vision/-/440808/1762046/-/6xmnerz/-/index.html

When we started the Kenya Society for Business Process Outsourcing and
Contact Centre Society you were always handy to support with logistics
than enabled us expand membership and eventually when Kenya ICT Board
was inaugurated and it continued from where you handed them the baton,
we now have Kenya's BPO/ITeS Society - doITinKenya. If you were not
there during those baby steps in 2008 the script would be different
today.

Where you go next will not deter your spirit of daring where other are
not ready to tread. I remember when I moved to energy you introduced
me to 'if you build it, he will come' philosophy from Field of Dreams.
Sadly we still have the aim of 18,000 MW of electricity goal by 2030
in our Least Cost Power Development Plan see
http://www.erc.go.ke/erc/LCPDP.pdf

while KAM has clearly stated that in Kenya, over 60% of generated
energy into the national grid is used in manufacturing enterprises.
Kenya currently generates about 1,400 MW. Additional capacity in the
pipeline could increase this by 500MW in the next 3 years if projects
are implemented on time. But this is not enough. It is prudent
therefore that any energy policies that are proposed must be aligned
to the industrialization policies as well as Kenya’s Vision 2030 if we
are ever to unlock our over dependence on imported goods. It is
estimated that Flagship projects outlined in Vision 2030 will require
an estimated 42,700 MW, meaning we need a lot of investment to be
energy secure. Kenya needs to create new 41,300MW of energy by 2030.
And we need to look at all new sources, see
http://www.kam.co.ke/attachments/article/244/KAM%20Industrial%20Business%20Agenda.pdf

So as you face the panel come this Thursday those who pray will be on
their knees, those who hope will be expectant and those who plan will
be waiting for proven implementers like yourself to come on board and
those who are dreamers, visionaries, thinkers, idealists and radicals
will be waiting for you. In case you come to energy together we can
seek to align our models with the reality in cognizant of 'if you
build it, he will come' mantra and the courage to invent the future.

All the best regards in all of our future endeavors.

David

--
--
David Otwoma,
Secretary (Nuclear)
Ministry of Energy, Nyayo House,
Mobile tel: +254 722 141771,
Office tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
P. O. Box 30582 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
otwoma at energy.go.ke, otwoma at uonbi.ac.ke
www.energy.go.ke
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000614284149
twitter @ otwoma

On 4/29/13, Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:
> @ Ndemo,
>
> You will go down as one of the few PS who opened up Government at at time
> when Government Ministers and Permanent Secretaries had no time to
> entertain  non-government actors (like most listers here :-).  I doubt any
> big shot in Govt would have been humble enough to take in their stride both
> the criticism and compliments from the grassroots as you have done.
>
>
> Eng. Rege before you started this type of culture and I am glad you took it
> to the next level.  I can only hope that the new Minister/Cabinet Sec and
> Principal Secretaries will follow suit as we endevour to make Kenya the best
> ICT destination in Africa.
>
> regards.
>
> walu.
>
> nb: took the liberty to tweak the subject line :-)
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> To: jwalu at yahoo.com
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 1:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Reviewing Kenya ICT Board Performance- You can write
> a guest post
>
>
> Listers,
> It is an open secret that my departure from the Ministry of Information
> and Communications is imminent.  As seconds, minutes and days tick by; I
> take this opportunity to bid you all farewell.
>
> During the last seven years that I have worked here, I have learned a lot
> from you all. I could not have benefited from the learning experience
> without your constant support, criticism and encouragement.  If I have to
> do it all over again, I would not change anything to perform my duties
> well. In my position as Permanent Secretary, I have gained considerable
> knowledge and thus I shall always cherish this, as one of the most
> satisfying phases in my career.
>
> Further, I have shared a special bond with all of you both virtually and
> in reality.  I shall take away with me special memories of our time
> together. I remain committed to ideals of Kictanet and would remain active
> in its deliberations.   I must admit that I may have underestimated the
> amount of pressure there is to aspire for a job.  There are politicians
> from my county trying to create a wedge between myself, Dr. Matian’gi and
> Hon. Nyachae.  Others from other parts of the country can be summed as
> extortionists and possible toll collectors at every level.  I shall
> however, take the interview on Thursday and if fate has it that I shall
> once more serve my country then I shall proudly do so.
>
> It is now my singular honour to introduce Dr. Fred Matian’gi, our Cabinet
> Secretary nominee whom I have had the privilege of knowing for the past
> many years.  While I was in Standard 7, Dr. Matian’gi had just started
> standard 1 at Manga Primary School.  His sister Margaret was my classmate.
> I have known him as an honest person and devout Seventh Day Adventist.
> He has an impeccable record of integrity having served in several
> governance programs.
>
> Dr. Matian’gi is a fast learner and has extensively published.  We taught
> at University of Nairobi together and his record as a lecturer was
> faultless.  We simply have a great mind to steer our sector. I want to
> take the earliest opportunity to wish him the best. Although Dr. Matian’gi
> is a good friend, it will not be practical for us to work together.  The
> constitution demands diversity.  We shall create fodder for politicians to
> drive further wedge between us.  I have chosen friendship and will look
> for alternative areas to serve my country.
>
> Let me therefore wish each one of you the very best in all of our future
> endeavors.
>
> Bitange Ndemo.
>
>
>
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