[kictanet] [mediaeditors] Why Barr the Media from PS Interviews?
stephen Mutoro
smutoro at yahoo.com
Tue Apr 30 14:20:56 EAT 2013
Hi David:
Thanks for all the ideas. It is difficult for me to attempt to challenge you
within your circle of competence. I won't. This should not be
misconstrued so. Consider yourself as the proverbial "Goliath" and I, as "David" on this. You seem to be suggesting the end will justify the means. I am of
the view that the means (process) will justify the end. What if H.E ends up receiving 66 names of "rotten apples"? By putting them on "live broadcast"
and disguising them otherwise, at the very last stage, from what they are - would it make them
any different? I doubt. Contrast the process of the PS'es appointment
with CJ (and I am not saying it was necessarily the very best.
Look at the one that realized David Kimaiyo as IGP and the list is
endless).
Live broadcast is actually a non-issue here - just allow public or media who choose to sit in, whenever certain candidates are being interviewed, to do so. There are muted men and women who
have literally chewed and stashed away over 50% over their budgetary
allocation either as Ministries, parastatals or as agencies. But now
they have all documents of clearance (including if there would have been
one from GoK to take them to heaven!) But if they are challenged on live media,
eye contact and generally their body language would betray them.
Then there is this little matter of my friend, who as usual, loves and
exploits on any moment of PR possibly better than any public servant in my lifetime.
There is outpouring of emotions and he loves it. He can actually print
all that and take them somewhere on Thursday - to show how "loved" he
may have been. The subject matter should have been perhaps "introducing the new CS". And talk of introducing him, was it premature? Talk of "farewell" - was it not ironical to bid others "farewell" when you say you will remain and contribute on the list? Is he saying that if HE appointed him to the same office, he will decline on account of the "diversity" excuse he gives? His version of political wedge between him and CS rings hollow and reads like a Prof Makau Mutua commentary on a matter he has neither expertise nor experience. Instead he appears to demean his own CS. Which begs more questions - was he introducing him at a personal or policy level (or as a public servant)? Where does Standard 7 or 1 at Manga or sister come in - unless he just wanted to say he is older and perhaps more knowledgeable? Let me not drift away.
There is no denying my friend made some "huge" progress on the ICT sector. The problem is tracking or tracing the same as it remains unseen, mostly unrecorded and perhaps only exists in the mindsets of listers. This is purely from a consumer perspective. Examples are many, for instance, when fibre optic landed - my friend promised heaven on speeds and pricing. It was reported in the Daily Nation of 30 September 2009 thus "The Kenyan Government has accused the East Africa Marine system
(TEAMs) shareholders of colluding to fix internet connectivity prices.Information and Communication PS Bitange Ndemo said the
shareholders are making a massive 2,000 per cent from selling their
capacity before the cable officially goes live. The shareholders have
said that they will first have to recoup their investment before
lowering the internet connectivity prices.He said the shareholders should be selling internet connection
at about $200 (Sh14,800) per Megabyte (MB) but the companies have held
the price at about $4,000 (Sh296,000) – the price of satellite. “When
we were initially setting up TEAMs the issue of recouping investments
after it had gone live did not feature,” Dr Ndemo said. That was 2009, it is 2013, consumers are paying more for poorer speeds, missing redundancies - and he is silent as the likes of Zuku and others mess up the consumer.
What is my point - let's give credit where it is due. But unlike a dead person we are used to praise in eulogies - lets also say the other side of un-concluded or half-done business on ICT and not the person. Let's avoid this "herd instinct" or social proof theory where individuals feel they are behaving correctly when they act the same as other people. We could also look at the "contrast effect". That is why if you are seeking a partner, never go out in the company of your supermodel friends. People will find you less attractive than you really are. Go alone or better yet, take two ugly friends - that is the mischief of not comparing my friend with the best. Unless we have fallen prey to the "availability bias" which my friend can fend off by spending his time with the likes of yours truly - people whose experience and expertise are different from his. Otherwise, it is like Frank Sintra's song - "Oh, my heart is beating wildly/And it all because you're
here/When I'm not near the girl I love/I love the girl I'm near". May be, just may be, we all need to read Ayi Kwei Armah's "The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born". The book is arailway freight clerk in Ghana who attempts to hold out against the pressures that impel
him toward corruption in both his family and his country. Yes, on Kenya's ICT administration, and before we empty all our (un)deserving praises on my friend, the beautiful ones are not yet born!
Regards,
Stephen Mutoro
www.cofek.co.ke
________________________________
From: "dmakali at yahoo.com" <dmakali at yahoo.com>
To: smutoro at yahoo.com
Cc: KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum <mediaeditors at lists.kictanet.or.ke>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 1:03 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] [mediaeditors] Why Barr the Media from PS Interviews?
Edith:
Media ought to and should cover those interviews and repory as robustly as possible on the proceedings but am abit hesitant about live coverage because of the number of applicants. Later interviewees are likely to be helped by screenings of the early candidates. For that reason, and to expose all applicants to the same heat, I would waive my desire to "participate" via live transmiSsion.
My position would change if it took a shorter time (say 2 days) and the applicants were only 5 to ten, and none would take the advantage of preparing further after watching others being interviewed.
But, unfortunately, there will be no shortlist for final vetting. Only the nominee picked by the president from among the 3 recommended per ministry will be vetted by the appointments committee. And that's where the live broadcast may come in because the public will still have a chance to submit on their suitability or otherwise.
David
Sent from my BlackBerry®
-----Original Message-----
From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.ca>
Sender: "mediaeditors"
<mediaeditors-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:48:08
To: <dmakali at yahoo.com>
Cc: mediaeditors \(mediaeditors-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke\)<mediaeditors-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke>; KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum<mediaeditors at lists.kictanet.or.ke>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [mediaeditors] [kictanet] Why Barr the Media from PS Interviews?
The assumption is that the shortlist will have the best? How will you know?
I still think both can be done, public can be present plus media could cover it sequentially as you coordinated yourselves for the Presidential debate.
Edith
-----Original Message-----
From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Eng. Wainaina Mungai
Sent: April 30, 2013 10:41 AM
To: Edith Adera
Cc: mediaeditors (mediaeditors-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke); KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] [mediaeditors] Why Barr the Media from PS Interviews?
Makali has put forward my prefered approach. His approach allows for real 'public participation' by allowing representation of views by the public.
For private media, it's impractical to have 155 persons on live TV continuously for 10 or so days. May the coverage be on the final shortlist, instead.
I doubt there's need to attack the character of the Chair of PSC.
Instead, submit representations to PSC about the candidates by Thursday, demand public rep. is allowed to be present at interviews and limit live broadcast to fewer candidates.
On 4/30/13, dmakali at yahoo.com <dmakali at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Mayb we need to interrogate the meaning of "public participation"
> threshold of the constitution. Does watching or holding a recruitment
> process in the open space - on tv or a physical venue like kicc -
> constitute public participation or is it that every citizen is free
> and has an opportunity to be considered and to raise any matter
> pertinent to the recruitment and potential recruits that counts?
>
> Methinks the latter, which has been complied with by psc advertising
> and inviting any1 interested to apply. That also meets the "competitive"
> criterion.
>
> The next demand we should put on them is to facilitate or make it
> possible for any1 who wants to sit in the room to observe the process
> or to submit any information that may assist it to recruit the right candidates do so.
> That complies with the transparency requirement.
>
> The interviews can otherwise become a farce at this stage if the
> template is applied across the 155 applicants. The live broadcast can
> come at the final stahe wen the shortlisted go before Parliament where
> scrutiny should be even more thorough and of a different kind - political and ideological.
>
> David
>
>
> Sent from my BlackBerry(r)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.ca>
> Sender: "kictanet"
> <kictanet-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:25:20
> To: <dmakali at yahoo.com>
> Cc: mediaeditors
> \(mediaeditors-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke\)<mediae
> ditors-bounces+dmakali=yahoo.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke>;
> KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum<mediaeditors at lists.kictanet.or.ke>;
> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why Barr the Media from PS Interviews?
>
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