[kictanet] Our Response to Systematic ICT Systems Failure at IEBC

Sam Gichuru gichuru at gmail.com
Tue Mar 12 18:45:47 EAT 2013


Edith,

I am one of those who suggested a full Audit of the system but only after
the elections and I am definitely looking forward to this weeks #140 Friday
with Brian, I hear people involved will be available for candid
discussions.

What I am seeing and I stand to be corrected is the spectator syndrome,
when everything is ok and the international press highlight Kenya as a tech
destination, Mpesa is praised, Ushahidi and startups with all our Mvitus,
we celebrate, claim our team (#teamtech/ICT) is winning and write long blog
posts and gazillion tweets etc

This only last as long as nothing goes wrong, but when it does, suddenly
the conversation changes from "we" to "them", they have failed, they dint
consult, they dint test, they... not us. This is what most football
fans/Spectators do, they love their football team only when its winning,
which basically makes one wonder are we players or are we fans of this game?

But to bring this home, we have a bigger problem, if this community started
asking about the procurement process, the system architect and the
companies that were selected to implement  the IEBC system only after it
failed, we are not engaging enough, are we saying that nobody in this list
bid for this system? nobody tried? ... doesn't that mean we are just
talking ..... and talk is cheap.

I would like to challenge the community to engage more with an aim to
problem solve, to tender and bid for local contracts, to build more open
source solutions, to fundraise with an aim to seed fund startups, if we
dont... we are going to be running around in circles and then move to
Rwanda and guess what we will all say ..... they dint do xyz...


Let ask Ourselves ... who is they?


On Tue, Mar 12, 2013 at 4:35 PM, Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.ca> wrote:

>  Harry,****
>
> ** **
>
> Not sure you were in Kenya or buried your head in the sand!****
>
> ** **
>
> It’s a fact that the system did not work and IEBC had to revert to the
> manual system as reported by the Chair of the IEBC on TV.****
>
> ** **
>
> We need to learn to tell the truth as a country and confront our issues.
> Someone suggested on this list, can’t remember who,  that as an ICT
> industry an audit should be carried out so we know what went wrong and
> learn for the future.****
>
> ** **
>
> Why do we always turn to the easy targets….tribalism, partisan interests
> etc when hard questions are asked?****
>
> ** **
>
> Edith****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=
> idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *Harry Delano
> *Sent:* March 12, 2013 3:22 PM
> *To:* Edith Adera
> *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> *Subject:* [kictanet] Our Response to Systematic ICT Systems Failure at
> IEBC****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Aye..!****
>
> ** **
>
> Could someone please aver what the furor was all about on this list when
> systems failed at IEBC last week. I thought it was so that****
>
> we could address systemic issues in that part of the election process..?
> Please someone correct me, but I seem to be settling on****
>
> this conclusion that we collectively only raise hue and cry when the
> system(s) are perceived to be working  against “us”, or not in ****
>
> “our” interests – whichever side of divide each one of us sits. Once they
> serve ‘our’ interests, we quickly move on.. So where is ****
>
> posterity in all this..? A pattern emerges where well calculated
> intellectual arguments everywhere nowadays, that  thinly  veil and ****
>
> mask the real motives in us. We completely bury our heads in the ground
> and deny that we have deeply rooted issues that stem****
>
> from tribe, class etc and as a result,  we are caught up in this  vicious
> cycle that we cannot seem to free ourselves from and which ****
>
> clouds our entire vision as a nation. Who will free us, if we do not take
> initiative ourselves..? How and when will we as a nation ****
>
> confront this ‘monster’ head on, by first of all acknowledging it exists.
> Then moving to deal with it. Can this list be at the forefront ****
>
> of it..?****
>
> ** **
>
> If so,  let’s start now..****
>
> ** **
>
> Harry****
>
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-- 
Warm Regards,
------------------------
Sam Gichuru


twitter: | @samgichuru <http://twitter.com/samgichuru>
Blog: |  www.samgichuru.com
Facebook: | Sam.gichuru <http://www.facebook.com/sam.gichuru>
Skype: Sam.gichuru
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Co-founder/ Director /Nailab Incubation
Location: | Nairobi
Website: | www.nailab.co.ke
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