[kictanet] US and OpenData vs Kenyan Situation

Fri May 10 16:16:27 EAT 2013

I see. You are looking at the technology side of things. Still we can have
that discussion outside this thread. I think the point here was about the
processes that lead to openness. regardless of the technology deployed. If
that info was given to me in a proprietary platform, I would still happily
consume it.

On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 4:12 PM, S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya at gmail.com>wrote:

> Sawa. Mine is about "practicals" about "opening information" to the Kenyan
> public :=)
> On May 10, 2013 4:04 PM, "Evans Ikua" <ikua.evans at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey Sam, lets not muddy the waters here! We can always start another
>> thread and thrash out those issues of FOSS vs proprietary.
>>
>> My point was, just as Rad is concerned about the spending of public
>> resources and accountability from one perspective, I am also concerned
>> about the same from my own perspective. He has right, and I have the right
>> to get this information. As he rightly puts it, this kind of openness can
>> go a long way to eradicate corruption and wastage. Just like I would like
>> to know how much the Government spends on ball pens and what brands they
>> buy. I remember Dr Ndemo telling us in a meeting some time back that the
>> Government buys a Bic ball pen for Ksh 200. As a tax payer and a
>> stakeholder in this country being a citizen, I need to know how the
>> Government spends my money.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 3:54 PM, S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Evans,
>>>
>>> Assuming 1 million Kenyans are in local and government offices weekly,
>>> how much citizen time is wasted seeking updates which could be provided
>>> over email or CRM web portals?
>>>
>>> Has deployment of "free" Linux Mail Servers in many .go.ke offices
>>> improved communications with the general public?
>>>
>>> If in some cases proprietary software provides more productivity, than
>>> FOSS, for thousands of internal end users who serve millions of Kenyans,
>>> should we still ignore it?
>>>
>>> When was the first/last time you got an email or sms to collect some
>>> documents or permits you applied for in a sirikali org?
>>>
>>> Let us plan for some demos...
>>>
>>> Sugar CRM (a very good open source CRM) + a Web Browser
>>>
>>> vs.
>>>
>>> Dynamics CRM + MS Outlook.
>>>
>>> Yes? No?
>>> On May 10, 2013 2:13 PM, "Evans Ikua" <ikua.evans at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> You are very right Rad and I concur with you. I would for instance want
>>>> to know how much money the Government pays in software licenses annually,
>>>> and for which applications.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 1:28 PM, Rad! <conradakunga at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It is debatable whether the initiative lived at all.
>>>>>
>>>>> As it stands the data on that portal is completely dependent on the
>>>>> benevolence of bureaucrats and politicians, and as long as that is the case
>>>>> it is difficult for it to succeed.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ideally there should be legislation to compel all government bodies to
>>>>> open up their data on request from the citizens. See Finland for a good
>>>>> example. They credit openness of information as a key factor of low levels
>>>>> of corruption.
>>>>>
>>>>> For example I requested a dataset on
>>>>> 1) Who travelled to London at public expense for the Olympics
>>>>> 2) What was the total expenditure across the board for Kenya's
>>>>> delegation - travel, accommodation, per diems, etc
>>>>>
>>>>> The response was "let me try to ask". Unsurprisingly, that was the
>>>>> last I heard of it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Until we plug that fundamental flaw this initiative will remain a
>>>>> textbook effort
>>>>>
>>>>> On Friday, May 10, 2013, Walubengo J wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Just wondering,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In the likely departure of both PS Ndemo and CEO Paul Kukubo, I
>>>>>> wonder how much TTL (time to live) there is for our
>>>>>> https://opendata.go.ke/ initiative.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Contrast below:
>>>>>> ~~~~
>>>>>> Today, as he heads to Austin, Texas, for a Middle Class Jobs and
>>>>>> Opportunity Tour<http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/08/president-obama-headed-austin-heres-why>,
>>>>>> President Obama signed an Executive Order<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government->directing historic steps to make government-held data more accessible to
>>>>>> the public and to entrepreneurs and others as fuel for innovation and
>>>>>> economic growth. The Executive Order declares that information is a
>>>>>> valuable resource and strategic asset for the Nation. We couldn’t agree
>>>>>> more.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://wh.gov/J5tb
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ~~~~
>>>>>>
>>>>>> walu.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *----------------------------------------------------
>>>> Kind Regards,
>>>> Evans Ikua,*
>>>> lanetconsulting.com,
>>>> lpi-eastafrica.org,
>>>> ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
>>>> Skype: @ikuae
>>>> Cell: +254-722-955831
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>
>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *----------------------------------------------------
>> Kind Regards,
>> Evans Ikua,*
>> lanetconsulting.com,
>> lpi-eastafrica.org,
>> ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
>> Skype: @ikuae
>> Cell: +254-722-955831
>>
>

-- 
*----------------------------------------------------
Kind Regards,
Evans Ikua,*
lanetconsulting.com,
lpi-eastafrica.org,
ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
Skype: @ikuae
Cell: +254-722-955831
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