[kictanet] Have we failed the nation yet again? - the inzi issue

Fri Oct 4 10:13:59 EAT 2013

Daktari,

A problem we have is the notion that Kenya's nascent technology industry is
built around iHub, iLab and the many labs that are propping up everywhere.
If you ask the average Kenya ICT Govt technocrat, they will probably tell
you that's where Kenya's technology industry is, which cannot be further
from the truth.

Talking of innovations and from someone who has been writing professional
software and running a software firm for 10+ years, I don't see much
innovation coming from these labs. What I see are little apps that are
built to address certain functionality and are built to please the gallery
to win the next competition, which really, is a pity!

But, that's what the technocrats want to see and talk about

What they don't see and they don't know is that there are Kenyan software
firms that have been around for the last 10 years + that are writing solid
software solutions, with clients in Kenya and globally and year in year out
are selling in excess of Ksh 100m-500m in software each.

I do have my theory as to why non-mobile solutions are not taken seriously
in this country by the technocrats. And IMO I think it all boils down to
corruption!

Here is my take, if you were to slice up the local market in terms of total
market share and size in $, I would suppose that within the three areas
Enterpise (ERPs, CRMS, Core Banking), Consumer Applications(Office,
Photoshop) & Mobile( every 'innovation' center here) you would get around
49%, 49%, 1% respectively in terms of real $ used to purchase these
applications.

The Kenyan software market is around Ksh 5B / year and hence the majority
of that money is spent purchasing ERPs, CRMs and the MS Office & Photoshops
etc

Now, as fate would have it, when the technocrats decided to pursue ICT
seriously and 'grow' the nascent Kenyan software industry, guess what
industry sector they decided to push for? Yes, the 'obvious' one where
hardly anyone spends money on, Mobile! That meager 1% is what all these
innovation labs are pushing for and no wonder firms are in incubation for
years as there is simply no market there and no one buys those products
locally.

Why did they leave out the Enterprise & Consumer applications from this
push? Ignorance? No, my hunch tells me something else; they don't want to
interrupt the current cash cow that is ERPs, CRMs and the cosy
relationships they have with the foreign vendors. That's why to this date,
The Kenya ICT Authority advertises tenders that are clearly 'marked' for
foreign firms and so much so without batting an eyelid.

That is the tragic story of the local software industry, but to keep us
amused, how about we setup yet another lab and come up with a competition
on who has come up with the best mobile app that counts how many carrots a
farmer has grown since last week, with a 'free' office at Konza, while a
firm from India wins a Ksh 500M Tender on filing tax returns online!

That ladies and gentlemen is progress Made in Kenya!

Waithaka Ngigi
A1.iO

On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 10:38 PM, Bitange Ndemo <bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:

> This is a chicken and egg argument that we cannot finish here.  What do
> you think about the innovations coming out of the emerging laboratories
> such as I-hub, I-lab and the like?  Do they not need to be incubated?
> what about Ushahidi?
>
>
> Ndemo.
>
>
>
> > Daktari,
> >
> > On the military, I was referring more to the local scenario than
> globally.
> > Without military research we probably wouldn't have the Internet and GPS
> > just to take two examples.
> >
> > As regards Konza, IMO, its the right thing for us to do 20 years from
> now.
> > Yes India is building a Konza in every state, but its building Konza when
> > they already have a high technology industry which will take advantage of
> > their Konzas. They have Tata, Mahindra Satyam, Infosys and similar $1b
> > firms that can take advantage of these Konzas.
> >
> > But, for us, we do not even have a technology industry to speak of
> (please
> > lets not call all these incubation centers pushing mobile apps that no
> one
> > is buying an industry)
> >
> > So, the difference btn us and them is that they are building their Konzas
> > because they need them and we are building ours to be like India. The
> > classic Build, ????, Profit scenario...
> >
> > Before we invest such amounts of money in a real estate project, would it
> > not have been more prudent and wise to invest that amount of money in
> > research in our universities as an example? Yes, and it is true our
> > universities are not doing enough research, yet, how much as a country
> are
> > we investing in research in our own universities? If we are not investing
> > anything much, then lets not sit and complain that they are not doing
> > much.
> >
> > Research costs real money as real mistakes will need to be made as we
> > learn!
> >
> > We do not need Konza for Vision 2030, but we do need to invest in
> > research,
> > we do need to invest in local technology firms (suppose 50% of that money
> > was pushed to local firms to enhance their research and expand their
> > business???), we do need to invest in teaching technology in our schools.
> >
> > Waithaka Ngigi
> > A1.iO
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 2, 2013 at 11:04 PM, Bitange Ndemo <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Military does invest in R&D through Universities.  Great ideas are
> >> incubated, supported financially and intellectually.  Academics mill
> >> around good ideas and help advance them.  That is why Zukerberg moved
> >> from
> >> Harvard to Silicon Valley where he was supported by the Universities
> >> around there, the Government through Small Business Administration
> >> financed the incubation.  Now the Government is reaping the benefits of
> >> taxes from thousands of employees working there.
> >>
> >> Why do then debate so much on the merits and demerits of Konza.  India
> >> is
> >> building a Konza in every state.  Ushahidi was a great idea that we lost
> >> a
> >> chance to incubate and support its R&D plus financing its growth.
> >> Unfortunately, not many Kenyans know this great idea.  Universities that
> >> teach computer science hardly know new research areas to support the
> >> vibrant ICT activities in the country.  How do we build an effective
> >> triple helix?  How do we get the universities to do research that have a
> >> meaning to its people?
> >>
> >> Ndemo.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > Daktari,
> >> >
> >> > Problem is, technology generally moves along for both military and
> >> > civilian
> >> > use. Modern day terrorists and organised criminals are more than a
> >> match
> >> > for full sovereign states electronic firepower. The only way
> >> military/law
> >> > enforcement can ensure 'monopoly' of technology is by investing lots
> >> in
> >> > R&D, which I don't think we as a country do!
> >> >
> >> > Waithaka Ngigi
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Wed, Oct 2, 2013 at 4:00 PM, Bitange Ndemo <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Robert,
> >> >> Nano technologies are here already.  Just like the Japanese
> >> miniaturized
> >> >> everything, we should nononize some products.  I will work with one
> >> that
> >> >> is a bit smaller.  Just imagine if we had one like that with night
> >> >> vision.
> >> >>  We could not have destroyed the entire parking.
> >> >>
> >> >> Ndemo.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> > Daktari,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Is this what you where referring to when you mentioned an inzi?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5TdbMu8xc4
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Regards
> >> >> >
> >> >> > PS.  Encouraging gaming could be what saves us next time there is a
> >> >> > terrorist hostage situation
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Robert Yawe
> >> >> > KAY System Technologies Ltd
> >> >> > Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> >> >> > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> >> >> > Kenya
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > ________________________________
> >> >> >  From: Bitange Ndemo <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> >> >> > To: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
> >> >> > Cc: bitange at jambo.co.ke; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> >> >> > <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> >> >> > Sent: Monday, 23 September 2013, 16:07
> >> >> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Have we failed the nation yet again?
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Robert,
> >> >> > There is absolutely nothing anybody will have done with ICTs after
> >> the
> >> >> > terrorists stormed the Mall.  All IT gadgets worked properly.  CCTV
> >> >> > footage is there and was aired on TV yesterday.  The screening
> >> askaris
> >> >> had
> >> >> > no chance since the assailants forced their way in.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Perhaps what we need is more research to mount a camera on a fly
> >> >> (inzi)
> >> >> > with night vision to fly carefully within the terrorist hideout and
> >> >> > establish strategically on how to respond.  Some flies could be
> >> loaded
> >> >> > with sleeping gas to put assailants to sleep.  Drones do scan the
> >> >> horizon
> >> >> > giving military advance knowledge of the terrain.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Right now we should spend a few minutes to praise our uniformed
> >> >> forces.
> >> >> > They did a commendable job.  In bitterness I am still proud to be
> >> >> Kenyan.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Ndemo.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> Hi,
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> As we console all those who where affected by the happenings at
> >> the
> >> >> >> Westgate Mall over the weekend do we remain blameless as an
> >> industry?
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Regards
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Robert Yawe
> >> >> >> KAY System Technologies Ltd
> >> >> >> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> >> >> >> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> >> >> >> Kenya
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Tel: +254722511225,
> >> >> >> +254202010696_______________________________________________
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> >> >>
> >>
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke
> >> >> >>
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> >> >> >> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
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> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > University of Nairobi
> >> >> > Business School, Lower Kabete Campus
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> University of Nairobi
> >> >> Business School, Lower Kabete Campus
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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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.
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > *Regards,*
> >> >
> >> > *Wait**haka Ngigi*
> >> > Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
> >> > Building
> >> > T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254
> >> 737
> >> > 811
> >> > 000
> >> > www.at.co.ke
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> University of Nairobi
> >> Business School, Lower Kabete Campus
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > *Regards,*
> >
> > *Wait**haka Ngigi*
> > Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
> > Building
> > T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737
> > 811
> > 000
> > www.at.co.ke
> >
>
>
> University of Nairobi
> Business School, Lower Kabete Campus
>
>

-- 
*Regards,*

*Wait**haka Ngigi*
Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building
T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811
000
www.at.co.ke
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