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

[Bitange Ndemo]

Waithaka,
I was and I am still frustrated with the procurement law.  We should have
dealt with ages back.  If you recall we pushed for a policy change to have
50% of the software demand purchased locally.  This could not happen till
the law was changed.  We need to make more noise for our legislatures to
understand.

Ndemo.





> 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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>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder
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>> >> >> ICT
>> >> >> >> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
>> >> >> >> development.
>> >> >> >>
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>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > University of Nairobi
>> >> >> > Business School, Lower Kabete Campus
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> University of Nairobi
>> >> >> Business School, Lower Kabete Campus
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> _______________________________________________
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>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigiwaithaka%40gmail.com
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 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
>


University of Nairobi
Business School, Lower Kabete Campus