[kictanet] State cancels the Laptop Project tender process?

Thu Oct 17 15:10:05 EAT 2013

@Ngigi

+++1

I still do not understand why people like you do not sit on these so many Government Boards, Committees, Taskforce, etc. 

But then again, its perhaps because your ideas add value to the country, while the folks who would be sitting next to you (fellow board members) will be thinking "local pocket"...and your ideas will potentially with the clash with mood around the table...pricking conscience... a.k.a..noisemaker.

walu.
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 10/17/13, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [kictanet] State cancels the Laptop Project tender process?
 To: "Walubengo J" <jwalu at yahoo.com>
 Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
 Date: Thursday, October 17, 2013, 2:42 PM

 Listers,
 This is probably the most important decision
 Kaimenyi has made to date and also that will define his 5
 year term in Education. And I totally agree with
 him.

 We are being let down by lack of creativity in our
 Procurement processes, yet we have persons who profess to
 have Masters & PHDs in Procurement, but they they
 can't think beyond their pockets.

 Thing is, in large scale procurement, you have to look
 at how to not only get the best value, but how to manage the
 risk and also, how to ensure fair play amongst the
 vendors. 
 Any tender for a country-wide project just
 can't be awarded to a single vendor. This doesn't
 happen in industries like roads (Can you imagine GoK saying
 that they are issuing out a tender to tarmac every road in
 Kenya that will end up with a single vendor?), but in ICT we
 do it with impunity.

 Since this is a Country Wide Project, the first
 thing that needs to be made are the standards and
 specifications for these laptops. Lock them down and then
 ask Original Equipment Manufacturers to quote on how much it
 would cost to supply these laptops in batches of 1,000. You
 do not need HP, IBM, Lenovo. Go and talk to the OEM
 Manufacturers directly, and let them give you Laptops
 branded KenyaONE with those specs.

 If you are buying 20K Laptops, you can make
 Laptops to be made to your specification, unbranded at
 almost half the cost. How do I know, we once had special
 hardware made for a client here, who was buying just 500
 pieces with full support and warranty. 

 If you think I am kidding, just take a look
 here http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/oem-laptop.html.
 You get laptops with Intel Core 2 Duo Chips &
 Motherboards at between 100 - 200 USD depending on
 quantities.

 How do you support them? Give those contracts to
 every University, College and Youth Group that gets
 registered and the parts can be bought centrally then the
 local guys can buy them from there and resell to the
 schools.

 How do you ensure quality? Ask KEBS to approve
 Samples. Give kids in select schools to play around with
 them for a month and get feedback, Once approved, then every
 laptop after that has to meet those specs as per those
 Samples.

 And before anyone screams that China makes
 'cheap' products, remember every major manufacturer
 including the one that makes your treasured iPad,
 manufacturers them in China. Even one DJ CK was shocked how
 our average perception of China is during a recent visit http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2013/08/lessons-from-uhurus-landmark-china-visit/

 RegardsWaithaka
 NgigiA1.iO

 On Thu, Oct 17, 2013
 at 11:33 AM, Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com>
 wrote:

 NAIROBI, KENYA: The Government has
 now cancelled the Laptop Project tender for schools over a
 budget deficit as bidders exceeded the budgetary
 projections.

 Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi announced
 that the tender process was canceled as lowest bidder quoted
 Ksh 32B against an anticipated budget of Ksh 20B.

 read more @

 http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000095732&story_title=jubilee-laptop-project-halted

 ~~~~

 Not sure if it is true but I think Kenyans need to ask
 serious questions on this.  We cannot spend our time and
 effort putting forward ideas on how to best implement a
 high-risk project and then suddenly we are told it is
 over...kapput.. finito..go home. just like that!

 For example If money is the problem why not modify the
 project to fit 20B the budget?  I still think 20B would be
 sufficient if this project was tilted and tweaked towards
 the form1 student labs or even university students.  The
 idea was noble and timely but execution and target audience
 for me (not Yawe :-) has always been doubtful.

 Right now we are told suppliers asked  for 32B Ksh and but
 we had 20B so cancel the project, no questions asked and
 perhaps wait for 2-3yrs later to read from the Auditor
 General about how the 20B was (mis?)used.

 I think the CS for ICT should make a pitch to salvage the
 project in the modified form - assuming ofcourse the project
 was truly intended.

 walu.

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 Regards,

 Waithaka
 NgigiChief Executive Officer
 | Alliance Technologies | MCK
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