[kictanet] How we are killing our Kenyan ICT Industry, what we could do to revive it!

[Ngigi Waithaka]

Guys,

It seems whatever is happening at KICT Authority has caught quite some
attention, which is good, as we cannot forever go hiding as if everything
is okay, when clearly the status quo remains and only less than 10% of
current GoK procurement is for products and services produced locally.

I have blogged about the recent happenings here and comments are welcome.
http://www.a1.io/a1io_blog/kenyan-ict-industry-old-habits-die-hard/

As regards lobbying for local ICT industry, and for those who were there
during #140Friday, a lot needs to be done as currently what we have are
just rumblings and subsequent hot-air from the powers that be that our
grievances will be addressed.

IMO, probably the only way is for the local ICT players to join Kenya
Association of Manufacturers (KAM). It is the only body with the
experience, resource and drive to piush for adoption and promotion of local
industry. Any other bodies such as KITOS/CSK etc that have previously been
suggested do not have the experience, knowledge and drive to push our
agenda. Infact, if you ask me, they will just be used to ensure the
status-quo remains.

The second way is to prepare to challenge the status-quo legally. It will
cost quite some money, but no one ever said freedom is cheap!

We are already meeting amongst a couple of firms with KAM, and I will be
pushing for them to allow either corporate and individual membership and
use them to articulate our issues.

But, bottom line, we cannot let the networks of old that intentionally lock
out Kenyan firms from grabbing the bigger chunks of ICT Projects
procurement, and especially so that now everything ICT has been centralized
at KICT Authority.

We are centralizing to gain efficiencies not so that we can centralize
corruption.

Ngigi Waithaka
A1.iO
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