[kictanet] Kenya's Silicon Savannah & the Need to do more

[James Kulubi]

Paul, you hit the nail on the head.
The problems facing research and innovation commenced in the late 70s when some experts thought that research and innovation could only be carried out by institutions created by a Science and Technology law. 
Upon enactment, the law created the KEMRIs, KIRDIs,  KEFRIS, KARIs and allowed the government to create additional research institutes when necessary. With the government diverting research funds to these institutions, the University of Nairobi (only university in the 1970s) started experiencing both human and capital problems as active researchers drifted to these institutes and the government cut the university research budget. This served well the political system of the day since they wanted to tame political radicalism at the university by diverting the much needed funds to these ill conceived institutions. 
The political elite overlooked the fact that the university  can  conduct research at very low cost since students are not paid to carry out research (instead they pay the institution through fees, research grants, etc) and by design students are always graduating from the institution thus avoiding problems associated with ageing researchers. 
Proponents of modern university would tell you that the Science and Technology Act killed the ‘triple helix’, i.e the interplay between the university, industry and government and reduced the universities to lecturing, evaluating and degree granting institutions. 
Lastly, although licensing of researchers may be necessary in certain fields such as medicine on ethical basis, it should not apply to all fields. The drafters of the STIA 2013 needed to be more specific in this regard or specify that regulations will be developed covering the fields to be licensing and that the regulations will be reviewed from time to time.
James Kulubi

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On Thu, 26/2/15, Paul Korir via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

 Subject: [kictanet] Kenya's Silicon Savannah & the Need    to do more
 To: jkulubi at yahoo.co.uk
 Date: Thursday, 26 February, 2015, 3:21
 
 Listers, 
 I recall reading the Science
 Technology and Innovation Act of 2013 (STIA 2013) and being
 sorely disappointed at some of the articles in that piece of
 law. I’m not convinced that that is the kind of law that
 will advance Kenya. If anything, it has taken us back
 (pre-1976 when the previous legislation was signed into
 law). For example, article 12 criminalises scientific
 research except with with a license, which is clearly in
 contravention of article 33 (c) of the constitution
 (academic and scientific freedom). The penalty of this
 contravention is a fine of up to five million or a sentence
 of four years. 
 Unless I’m missing something could
 someone please explain how this is progress?
 The previous law was in harmony with
 international laws (to the best of my understanding) in
 support of scientific research but these were thrown out
 because NACOSTI (previously NSTI, if I recall) had been
 operating ‘illegally’ (i.e. demanding licenses without
 any legal basis). Now STIA 2013 makes it legal and given
 NACOSTI the teeth it needs to enforce its agenda.
 In fact, private companies are
 required to pay the highest research license fees. These are
 things which only happen in developing countries and stifle
 creative innovation for short-term gain.
 
 Paul Korir,
 PhD+353 86 224
 1966+254 72 400
 4767
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 On 25 Feb
 2015, at 15:29, kictanet-request at lists.kictanet.or.ke
 wrote:
 Kenya's Silicon Savannah & the
 Need    to do
 more
 
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