[kictanet] Taifa Laptop

Sat Aug 27 21:34:04 EAT 2016

In the spirit of supporting the Taifa laptop project why doesn't the
government procure the laptops for use in government institutions.

On Aug 27, 2016 5:13 PM, "Walubengo J via kictanet" <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

@Ndemo,

True that. The Ministry of ICT where you were the 'owner' did buy the PCs -
and that was great.

But to make the project sustainable we needed other Permanent Secs to stand
up and buy into the the vision.  From the arguments on this list, it is
clear we have a long way to go.

In my younger days, I belonged to the group of Kenyans that laughed off the
'Nyayo-car' and thought it was a waste of money. Later on, I regret why
 Kenyans never supported this project. This is  because behind it, was a
group of researchers from UoN trying to get our 'jua-kali' sector into the
next level.

Nyayo-car WAS never the project.   The ecosystem around building Nyayo-car
was the Project.

As @Waithaka has also tried to explain. The Americans (NASA) going to the
moon or mars is never the project.  The industry,  technology and
competency spin-off resulting from the Americans trying to the go the moon
is the true worth of the project.

Same with Taifa laptop or Madaraka PCs. It is a failure only if you refuse
to see the bigger picture.

That said, we must also acknowledge our Kenyan appetite for corrupting big
picture projects during implementations. That can spin the project into a
completely new trajectory :-(

walu.

------------------------------
*From:* Bitange Ndemo <bndemo at bitangendemo.me>
*To:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>;
Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com>
*Sent:* Saturday, August 27, 2016 11:03 AM

*Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Taifa Laptop

Walubengo,
MOIC actually bought 100 Madaraka Desk Tops from JKUAT and Multimedia.
They are still in use and we  never had any complaints.  That is why I
advocate for a policy to buy locally made electronic products.  We have an
opportunity to compete with India that is priming itself as the global hub
of light electronic producta through it moto Make in India.  If you look at
Konza's strategic documents, we were high on light electronic
manufacturing.  KAIST is looking to build that capacity and several mobile
handset manufacturers are eyeing the same.  We cannot be the ones pouring
cold water on an opportunity like this.

Ndemo.

On Sat, Aug 27, 2016 at 10:53 AM, Ahmed Mohamed Maawy via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

Waithaka.. NASA has some of the most sophisticated and quality assured
software there is.

And the NASA I know wont procure something that will compromise the quality
standards they have. Just think about it. They send a space-craft to Pluto
against 1000 parameters that they need to get right. The project costs
billions of dollars. And they made it to pluto. Thats worth a clap. What is
not worth a clap is getting desperate people to buy your technology.

On Sat, Aug 27, 2016 at 10:47 AM, Waithaka Ngigi <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:

Ahmed,

This is way too simplistic...

It's like the German Chancellor saying since they have VW, BMW & Mercedes
there's no need for The German Government to buy and promote upcoming
German products.

Would NASA in the US consider buying a cheaper Super Computer from China,
for example, because HP & Dell need to sort out their business models?
Huawei, for reasons disguised as 'National Security' cannot sell a single
product to the US Govt... Not when US has firms like CISCO & Juniper
building similiar equipment.

‎The thinking that there's no patriotism when purchasing products is only
propagated at the developing world's so that they can open up their markets.

Waithaka Ngigi

Alliance Technologies
www.at.co.ke
*From: *Ahmed Mohamed Maawy via kictanet
*Sent: *Saturday, August 27, 2016 10:01 AM
*To: *Ngigi Waithaka
*Reply To: *KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
*Cc: *Ahmed Mohamed Maawy
*Subject: *Re: [kictanet] Taifa Laptop

Personal comments:

A business model that forces success is not a successful business. Its a
dictatorial business.

Examples of famous products from Kenya that Kenyans use:

   - M-Pesa
   - M-Kopa Solar
   - Mobius
   - Ushahidi
   - BRCK
   - BitPesa
   - KopoKopo
   - PesaPal
   - And the list goes on...

Some businesses just need to sort out their business models.

On Sat, Aug 27, 2016 at 9:51 AM, Walubengo J via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:

@ Prof Ndemo,

As you well know and remember, we experimented with our famous e-Maddo
machines that were assembled at a local university and we tried to sell
them to government ministries - without much success.

Each ministry had and perhaps still has its 'owners' who will NOT want to
buy local when they can buy foreign - with some good 'personal returns' :-)

We have great ideas, but zero execution.

#What_Would_Magufuli_Do :-)?

walu.

------------------------------
*From:* Bitange Ndemo via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke >
*To:* jwalu at yahoo.com
*Cc:* Bitange Ndemo <bndemo at bitangendemo.me>
*Sent:* Friday, August 26, 2016 11:20 PM
*Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Taifa Laptop

David,
You are a great man.  Keep on sharing your experiences. Policy is a
democrat's tool for benevolent dictatorship.  The Government should just
have a policy to buy lab tops and desk tops from JKUAT.  Our taxes should
be spent on our products.

Ndemo.

On Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 4:24 PM, David Otwoma via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:

Michael,

I first met Taifa laptops when we had the ASK Show in 2015. I thought it
great then, and seeing this new development I think it is very good.
http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/
departments/it/taifa-a3- laptop/
<http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/departments/it/taifa-a3-laptop/>

It reminded me of how I returned to Kenya in 2006 after almost 10 years
abroad. The government had just removed duty on PC parts and hence since I
was entitled to  a 40 foot container with my personal effects I filled it
with motherboards, RAMs, HDs and other things not available locally. When
it was eventually cleared I got some of my childhood pals we grew together
in Eastlands and we would assemble "No Name" tower or desk top and enabled
many who could not afford branded i.e. IBM, HP, Dell etc. to still enjoy
what a computer can as the hardware of essence is the motherboard, RAM, HD
while software those days one could pirate MS without dire consequences.

My bossom buddy got his son admitted to JKUAT and when the boy was sent
home for not having a laptop I advised he gets the Taifa as he will pay by
installments. Going forward what JKUAT may do is enter into an agreement
with some commercial bank(s) who can provide soft loans (now that interest
rates are coming down by law) to enable those who wish to pay back in 4 or
5 years to have that facility.

Globally I used to see German made (Siemen Company) desktops and towers
sold to students through local arrangements with European banks not only in
Germany but in Austria and Switzerland too. That does not stop those who
may wish to buy say Apple, Toshiba, HP etc at a premium doing so. The
beauty is we have our own, even if forced down out children's' throats, it
eventually will bring about the effect I have seen in far of places like
Japan, South Korea, USA just to name a few. I remember a friend who had to
attended a 6 months training course in Japan was issued a Toshiba laptop
and its cost included in the training package. the whole class had more
than 20 Africans and it occurred every year since 1997. If JKUAT can borrow
that leaf and extend beyong 1st years reporting to civil servants who have
to attend some compulsory courses not available at Kenya School of
Government it will be great as it would boost usage and outlet of this
Taifa laptops. Better still is making a deal with government entities like
the Ministries, Parastatals etc and supply us with this laptops. Only last
week I was issued with the biannual replacement of my laptop witha HP
imported from United Arab Emirates and I am willing to bet half my August
salary that it was purchased in excess of kshs. 70,000 while its specs are
not so different from the Taifa laptop! Why are we happier creating jobs
for technicians (since someone may argue degree holders should not be
assembling laptops) abroad while our own youths are jobless. Why do we wish
to export our dollars abroad when we could pass the money to our own
locally to spend locally, the bigger chunks, eventually?

Finally every-time I visit West African countries I notice they do not wear
suits like we do in kenya starting from their President down to the street
urchins. They have evolved a sophisticated clothing industry that do not
allow 'someone died aka mitumba' industry as we have here.

Let me start counting the minutes to Furahi day.

--
--
David Otwoma, PhD
Chief Scientist,
National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI)
Utalii House, P.O Box 30623-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Safcom tel: +254 722 141771,
Orange tel: +254 (0)20 2346915,
email: otwooma at gmail.com & otwoma at uonbi.ac.ke
http://www.facebook.com/ profile.php?ref=profile&id= 100000614284149
<http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000614284149>
http://www.nacosti.go.ke
&
Chairman,
Eastern Africa Association for Radiation Protection,
http://www.eaarp.org/

On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 12:10 PM, Musya Michael via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:

Anyone using this laptop? Experiences so far?

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news /2016/08/22/parents-protest-
jkuats-imposition-of-taifa- laptops-on-students_c1407693
<http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/08/22/parents-protest-jkuats-imposition-of-taifa-laptops-on-students_c1407693>

-- 
Regards,

Michael Musya.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

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