[kictanet] Internet, phones blocked as House debates election laws - Politics and policy

[Barrack Otieno]

Hi Ali and Tony,

This is quite unfortunate and a sign of things to come if we don't confront
the issue.  I hope Mr. Esuchi can clarify for us the governments position
for the same as he did on Zaks (rip) matter, actions such as these might
result in chaos in the ICT and Telecommunications industry which we have
worked hard to establish as a country over the years. Information control
is often disastrous going by past experiences, if the honourable members
were misbehaving, it was an indictment against themselves and they shall be
rewarded at the ballot box for their conduct.

My two cents

On Dec 21, 2016 7:59 AM, "Tony White via kictanet" <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Technology to locally disable gsm devices has been available
> commercially for a long time, and is typically used in some countries
> in areas you are asked not to use mobile phones, such as cinemas.  I'm
> not sure if this tech is legal here.  Advice from CA is needed.
>
> I am guessing, but I think the reported blocking of 'internet' was
> only via gsm, and was blocked as a consequence of blocking the gsm
> devices.
>
> Whether such localised blocking of communications is permissible is
> debatable, but it certainly gives cause for concern.
>
> I think clear direction is needed ahead of August 2017
>
> Cheers,
> Tony
>
>
> On 21/12/2016, Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> wrote:
> > Listers
> >
> > Security personal yesterday blocked the internet, phones in and around
> > parliament buildings during a special session to discuss the budget and
> > amendments to the electoral law to allow for alternative manual
> transmission
> > of electoral results in the event the electronic systems fail.
> >
> > Read on:-
> > http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Internet--phones-blocked-as-
> House-debates-election-laws/539546-3493404-item-0-l9ge6u/index.html
> >
> > A few weeks ago we discussed this issue of shutting down communication
> > channels during crises across African countries.
> >
> > Well now you have your answer.
> >
> > If the government can shut down parliamentarians imagine what they can
> do to
> > the rest of the country.
> >
> >
> > Ali Hussein
> > Principal
> > Hussein & Associates
> > +254 0713 601113
> >
> > Twitter: @AliHKassim
> > Skype: abu-jomo
> > LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
> >
> >
> > "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking
> what
> > no one else has thought".  ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi
> >
> > Sent from my iPad
>
>
> --
> Tony White
>
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