[kictanet] Fw: DRAFT ICT POLICY 2016 LINK-KICTAnet Stakeholder Input

Wed Jun 22 12:01:37 EAT 2016

Me too! Still, let's bear in mind when the day comes to discuss
blockchain technology - it's not just about the money ;)

Cheers,
Tony

On 22/06/2016, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
> Tony
>
> Thanks. Seems though I jumped the gun abit. Walu has a very structured
> discussion plan for the next two weeks. Mine I guess was a personal overview
> after reading the document and the fact that I'm too impatient to wait for
> two weeks? LOL
>
> Ali Hussein
> Principal
> Hussein & Associates
> +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
>
> 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
>
>> On 22 Jun 2016, at 11:30 AM, Tony White <tony.mzungu at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Ali, +1, an excellent post, as usual :)
>>
>> An additional point to consider, in respect of both inter-ministry
>> cooperation, and blockchain technology is a point I raised earlier on
>> this list regarding elections - which should put an end, once and for
>> all, to issues of 'rigging' - I refer to:
>>
>> https://followmyvote.com/blockchain-voting-the-end-to-end-process/
>>
>> which explains the open-source voting system which relies on
>> blockchain to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Tony
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 22/06/2016, Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> wrote:
>>> Walu and all
>>>
>>> My contribution:-
>>>
>>> 1. Bandwidth capacity increased from 847k Mbps to 1.5m Mbps yet the
>>> utilization ratio decreased from 58.7% to 55.1%. It would have been
>>> interesting to understand what occasioned the drop in utilization?
>>> Lessons
>>> learnt? Pricing? Accessibility?
>>>
>>> 2. Broadband subscriptions increased from 4.2 million to 7.1m. This is
>>> commendable. A more detailed penetration review by county would be very
>>> helpful. It would help some of the counties understand why they are
>>> lagging
>>> behind in the adoption of ICTs. Even if this is too detailed for the
>>> Policy
>>> Document a link to a more detailed study would be very helpful. This
>>> could
>>> then be presented to Governors in a sort of report probably named:-
>>> 'The State of ICTs in the Counties'
>>>
>>> 3. The performance or utilization of the National Optic Fibre Backbone
>>> (NOFBI) must be brought into review. According to the ICT Authority
>>> website:-
>>>
>>> The ICT Authority is implementing Phase 11 of the National Fibre Optic
>>> cable. The construction begun in September 2014 and is expected to be
>>> complete by June 2016. The second phase will build 1,600KM of fiber
>>> linking
>>> all the 47 county headquarters and an additional 500KM dedicated for
>>> military use. This is in addition to the existing 4,300KM of NOFBI I
>>> completed in 2009. NOFBI phase1passes 58 towns in 35 counties
>>> To date:
>>>
>>> 1200Km out of the 1600KM civil works are completed.
>>> 900Km of fibre has been laid in the backbone section.
>>> The backbone section is now complete and fibre installed in all the 47
>>> counties (Kajiado County fibre in NOFBI I was damaged by road
>>> construction)
>>> and capacity to connect Kajiado County HQ will be sourced from other
>>> operators whose fibre is along the power line to Namanga
>>> Metropolitan fibre civil works has been completed in 35 of 47 counties.
>>> NOFBI Phase 1 is already in use in the national government, Telkom,
>>> Safaricom, Jamii Telecom and KENET utilizing more than 3,000KM of the
>>> cable.
>>> The operations and maintenance of NOFBI Phase 1 is being handled by
>>> Telkom.
>>>
>>> Read more:-
>>>
>>> http://www.icta.go.ke/national-optic-fibre-backbone-nofbi/
>>>
>>> This is absolutely commendable. We must now move to the next stage of
>>> critical evaluation of this Critical Infrastructure.
>>>
>>> a) What are the learnings?
>>>
>>> b) What could we have done better?
>>>
>>> c) What are the bottlenecks to last mile connectivity?
>>>
>>> d) Why haven't our connectivity costs reduced considering that most of
>>> the
>>> telcos are using this backbone which is a national resource?
>>>
>>> We are stepping on the shoulders of giants who envisioned this resource
>>> for
>>> the country. We must make absolutely sure that we squeeze every ounce of
>>> the
>>> advantage it has given us.
>>>
>>> e) Why are we not in the top 50 global internet penetration rankings?
>>> Make
>>> no mistake about it. Our competition is not Africa. It is global.
>>>
>>> http://www.internetworldstats.com/top25.htm
>>>
>>> 4. A review of the ICT Start-up ecosystem is totally lacking in this
>>> policy
>>> document. It is imperative that we do a deep dive of this ecosystem and
>>> ensure that private and public/government efforts are aligned. Totally.
>>> It
>>> is nonsensical to think that this sector will become world class without
>>> private, public and government working in tandem. Some of the areas to
>>> look
>>> into:-
>>> a) Capacity building for entrepreneurs
>>> b) A regulatory environment that is super conducive to the ecosystem
>>> while
>>> protecting the public good.
>>> c) Access to markets outside the country
>>> d) Access to cheap capital.
>>>
>>> 5. The Universal Service Access Fund is a commendable initiative but too
>>> often there hasn't been much information on the impact the critical
>>> resource
>>> is having. My suggestion would be to have an interactive real time map
>>> showing its impact and why certain regions are chosen to receive its
>>> largess
>>> and not others. This should be linked with Infrastructure sharing and
>>> last
>>> mile strategies to provide connectivity from the NOFBI.
>>>
>>> 6. WayLeaves. There has to be robust engagement with counties to ensure
>>> that
>>> ISPs and Telcos are not held to ransom by short term county revenue
>>> hunting
>>> at the expense of spreading ubiquitous broadband connectivity. This is
>>> so
>>> critical that a clear strategy paper needs to be put together by all
>>> stakeholders to guarantee its implementation.
>>>
>>> 7. What are the roadblocks that hinder us from achieving universal
>>> broadband
>>> connectivity?
>>>
>>> 8. Mobile Money and the new reality of Blockchain Technology. Let's not
>>> beat
>>> about the bush here. The very leadership position that has been achieved
>>> by
>>> our adaption of Mobile Money is at risk by burying our heads in the sand
>>> when it comes to Blockchain Technology. Kenya, and Africa are again at
>>> risk
>>> of being left behind. No other than the Governor of the Central Bank is
>>> on
>>> record saying that we shall wait and see what the west does before
>>> jumping
>>> in. I respect the man alot but I think engagement with the nascent
>>> Fintech
>>> space in Nairobi together with the ICT Ministry is long overdue. We MUST
>>> chart our own path - And it needs to be a pioneering path not a follower
>>> path. We need a clear policy statement from the ICT Ministry on this.
>>>
>>> Time for pussyfooting around is over.
>>>
>>> 9.  Science, Technology and Innovation. The importance of this cannot be
>>> gainsaid.  Beyond the policy statements the Ministry needs to articulate
>>> achievements in this area over the last 10 years, lessons learnt and
>>> clear
>>> way forward.
>>>
>>> The mash up (no pun intended) of higher learning institutions, hubs,
>>> incubators, accelerators and businesses need to be prioritized to
>>> achieve
>>> true breakthroughs.
>>>
>>> 10. Gaming and application development. How can we replicate the success
>>> of
>>> such local content as Papa Shimanyula, Mother in Law etc online. What
>>> happened to once popular Ma3Racer, which at its height was downloaded in
>>> 200
>>> countries. What are the lessons learnt?
>>>
>>> 11. Postal and Courier Services. What needs to be done to enthuse a more
>>> vibrant and profitable postal service? The CS has just appointed a new
>>> board
>>> to this beleaguered giant. He needs all our support to ensure its
>>> success.
>>> At the same time the government needs to be absolutely ruthless in its
>>> mandate of ensuring management deliver on its promises.
>>>
>>> New comers in this space also require policy support as the postal
>>> service
>>> cannot by itself achieve the requirements of an economy that is
>>> increasingly
>>> digital.
>>>
>>> Great move on enumerating where we are on the establishment of a
>>> National
>>> Addressing System and the recent launch of mPost. How can the government
>>> collaborate with private sector initiatives like OkHi? How can we avoid
>>> duplication?
>>>
>>> 12. Consumer Protection. The Consumer Protection Act of 2012 gives us a
>>> good
>>> foundation. What can the ICT Ministry and stakeholders in the sector
>>> contribute to enhance this act in this new digital dispensation?
>>>
>>> 13. Cyber Security. Too often governments the world over use this
>>> blanket
>>> term to spy and infringe on the rights of citizens. This is a delicate
>>> balancing act which requires all players to work with utmost good faith
>>> in
>>> ensuring that our digital resources are safe from those who would want
>>> to
>>> take them away from us.
>>>
>>> Did I miss the part on Privacy Protection in this policy document?
>>>
>>> 14. Human Resource Development and Training. The policy document
>>> mentions
>>> the Establishment of ICT Centers of Excellence. I propose the government
>>> goes one step further and Establish The Kenya Institutes of Technology
>>> fashioned around the Indian Institutes of Technology.
>>>
>>> The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are autonomous public
>>> institutes
>>> of higher education, located in India. They are governed by the
>>> Institutes
>>> of Technology Act, 1961 which has declared them as institutions of
>>> national
>>> importance and lays down their powers, duties, and framework for
>>> governance
>>> etc.
>>>
>>> 15. Knowledge Economy. Great improvement to the policy document here.
>>> Commendable to actually spell out the difference facets of this sector.
>>> My
>>> only disappointment here is that the document mentions eServices like
>>> health
>>> and agriculture but conspicuously misses out Finance? I'm curious why?
>>> Seeing as this is the one sector that we actually stand to have the best
>>> competitive advantage due to the uptake of mobile money in this country.
>>> This is an obvious glaring oversight.
>>>
>>> 16. New Innovations and services in ICT. Great section. Very bold. Now
>>> to
>>> its implementation.
>>>
>>> 17.  eGoverment. It cannot be gainsaid the strides this country has made
>>> in
>>> this area. Kudos to all who have played a role in it. We now must move
>>> to
>>> the next level and beat Estonia, which is the leading digital government
>>> in
>>> the world.
>>>
>>> 18. Policy, legal and regulatory framework. Here, a lot of work needs to
>>> be
>>> done. Often times ministries and government departments work at
>>> cross-purposes and seem at odds with each other. Can the ICT Ministry
>>> champion a Common Purpose Task Force with the help of the AG's office to
>>> smooth over diverse views and vested interests? ICT is the thread that
>>> molds
>>> the nation and the Ministry MUST take its rightful place in the scheme
>>> of
>>> things. For example:-
>>>
>>> Before the Film classification board makes comments on OTT they could
>>> consult the ICT Ministry or the Central Bank makes comments on
>>> Blockchains
>>> they could do the same?
>>>
>>> We appreciate the role regulators play in an economy. What we would like
>>> to
>>> see is for them to be equipped for Regulation in the 22nd Century as
>>> opposed
>>> to using regulation tools fit for the era of The Robber Barons (early
>>> 1900s)
>>> or that of Alexander Graham Bell (mid 1800s).
>>>
>>> Bottom line? A well thought out Policy document that requires a few
>>> tweaks
>>> and more importantly -  EXECUTION.
>>>
>>> Ali Hussein
>>> Principal
>>> Hussein & Associates
>>> +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
>>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>>> On 20 Jun 2016, at 3:25 PM, Walubengo J via kictanet
>>>> <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Dear Listers,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The Ministry of ICT (PS V. Kyalo) has asked KICTAnet to ran a two week
>>>> moderated discussion on the Draft ICT Policy 2016, that will replace
>>>> the
>>>> current 2006 ICT Policy.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Please download and go through in preparation of the online discussions
>>>> scheduled to kick-off this wednesday 22nd June 2016.
>>>>
>>>> You views will be consolidated and later on you will be invited to
>>>> validated the same at a face-to-face session to be confirmed at a venue
>>>> and date to be confirmed later.
>>>>
>>>> Kazi kwenyu. Do not say you were not consulted :-)
>>>>
>>>> Best rgds.
>>>>
>>>> walu.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----
>>>> Dear All,
>>>>
>>>> The Draft ICT Policy 2016 has been posted in the MoICT website for
>>>> stakeholders comments.  Please use the link below to access the
>>>> document.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.information.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Draft-National-ICT-Policy-20June2016.pdf
>>>>
>>>> Kind regards,
>>>> Jane W. Migwi
>>>> Administrative Secretary
>>>> National Communications Secretariat
>>>> P.O. Box 10756-00100, NBI
>>>> Tel: +254-20-2719953 / +254-20-2713429
>>>> Fax: +254-20-2716515
>>>> Cell:  0721 850 561
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Tony White
>

-- 
Tony White