[kictanet] Freedom of Information laws and records management/ e- discussion continued

Thu Apr 20 13:31:45 EAT 2017

Dear All,

The demand side for information is clear but it continues to be frustrated by the bureaucracy. For instance, we have the Fall Army Worm attacks in a number of counties in the country. Farmers sought information on what could be done to mitigate and the type of seeds, pesticides to use and at what frequency?

The government remained talking of settling aside 300million and hiring NYS to help. How then can we have farmers ask other questions if the information given is irrelevant and if not incomplete and delayed.

I ended speaking to agronomists and proposed a set of pesticides by an NGO Acre Fund long before bureacrats in Govt run an advert a week ago.

Kind regards

Henry

----- Original Message -----
From: bitange at jambo.co.ke
To: henry at article19.org
Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 4:17:22 AM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Freedom of Information laws and records management/ e- discussion continued

Grace,
I am sort of disappointed with the discussion on FOI.  We are delving much
into theoretical assumptions.  The whole issue of FOI has not built demand
for the information into the kind of model we are discussing.  Let us not
allow foreigners dictate why we need information to be available to our
citizens.

What needs to be done is more of cultural reorientation to make our people
use information.  We rarely make informed decisions.  I mean use of
science to make decisions.  Poverty keeps on going up yet science tells us
our productivity has dropped to the extent those we call farmers cannot
make ends meet.  Whereas we need qualified people in work place we do not
require qualification for farmers.  We now have novice farmers as wen
grapple with food insecurity.  If we cannot use available information on
how we can be food secure, what more information you need that would
change our lives?

For as long as we have lived on earth no Kenyan community has information
on their own recipes.  The assumptions is that if you want Ugali you just
get to know how to cook it.  There are more than fifteen Ugali recipes and
none is documented.  There are more than 100 Githeri recipes and none is
documented to create rich information that application developers can
proudly create apps.  Until we move from our oral culture, information
will be confined to storage places where it will occasionally be used.

We are also confusing information and data.  The Government can release
data and unless someone converts it into information, it will never
translate to your theoretical assumptions.  We generally want to listen to
someone tells us what information is available.  You recall some
communities did not read the constitution since the leaders had read it. 
I had difficulty explaining some sections of the constitution even though
we all had the document.

FOI will pass as has been many legislations that were key.  We have fought
for these legislations but after they are passed nothing happens.  We
wanted the ICT policy but many of it's advocates have not gone out there
to tell Kenyans how to benefit from it. This certainly will happen the
same way to FOI.  We are rebels without a cause.  I have met dozens of
women groups and taken them through our census report highlighting the
glaring disparities between men and women but in spite the fact that they
promise to do something, none has ever done anything even bringing the
issue up for debate.

We must aim to change our culture.  We must make our people to demand to
know what information they require in order to change from where they are
to a desired future.  We must build institutional frameworks to move date
into information. As we debate, let us put a side theories from textbooks
and begin from the end.  Ask questions such as what formats are we to get
the information? Who will set the standards for information? How will the
poor benefit from the information? How will the information be
disseminated?

Picture our problems and create the vision on how information can be used
to bring better life for our people.  Work the food security issue I
mentioned backwards.  We have mapped our soils in the country and the
result is available on the open data yet you see farmers growing crops
that will never give them the desired productivity.  For example, in
Ukambani, farmers can grow cassava or water Mellon which will give them
more money to buy maize from the north rift instead of them growing the
maize that would impoverish them.  How can we effectively communicate
this.

We must create language institutes for every ethnic group in Kenya. 
Language is dynamic yet we have not kept pace with technological
advancement with our languages.  This is why we fail to communicate. 
There is no African language that has a translation of break-even point or
productivity yet these two words determine whether you will be poor or
not.  Information is information if the medium of communication is
understood by all.  We all need FOI but we have a lot to do if it is to
making meaning in our lives.

Ndemo.

>
>
>
> Harry, thanks for those probing questions that have kept this discussion
> going and continue to raise more questions.  As a result, our attention
> has been drawn to a very important document. Kudos to Kerubo for the
> responses.
>
> Rosemary, the Africa Platform on Access to Information Declaration is a
> great document. It is comprehensive and we appreciate your bringing it to
> our attention. It will contribute to the review of the IRMT/IDRC study on
> aligning records management with ICT, e-goverment and freedom of
> information, which has been the basis of this e-discussion.
>
> In your contribution, you point out that access to information cannot
> succeed unless government takes initiative to develop legislation and
> ensure its implementation. Harry felt that the State must at all costs
> avail information. The question to listers is:
>
>  What demands would Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation place on
> government?
>
>
> Henry, you have unpackaged the Right to Information (RTI) concept in a
> very practical and relevant manner. The local example using Mavoko is on
> spot. I know listers will take you up on your offer to seek more
> information on the topic.
>
> You point out the need to have information in retrievable formats and
> proactively making as much of such information public. Also, that public
> servants/officers have a duty to assist citizens who may not know where to
> find information they may need.
>
> What strategies could be developed to synchronize Freedom of Information
> and records management initiatives?
>
> And finally  to Harry: did you find out what the citizens' responsibility
> would be in all this?
>
> A great day to all of you listers. Lets hear your views.
>
> Rgds
> Grace
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life
> is all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go
> forth and rule the World!
>
>
>
>
>
> From: harry at comtelsys.co.ke
> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:58:44 +0300
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Freedom of Information laws/ e- discussion
> continued
> CC: kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> To: ggithaiga at hotmail.com
>
>
>
>
> Many thanks Kurubo/Grace,
>
> I suppose then, in light of the foregoing, State must at all costs avail
> "information" under it's possession.
>
> Citing the "Freedom of information" clause within this context however,
> makes it imperative for State to
> do so within universally adopted benchmarks. But within  the same context,
> what is the citizen's
> responsibility?
>
> I could check this out. But does the clause in the same vein confer a
> mandatory responsibility upon the
> citizen to ensure their exercise of this "Right to access" does not go to
> waste, or does he/she have the
> freedom to exercise this right/liberty liberally.
>
> One can argue that for instance,  a mother who fails to vaccinate her
> child against polio, because of "failure"
> to access information as opposed to "lack" of access to information should
> be held responsible. Is this
> enforceable in law..? How?
>
> Lastly but not least, State has only a tiny custody of information
> consumable by the public. I dare say that
> a lot of information/knowledge sought after by information consumers fall
> well outside the State domain.
>
> How do we police those outside, who hoard information desperately needed
> by consumers...? And what
> of those who deliberately avail misleading information/knowledge,
> including state..?
>
> Harry
>
>
>
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