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<TITLE>Re: [kictanet] Holding our Leaders Accountable</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Dear e-colleagues,<BR>
<BR>
As I said last week, our invitees indicated a willingness to come but they found varied reasons not show up. We must find a way to bring them closer. As they need to maximize the use of their time and also to avoid public embarrassment, we need to perhaps do an off-line dialogue first with them to find out how they want their bread battered. Can we beat our drum louder than the Kigali's one?<BR>
<BR>
Jim Rege<BR>
Washington, D.C<BR>
<BR>
On 5/21/07 8:24 AM, "Judy Okite" <judyokite@gmail.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Kanja,<BR>
<BR>
This 'chai' concept......how much accountability are we talking about?<BR>
a one-on-one based conversation?<BR>
how does it benefit the Nation? at the end of the day....how does your 'scream' come out? "He told me so?"<BR>
Or probably we could do it,but the 'Githongo' way!<BR>
<BR>
Kind Regards,<BR>
<BR>
On 5/17/07, <B>Kanja Waruru</B> <kanjawaruru@yahoo.com> wrote:<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Dear All,<BR>
Let me comment on this debate.<BR>
<BR>
Its obvious that the main reason why our 'guests'<BR>
didn't show up was that the subject matter was to<BR>
sophisticated and nobody wanted to expose their<BR>
ignorance in front of the cameras. <BR>
<BR>
My suggestion is we should invite them back not for a<BR>
press debate, and no cameras, but for chai and a<BR>
friendly chat that would bring them upto speed on ICT<BR>
issues.<BR>
Regards.<BR>
Kanja.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
--- Alex Gakuru < alexgakuru.lists@gmail.com> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> I encourage us not tire in seeking ways to involve<BR>
> legislators in ICT but we<BR>
> are not afraid to critise them if and whenever they <BR>
> fail us terribly.<BR>
> Aspirants you embarrassed consumers?<BR>
><BR>
> Inexcusable are unapologetic absence in the digital<BR>
> age where the politicans<BR>
> usually show off fancy communication gadgets.... <BR>
> considering the effort<BR>
> everyone put in, and most appreciated Eng. Rege's<BR>
> preparations input<BR>
> contribution and his early arrival.<BR>
><BR>
> ...and these politicians are always so harsh at <BR>
> criticizing others yet when<BR>
> they are called to state their vision they all<BR>
> chicken out. They deserve a<BR>
> thorough thrashing for the embarrassment they caused<BR>
> to the country and the<BR>
> tuned in world which now has a better understanding<BR>
> of the political<BR>
> protagonists qualities.<BR>
><BR>
> But interesting questions were being asked in your<BR>
> view of your absence<BR>
> yesterday:- <BR>
><BR>
> 1. Do political leaders thrive better amidst<BR>
> information-deprived rural<BR>
> people?<BR>
> 2. How much of their CDF funds went to ICT projects?<BR>
> 3. Has it been over-assumed that rural means poor or <BR>
> "stupid"?<BR>
> 4. Do ICT disinterested MPs hope to fit well in Hon.<BR>
> Kaparo's ICT-compliant<BR>
> parliament?<BR>
> 5. What and how else could the network deliver these<BR>
> politicians into the <BR>
> ICT world?<BR>
><BR>
> It was wonderful Kanja transformed local content<BR>
> challenges into an<BR>
> opportunity. "Everyday, the media, is always busy<BR>
> destroying old content<BR>
> because of storage problems...." (ask the media <BR>
> houses to for the content<BR>
> and start a "K-Tube"? ;-)<BR>
><BR>
> Thank you Edith for sharing community wireless<BR>
> access point built using<BR>
> ordinary tins. I am intersted in .... <BR>
><BR>
> Thanks to KICTANET, KENIC, KDN, MEDIA OWNERS and<BR>
> notable patient press who<BR>
> chose to stay on despite politicians failing to turn<BR>
> up. Cover more stor<BR>
><BR>
> October 2004 draft ICT Policy decried absence of <BR>
> high level ICT leadership<BR>
> but fortunately the last year gazetted policy speaks<BR>
> of protecting this<BR>
> (new-found) leadership. In view of this, I am<BR>
> obliged to thank President<BR>
> Kibaki for assuming high level ICT leadership the <BR>
> successive ICT directives<BR>
> in 2006 ( e.g. fibre, digitisation... )<BR>
><BR>
> So, I give credit where it is due?<BR>
><BR>
> Alex Gakuru<BR>
><BR>
> On 5/17/07, Lucy Kimani < lkimani@comnews.co.ke <a href="mailto:lkimani@comnews.co.ke"><mailto:lkimani@comnews.co.ke></a> ><BR>
> wrote:<BR>
> ><BR>
> > All,<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I am just venting on the dismal performance of our<BR>
> aspiring presidential<BR>
> > candidates, I have noticed a trend where those in <BR>
> leadershipship positions<BR>
> > let alone those aspiring for the same confirm<BR>
> their attendance to a<BR>
> > certain function and then not show up or best case<BR>
> scenario show up 2-3<BR>
> > hours late. I keep asking myself why do we as <BR>
> Kenyans accept this<BR>
> > behavior, and I am at a loss!<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Actually, my pesa nane is that we as the citizens<BR>
> need to start demanding<BR>
> > accountability in that when one says they will <BR>
> attend a function then they<BR>
> > should keep to their word, after all why are<BR>
> electing people whose word<BR>
> > doesnt count for much? Additionally, most of us<BR>
> also have busy work lives <BR>
> ><BR>
> > and the fact that we were willing to stop what we<BR>
> were doing to sit down<BR>
> > to hear what these aspiring candidates have to say<BR>
> about ICT is a<BR>
> > testament to how important we feel ICT to be to <BR>
> the country.<BR>
> ><BR>
> > I am one for making strong statements, and a one<BR>
> page ad expressing our<BR>
> > displeasure and questioning why the candidates are<BR>
> scared of facing a<BR>
> > serious group of citizens wanting to know where<BR>
> each of them stands in ICT<BR>
> > would be in order! I am sure if it was one of<BR>
> those meetings where fans<BR>
> > are shouting at the top of their voices, and no <BR>
> one is asking any serious<BR>
> > questions they probably would show up, we need to<BR>
> start demanding more<BR>
> > from our politicians!<BR>
> ><BR>
> > Just my thoughts!<BR>
> ><BR>
> > LK<BR>
> ><BR>
> ><BR>
> > -----------------------------------------<BR>
> > This email was sent using Communicatons Solutions<BR>
> LTD WebMail.<BR>
> > " "<BR>
> > <a href="http://www.accesskenya.com/">http://www.accesskenya.com/</a><BR>
> ><BR>
> > _______________________________________________<BR>
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