here is the link to the documents and a critique follows below<br><br>http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=he_1&x=5077882<br><br><b><i><br></i></b><blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><div class="Section1"><div class="MsoPlainText">Communications ( Amendment ) Bill 2007 <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">This section changes the name of the Act, introduces new definitions,<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">ICT policy development and promulgation , governance of the sector and constitution of the regulator , fines for contravention of the act <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">Some areas that warrant
attention are<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">- policy formulation in the ICT sector . ICT stakeholders participated in the ICT formulation process for the first time in 2006 and now have a sense of ownership to that policy. This is as should be because the government strategy is to use the private sector to drive growth . The proposed clause 5 fails to take into account the lessons learned from the policy formulation process and locks out all other stakeholders in policy formulation<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">- governance - Minister can appoint unlimited number of the board members to the CCK board because the operative language for all appointments in clause 6 is .. at least one --- . No advantage can be demonstrated. All other regulators have an upper limit on the board members who range from<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">5 to 9
members. Secondly , almost all others have no government officers to avoid conflict of interest where government has shareholding in operators and in any case the regulator implements policy promulgated by the government thirdly all the board appointments are heavily tilted to the supply side and only one appointee will represent the consumer side These concerns were pointed out by KICTANET but have not taken on board Muriuki Mureithi <o:p></o:p></div> <div style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <div class="MsoPlainText" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0cm;"> <o:p></o:p></div> </div> <div class="MsoPlainText">Colleagues <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">As you are aware the Kenya Government has at last published the Kenya Communications
(Amendment) Bill 2007 . The purpose of the Bill published on<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">May 17th , 2007 ( world telecommunications day) is to amend Kenya<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">Communications Act 1998 . The structure of the bill as a follows; <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">Clause 1 - 14 - change of name, new definitions, ICT policy development and promulgation , governance of the sector and constitution of the regulator , fines for contravention of the act Clause 15 - introduces part IVA on broadcasting services - regulation , licensing and revocation , and promotion of local content Clause 16 -29 - enhances penalties of the contravention of the Act, reduce the duration of notice of a grant of licence, refusal to grant or modification, exclude certain classes in the
notice of grant of licence Clause 30 <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">. introduces part VIA on information technology - legal recognition<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">of electronic communications, electronic records and electronic transactions , offences<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">. introduces part VIB universal service fund - establishment and<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">operationalisation<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">. introduces part VIC Fair competition and equal treatment -<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">definition of dominant operator , investigation of unfair treatment clause 31 introduces miscellaneous provisions on National communications secretariat, establishment of the advisory councils ( content and universal service), action in the occurrence
of an emergency, use of information by an operator, service to CCK etc clause 33 introduces two schedules <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">. fourth schedule - operation of advisory councils - content and<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">advisory <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">. fifth schedule - transitional provisions and proposes to repeal<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">other acts - Kenya broadcasting act, penal code, evidence act , part VII electronic records <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">To understand the implication of the Bill , you need to study the Kenya Communications Act 1998 which is being repealed and the Bill itself . Once enacted the governing law will be information and Communications Act and will
have far reaching implications in the sector for the next decade or so. it is therefore important for stakeholders to study the document. <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"> KICTAnet facilitated a review of the Kenya Communications Act 1998 last year using the a draft bill prepared by the Ministry of Infocom and<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">developed a report supported by the stakeholders. This document made a<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">number of proposals which were presented to the Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo. Some of the proposals have been included in the Bill<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">As this Bill awaits discussion in parliament , KICTANet wants to facilitate an informed debate on the Bill , these comments are intended to support the evolution of a law to make Kenya
effective user of ICT for development .I invite you to read the Kenya Communications Act 1998, the Kenya Communications ( Amendment) Bill 2007 and the proposals by KICTANET as a resource for your comments . The Act and the Bill are available at the<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">government printer and meanwhile we are making arrangements to scan have<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">all documents hosted in a website for ease of access by end of Wednesday .<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">We start the online discussion on Thursday 7th and will start with Clause<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">1-14 and follow the sequence . In the meantime , we welcome any comments on the structure and the process of online discussion between today and Wednesday 6th <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">Regards
<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText">Muriuki Mureithi<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></div> <div> <div style="border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt medium medium; padding: 3pt 0cm 0cm;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";" lang="EN-US"> Harry Hare [mailto:harry@africanedevelopment.org] <br> <b>Sent:</b> 12 June 2007 12:09<br>
<b>To:</b> mureithi@summitstrategies.co.ke<br> <b>Cc:</b> 'KICTanet Committee'<br> <b>Subject:</b> RE: [committee] KC amendment bill<o:p></o:p></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US">Dear MM,<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US">You know how we operate in terms of reading documents! I would propose that you pick out the contentious clauses and sections of the bill and invite debate on the same. This way you would probably generate interest. Some of these clauses were outlined in Mucheru�s email of last week�definition
of broadcasting, licensing of domain names etc. My interest however is in section 89-98 of the bill is was partly *<b>borrowed</b>* from the UNCITRAL Model Law on eCommerce of 1998. There are significant changes in the text that the said law has undergone through the various UNCITRAL Conventions and the UNCITRAL Model Law on eSignatures of 2001. It would be interesting to benchmark that section with the available text. I notice that they have left out some sections of the 1998 model law and this could pose danger in terms of interpretation of the law if it was a quick cut and paste job.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US">One of the notable omissions (as far im concerned) for instance
is the definition of �electronic signatures� which is found in the model law. The draft bill does recognize electronic signatures but is silent on what they are, this could cause serious interpretation problems. In the model law, the electronic signatures are defines and goes ahead to specify the validity of electronic signatures�what I don�t understand is why the drafters left out this crucial section of the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US">Kindest regards<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: navy;" lang="EN-US">Harry <o:p></o:p></span></div><br></div></blockquote><br><br>Tel.
254 720 318 925<br><br>blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/<div> </div><hr size="1">Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48253/*http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC">Internet in your pocket:</a> mail, news, photos & more. _______________________________________________<br>committee mailing list<br>committee@kictanet.or.ke<br>http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/committee<br></blockquote><br><BR><BR>Tel. 254 720 318 925<br><br>blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/<p>
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