<div><font color="#000066"><font><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">My queries are below:</font></font></font></div><div><font color="#000066"><font><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font></font></font></div><font color="#000066"><font><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">When it comes to Economics, we are lagging behind. We had a projected growth rate of 10%, however the World Bank estimates that we will (on the upside) have economic growth of 5% in 2012. <a href="http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/KENYAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22600594~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:356509,00.html">http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/KENYAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22600594~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:356509,00.html</a>, not sure how the 2030 secretariat is handling this. </font></font></font><div>
<font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif">On the economic pillar, I have some issues with the BPO sector. As we approach 2030, our competitiveness will depend on either a weaker currency or somehow reducing our cost of labour (China currently artificially prevents it's currency from weakening to remain competitive in exports). How do we ensure that our growth does not kill the very sector we are trying to grow? </font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif">We also need to ingrain a culture of eating our own dogfood, growing Kenya as a market for Kenyan produce (e.g. What we have done with tea). How can we spur production of GSM Infrastructure, have policy that supports local software as opposed to imported software (use of open platforms would save this country a few billion USD every year) e.g. It may cost more to maintain an Open Source software platform (e.g. Ubuntu), but it actually is cheaper than buying MS (basically, the money is kept in our local ecosystem, creating more employment for our IT graduates who maintain the system anyway), Belgium has actually implemented the model... We also have a model being piloted in the EU, the Living Labs concept, <a href="http://www.openlivinglabs.eu/">http://www.openlivinglabs.eu/</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_lab">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_lab</a>, which can be used for community level innovation. </font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif">The latest report by the ICT Board estimates total ICT expenditure at 700M. If we can prevent the outflow of a lot of this spend (in open information systems that have equivalent standards) we have the double edged sword of perfecting our developer ecosystem whilst saving the country in general a fortune... <br>
</font><div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 9:00 AM, Grace Githaiga <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ggithaiga@hotmail.com">ggithaiga@hotmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<div dir="ltr"><br><font style="FONT-SIZE:10pt" face="Tahoma">Thanks Bwana Kibati for your well articulated responses. As you can see, your responses have raised further queries on energy from Brainiac and we look forward to your responses. </font></div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">A great point you raise on the fact that changing our value systems must be a national collective effort if we are going to have social transformation. We can have all the infrastructure but if we do not have values, then there might not be much meaning to Kenyans. </div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">Barrack, Solomon and Harry, you now have it from Mr. Kibati. </div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">Harry, I do hope that you will take on the challenge to present the Vision 2030 secretariat with a concept on energy distribution. This will be a great outcome of this debate and I am sure Brainiac and other listers may want to join you. </div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">Barrack, i think this is your opportunity to influence. Is it possible to suggest how Vision 2030 can influence national values using ICTs? Tusingojee serikali...:)</div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">As we reflect on the responses, <strong>we also move on to Day 2. </strong></div>
<div dir="ltr"><strong></strong> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><strong>The focus is on the three pillars of Vision 2030. The v<font style="FONT-SIZE:10pt" face="Tahoma">ision is grounded on three piilars and we will look at the first one which is the economic pillar.</font></strong></div>
<div style="FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma;FONT-SIZE:10pt" dir="ltr"><br></div>
<div dir="ltr"><font style="FONT-SIZE:10pt" face="Tahoma">The Economic pillar seeks to improve the prosperity of all regions of the country and all Kenyans by achieving Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate by 2012. </font><a style="FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma;FONT-SIZE:10pt" href="http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars" target="_blank">http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars</a>
<div style="FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma;FONT-SIZE:10pt"><br></div>
<div style="FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma;FONT-SIZE:10pt">The Medium Term Plan (2008-2012 identifies six targetted priority sectors namely tourism, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, IT enabled services and financial services. </div>
<div><br><font style="FONT-SIZE:10pt" face="Tahoma"> Over to you listers. Please feel free to still raise concerns on the vision or on Mr. Kibati's responses too.</font></div>
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<div>Sasa basi wakilisheni!.</div>
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<div>Rgds</div>
<div>Grace<br><font style="FONT-SIZE:10pt" face="Tahoma">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font><br><font style="FONT-SIZE:10pt" face="Tahoma">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!</font><br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><font color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif">Warm Regards,<br><br>Phares Kaboro Kariuki</font><div><font><font color="#000066" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br>
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