<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Guys,<br></span></div><div><span>Trust you are well. Just came across this inspiring story of a Kenyan fighting for space on Walmart Shelves.<br></span></div><div><span>check the link <br></span></div><div><span>http://businesstoday.co.ke/news/2012/03/8/kenyan-lady-pitches-walmart-shelves-home-made-beauty-products<br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>thanks<br></span></div><div> </div><div><i><strong><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"></span></font></strong></i><br></div> <div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", "times", serif"> <div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", "times", serif"> <div dir="ltr"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <hr size="1">
<b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga@hotmail.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> luke <lmulunda@yahoo.com> <br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, March 8, 2012 11:43 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike<br> </font> </div> <br>
<div id="yiv1432215414">
<style><!--
#yiv1432215414 .yiv1432215414hmmessage P
{
margin:0px;padding:0px;}
#yiv1432215414 body.yiv1432215414hmmessage
{
font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}
--></style>
<div><div dir="ltr">
Robert<div><br></div><div>Yes KBC has a HR department. It is one of the nine departments of the Corporation with others being <span style="font-size:10pt;">finance and administration, </span></div><div>ICT, units for audits and procurement, radio services, television services, news and <span style="font-size:10pt;">editorial, technical, and sales. It also has a strategic plan (2007-2012). </span></div><div><br></div><div>I was involved in a study on '<i>Public Broadcasting in Africa series</i>', and I was the Kenyan Researcher. This is a project that was supported by the Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP) <span style="font-size:10pt;"> the </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA). The study was launched by PS Ndemo in October last year. Please see chapter 6 on KBC as a Corporation (from pg 69), and chapter 7 on how it is funded. KBC has had funding
challenges. PS Ndemo has been instrumental in pushing for reinstatement of funding for KBC from exchequer (just giving credit where due), and by institutionalizing this funding as stipulated in the </span><i>The Broadcasting Regulations 2009 in section 11(2)</i><span style="font-size:10pt;"><i>.</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;"><br></span></div><div>For more please refer to the full study. http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/MAIN%20report%20final%20web%20res.pdf </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Some concerns raised:</div><div><br></div><div>1. KBC has substantial debts. Some going way back to 1989. <span style="font-size:10pt;">As of May </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">2009, a massive Kes. 8.2 billion was owed to the government of </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">Japan for the installation of medium wave (MW) transmission stations. </span><span
style="font-size:10pt;">This project </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">was part of an agreement concluded between the two governments in </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">1989. MW is an obsolete technology and changing from MW to FM meant additional costs for KBC. Before the launch, it was reported that t</span><span style="font-size:10pt;">he government had agreed to negotiate with its Japanese counterpart on how to </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">deal with the debt with a view to having it written of.</span></div><div><br></div><div>2. T<span style="font-size:10pt;">he KBC board needs to be knowledgeable, comprising people </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">with an education and with skills in areas indicated in the KBC Act section 4(1). This requirement to have board members with specialized skills has not always been followed. In the course of the research, I was informed that
</span><span style="font-size:10pt;">KBC has even at some point had </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">board members who had no inkling of specific tasks of the broadcaster. Many are the </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">times when the board has had members who are retired civil servants and politicians </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">who did not make it to Parliament as a way of being rewarded. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;">3. KBC has a staff contingent of 890 members excluding artistes,</span><span style="font-size:10pt;"> marketing </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">freelancers and part-timers. Between 2005 and 2008, the Corporation reduced its </span><span style="font-size:10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">workforce drastically from 1 300. Artistes are like correspondents who have a retainer (not a salary). This
is a bloated workforce. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size:10pt;">4. </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">The salaries of KBC staff – the middle and lower levels in particular – are low</span><span style="font-size:10pt;"> and out of kilter with those in the wider broadcasting industry. The </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">low salaries have resulted in a high staff turnover as other stations offer better </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">pay packages: This happens especially after staff have undergone training which </span><span style="font-size:10pt;">KBC provides in conjunction with international organisations such as the BBC and </span><font size="2" style="font-size:10pt;">Deutsche Welle (DW). Infact there are unconfirmed reports that the entire KBC Maasai service has been poached by a competitor. Staff also complained on the way promotions have been
effected suggesting </font><span style="font-size:10pt;">favoritism</span><font size="2" style="font-size:10pt;">. </font></div><div><font size="2"><br></font></div><div><font size="2"><div>The study makes several recommendations for example the need for a new KBC Act that guarantee editorial independence for the KBC, and has a design for a modern organisational structure. Further, after the enactment of new legislation for the KBC and the establishment of a new board, <b>the government should take over all debts on the Corporation’s books to enable KBC make a new start with a clean slate.</b></div></font><b> </b></div><div>Rgds</div><div>GG</div><div>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
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!<br><br><br><div><hr id="yiv1432215414stopSpelling">Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 05:57:01 +0000<br>From: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<br>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike<br>CC: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<br>To: ggithaiga@hotmail.com<br><br><div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", "times", serif"><div>PS Ndemo,</div><div><br></div><div>Just a quick question, does KBC have a HR department?</div><div><br></div><div>Regards</div><div> </div><div>Robert Yawe<br>KAY System Technologies Ltd<br>Phoenix House, 6th Floor<br>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200<br>Kenya<br><br></div><div>Tel: <span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_print_container_1331189923">+254722511225</span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_container"
dir="ltr"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in Kenya with Skype: +254722511225"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_left_span" title="Skype actions"> </span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_dropart_span" title="Skype actions"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style="background-position:-2885px 1px !important;"> </span> </span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_text_span">+254722511225</span></span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_right_span"> </span></span> <span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span>, <span
class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_print_container_1331189923">+254202010696</span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_container" dir="ltr"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_mark"> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in Kenya with Skype: +254202010696"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_left_span" title="Skype actions"> </span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_dropart_span" title="Skype actions"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_dropart_flag_span" style="background-position:-2885px 1px !important;"> </span> </span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_text_span">+254202010696</span></span><span class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_right_span"> </span></span> <span
class="yiv1432215414skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span><div> <br> <div>----- Original Message -----<br> From: "bitange@jambo.co.ke" <bitange@jambo.co.ke><br> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk<br> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke><br> Sent: Tuesday, 6 March 2012, 13:14<br> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike<br><br>></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div></div>
</div><br>_______________________________________________<br>kictanet mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br><a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br><br>Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/lmulunda%40yahoo.com" target="_blank">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/lmulunda%40yahoo.com</a><br><br>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.<br><br>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that
you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.<br><br> </div> </div> </div></body></html>