<font size="4"><font face="times new roman,serif">Um, the right lawfully to withdraw one's labour is a basic human right. Unless you have some reason to think that the strike is unlawful, you may be better off supporting the people on strike.</font></font><div>
<font face="'times new roman', serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="'times new roman', serif" size="4">And, to be honest, if ever there was a country where capital is eating labour alive, Kenya is it. I've seen credible argument that our living standard is now below that enjoyed in the late colonial era. Perhaps the greater power of unions in the late 50s has something to do with it.<br>
</font><div><font size="4"><font face="times new roman,serif"><br clear="all"></font></font>Daniel Waweru<br><a href="http://www.kenyaimagine.com">www.kenyaimagine.com</a><br>Art and analysis; debate and opinion.<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 9 March 2012 13:56, robert yawe <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk">robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div><div style="font-size:12pt;font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif"><div><span>They should be FIRED.</span></div><div class="im"><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><div>Tel: <a href="tel:%2B254722511225" value="+254722511225" target="_blank">+254722511225</a>, <a href="tel:%2B254202010696" value="+254202010696" target="_blank">+254202010696</a><br>
<div class="hm HOEnZb"> </div><div style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'times new roman','new york',times,serif"><div class="hm HOEnZb"> </div><div style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'times new roman','new york',times,serif">
<div class="hm HOEnZb"> <div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> Grace Githaiga <<a href="mailto:ggithaiga@hotmail.com" target="_blank">ggithaiga@hotmail.com</a>><br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk</a> <br><b><span style="font-weight:bold">Cc:</span></b> <a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a> <br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, 8 March 2012, 11:43<br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> RE: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike<br> </font> </div></div><div>
<div class="h5"> <br><div>
<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. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/MAIN%20report%20final%20web%20res.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/MAIN%20report%20final%20web%20res.pdf</a> </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><br></font></div><div><font><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>
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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>Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 05:57:01 +0000<br>
From: <a href="mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk</a><br>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike<br>CC: <a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
To: <a href="mailto:ggithaiga@hotmail.com" target="_blank">ggithaiga@hotmail.com</a><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><a href="tel:%2B254722511225" value="+254722511225" target="_blank">+254722511225</a></span><span dir="ltr"><span> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in Kenya with Skype: +254722511225"><span title="Skype actions"> </span><span title="Skype actions"><span> </span> </span><span><span><a href="tel:%2B254722511225" value="+254722511225" target="_blank">+254722511225</a></span></span><span> </span></span> <span>end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span>, <span><a href="tel:%2B254202010696" value="+254202010696" target="_blank">+254202010696</a></span><span dir="ltr"><span> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in Kenya with Skype: +254202010696"><span title="Skype actions"> </span><span title="Skype actions"><span> </span> </span><span><span><a href="tel:%2B254202010696" value="+254202010696" target="_blank">+254202010696</a></span></span><span> </span></span> <span>end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span><div>
<br> <div>----- Original Message -----<br> From:
"<a href="mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke" target="_blank">bitange@jambo.co.ke</a>" <<a href="mailto:bitange@jambo.co.ke" target="_blank">bitange@jambo.co.ke</a>><br> To: <a href="mailto:robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk</a><br>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>><br> Sent: Tuesday, 6 March 2012, 13:14<br> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Dr. Ndemo & the KBC Staff Strike<br>
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