<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Kivuva</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks. This is beyond civil society and control issues. It goes to the heart of how we as a country have been able to grow in the Internet space in the last 10 years because of progressive government interventions in consultation with private sector and civil society. </div><div><br></div><div>Let me put it plainly so that maybe some of the policy makers may understand the import of some of the decisions we take as a country. </div><div><br></div><div>If we accept the ITRs as they are what we are basically saying from a commercial perspective is this:-</div><div><br></div><div>ISPs (read Safaricom, Orange, Access Kenya, Airtel etc) will have the legal standing to tell content providers (from my blog, to Google, to Facebook, to Ma3Racer, to Nation Digital etc) that for them to allow their customers to access your content you must pay them a toll fee. Now I understand that this particular shot was aimed at the Googles and Facebooks of this world. Fundamentally this is wrong and in principle this was something suggested by the European Telcos which the EU rejected and somehow found its way as the Africa Position during WCIT12..</div><div><br></div><div>NOW I ASK:- ON WHOSE BEHALF WAS THE AFRICA POSITION TABLED? WHY ARE WE STILL PAWNS IN THE BIGGER SCHEME OF THINGS? ( the CAPS are intentional because somehow we must get a reaction from the policy wonks in government)</div><div><br></div><div>There are many other issues that are fundamentally wrong with the new ITRs but I will leave that to Grace, Alice and all. </div><div><br></div><div>Lets get serious as a country. I understand that there are political and diplomatic ramifications in international treaty making and discourse. These however must be tempered with commitment to our economic realities. If I'm to make a reference to the Jubilee Manifesto then some of the actions of this government go contrary to the letter and spirit of the very manifesto they eschew. <br><br><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);">Ali Hussein</span></div><div><br></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">+254 0770 906375 / 0713 601113</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div>"I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</div><div><br>On Nov 28, 2013, at 8:27 AM, Kivuva <<a href="mailto:Kivuva@transworldafrica.com">Kivuva@transworldafrica.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>Ali, I hear your frustrations. After so many different developments in</span><br><span>Internet Governance, most of us had forgotten about ITRs, WCIT12 looks</span><br><span>like a long time ago. I'm sure government would like more control in</span><br><span>telecommunications sector, and this leaves the civil society</span><br><span>disadvantaged since we might not have a formal forum to engage them.</span><br><span></span><br><span>One path we can take is to have a public petition from the Internet</span><br><span>and Civil Society community to support the common position.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Regards</span><br><span></span><br><span>On 27/11/2013, Ali Hussein <<a href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke">ali@hussein.me.ke</a>> wrote:</span><br><blockquote type="cite"><span>Bwana CS</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>Incase you missed my last posting on this issue.</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>Listers</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>I little bird mentioned to me today that the ICT Ministry is about to sign</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>the ITRs that Kenya declined to back in Dec 2012.</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>As a member of the delegation that went to Dubai we fought hard to ensure</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>that we didn't sign and that there was adequate representation across</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>Government and the private sector. There were pre consultations both off and</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>online and the CCK actively engaged with other stakeholders.</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>Ultimately there were divergent views and the head of delegation declined to</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>sign the ITRs. At that time I penned a few paragraphs on why it was a good</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>thing that Kenya didn't sign the ITRs.</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="http://www.alyhussein.com/2013/01/why-its-a-good-thing-kenya-didnt-sign-the-new-itrs-at-wcit12-in-dubai/">http://www.alyhussein.com/2013/01/why-its-a-good-thing-kenya-didnt-sign-the-new-itrs-at-wcit12-in-dubai/</a></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>I hope that little bird was just that..a rumor. If it is true then I</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>personally appeal to Dr. Matiangi as the head of the Ministry to please</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>update us on this issue. Further more we expect at the very least to be</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>engaged as stakeholders in this space as to the reasons of the turnaround.</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>We hope Daktari that we are not jumping the gun here but as you may well</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>understand we are concerned..</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>Ali Hussein</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>+254 0770 906375 / 0713 601113</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>"I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein</span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><span>Sent from my iPad</span><br></blockquote><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>-- </span><br><span>______________________</span><br><span>Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya</span><br><span><a href="http://twitter.com/lordmwesh">twitter.com/lordmwesh</a></span><br><span>kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know</span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>