<div dir="ltr">Thanks Walu for throwing the spotlight on the proposed KIC Act amendments.<div><br></div><div>Beyond any doubt, the intricacies inherent in crafting policy /regulations are complex and sometimes difficult to balance. I have reflected on the proposals and if my comprehension is correct, the ultimate aim of these amendments is not to empower or dilute the mandate of any institution but probably to streamline the regulatory process.</div><div><br></div><div>Quite recently we had an embarrassing theater of absurd when the Communications Authority and the CS ICT forwarded parallel and half baked proposals to parliament even without bothering to seek some free legal advise from the Attorney General's office. As expected the regulations which were also crafted to steal a match on the industry players were pronounced dead on arrival.</div><div><br></div><div>Notable among the objectives of the current amendments are the following:</div><div>1. To align the KIC Act with the competition Act- This could be a step in the right direction considering that at the time KIC Act was enacted, the Competition Act had not even been envisioned. From an objective standpoint, the competition authority is more relevant in terms of dealing with the dominance among other competition oriented issues. Its also valid to note that CA has lately performed deplorably in so far as safeguarding consumers from the telcom market vagaries is concerned.</div><div><br></div><div>2. Harmonization of regulation making power so that it is exercised by the CS in consultation with the CA- There is nothing absolutely wrong with the CS providing policy guidelines to CA. After all CA's role should largely be to "regulate" (referee) and not to make regulations per se. CA's focus should be on compliance monitoring. A model where the referee is empowered to develop rules as the game advances is a fertile ground for arbitrariness. Thus the proposed arrangement promises a modicum separation of powers such that the ministry takes the lead in broad policy formulation while CA executes the specifics of the policy. Too much regulatory authority is neither good in the hands of the CA or those of the CS. Both have a propensity to overstretch their mandates if left unguarded.</div><div><br></div><div>Fortunately the Constitution is clear about the primacy of public participation in all forms of rule making. Should any party to whom this mandate is bestowed attempt to veer off the track, or formulate repugnant regulations, then the ever-patriotic stakeholders will not hesitate to use the necessary means to assert the fear of God.</div><div><br></div><div>Kamotho</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 8:44 PM, Walubengo J via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</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="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div><span>Thnks Eng. Kariuki,</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>I wish you were still in government, then at least we will know we are engaging with a key stakeholder who has been too economical with his written word aka gone silent on social media :-)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>That said, I do appreciate your remarks but not quite convinced they explain the fact that the amendments when read in plain english (unfortunately I have zero training in legal matters), they actually put serious regulatory </span>power under the minister.</div><div><br></div><div dir="ltr">I have nothing against Dr. Fred Matiangi wielding such powers since I kind of like him :-) But what happens when he leaves office and is replaced by someone I /you/we do not like. Someone power hungry. Someone corrupt?</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Basically it boils down to checks and balances. Otherwise known as Governance structures, where the Minster is restricted to making the policy and legislation, the regulators restricted to making the rules as per those ministerial policies and legislation, while the industry plays by the rules made by the regulator.</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Right now its like we are creating the minister to be the judge, the jury and the prosecutor. I would need a lot of coffee dates to be convinced otherwise :-)</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">walu.</div><div dir="ltr">nb: I will also look for Vitalis, Obam and Kihanya - they know why :-)</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div><br></div><br> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> John Kariuki <<a href="mailto:ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk</a>><br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> Walubengo J <<a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jwalu@yahoo.com</a>>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <<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> Wednesday, October 21, 2015 8:16 PM<div><div class="h5"><br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: [kictanet] Planned amendments bode ill for Communications Authority<br> </div></div></font> </div><div><div class="h5"> <div><br><div><div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,Sans-Serif;font-size:16px"><div><div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,Sans-Serif;font-size:16px"><div><span>Walu,Listers</span></div><div><span><br clear="none"></span></div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">As a student of Telecommunications Law and having
read the 1998 Act gazetted on 9th November,1998 and also the 2009 Amendment Act
gazetted on 2nd January,2009 and further having read the Amendment Act(No.41A
of 2013) let me share some views: </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">1 Deletion of s.2 on definition of “dominant
telecommunications service provider” and making reference to Competition Act
simply aligns the two legislations and is a positive step and is in line with
the good international practice. You may perhaps recall that this clause appeared
in 2009 in the absence of separate competition law.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">2. The amendments of Sections s.5B(5) upto s.83V
are quite standard in Telecommunications Law and you will find it in sections
27(1),sections38(1) etc. of the 1998 Act.They are also retained in the 2009 Amendment.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">3. Deletions of s. 84W(4) and s.84W(5) are a
consequence of deletion under s2 above.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif"><br clear="none"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">So the amendments in my view are really not as
bad as they may appear.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif"><br clear="none"></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">Regarding independence, you may recall that the
definition in telecommunications sector is derived from international law, in
particular WTO(GATS-General Agreement on Telecommunications Services) and I
quote “</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.25in"><span>The WTO, GATS Reference Paper
defines “Independent Regulator” as</span></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><b><span>‘separate
from, and not accountable to, any supplier of basic telecommunications
services. The decision of and the procedures used by regulators shall be
impartial with respect to all market participants’.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span>EU directive 97/51 requires the
establishment of national regulatory agencies and puts the condition that
these: <b>‘shall be distinct from and functionally independent of all
organizations providing telecommunications networks, equipments and services’</b>.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div>You may also notice that the drafters of the Kenya Constitution
declined to list the then CCK as one of the independent commissions which
necessitated change of name.</div><div dir="ltr">Walu if there are some details or clarification required ,I will be willing to share them off-line.</div>
<div> </div>
<div dir="ltr"><br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr">John Kariuki</div></div><br clear="none"> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,Sans-Serif;font-size:16px"> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,Sans-Serif;font-size:16px"> <div><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div><div><div><div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> Walubengo J via kictanet <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>><br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">ngethe.kariuki2007@yahoo.co.uk</a> <br clear="none"><b><span style="font-weight:bold">Cc:</span></b> Walubengo J <<a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jwalu@yahoo.com</a>> <br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, 21 October 2015, 12:26<br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: [kictanet] Planned amendments bode ill for Communications Authority<br clear="none"> </font> </div> <div><br clear="none"><div><div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div><span>@Ali,</span></div><div><span><br clear="none"></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>am still on duty at MMU (but not sure for how long :-)</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span><br clear="none"></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>But yes, </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>Ministry = Set policy, </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>Regulator = Regulate, </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>Industry = Play by the rules.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span><br clear="none"></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>Then life should be easy for everyone.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span><br clear="none"></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span>walu.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span><br clear="none"></span></div><br clear="none"> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"> <div><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div><div><div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> Ali Hussein via kictanet <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>><br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jwalu@yahoo.com</a> <br clear="none"><b><span style="font-weight:bold">Cc:</span></b> Ali Hussein <<a href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke" target="_blank">ali@hussein.me.ke</a>> <br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, October 21, 2015 10:31 AM<br clear="none"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: [kictanet] Planned amendments bode ill for Communications Authority<br clear="none"> </font> </div> <div><br clear="none"><div><div>Mwendwa<div><br clear="none"></div><div>Thanks for bringing this up.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>On a light note..Does my brother Walu still have a job at the Uni? :-)</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Seriously though, this sort of thing just takes us back 10+ years to the days of KANU.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Ministry - Policy & Leadership</div><div>Regulator - Regulate</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>How difficult is that? </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>I recall that after the new constitution was promulgated the hopes of the industry was that we will have a more robust and independent Regulator fashioned around the US Regulator - The Federal Communications Commission. </div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>It is my humble view that we owe it to the world to set the highest standards for Regulation & Policy Formulation in the world as we are now a recognised leader in innovation in the mobile space. Instead of the Executive looking to surround itself with more regulatorY powers they would do better to recognise their role of formulating & guiding policy & leadership to move this country forward in the ICT Sector.</div><div><br clear="none"><div>
<div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;word-wrap:break-word"><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;word-wrap:break-word">Thanks & Regards<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Ali Hussein<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="mailto:ali@hussein.me.ke" target="_blank">ali@hussein.me.ke</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><a href="tel:%2B254%20713%20601113" value="+254713601113" target="_blank">+254 713 601113</a><br clear="none">Twitter: @AliHKassim</div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;word-wrap:break-word">Skype: Abu-Jomo</div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;word-wrap:break-word">LinkedIn: http//<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a><br clear="none">Blog: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="http://www.alyhussein.com/" target="_blank">www.alyhussein.com</a><br clear="none"></div></div>
</div>
<br clear="none"><div><blockquote type="cite"><div><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div><div><div>On Oct 21, 2015, at 10:01 AM, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:</div><br clear="none"><div><div dir="ltr">Greetings,<div><br clear="none"></div><div>Walubengo seems to have captured the controversial issues surrounding the new KICA amendments where the executive is unsurprising powers from the "independent" Communications Authority. The emphasis of the community is that these amendments are unconstitutional and will not be allowed to pass.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>read on ... <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/walubengo/-/2274560/2921856/-/xolkx9z/-/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/walubengo/-/2274560/2921856/-/xolkx9z/-/index.html</a></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">There is a proposed bill, the <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="http://kenyalaw.org/kl/fileadmin/pdfdownloads/bills/2015/StatuteLaw__MiscellaneousAmendmens_Bill_164of2015.pdf" style="text-decoration:none;color:rgb(41,171,226)" target="_blank">Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 164 of 2015</a> that proposes to move most of the communications regulatory powers to the Cabinet secretary. </div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">It is not clear why the Executive suddenly wants to become the regulator in a day and age when global practice seems to be to keep the two as separate as possible.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">In seeking to understand the rationale, one needs to look at the 'Memorandum of Objects and Reason’ section, which states as follows:</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">‘The Bill seeks to amend the Kenya Information And Communications Act, 1998 section 2 of 1998) so as firstly to align it with the Competitions Act, 2014 in respect of the criteria for being a dominant market</em></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">undertaking and secondly to harmonize the regulation making power so that it is exercised by the Cabinet Secretary in consultation with the Authority’.</em></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">Two aims seem to drive the new amendments. One is to put the contentious issue of dominance under the Competition Authority rather than the Communications Authority. The second is to enhance the Cabinet Secretary’s role in communication regulatory matters.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">For those with a little bit of communications history, it is easy to see the deliberate shift towards the old days when communications regulation was strictly under the Minister of Transport and Communications.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">In those days, prior to the Kenya Communications Act 1998, the then Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC), a fully-owned government parastatal, was the father, mother and grandparent of all regulatory matters in Kenya.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">The performance of regulation then is well documented and it was clearly a case study in ‘how not to regulate’. </div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">So it still beats all logic, despite the intended rationale for the amendments, why a modern, self-declared digital government would want to drag the whole country back to the so-called dark days.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><strong>'DEPARTMENT OF THE ICT MINISTRY'</strong></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">Indeed, the Kenyan Constitution (2010) anticipates and clearly states that we should have a more independent regulator than what we have always had.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">As stated in Article 34: Section (5)-:</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">‘ Parliament shall enact legislation that provides for the establishment of a body, which shall—</em></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">(a) be independent of control by government, political interests or commercial interests;</em></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">(b) reflect the interests of all sections of the society; and</em></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">(c) set media standards and regulate and monitor compliance with those standards.’</em></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">Several court battles have recently been filed against the current regulator simply because their decisions, however well-intentioned were deemed not to have been undertaken by an independent regulator as envisioned in the new constitution.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">Why, then, would the government deliberately plan to set itself up for more of these court battles by proposing amendments that clearly make the regulator a department of the ICT Ministry and therefore not independent from the Executive?</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><strong>JUST WIND UP THE CA</strong></div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">Most of the proposed amendments are about replacing the role of the regulator with that of the Cabinet secretary by inserting the words ‘The Cabinet secretary in consultation with the Communication Authority shall make regulations for…’</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">As an example, see Section 5(b)(5) on ‘Freedom of the media’. The new proposals say that ‘The Cabinet secretary in consultation with the Communication Authority shall make regulations for the better carrying out of the provisions in this section’.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">In Section 27(d) on ‘SIM cards’, the new proposals say that ‘The Cabinet secretary in consultation with the Communication Authority may make regulations with respect to SIM Card registration, storage, retention, transfers….’</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">There are many other amendments of similar a nature, and the clear message is that the regulator cannot make operational decisions unless in consultation with the minister.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">Indeed, one could argue that it is effectively the other way round - the Minister making the decision in consultation with the regulator.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">If the famous voting machine in Parliament, otherwise known as the "tyranny of numbers", is anything to go by, these amendments are likely to pass.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px">However, the government should do Kenyans a favour thereafter and wind up the Communications Authority of Kenya, since its role will essentially have been absorbed by the Ministry.</div></div><div style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:ColfaxRegular,'AvantGardeGothicITCW01B 731069','Nimbus Sans TW01',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:24px"><div style="margin-bottom:15.6px;color:rgb(128,128,128);font-size:17px;font-family:Georgia,'ITC Century W01 Light';line-height:25px"><em style="color:rgb(166,166,166)">Mr Walubengo is a lecturer at the Multimedia University of Kenya's Faculty of Computing and IT. Twitter: @jwalu Email: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="mailto:jwalubengo@mmu.ac.ke" target="_blank">jwalubengo@mmu.ac.ke</a></em></div></div><div><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">______________________<br clear="none">Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya<br clear="none"><br clear="none">"There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson<br clear="none"><div><br clear="none"></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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_______________________________________________<br clear="none">kictanet mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br clear="none"><a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">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 clear="none"><br clear="none">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.</div></div></blockquote></div><br clear="none"></div></div></div><br clear="none"><div>_______________________________________________<br clear="none">kictanet mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Unsubscribe or change your options at <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">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 clear="none"><br clear="none">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.</div><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div></div> </div> </div> </div></div></div><br clear="none"><div>_______________________________________________<br clear="none">kictanet mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Unsubscribe or change your options at <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngethe.kariuki2007%40yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngethe.kariuki2007%40yahoo.co.uk</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">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 clear="none"><br clear="none">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.</div><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div></div></div><br><br></div> </div></div></div> </div> </div></div><br>_______________________________________________<br>
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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>
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