<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Dear listers, </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">In addition to connectivity, design of solutions also matters. I will start by stating that the move towards digitisation of government services is welcome. We look forward to a time when we can access over 50% of services without having to queue at a government office. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Some of the e-government solutions though.....One wonders whether as a people we have embraced the spirit of devolution, whose object is to bring government closer to the people. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Some examples: </div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">KRA (the best performing e-government service we have): You are trying to get a company PIN and something goes wrong with the servers. You visit your nearest Huduma centre where the Huduma assistant (after several attempts) tells you to call or go to Times Tower. The call service never works. You have to find a friend or relative in Nairobi to take the trip to Times Tower. Or pay an agent for the most basic tasks. </div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">And while at KRA, last years tax returns involved downloading an excel sheet with macros :) </div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Government Ministries , Parliament, County Assemblies publish technical papers, laws or regulations in the papers and they ask for public comments within 14 days. No explanatory notes or officer available to chat with wananchi who may want to meaningfully participate. No platform for online interactive feedback. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">I will not go into the KNEC Examination Results SMS. A teenager kept flashing me from upcountry. They did not have the required Ksh. 30 to send/receive the KCPE results SMS. It had never occurred to me that Ksh. 30 is prohibitive to some. </div></blockquote><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">We need to shift our mindset from the traditional government style to people oriented.....and to remind ourselves that we need to design solutions that actually bring services truly closer to mwananchi. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Regards, </div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">2016-01-18 12:05 GMT+03:00 K Machuhi via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>></span>:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><div>Dear Grace,<br><br></div>Connectivity is key, and as Barrack Otieno pointed out, we have little to show outside the urban centers.<br></div><div>The scattered nature of households makes infrastructure very difficult to reach all. (Those who were responsible for post-independence 'land settlements' were big failures to our country as they sowed seed for endless land demarcation and scattered households.)<br><br></div><div>Besides accessibility (roads), the next key is connectivity (phones, internet). Connectivity requires energy availability. It is unbelievable the number of households not connected to the grid even as they are technically in on-grid areas.<br></div><div>We need a universally distributed power source (solar) at household level as mainstream. ICT solutions available today can make solar a utility.<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>Regards,<br><br></div><div>K. Machuhi<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 10:56 AM, Grace Githaiga via kictanet <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>></span> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="h5">
<div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Good morning Listers</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">I have received a request from the ICT Authority on the topic of Connected Kenya. <br><p><br></p>
<p>Connected Kenya this year wants to
explore the theme of getting Citizen to “Self Serve”<span> </span>through provision of e-government services.
The theme is “Bridging the service gap”</p><p><br></p>
<p>In the spirit of consultation, and in recognizing the valuable ideas from the different sectors of the community, the ICT Authority <b>would like to get industry thoughts and views on what they
perceive as barriers to the achievement of ‘self-services’ to mwananchi <span> </span>in Kenya. </b></p><p><br></p><p>What can government do in terms of
policies, implementation of projects, engagement to further this agenda? <span> </span>And what role does the Private sector also
play and how can both come together to further the interest of getting the
citizen to access services at the comfort of their homes?</p><p><br></p>
<p>We request that for the next five days, you kindly feel feel free to contribute and help the Authority shape up the agenda for this important conference. Phyllis from ICTA will collate all your ideas. </p><p><br></p><p>Asanteni sana.</p><p><br></p><p>Rgds</p><p>Grace</p>
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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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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></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Grace L.N. Mutung'u <br>Nairobi Kenya<br>Skype: gracebomu<br>Twitter: @Bomu<br><br><<a href="http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu" target="_blank">http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu</a>></div><div><br></div><div>PGP ID : 0x33A3450F<br><br></div></div></div>
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