[WSIS CS-Plenary] [WSIS THETHA] [kenyawsis] Government offices to acquire internet access

[Fullsack Jean-Louis]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sangonet" <thetha at sangonet.org.za>
To: "wsis" <wsis at lists.sn.apc.org>
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 2:52 PM
Subject: [WSIS CS-Plenary] [WSIS THETHA] [kenyawsis] Government offices to
acquire internet access


> Hello all,
>
> hope you all read this story - quite an ambitious project by the
government.
>
>
http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/28022004/News/News2802200426.htm
> l
>
> a few things come to my mind.
>
> 1. About the upcoming civil society involvement at the ICT board and
> upcoming participation the National Strategy ICT workshop. While It is a
> good strategy to speak as an insider, I fully support comments from others
> of the need to be cautious and ensure that civil society maintain the
> reputation of being the voice for the voiceless and also for the call for
a
> strategy meeting to thrash out the  objectives of Kenya civil society and
> specific issues relating to Kenya's ICT policy.
>
> This also reminds me that the Kenya civil society caucus on WSIS also
needs
> to reach out to other civil society actors who are involved in related
> policy matters and speaking to various government structures such as
during
> the Kenya consultative group meeting in November last year -
> http://www.worldbank.org/ke/cg03.htm. The civil society present at the
> meeting (ActionAid Kenya, Institute of Economic Affairs, and the NGO
> Council) did present a paper about various policy issues from a civil
> society perspective in Kenya.
>
> Looking at the papers presented at this consultative group meeting, there
> are already conflicting areas between KEPSA's paper and the civil society
> paper. The KESPA paper covers some major issues that need to be addressed
in
> infrastructure development (including the ICT sector) by advocating for a
> greater framework for private sector participation, while the civil
society
> paper calls for government to ensure provision of basic services as the
> rights of citizens. This raises a serious question about how the Kenya
civil
> society caucus would work within KESPA and how it relates to the wider
Kenya
> civil society organizations?
>
> To these effect I would urge the meeting agenda to discuss ways of working
> closely with other civil society actors to ensure that civil society
> participation in policy engagement is strengthened and well coordinated.
For
> example would this have been effective collaboration, the civil society
> paper presented at the consultative group meeting would have been stronger
> and covered more on ICT policy issues.
>
> 2. The second issue relates to the specific story below.....two things
>
> One it seems the government is not presenting a clear position on a
> centralised ICT strategy, here we see Minister Murungaru spearheading this
> e-government strategy without a clear position on the role of Information
> minister and the transport and communications minister. It is a high time
we
> start seeing an integrated ICT approach!
>
> 3. Open Source and Free Software Issues..
>
> This might related more directly to my colleague - Mr. Bill Kagai. While
> this ambitious e-government strategy gets in place, your call for
'Building
> Govt. Contacts Database' is more urgent than ever to target these policy
> makers so that come 2007 we will not have expensive proprietary software
> further deteriorating the current state foreign debt more so at the
expense
> of local expertise and business opportunity as those presented by free and
> open source solutions.
>
> Please Mr. Kagai forward this development to the FOSSFA network and lets
> hope the advocacy campaign and other directed efforts will yield better
> results to Africa.
>
> regards,
>
> Njenga Njuguna
> --------------------
>
> Government offices to acquire internet access
> By NATION Reporter
>
> All Government ministries and departments will be accessed on the internet
> as from June this year.
>
> National Security minister Chris Murungaru said yesterday the ambitious
> programme, under which websites would be developed for each ministry and
> department, would cost Sh2.5 billion spread over five years.
>
> Dr Murungaru said the undertaking, a product of the e-government strategy,
> would enable the Narc Government to deliver services efficiently to the
> public.
>
> "The e-government will facilitate better and efficient delivery of
> information and services to the citizens. It is a fundamental element in
> modernisation of government," he said.
>
> The minister was speaking at his Harambee House office accompanied by the
> head of the Civil Service, Mr Francis Muthaura, and a special adviser to
the
> Cabinet, Dr Peter Gakunu.
>
> The programme, set to be implemented in three phases, will enable the
public
> to apply for identity cards, passports, and to access Government
ministries
> online.
>
> Under the first phase, which ends in June this year, the Government will
> ensure that the infrastructure to implement the strategy is in place.
>
> The second phase, which is scheduled to end in 2007, will see the
Government
> linking up its ministries and departments through the internet.
>
> "By the end of this medium term phase, the Government should be able to
> communicate within itself," he said.
>
> However, it is the third phase that will open the Government to public.
>
> The project will enable the public to vote on line in the next General
> Election. It will also be used to trade in Treasury bills and bonds, and
to
> get other services on line.
>
> Comments\Views about this article
>
http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/28022004/News/News2802200426.htm
>
>
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