May 2009 - skunkworks - Skunkworks Site

Kenyan Sites
by David Mugo 11 May '09

11 May '09

Hey guys, I think its about time the web industry in Kenya takes shape. We have no proper loyalty to our own, maybe because there is not that much the industry is offering but we are busy supporting international sites. How can we make Kenyans get into our sites and participate properly? I have a great Question and Answer website that I think people would use as a forum of assisting each other and sharing knowledge and experience. Check it out at http://qanda360.com Join and let me know whats your opinion of the site and suggest ways to reach more people. David. http://qanda360.com

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4A GE Blacktop
by David Kago 11 May '09

11 May '09

For the Auto lovers, anyone know where I can get the above engine, in good condition?

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Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 10 May '09

10 May '09

Apologies for cross-posting: It took a KENIC (KEnya Network Information Center, www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for the Kenyan Internet community to digest the implication of the a Kenyan ICT Legislation passed more than five months ago. The law which included sections that touched on the Media, IT, Telecommunication and Postal Services has faced stiff resistance from the Media fraternity while the Internet Community kept a low if not a dead profile. It was at the KENIC general meeting held today in Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled with the implication of the IT section on the operation of the .KE namespace. The law specifies that all second level .KE internet domain names must be licensed by the country's converged Regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya. The law requires that all Registries - those who manage the internet domains - must apply for a license by the 2nd of June 2009. KENIC, a public-private-partnership has under the ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace including the 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, xyz.OR.KE, etc. From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission from the Regulator to continue managing these sub-domains. In an effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board requested the community to support a resolution that a new legal entity (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in order to apply for the license from the Regulator as well as compete with other potential entities that are set to fight in that space. The proposals opened up heated discussions with some members wondering if KENIC was ceding its hard-won rights & control over the .KE namespace to an exclusive and single entity. The current governance structure for KENIC provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership over the whole .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, Private Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board Representation that is wholly accountable to Internet Users during Annual General Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes part of this mandate and places it under one or two of these Stakeholders that is the Regulator/Govt. Members wondered about the criteria that would be used by the Regulator to award the management licenses to various competitors. Others wondered about the potential conflict between the local legislation and the ICANN policies given that KENIC has currently been operating under ICANN policies but now has to take cognizance of the local law. For example, if the Regulator granted a license to someone else to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT the local internet community for one reason or the other instructed the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the delegation from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet other members wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would cannibalize their existing markets and services. It has taken five months of silence but clearly, the Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to understand and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT law that had previously been hijacked and labeled "Media law" at the expense of IT practitioners. It will be interesting to see how this plays out before and after the 2nd of June 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers must be licensed by the Regulator. walu

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Mechatronics/Mechanical internship
by henry kamabi 09 May '09

09 May '09

Hi people. I have been helping a friend get an attachment in the above field..i have tried my best but my success rate has so far been zero..reason,i don't know enough people who know people.. She is in JKUAT,taking Bsc.Mechatronic Engineering,now in her 4th year n requires that chance to proceed to her 5th year.. Am still holding on the fact that i know God who know people.. Now good people known by God,be blessed and help me out on this.. Your assistance will make a real Big difference. Best regards, henry kabogo +254721791608

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ISOC Kenya Chapter
by Phares Kariuki 09 May '09

09 May '09

Hi, Following a successful followup meeting on talking to government, it was suggested by Alex Gakuru that we should consider starting a Kenya Chapter of ISOC. Views on what Skunkworks members think of this initiative are welcomed. Thanks. -- With Regards, Phares Kariuki | T: +254 734 810 802 | E: pkariuki(a)gmail.com | Twitter: kaboro | Skype: kariukiphares |

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The digital company 2013
by J. N. Kimani 09 May '09

09 May '09

How technology will empower the customer http://www.nokiaforbusiness.com/Page%20Content/Mobilize%20your%20business/K… -- J. N. Kimani

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Too much technology
by Nick Wambugu 09 May '09

09 May '09

*Too* *much Technology ? * And this is the best one ÍŠ

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Insta-connect's 1mb local link to all its clients.
by Martin Muraguri 09 May '09

09 May '09

A friend of mine tells me that Instaconnect has given all its clients a 1mbps speed on all local links. sites hosted locally open amazingly fast... This is a great start and the future of Internet connectivity in Kenya is definitely bright. Check-out these speed test results! (Attached)

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Re: [Skunkworks] [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation
by John Walubengo 09 May '09

09 May '09

Alex - I am NOT against competition. It is good for the industry. The problem is how such competition is introduced. Yes, KENIC has had a monopoly over the .KE namespace, but at least it is(was?) a Multistakeholder Partnership in its legal formation. If this partnership was NOT exercised adequately for the benefit of the community it should be fixed rather than move the rights of the .KE namespace to with due respect -just one of the stakeholders (Govt/Regulator), however strong they are. The idea and law specifying that the regulator is ONLY going to regulate the 2nd level domain is to me mischievious /grey area and I shared the same feelings at the KENIC AGM. This is because the money/action/activities of ICT lie at the 2nd level! Claiming that the regulation is not touching the top level .KE but the lower level is similar to and I quote one of the members "telling a parent that you wont regulate him/her but his/her kids will be totally under 3rd party control". walu. --- On Fri, 5/8/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [ke-internetusers] Breaking News: Kenyan Internet Community comes face to face with new Legislation > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Cc: ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > Date: Friday, May 8, 2009, 10:55 PM > Walu, > > Thank you for the info although I find it bordering on > alarmist;) > > I deliberately boycotted today's Kenic AGM because, > among others, > kenic folks decided they will not post to this list minutes > of last > year's AGM resolutions, such as, constitutional change > made to allow > an a certain individual's term of office to be extended > beyond what > the constitution allowed. There are a couple of complaints > I > restrained myself from posting onlist. > > Background: > > During last year's AGM the said "Internet > Community" for the second > (or third?) year running repeatedly complained about > kenic's failure > to lower .ke domain prices as frustrating .ke domains > growth. > Registrars we later hurriedly called to a meeting at the > Grand Hotel > and we were asked to volunteer ourselves to a committee > that would > look into domain price issue. To the best of my knowledge > information > and belief no such meeting has ever been called, to-date. > > At today's 10,133 domain numbers statistics ( CO.KE 9, > 465 NE.KE 14, > OR.KE 654) > see:<http://www.kenic.or.ke/statistics.html> kenic > annual > domains selling income exceeds kenya shillings 20 million > every year - > while Internet consumers continue screaming "lower > domain prices!" to > seemingly deaf ears and half-hearted Kenyan domain space > (.ke) > administrator. > > They fail to see the bigger picture. By lowering domain > prices they > would have very many more being able to afford local > domain. > > Lets face it, shillings 20 million is not kidogo money > without > necessarily dwelling on the fact that many of their staff > are interns > ( Aren't permanent staff only 4?) I suppose Board > members do not draw > salaries? Again, really whom does the Kenic Board answer > to/ i.e.holds > them accountable? Only to themselves with ceremonial AGMs? > > The Law: > > Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 states: > > Section 83F: Licence for country code top-level domain > > "The Commission [CCK] may, upon application in the > prescribed manner > and subject to such conditions as it may deem necessary, > grant > licences under this section authorizing a person to > administer a > sub-domain in the country top-level domain" > > What's wrong with CCK granting licenses to, for example > 3 or 4 (legal) > persons to compete in offering the best-priced domains to > Kenyans > consumers? > > Conclusion: > > Kenic attracted the competition which perhaps might have > been avoided > if they had listened to the "Internet Community" > cries over the year. > I note that you refer to kenic as "partnership." > Licence conditions > could include all others be representative partnerships and > PPP > 'problem' solved;) What I am trying to say is that > kenic should not > be viewed as the only PPP model possible.. ICANN does not > break > national laws and in any case, note how many registries > exist in the > US itself. Our market has matured and we need competition > in the > domain space area also, Yes/No? > > My take is kenic's honeymoon ended when the law opened > domain pricing > competition space that should lower prices- good for > consumers but bad > for old kenic 'monopoly era' ;) > > In other words, we do not have a crisis so let us not make > one up. > > Regards, > > Alex > --- > References > 1. Boosting numbers in .ke domain names > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9451&Item…> > > 2. Kenyans to enjoy reduced charges for acquiring Internet > domains > <http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8270&Item…> > > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:12 PM, John Walubengo > <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > Apologies for cross-posting: > > > > It took a KENIC (KEnya Network Information Center, > www.kenic.or.ke) Annual General Meeting for the Kenyan > Internet community to digest the implication of the a Kenyan > ICT Legislation passed more than five months ago. The law > which included sections that touched on the Media, IT, > Telecommunication and Postal Services has faced stiff > resistance from the Media fraternity while the Internet > Community kept a low if not a dead profile. > > > > > > > > It was at the KENIC general meeting held today in > Nairobi that the Internet Community grappled with the > implication of the IT section on the operation of the .KE > namespace. The law specifies that all second level .KE > internet domain names must be licensed by the country's > converged Regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya. > The law requires that all Registries - those who manage > the internet domains - must apply for a license by the 2nd > of June 2009. > > > > > > > > KENIC, a public-private-partnership has under the > ICANN Policies been managing the .KE namespace including the > 2nd level sub-domains such as xyz.CO.KE, xyz.OR.KE, etc. > From 2nd June 2009, KENIC must seek permission from the > Regulator to continue managing these sub-domains. In an > effort to comply with the law, the KENIC Board requested the > community to support a resolution that a new legal entity > (Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV) be created in order to apply > for the license from the Regulator as well as compete with > other potential entities that are set to fight in that > space. > > > > > > > > The proposals opened up heated discussions with some > members wondering if KENIC was ceding its hard-won rights > & control over the .KE namespace to an exclusive and > single entity. The current governance structure for KENIC > provides for a Multistakeholder Partnership over the whole > .KE namespace and has the Govt, Academia, Private > Sector/Telcos and Civil Society Board Representation that is > wholly accountable to Internet Users during Annual General > Meetings. Effectively, the new law takes part of this > mandate and places it under one or two of these Stakeholders > that is the Regulator/Govt. > > > > > > > > Members wondered about the criteria that would be used > by the Regulator to award the management licenses to various > competitors. Others wondered about the potential conflict > between the local legislation and the ICANN policies given > that KENIC has currently been operating under ICANN policies > but now has to take cognizance of the local law. For > example, if the Regulator granted a license to someone else > to manage the "co.ke" subdomain BUT the local > internet community for one reason or the other instructed > the KENIC Board NOT to accept and transfer the delegation > from KENIC how would that be resolved? And yet other members > wondered to what extend the proposed SPV would cannibalize > their existing markets and services. > > > > > > > > It has taken five months of silence but clearly, the > Kenyan Internet community is just beginning to understand > and feel the heat of some sections in the ICT law that had > previously been hijacked and labeled "Media law" > at the expense of IT practitioners. It will be interesting > to see how this plays out before and after the 2nd of June > 2009 - the date when all subdomain managers must be licensed > by the Regulator. > > > > > > > > walu > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > ke-internetusers mailing list > > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >

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Government E-Blunder
by David Kiania | Asentric Consulting Ltd 08 May '09

08 May '09

Seriously am not Witch-hunting .... http://elimu.education.go.ke/ on the top page " <%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> <% Dim mString mString = Session("Found") if len(mString)=0 then mString="Type the Name of Officer or Room Number and Click Search" end if %> " <%=mString%> Courtesy of *ICT Unit, Ministry of Education* -- [Asentric Consulting Ltd] If a man has in himself the soul of a slave will he not become one no matter what his birth .... -Richest Man in Babylon

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