Day before yesterday, I talked with a US based Data Center
(DC) engineer and realized even more why Government must take the lead on ICT Park
Investment / Development. This particular engineer mentioned their DC is housed in a USD 60 Million (KShs 4.6B) Bullet Proof and
Earthquake Resistant Premises. This is just the DC Premises not their DC Equipment. The engines of their Generators are the size of large (possibly 18 wheeler) trucks. These not so cheap Generators can run their DC for up to 2 weeks before needing to be re-fuelled again. They are charged like 1 million dollars for 1 hour of down time. If 1/3 of their State economy relies on this particular DC (as is the case) for electronic transaction integrity &amp; resilience this is quite understandable.<br>
<br>At PS Ndemo&#39;s recent (Jan 21, 2010) briefing (of KICTANET) about the Mailil ICT Park, Brian Longwe stated that a Mega DC uses more power than is available for all of Downtown Nairobi = the CBD. The same was mentioned by the US Based DC engineer even before I got the chance to ask him. Mailili will have a dam (and hopefully other energy sources) to generate enough power for such DC&#39;s to be located in it. <br>
<br>8 per cent of the park will be reserved for / should
be utilized by software developers / for software development. Most of the space will probably be taken up by BPO  / Call Centers.<br><br>Anyways, there was much said including why the IFC is being used to get this ICT Park (feasibility study &amp; other things) done. We locals had better learn how to privately finance &amp; do these parks for ourselves ASAP. It is like how the first banks in Kenya were done and run by colonials (= foreigners who do consider us worth associating with as equals or capable of learning) until local bankers learned how to be more relevant within our socio-economic context. If only Foreign Private Investors finance &amp; build ICT Parks, we (Kenyans) will NOT be included in the planning &amp; design of these parks. Even if we are offered ownership (shares) in some ICT Parks as some Foreign Investors will do to (rightfully) exit with good Returns on their Investments, we will still require foreigners (likely to paid more than locals would be) to manage our ICT Parks for us if the GoK / MoIC does not involve us now.<br>
<br>Foreigners should remain here to make sure their Data (Centers) are secure on Kenyan soil not to manage our ICT Parks. Is the GoK not strategically obliged to involve us locals in spreading the same all over Kenya as part of Vision 2030?<br>
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