ICT in Kenya: where are we now

1
ICT in Kenya where are we now?

• Mike Eldon
• Chairman
• Kenya ICT Federation

2
A year ago KIFs first convention

• How ICT is being used around the economic and
  social sectors
  
• The human factor
• Policy and strategy context
• Participation by civil society, research and
  academic institutions, private sector, government
  and development partners

3
Genesis of this convention

• KIFs annual review event
• Renewal of KIF-AITEC partnership
• Response to Draft ICT Policy
• Context of vision and strategy
• Bringing together the KICTANET consortium
• so as to get ready
• for the final ICT Policy
• Well done all!

4
Industry bodiesconfusion or evolution?

• Tower of Babel?
• APC, ARIN, NICE, CFSK, ISACA, CSK, ITSA, KIS,
  IEEE, KIF, KICTANET, TESPOK, KENET, KENIC, ATPS,
  G-ICT, AITEC,
  
• and , and, and
• Or towers of strength synergy?
• Its up to us!

5
Where we are today the pluses

• New Information Communications Ministry, with
  knowledgeable leaders
  
• National ICT policy draft released
• (adequate general expression at last)
• e-Government strategy adopted
• Commissioning of GITIM
• Return of Juma Okech

6
More pluses

• Major movement on ICT liberalisation
• (well done, CCK!) including
• ending of Telkom monopoly,
• appointment of strategic consultants
• VSAT, VoIP, Internet backbone opened up
• Consequential explosion of activity (well done,
  private sector)
  
• Ministry of Lands GIS System
• ICT Trust Fund launched Computers for Schools
  NICE (with GoK and private sector support)
  

7
Final pluses

• Vibrant Kenya ICT Federation, within KEPSA
• More dialogue between government, private sector,
  civil society and research/academic institutions
  (with KIF a major mover)
  
• Kenyas gradual integration into WSIS and
  regional ICT initiatives

8
Where we are the minuses

• Still no ICT policy or strategy
• No e-legislation
• SNO Third Mobile Operator pending
• (Go-ahead for Econet?)
• Slow ICT infrastructure development
• Telkom future undecided
• No submarine cable

9
More minuses

• The Anglo-Leasing sagas and their consequences
  timid procurement shy vendors.
  
• Bad for PPPs
• E-Government strategy top-down, Nairobi based
  
  
• Slow e-Government implementation
• including IFMIS poor project management
• Government dialogue with private sector still not
  in high gearawaiting the SWG
  
• Pre-budget public hearings ICT hidden in
  Physical Infrastructure
  
• e-education 4b budget reallocated

10
Breaking news

• What on earth is going on
• at CCK?

11
Kenyas ICT policy the ERS what we need

• Context of long term vision priorities
• (ICT overall)
• Alignment with
• ERS by user sector, as an ICT sector, and
  overall
  
• MDGs and aid objectives
• international formats (UNECA, UNDP, COMESA)
• Resource support (MTEF and Budget)
• Clear goals, CSFs, measures (balanced scorecards)
  and time-bound commitments
  
• Highest level champions

12
Next steps

• Build capacity of leaders, to transform them into
  
  
• e-leaders (e-Champions) like Kagame in Rwanda
• Develop sector ICT visions and strategies,
• to support overall sector visions and
  strategies
  
• Align with ERS, MDGs
• Launch ICT Sector Working Group with
• private sector
• Move from policy to strategy
• with SMART objectives
• Focus on performance management
• (which includes performance contracts and ME)
  
  

13
More steps in the budget

• Zero rate all ICT equipment
• (like Ug, Tz, Rw, and as WTO will require by
  2008))
  
• Give tax write offs for donation of
• used ICT products
• Provide incentives for otherwise non-commercial
  investment eg rural infrastructure, e-education,
  e-health
  
• Commit ICT budget
• (Rwanda dedicates 2.5 of National Budget
• to ICT)
• Include budget for strategy development

14
Other steps

• Implement e-government through PPPs
• Encourage training education institutions to
  reach out to the private sector, motivating them
  to enrich their work
  
• Media and Civil Society to continue advocating
  good usage of ICT and publicising success
  stories
  

15
What has KIF been up to?

• Active participant in Long Term ICT Visioning,
  and in ICT Policy book
  
• (Thanks, IDRC, and others)
• National spread through Power Up with ICT
  campaign book (Thanks, Microsoft)
  
• ICT mainstreamed in private sector, through
  KEPSA
  
• Driving establishment of ICT Sector Working
  Group
  
• Consistent advocacy on regional, national and
  sector ICT policies strategies (Thanks, Intel)
  
  

16
KIFs relationships

• Development of strong relationships with member
  associations, like TESPOK, ITSA, ISACA, IEEE,
  KENIC, KISE, CCOAK, Office Equipment
  
• Incubation of associations for
• e-commerce
• ICT exports
• Multinationals
• Partnering with KIPPRA, IPAR, IEA, UoN, JKUAT,
  ATPS, APC, ARIN, NICE, G-ICT, AITEC and
  KICTANET
  
• Partnering with EA neighbours

17
plus

• Resource mobilisation (Its tough! Challenge to
  get more support from industry players. Common
  issues.)
  
• Support for
• JKUAT ICT incubator
• ICT for schools, youth and communities

18
KIFs position in the advocacy hierarchy

• KEPSA
• KIF
• Associations
• Organisations

19
Bottom line

• For government
• Take more win-win advantage of available energy
  in
  
• private sector, civil society, research and
  academia
  
• Bite the bullet on incentives
• For private sector
• Support sector associations, so they can better
  advocate for/with you on common issues
  
• For all
• Align ICT policy/strategy with ERS/MDG
• Move to implementation

20
Final Reflections

• The ability to maximise use of information is
  now the single most important factor in deciding
  the competitiveness of nations
  
• Nelson Mandela
• It can be no accident that there is today no
  wealthy developed country that is information
  poor.and for that matter no information rich
  country that is poor and underdeveloped
• Mahathir Mohammed,
• Former Malaysian Prime Minister