I was reading through the latest edition of the Computing Connections newsletter and couldn’t helped but be impressed by a number of developments in the ICT sector. Hard to believe that as recently as 2003, wi-fi and VOIP was illegal in Kenya.
Though there is still much progress to be made, the landscape (especially from the government and regulatory perspective) is VASTLY improved and demonstrates how much progress the country can make if we had the right people in policy/decision-making positions.
Some highlights from the report:
– So far this year, ten small business process operations have been launched in Kenya.
– Mobile operators will be required to contribute 1% of revenues to a Universal Access Communications Development Fund (which is apparently making them unhappy…I hope the government ignores them on this one and how about lowering tariffs?).
– Sammy Kirui, who was fired from the CCK amidst wide protests, is doing a good job at Telkom Kenya and pushing aggressively into the wireless/cdma space. I admit I was one of those people who very very sceptical about Kirui’s move and about Waweru’s move to the CCK, but it seems to have worked out.
– There are plans to revive the former KPTC telephone assembly plant and use it to manufacture mobile phones, low-costs computers etc.
– In a case over the issuance of a competing gateway license, the Communications tribunal ruled that “the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) was to ignore any policy guidelines of a specific nature coming from the Ministry as the [Communications] Act was clear that CCK was to give “due regard to policy guidelines of a general natureâ€. This means that CCK’s independence as a regulator has been reemphasized and underlined.” This is HUGE. Most regulatory bodies in Africa suffer from a lack of independence due to constant interference from the government, ICASA is South Africa is a good case in point.
– KDN’s plans for a national fibre network are full-steam ahead.
