Message-ID: <4s945v$k03@falcon.ccs.uwo.ca> Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 21:24:15 GMT From: Matunda Nyanchama <mailto:matunda@CSD.UWO.CA> Subject: Computek Vol 3 No 2 (fwd) To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
COMPUTEK News: kaACT Computing Technology Quarterly
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A Publication of the Kenya Association for the Advancement of
Computing Technology(KaACT). Copyright (c) 1996. All rights
reserved. ISSN 1088-124X
COMPUTEK Volume 3 Number 2 June 1996
C O N T E N T S
Page
A Word from the Editors ................................ 1
The Opening Speech of AFRALTI Seminar : The Internet and Its
Impact on Telecommunication Administrations in The Region
By Mr. J. K. Mutai Managing Director KPTC ............. 2
Speech By The Director of AFRALTI at The Opening of The
Seminar On "The Internet-And Its Impact on Telecommunication
Administrations in Africa" ............................. 3
The Kenyan IT Training Scene: Some Observations
by Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, Nsemia Information Technologies Ltd.
P. O. Box 62423, Nairobi, Kenya, Telefax: 254-2-242479
{nsemia,mailto:nsemia_it}@africaonline.co.ke, matunda@csd.uwo.ca .. 4
N E W S
Developments in the Kenyan IT Scene.......................... 5
C O N F E R E N C E S & C A L L F O R P A P E R S
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE: IDENTITY, PLURALITY AND EQUALITY.... 6
Computek: Call for papers and
submission guidelines ............................ 7
<Page 1>
A Word from the Editors
The Internet continues to be the subject of many a discussion forum. Themes
range from how this network can be harnessed for development to what impact
it would have socially as well as to the role of various agencies, government
an otherwise, should play in tapping the benefits of this global resource.
In the industrialised countries, the Internet has become pervasive and talk
centres around the theme of Internet commerce. Of interest here is how to
ensure viable commercial transactions over this global net. In so called
developing countries, however, the themes are different as this phenomenon
has yet to become commonplace.
AFRALTI was the venue of a recent seminar that addressed itself to the
Net's impact on telecommunications. This issue carries opening speeches
from two key note speakers: the Managing Director of the giant Kenya
Posts and Telecommunications Corporation as well as the Director of
AFRALTI. In forthcoming issues we hope to carry papers presented and
discussed at the seminar.
We also include a thought-provoking article on the issue of computer training
in Kenya. The writer, himself a trainer IT businessman, makes observations on
what is
happening on the ground and suggests ways in which to proceed to ensure that
the public gets it worth in the chaotic industry that Information Technology
is in this country. Salient issues include the need for guidelines on IT
training as well as popularisation of the same. The author suggests that
rather than have an administrative body to oversee the adherence to these
guidelines, let market forces be the determinant. Popularisation of guidelines
will greatly enhance the public's ability to make informed choices.
----------------------------------------
<Page 2>
The Opening Speech of AFRALTI Seminar : The Internet and Its Impact on
Telecommunication Administrations in The Region
By Mr. J. K. Mutai
Managing Director
KPTC
The Director AFRALTI, Distinguished Guests, Resource Persons, Seminar
Participants, Colleagues, Ladies and
Gentlemen.
It is indeed a privilege for me to be with you today at the opening of this
Seminar. May I take this earliest
opportunity to welcome Seminar participants and others who have come from
outside Kenya to Nairobi.
The participation by a total of eight (8) countries in this Seminar is no doubt
a confirmation of the importance
our Administrations give to development of Human Resource. This is more so,
given that the topics to be
covered at this Seminar cover some of the crucial issues in the
telecommunications arena.
Our telecommunications Administrations are expected to manage change for the
better and also survive as
business entities in a world of increasing competition. In this regard, the
Administrations in African countries
must pay attention to the developments in other parts of the world so as to be
able to adapt as appropriate.
Furthermore, as most of you are probably aware, one of the networks much talked
about in the developed world
is the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) which is based on highly
developed technological infrastructure.
This phenomena is already pushing for alliances among Telecommunication
Administrations. For example,
Deutsche Telekom, France Telekom and US Sprint have begun marketing
international services under their new
Global One Venture which emphasises an extensive INTERNET backbone.
Through the use of gateways and routes, I am informed the Global One Partners
have been able to have
dedicated access to an INTERNET protocol backbone that covers over 22 countries
around the world from
South Africa to Jordan, Hong Kong to France and the Americas. In addition, AT&T
and Lotus Development
Corporation (which has been acquired by IBM), have formed an alliance to
develop Groupware and INTERNET
products.
I am also informed that sometime next year, MCI is planning to set up marketing
alliances with other phone and
technology companies, to provide managed services such as Secure Web hosting,
Voice Messaging and
Networked Applications. All these are but a few examples of alliances being
formed, without particular regard
to Africa. This scenario is a pointer that Administrations/Operators are hoping
to be wholesalers for
INTERNET Protocol Bandwidth plying connectivity to regional and local retailers
and users. The objective is to
generate cash per bits per second through traffic plying over their connected
networks.
Ladies and Gentlemen, another aspect African Administrations need to seriously
consider is the effect of the
planned US Communications Act of 1996 which will remove regulatory divisions
between local and long
distance service, telephony and cable television. As a result, competition and
consolidation among companies
in all three sectors is expected to take root and this will no doubt have an
impact on African Administrations. In
this regard, this has already been manifested at the World Trade Organisation
negotiations on opening basic
telecommunications services to competition.
Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is, where do African
Administrations fit in all the foregoing
scenarios?. One thing, is for certain, that is as operators, we have to work
more closely and apply all the
available technology resources within their grasp in order to survive in the
new telecommunications order.
However, we need to be conscious that this is to be done in a world composed of
giant operators, who not
only have the necessary capital and infrastructure but technical know-how. To
this end, one such tool for
Africa, is the INTERNET, and that is why this Seminar has been organised.
Ladies and Gentlemen, unlike the U.S., the INTERNET in Africa has no
independent INTERNET protocol
backbone. This means that for the network to succeed in Africa, our
Administrations have to find novel ways
to be involved. Whether an independent INTERNET network backbone is built from
"scratch" will depend
largely on the regulatory policies of the individual countries and the amount
of extensive capital required.
However, the latter is usually avoided due to the extended pay-back time
required to break-even on such an
investment. Hence the bottom line is for Telecommunication Administrations to
be involved as significant
players on INTERNET.
Nevertheless, depending on which group one belongs, there are those who
maintain that Administrations
should stick to providing access and not content (i.e. the INTERNET service
providers) and, the other group
which maintains that operators should provide some form of content, otherwise,
the INTERNET will erode their
revenue streams and pricing structure (where there is no monopoly). However,
whatever group one belongs,
the INTERNET is still an important aspect that cannot be avoided.
Ladies and Gentlemen, while the giant operators are forming alliances in order
to generate more profits, African
operators should start looking for value added services to boost revenue
streams in order to reconfigure and
strengthen their existing fragile networks. The INTERNET as a value added
service has the potential to provide
some revenue, mainly through:
Direct selling or marketing of telecoms products and services;
Selling advertising space;
Fees for content at a web site;
Selling advertising space;
Fees for on-line transactions or links.
The foregoing not withstanding, it should also be noted that the INTERNET has
capabilities for many other
services such as access to information used in research, banking, telemedicine
and telematics to name a few. It
is also a vehicle for distant learning and also allows for the creation of
virtual training centres. We are
optimistic that this seminar will delve into these issues in order to assist
our Administrations with the best
alternatives/implementations to adopt. We believe our Administrations can play
a crucial role since the prime
objective of all of us is the economic, social and political development of our
respective nations.
Furthermore, besides the above, there are other issues concerning INTERNET
which will have to be addressed
at the appropriate time. These touch on regulatory and policy issues which
depend on individual Government's
outlook on telecommunications and the flow of information. However, no matter
which policies we adopt, it is
important that we put to good use the information we get over the INTERNET.
In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen there will be need to reach an amicable
understanding between
INTERNET service providers and the telecomms operators. Hopefully this seminar
will provide some input in
that direction.
May I at this juncture appeal to all the participants to apply the knowledge
they will acquire from this seminar
to enable our respective Administrations make sound decisions. May I also take
this opportunity to thank all
the resource persons and other parties involved in organising this seminar for
their respective inputs.
With these remarks it is now my pleasant duty to declare the seminar on the
INTERNET and its impact on
telecommunication Administrations in the region officially opened.
Thank You.
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<Page 3>
Speech By The Director of AFRALTI at The Opening of The Seminar
On "The Internet-And Its Impact on Telecommunication Administrations in
Africa"
6th to 8th May, 1996 NAIROBI, KENYA
Distinguished Guests, Seminar Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure teat I welcome you all to Kenya and to the opening
of our Seminar, "The Internet and
its impact on Telecommunication Administrations". We believe such a Seminar
has been long overdue, and it is
one way in which the African Advanced Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI)
is playing a role in the
advancement and understanding of the technologies in the region.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in its World Development
Report refers to the principle of
"the right of connection between countries, between networks and between
individual users, under the slogan,
"one world, one network" . I am sure all of us have heard of the Internet.
Whatever conception you all have
about the Internet, this Seminar will remove the myths surrounding the
Internet as to its complexity, and how it
can be used for greater productivity.
To a great extent, many Telecommunication Administrations have not had a firm
policy on the Internet. On the
one hand, the Internet is phenomena which is looked upon by the
Administrations as a competing entity, while,
on the other hand, the Internet is looked upon as a system which could be
used
to further the productivity of
the Administrations. In either case, the Internet is still not understood
well, how it operates and what avenues
could be used to better utilise its resources, is part of the subject of this
Seminar.
On top of that, the lingering question is, "Should the Telecoms
Administrations embrace the Internet or keep it
at arms length? This forum is not one to look at the political manifestation
of whether to embrace or not to
embrace the Internet. It is a forum whereby, the technical aspects of the
Internet will be highlighted, and tee
advantages and disadvantages of the Internet, and some of the issues to be
aware of.
In two decades since the founding of the Internet - a computer networking
effort launched by the Department
of Defense and the National Science Foundation of the US - the Global network
has changed the
communications paradigm among the researchers, educators and other users
around the world. Today, the
Internet is a vast global conglomeration of computer networks attainable in
more than 90 countries around the
world. It provides millions of users with cheap access to electronic mail,
discussion forums, computational
resources, information on databases, and multimedia information and banks.
On this Internet bandwagon, some of the big giants of the Telecommunication
business, have seen fit to also
be involved in the Internet field, as International Internet Service
Providers. The names include AT&,T, British
Telecommunications PLC, Sprint, Transpac S.A. - a subsidiary of France
Telecom, Deutsche Telecom AG and
German PTT. Meanwhile, there is now the Global Information Infrastructure
(GII) which is being enhanced .
Unfortunately, Africa is on the fringes of these developments of GII and we
have to "run while the rest of the
world walks".
The National Research Council of the US recently did a study which stated
that
a there is a new age upon us in
which, "a seamless web of inter-connected and inter-operable networks will
embrace virtually all modes of
information generation, transport and use...One vision of tomorrow s
networking derives from the experience
with the Internet."
Some see the Global Information Infrastructure as being driven by the
entertainment, telephone and cable
television networks. For Africa, it is expected the majority of this will
probably be implemented in conjunction
with the Telecommunication Administrations, who already have a network in
place, fragile as it may be.
Currently, the Internet and other computer networks do play a role in Africa,
despite their less sophisticated
information infrastructure. Such networks are widely used in many areas of
public health and tropical disease
control, environmental issues, social concerns, to name a few.
The above then implies that the Internet is one device which can be used to
keep abreast of the changes in the
rest of tee world. This innovation in technology almost certainly guarantees
that many new technological
options will continue to be generated from different sources and make their
appearance throughout the
Internet. The computer industry, along with many vendors of computer related
equipment, from hardware to
software, the multimedia industry and the Telecommunication Industry, all
will
play a role in determining the
evolvement and utility of this segment of the Internet.
Thus, there is no single entity that can possibly be in charge of the overall
Internet in the region. A key to the
success of the Internet in the region, is to ensure that interested parties
have a fair and equitable way of
participating in its evolution in the region. For the Telecommunication
Administrations to achieve this, they
must have an understanding of the Internet, and that is the reason for this
Seminar.
Last but not least, the Internet has allowed Inter-active learning and
Distance learning. The International
Telecommunications Union has used the Internet for its virtual Training
Centre
(VTC). VTC has been able to
provide thousands of documentation on all aspects of ITU, including other
resources like, Training manuals in
Telecommunications. As an example, in the set of papers, you will have
received an overview of the World
Telecommunication Development Report of 1995, which was downloaded from ITU
though the Internet.
I must point out that, we are currently in a world whereby Information and
Communication technologies are
changing the way we work study, do research and educate ourselves. New
options
are being offered to us in
the field of health, education, environmental protection, culture, and
business. We see the Internet as one of
the primary vehicles allowing for the integration of all the above, and it
behoves us to know more about it.
In conclusion, I cannot end without saying a few words about AFRALTI. For
those who are not aware, the
African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute's mission is to assist
Telecommunication
Administrations in the region to develop further Human Resources in the realm
of Telecommunications
Network; Operations, Management (both Business and Financial) and Information
Technology. AFRALTI's
strategy is to provide training, consultancy and some R&D for the above
mentioned disciplines. Just like other
Institutions, AFRALTI has gone through a process of re-engineering in order
to
be able to offer a larger variety
of high quality services geared towards the client (who is at the nucleus).
This management of change, is based
on a "customer oriented" philosophy, and a result of such an approach, is
this
Seminar.
As you visit places in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya, I invite you to
spend
some time at AFRALTI, and find
out what else the institute can offer you and/or your Organisations. AFRALTI
should be able to assist you to
also manage change for greater efficiency and higher productivity.
I thank you for coming, I wish you a pleasant stay and a productive Seminar.
Thank You!
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<Page 4>
The Kenyan IT Training Scene: Some Observations
Matunda Nyanchama, PhD
Nsemia Information Technologies Ltd.
P. O. Box 62423, Nairobi, Kenya
Telefax: 254-2-242479
e-mail: mailto:nsemia_it@africaonline.co.ke,
mailto:nsemia@africaonline.co.ke,
mailto:matunda@csd.uwo.ca
Copyright 1996 Matunda Nyanchama
Preamble
Information Technology (IT) is becoming a catch word and part of
the common vocabulary in the local market. A perusal of local papers
reveals trends that are taking root in Kenya. Job advertisements,
quite often ask for qualifications that include computing
skills. It does not matter whether a position is managerial,
accounting, purchasing, engineering, etc. Computers, a major
component of the IT arena, form a common thread.
These trends are similar to those in developed countries where
governments and companies, apart from focusing on downsizing and
restructuring, talk about retraining, especially in computing
skills. Retraining is targeted at workers with few or no skills
in IT. Its purpose is to equip workers with capabilities and
skills to enable them can face the challenges in the fast-paced
IT-dominated market place. This is the so called high-tech market
in which computing and telecommunications, the two key components
IT, play leading roles.
Computing has become almost pervasive in business and other
sectors mainly because of the advent and adoption of the desk top
personal computer, popularly known as the PC. Invented in the
seventies and actualized in the eighties, the PC packages computing
power onto a small desk top. It has been said that the famous
IBM XT has as much power as the computers that took the Apollo to
the moon! The PC has come a long way since its invention. In particular,
PC products are becoming more and more powerful with
time. It is estimated that processing power doubles every 18
months! (Others say that this trend may peak soon.)
The PC has enabled small companies and individuals to afford and
hence have access to computing power which they would not afford
otherwise afford in the past. Moreover, the general purpose nature
of this gadget has ensured its continued penetration of the
market. The invention and popularisation of networking has added
value to PCS and brought down the cost of computing power. No
longer must one own a mini computer to realize a certain level of
computing. Moreover, the flexible nature of networks, which facilitates
incremental growth, has ensured the continued use of
the PC.
While IT has not become as dominant in Kenya as in industrialised
countries, it is steadily, albeit slowly, taking root. Indeed,
with the globalization of the world economy, no country can afford to
miss this trend if it ever hopes to be competitive on the
world stage. The IT tide, some call it a revolution in the same
scale as that brought by the automobile, is surely sweeping
along everyone, even those that would wish to remain on the IT
river bank.
The Focus of Kenyan IT Training
While in industrialised countries much of the activity is centred
on retraining, the reverse is true in Kenya. Much of the training
here focuses on basic IT literacy with the core beneficiaries being
potentially fresh entrants in the job market. And while there
is much retraining going on in many companies and government
institutions, basic training for workers entering the market
predominates. Private computer training colleges form the core of
such efforts.
There are a number of such training colleges in the country. In
the past, government institutions have played a leading role in
this aspect. Thus we had the popular Diploma in Computer Science
from the University of Nairobi while government-financed/run polytechnics
have also been central to this activity. Today, almost
all universities, polytechnics and colleges of technology offer
computer training in some form or another.
This notwithstanding, recent trends indicate that the private
sector is taking a lead in this direction. At the moment, there
may well be several times more people studying at private
colleges than there are in public institutions. These private
colleges have evolved to occupy a major void that cannot otherwise
be filled by public alone. As demand for computer-literate
personnel keeps growing, these colleges will remain key players in
the local IT market.
At the moment, many of these private colleges offer basic computer
literacy courses mainly on the Microsoft Disk Operating System
(MS-DOS)/Windows and IBM compatible platforms. Along with these
basics, a number of the schools teach application packages as
WordPerfect for word processing, dBASE for database management,
Lotus-123/Quattro Pro for spreadsheets, etc. Some offer special-
ized applications in accounting, inventory management, etc. Few
teach programming languages (like Pascal, COBOL, Basic, etc.) and
software development.
Graduates from many of these institutions receive internal certificates
indicating material covered while some, in a limited
number of colleges sit for external examinations such as those of
the Association of Computing Professionals (ACP) and the IDPM of
the UK. At the moment, there exists no national body offering a
widely accepted/recognized national examination.
The Need for Training Standards
A number of people have expressed concerns about the
unregulated/unguided nature of IT training in Kenya. Fingers are
often pointed at the training colleges. It has been said that
many of them are, as a matter of priority, in the business of
making and hence care less about the nature of their products. It
is said that a number of them are ill-placed to run such training
be that in terms of personnel and equipment. Moreover, given
there is no national examination, many of them do not know what
kind of graduates they are producing. For employers, this must be
something to worry about.
In general, a number of these commercial training institutions
offer programmes like secretarial, typing, shorthand and the
like. For many of these, the need for word processing
knowledgeable secretaries had led to the inclusion of basic computer
literary courses in their menu. Others offer accounting and
the need for computer-literate accounting personnel led them to
incorporate computing courses. There are a few started with the
basic aim of offering computer training. My own company, Nsemia
Information Technologies Ltd., is one such college. Among other
things, it aims at training personnel in computing to a degree
that would assure high quality and to ensure trainees become comfortable
with the technology. (The company does more that training including
offering hardware services, software development
and consulting, among other things. However, since the focus of
this article is training, we do not get into these areas.)
There are a number issues one can take up with the way computing
colleges come into being. More can be said about the manner in
which they carry their stock of trade.
Today, anyone with any little exposure to computing, albeit with
some money to afford a few PCs, can open shop and advertise
computer training. They then proceed to produce trained personnel.
Whether these trainees are getting their money's worth is something
the Kenyan market should worry about.
Other worries include the calibre and hence quality of teaching
personnel in some of these institutions. While a number are doing
a good job to ensure properly qualified personnel handle the
students, there are some colleges where the quality of staff should
be a concern for the public and potential employers. The Kenyan
consumer remains fairly unsophisticated with respect to choosing
a proper training college. It is doubtful whether many are making
objective choices. It will take a while before such sophistication is
attained.
There is more. A number of schools are ill-equipped for training
given they have insufficient facilities. For example, in a number
of schools, one can find as many as five trainees crammed around
one machine. It is doubtful whether they gain much given that
effective teaching of computing skills requires a major hands on
exposure.
Trainers, trainees and everyone else must be concerned if we ever
hope to improve the quality of personnel in this sector. It is
disappointing to see the kind of graduates coming out of some of
these institutions. Consider the case of this lady who came looking
for a job and claimed to have done word processing but has no
sufficient courage to switch a machine on! She knew neither to
format a diskette in MS-DOS nor could she move files around from
a diskette to another! Yet she is said to have passed with
distinction in her leaving certificate! She had even trained in one
of the more famous colleges in the city. Colleges should be wary
of their long term reputation if they hope to survive in the
market. Proper training will weed out the best from the rest.
Some people have argued that the marketplace will weed out the
quacks leaving the meritorious ones to stand, the so called
survival of the fittest. This is a fact of life that cannot be
denied. However, this will happen over a long haul of waiting. In
the meantime, a number of such mistrained personnel stand to pay
very dearly for this flaw. A number of companies would have paid
the price either through retraining or costly shoddy jobs. On
the overall, the economy stands to pay dearly should the trend
continue.
There is a way to speed up the attainment of standards. Through
core guidelines, we could get a sense of standards and
expectations from graduates of these colleges. Stipulated directions
could, to a great extent local IT training standards while
helping employers evaluate the kind of personnel that seek jobs with
them.
There is a national IT training standards committee that seeks
such basic guidelines. The body proposes basic staffing standards
for colleges, the scope and depth of content for particular
courses, examination guidelines for various qualifications, etc.
It is hoped that with such guidelines, there would be created a
national IT examinations body similar to the Kenya Accountants
and Secretaries National Examination Board, KASNEB.
Alternatively, they would persuade the Kenyan Examinations
Council to offer such examinations. How far this body would be
acceptable, is not clear. What is clear is that the guidelines they
propose are reasonable.
We must distinguish between guidelines and control. The former is
advisory while the latter imposes (say) government-mandated con-
trols. Clearly, control is not the way to go given the liberalization of
key sector of the economy. regulation Excessive regulation and control
is likely to stifle creativity, impose unnecessary and costly bureaucratic
controls. This would generally slow development and reduce the vibrancy
that is so necessary for growth.
Guidelines will allow both trainers and employers to have some
kind of standard expectations from graduates of certain calibre.
Just as we talk of KCE qualification so also shall we know what
it means to be competent in word processing for a computing
college graduate.
Issues of Hardware Maintenance
Standards aside, the local IT scene also faces a number of problems,
especially with respect to equipment maintenance. It has
been suggested elsewhere that could all maintainable equipment in
the African region be made functional, it could alleviate up to
30% or so of equipment needs and hence reduce the region's import
bill.
There are a number of companies that carry out technical repairs.
Like many IT training colleges, many of these are ill-equipped to
undertake their services effectively. There is more. Repairs
charges, in this country, tend to be exorbitant. Indeed, the cost
at times cannot justify the job and hence one might opt for new
equipment. Coupled with the low computer literacy levels in the
country the situation is worsened.
A challenge to trainers is to venture into hardware maintenance
training. There is a major shortage of such people in the
industry. It is said that there are tons of machines in (especially)
government establishments and corporations that would be
functional with minor repairs. Lack of maintenance personnel seems
like a very costly business.
Other General Concerns
There are other concerns of a general nature that IT trainers
face like any other business people. These include infrastructure:
roads, power supply (especially its reliability), water supply, etc.
Electricity blackouts are a common occurrence in Nairobi and
trainers have not been spared this inconvenience.
Like others businesses trainers face the daily vagaries of
mismanagement of the local authorities. The pot-holed roads,
uncollected garbage, irregular water supply and the like hamper the
business effectiveness of many trainers. Poorly planned and
mismanaged parking spaces in towns is a major handicap for many a
business. At some times during the day, some places are simply
impassable mainly because of traffic congestion. Yes, congestion
caused due to misplanned traffic flows.
Other problems include the cost of equipment. Computers in this
country are still too expensive and hence out of reach of most
people. The situation is exacerbated by fluctuating exchange
rates. When the shilling drops Kshs 8 against the US dollar, the
Kenyan buyer's price goes up by (say) Kshs 8,000.00 for U$1,000
worth of imports. Kshs8,000.00 is the equivalent of a monthly
salary for fresh university graduates!
And there is more: the interest rates. At close to 30% annual
rate, one can only guess that We have alluded to the
unsophisticated IT consumer in the country.
The cost of telecommunication services as well as the general
inefficiency of the sector is yet another a handicap to business
in Kenya. This country has one of the highest telecommunication
tariffs in the world. For example, a three-minute international
call costs U$4.00 while in other countries this could be as low
as U$0.90cts.
Way Forward
The issue of networking was alluded to earlier. Advantages of
networking include resource-sharing and increased computing
power, especially if distributed computing is used. Networking
forms a key area that trainers should focus on. The country badly
needs people with skills in networking including set up,
configuration and management. My hunch is that we have not seen much
installed networking because companies are not sure they can get
qualified personnel to man them.
In the rest of the world the hype is about the Internet and its
potential for business. If companies hope to utilize this world-wide
tool to reach others of similar concerns, they need a
networking base that would form the basic infrastructure for the
entrenchment of the Internet. Trainers have the challenge of
producing qualified personnel to run such a tool.
----------------------------------------------------
<Page 5>
N E W S
The Kenyan IT scene is poised for major changes as a number of activities
testify. In a space of a two months three Internet Providers launched their
services.
First was the AfricanOnline which has started offering full Internet
connectivity both in Nairobi and Mombasa. Africaonline is owned and run
by a team of KaACT members and past officials of the association.
Then came the Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation's KenStream.
Though not an Internet Service Provider currently, it offers IS pipes to
link to the Internet. Word has it that the organization will start its own ISP
service soon.
Third came Form-Net a Nairobi based firm that launched its own ISP,
after months of planning and promises, with pomp and inaugrated by the
Minister for Finance, Musalia Mudavadi.
The Telecommunications and Broadcasting sectors are also on the verge
of major changes. The giant and often mismanaged Kenya Posts and
Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC), according to the Minister for Transport
and Communications, will be split into three entities. There will be a
Posts Company to deal with postal matters. Telecommunications services
will be the recluse of yet another company while the regulatory services
will be the domain of a new regulatory body similar to the USA's
FCC or Canada's CRTC. And while the government will control the last
of the three bodies, the first two will offer a public share issue to
encourage private investment in the companies. They are expected to be
traded in the Nairobi Stock Exchange. These changes will only be
effected after appropriate action by parliament through passage of
corresponding acts.
Other notable changes in Telecommunications include liberalization of
the sector where private individuals and companies now compete, albeit
to only a degree, with the KPTC. Today there are a number of such firms
and individuals with the major activity centred on subscriber equipment
vending and installation as well as subscriber premises pre-wiring. The
KPTC also allows telephone bureaus run privately where the public can
make phone calls at a fee. These developments have brought a semblance
of a vibrant sector in the making and facilitated access to the public.
For example, in the past the public coin telephone boxes were a major
frustration as they often lay out of order. The situation was exacerbated
with the introduction of new coins and change of the booths to use the
new currency. However, the changes may have been pre-mature as the
central bank doesn't seem to have released enough of these coins to go
around. In the process, private telephone bureau operators have become
a refuge for a frustrated public.
In broadcasting the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation launched the first-ever
24-hour FM station in the country. Metro FM, as the station calls itself
will offer news and entertainment round the clock.
Magnet Media of Arap Too (vice-chair of Lohnro East Africa) is also
expected to go on air soon with its own Capital FM station.
It is said that there are a number of broadcasters waiting for licenses
even as the government seems slow and discriminatory in its licensing
procedures.
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<Page 6>
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE: IDENTITY, PLURALITY AND EQUALITY
Communication and Culture are two key words encompassing the broad
span of work conducted in various fields of contemporary
communications research. Although inherently open and unbinding,
these two notions, at the same time, engender very specific issues
for academic discourse such as questions of identity, equality, and
sovereignty. Technological innovations and continuing
restructuring of international order present new set of challenges
for those of us who conduct research and analyze and recommend
policy actions in ever enlarging areas of communication studies.
The Korean Broadcasting Academic Society in cooperation with the
Steering Committee of the MacBride Round Table will organize the
8th annual meeting of the Round Table in Seoul, on August 24-27,
1996. The theme of the meeting is: COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE:
Identity, Plurality and Equality.
Topics to be covered will include, but not be restricted to:
- The right to communication in an increasingly commercial world
- Communication and the globalization of cultural identity
- The clash of communities and markets: The role of communication
- Ethnicity and indigenous populations
- Communication in the post-colonial and information society
- NGOs and grassroots in the struggle for the right to communicate
- Gender and communication
- Communication in rural development
- Can the media and markets be responsible?
- Aspects of media professionalism
- Developments in freedom of expression
- WTO and balanced international communication flows
- Inter-Asian media exchanges and flows
- The Asia-Pacific Information Infrastructure and inter-regional information
gaps
The conference also welcomes papers on global communications issues
outside the Communication and Culture. Papers dealing with issues
of national communication policy, critical examination of
international culture industries, changing conditions of network
resulting from technological innovations as well as studies of
images and representation are particularly welcome. Workshop
proposals are also encouraged.
The Round Table, a communications rights advocacy group, was
created in 1989 to stimulate discussion of issues embodied in the
1980 UNESCO MacBride Report. The MacBride Round Table is an
international group of scholars, journalists and other
communication experts devoted to the monitoring of world
communication rights and balances, and reporting findings to
community groups, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and
the news media.
SUBMISSIONS:
One page abstracts (in English) for the 8th MacBride Round Table
must be received on or before March 31, 1996. Two copies of
abstracts and any additional correspondence should be submitted
_simultaneously_ to both individuals listed below:
1)
Dr. Richard C. Vincent
Department of Communication
University of Hawaii at Manoa
George Hall 336
2560 Campus Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 U. S. A.
Phone: 1-808-956-3352
Fax: 1-808-956-5589 or 5591
E-Mail: mailto:rvincent@hawaii.edu
-and-
2)
Dr. Inhee Lee
Department of Mass Communication
Kyung Hee University
1 Hoigi-Dong, Dongdaemun-Gu
Seoul, 130-701 South Korea
Phone: 82-2-961-0773
Fax: 82-2-965-8004
E-Mail: mailto:inheelee@chollian.dacom.co.kr
Abstracts will be reviewed by the Round Table. The completed paper
should be submitted to the Seoul Organizing Committee on or before
June 30, 1996 along with a diskette (3 and a half inches)
containing text-only (or ASCII) file of the paper for timely
preparation of the Round Table proceedings.
A range of accommodations will be available, including some
on-campus housing. Low airfares to Seoul are available through the
MacBride Round Table official carrier, Korean Airlines (KAL).
Contact the Korean sponsors for information on lodging and
transportation.
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<Page 7>
COMPUTEK: Call for Papers
COMPUTEK, an electronic quarterly journal of the Kenya Association for
the Advancement of Computing Technology (kaACT), invites submission of
papers. We are interested in articles on practical applications of
information and computing technology in a developing country. Papers
involving a multidisciplinary approach in information and computing
technology as well as cultural influences on introduction and use of
new technology in African countries will be given priority. Suggested
topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
o Use of computers in health,
o Software development and software risks
o Information technology policy formulation
o Applications of information technology in manufacturing,
service industries, and government.
o Entrepreneurship, etc.
o Case studies and/or reports of projects, successful and otherwise that
may have proved a challenge
o Social implications of Information Technologies
Send your submission in plain text (ASCII) to the editorial
mailing list: mailto:kci-net@SML1.ecs.umass.edu
Past issues of COMPUTEK are available via ftp at the following
site:
1. FTP to solar.rtd.utk.edu (128.169.112.24)
2. Login as anonymous
3. Use your email address as the password
4. Change directory into pub/computek subdirectory
5. Retrieve past issues as may be necessary.
Also, you can access Computek issues by pointing your URL at
ftp://solar.rtd.utk.edu/pub/computek
http://solar.rtd.utk.edu/kaact/master.html
http://triton.rtd.utk.edu/kaact/master.html
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COMPUTEK News Publisher/Editorial Board: Luvisia Bakuli, Jason Githeko,
Gerald Kotonya, Matunda Nyanchama, Fulbert Namwamba. COMPUTEK News
Copyright (C) 1996 is a publication of the Kenyan Association for the
Advancement of Computing Technology (KaACT)- mailto:kci-net@afrique.com and
mailto:kci-net@SML1.ecs.umass.edu
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