Blog – Page 153 of 164 – Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

19Jul

East African countries put IT spending on back burner

admin July 19, 2012

By Edris Kisambira
Though East Africa as a region has been quick to adopt technology compared to other areas in Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda appear to have de-emphasized ICT in budget plans for the next 12 months.
The money allocated to different sectors by the governments of those nations, and the lack of mention of ICT in the spending blueprints for the coming year, seem to indicate that the countries are either slowing down investments in a sector they regard as key or are postponing further funding.
Uganda’s US$4.8 million ICT sector allocation is the lowest in the past three years, according to an analysis by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). The budget blueprints were reviewed by finance ministers on June 15. Looking at the Uganda allocation, the funding amounts to only 0.13 percent of projected government expenditures over the next 12 months. Uganda had spent $7.1 million last year and $5.7 million the year before that.
Ugandan Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka said new technology was driving the country’s efforts to give more people access to financial- and business-related services, considering that telecom services like mobile money payments have registered more users today than commercial banks. Kiwanuka said the government, for example, will in the next 12 months establish a one-stop center to provide online registration services for the various licenses required to start a business.
Meanwhile the Rwanda government, taking notable strides in promoting ICT infrastructure investments and enabling usage by citizens in recent years, did not specifically provide for ICT spending for the next 12 months, and no explanation was given.
John Rwangombwa, Rwanda’s finance minister, said in the next 12 months, the government will help enhance operations of the Carnegie Mellon University in the country and the Kigali Techno Pole tech area to boost ICT for private sector development. Speaking in parliament on June 15, Rwangombwa reported completion of work on a number of investments in the past few years, including the national fiber-optic cable backbone, a wireless broadband system for the capital Kigali, a national data center and an embassy intranet.
Kenyan Finance Minister Robinson Njeru Githae did not say a lot in his budget speech as far as the ICT sector goes but allocated some $5.6 million for the purchase of computers for schools and removed import duty on computer software.
Tanzania, which has in the past allocated far less money in comparison to its neighbors, increased duty on mobile telephone airtime, taking it into a league that Uganda has long dominated, where telephone services are taxed steeply.
Tanzanian Finance Minister William Augustao Mgimwa announced a $2.5 million allocation to strengthen ICT “so as to improve access to various services including information, access to domestic and external market, revenue collection, health services, education, financial services, etc.”
Compared to Uganda’s allocation of $4.8 million and Kenya’s $5.6 million, the $2.5 million Tanzania allocated to the sector pales in comparison, given it also has been spending less in the recent past.
Commenting about the cutback in spending on ICT in Uganda, Godfrey Mutabazi, the executive director of industry regulator Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), said, “How do you expect the industry to grow when you are not investing back?”
Ashnah Kalemera, an analyst at CIPESA, said ICT is not a field that most governments in the East African region have great experience or competence in. “But also, ICT is a sector whose full benefit is yet to be fully appreciated by government bureaucrats, as indeed like most members of the public,” Kalemera said. “Its contribution is largely seen as indirect, and there is thus a need to have studies that show direct impacts of ICT on development if regional governments are to be convinced to significantly raise budgetary allocations to ICT.”
East Africa is a leader in adoption of mobile devices and, led by Kenya, in adoption of mobile money. Kenya’s teledensity is 71 percent, while both Tanzania and Uganda have passed the 50 percent mark. Millions across the region routinely use their mobile phones to make financial transactions, which in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda total up to no less than $1.4 billion per month for all the three countries, with Safaricom’s M-Pesa accounting for the bulk of that money.
This article was published by Computer World on July 16, 2012

26Jun

Kasese equipped with the use of ICT tools to share and disseminate information

admin June 26, 2012

As ICT becomes a necessity in our daily activities and operations, it has been approved that it’s quite easy to managed access and share information in our communities simply using ICT tools. Kasese district officials, the members from the civil society and Community members have been fully equipped with ICT skills.
This training which took place on 21st and 22nd June 2012 at the E-Society Resource Centre located at Kasese District Head Quarters was done by officials from The Collaboration for ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA).
CIPESA is one of the partners of the E-Society Resource Centre Kasese which voluntarily came in to support the centre in addition to what Ric-Net had offered. The training was facilitated by Ms. Lillian Nalwoga from CIPESA assisted by Mr. Jack Sseruwo from CIPESA and Edgar Asiimwe Napolean from SPIDER. The attendance and participation was good and everybody who attended at least was able to create personal weblogs, twitter accounts and had a full understanding of how to use other social networks like face book and Skype to promote citizen participation in governance issues. The training was launched by the assistant LCV Chairperson Hon. Muhindo Tadeo who greatly thanked the management of CIPESA for the partnership and pointed out that he is an ICT compliant who uses a lot of social networking to carry out his activities. The training revealed that in the near future, the world will be required to use much of social media like face book, twitter, weblogs, Skype, Google+ and so many others as innovations go on. A great thanks goes to the District Information Office for organizing the training to enhance civic competence.
This article was published by Kasese District News on June 23, 2012.

21Jun

East African ICT Budget Allocations and Priorities for 2012/2013

admin June 21, 2012

Information and Communication Technology, a sector recognised as crucial to social and economic development by the East African Community (EAC), received meagre budget allocations for 2012/2013 in most of the regional grouping’s five member countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
East Africa is a leader in adoption of mobiles, and, led by Kenya, in adoption of mobile money and a string of technological innovations. The figures allocated by the different states, and the (non)-mentions of the ICT sectors in the spending blueprints for the coming year, seem to indicate that most EAC governments have surrendered the role of developing the ICT sector to private players – if they ever quite had the baton.
The Rwanda government, taking notable strides in promoting ICT infrastructure investments and enabling usage by citizens, put no figure to the sector’s portion of its US$ 2.32 billion budget. Uganda’s US$ 6.4 million ICT sector allocation is the highest in the last three years but represents a mere 0.13% of the budget.
Among the priorities for Kenya’s more than US $17 billion budget were implementing the new public sector reforms and the country’s new (2010) constitution, and funding the upcoming general elections. But it still made, by regional standards, a far larger allocation to ICT.
Tanzania, one of the region’s top misers as far as allocation to the ICT sector is concerned, increased duty on mobile telephone airtime, taking it to a league Uganda has for long dominated, where telephone services are taxed steeply.
In this June 2012 briefing paper, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) takes a peek into the East African ICT budget allocations and priorities for 2012/2013.
Read the full brief here .

17Jun

Call for Expression of Interest to participate in the Youth Fellowship to attend the 5th East African Internet Governance Forum (EAIGF)

admin June 17, 2012

The EAIGF was established to create a Community of Practice that will be a sustaining foundation for meaningful participation of East African stakeholders in Internet governance public policy debates at the national, regional and international level. The EAIGF model allows for the informed participation, contribution and engagement of community members through the sharing of experiences, information, addressing common problems and challenges, the creation of new knowledge and increasing local capacity.
Since its inception, EAIGF has continued to act as a catalyst for an inclusive information society in region and has to date addressed issues ranging from interconnection, IXPs, affordable access, Strengthening ccTLDs in East Africa, among others.
After four successful meetings, held in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda from 2008, the fifth EAIGF will be hosted by the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANET).
The EAIGF is now accepting applications from youth representatives to attend this year’s EAIGF to be held July 17 – 18, 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya.
As an EAIGF Youth fellow, you are expected to contribute to the wider regional IG policy debate while providing valuable expertise and know‐how to the policymakers and decision makers who participate in IGF meetings.
The Fellowship Award
Youth Fellows to the EAIGF receive the following assistance:

a round‐trip, economy class airline ticket to attend the meeting
hotel accommodation for the duration of the meeting
a small stipend to offset incidental expenses

Expectations for the Fellows
Youth fellows are expected to:

prepare in advance to make a presentation on a selected topic of the EAIGF meeting
participate broadly in the EAIGF meeting agenda
contribute to the EAIGF blog
share the experience and knowledge gained at the EAIGF with their local communities when they return home (including writing a report on the activities)

Who should apply?
EAIGF youth fellowships are for Ugandans aged between 20‐30 who have a strong interest in the issues and themes of the EAIGF and have demonstrated interest in promoting Internet policy in Uganda.
Selection criteria
Selection for the fellowship is competitive. All applicants must:

be between the ages of 20 and 30
Present a strong motivation for attending the EAIGF meeting
Demonstrate an understanding of Internet Governance issues both at the local, regional and international environment.
Demonstrate experience in leading Internet governance discussions at the national/ regional/international level and in multi‐cultural environments

The selection committee will also attempt to achieve professional, geographical, and gender diversity in the overall selections.
How to apply
Send your expression of interest stating your motivation to attend the EAIGF, and how you meet the criteria above, to Lillian Nalwoga, at [email protected] CC [email protected] no later than Monday June 18, 2012.

12Jun

Citizens' Perceptions on Open Government Data in Uganda

admin June 12, 2012

In addition to the study assessing Uganda’s Open Government Readiness, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) assessed citizens’ perceptions on open governance.
Based on a questionnaire, the study established that in Uganda there is a high level of knowledge about open governance, as well as great expectations of the benefits which Open Governance Data (OGD) would bring. Amongst the benefits mentioned were raising accountability by duty bearers, minimising corruption, promoting transparency, encouraging citizen participation in governance, monitoring service delivery, and aiding private sector innovation.
However, concerns were raised about the potential for misrepresentations and misinformation, increase in violent demonstrations as backlash from disgruntled citizens and increased administration costs associated with preparing data for open access. These fears need to be managed by both the state and by civil actors advocating open governance, in order to convince both citizens and government that OGD is for the good of the country.
The study made clear indications of what departments/ ministries should open up their data as a priority, and also identified various forms of data that citizens need to have greater access to. Moreover, the study has shown that the level of openness in government departments is severely low, even though there are laws that call for openness, and despite having clear examples of how increased openness results into public good. Government therefore needs to show greater political will to become more open, and this will need to be manifested in bold actions rather than simple declarations.
Whereas the results are not representative of Ugandan’s perceptions on open governance, they show a critical mass for demand and usage of open government data. The study establishes a key reference point which government should build on to roll out OGD, and which civil society can use in advocating and raising awareness about open governance in Uganda.
The study was conducted in the context of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) Action Research Network, a project supported by the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC).
Download the full report here.
See also assessment of open government data readiness in Uganda and Q&A with the research coordinator.

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