Global Voices Summit 2012-Coming to Nairobi

The Global Voices Summit  will this year be held in Nairobi(The City Under The Sun)-Kenya on the 2nd July and 3rd July 2012.The  event convenes bloggers, activists and technologists for public discussions and workshops about the rise of online citizen media movements worldwide and will feature both local and international GlobalVoicesOnline contributors,editors and authors.The last event was held in Santiago Chile in the year 2010

The twitter handle for this years event is: #gv2012.The fact that the event is being held in Kenya goes to highlight the rise,prolific nature and development  of the Kenya Internet,technology and Communications(ICT) sector and its global appeal. It is my sincere hope that the Kenya ICT board will take advantage of such forums to highlight Kenya's gains in developing ,promoting and enhancing internet connectivity which makes it possible for the utilization of social media platforms by a wider majority of the population and the creation of local content and expression of diverse opinions.

The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2012 is being sponsored by: Google, Hivos, MacArthur Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, Adessium Foundation, Knight Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Yahoo!.

As a Kenyan author i will be privileged to attend the conference and will keep the readers of this blog informed about some of the interesting and insightful snippets that will be discussed at the workshops.

Global Voices Post on Facebook, Kingpin Act and Harun Mwau

Facebook Should Unfriend John Mwau ( This a Re print of a post published by the author at GlobalVoices)

A Kenyan blogger Daudi Were has raised an interesting question about whether the U.S. government will be willing to enforce the Kingpin Act against Facebook for apparently doing business with a Kenyan national John Harun Mwau who had earlier this year been designated as a drug lord under the Kingpin Act (See White House Press Release).
The Kingpin Act denies significant foreign narcotics traffickers, their related businesses, and their operatives access to the U.S. financial system and prohibits all trade and transactions between the traffickers and U.S. companies and individuals.
Daudi makes some interesting observations in his post titled “Facebook Should Unfriend Mwau”:

In other words Kingpin Act targets, on a worldwide basis, significant foreign narcotics traffickers, their organizations, and operatives by making it illegal for any U.S. company or any U.S. individual to conduct any financial transactions with them.

Daudi further elaborates:

Facebook is a social networking service and website operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Facebook, Inc was founded in 2004 and is based in Palo Alto, California. It is a U.S. company. Ownership of Facebook, Inc is shared between Mark Zuckerberg, Accel Partners, Digital Sky Technologies, Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners and Microsoft amongst others. Most are U.S. citizens and U.S. companies.
Remember that U.S. companies and U.S. individuals are forbidden from any financial transactions with narcotics traffickers named through the Kingpin Act. The fines for ignoring the Act range from USD 1 million to USD 10 million and there’s also the not very little matter of the possibility of 30 years imprisonment.
Last night I started noticing adverts on Facebook for John Harun Mwau’s Facebook page. The text for the ad reads:The text for the ad reads:

Success and Wealth are but a state of mind. Discover the principles that guided me to Success on My Facebook Page.

These ads are typical paid for, they usually involve some sort of financial transaction. The type of transaction the Kingpin Act forbids.

He then makes a significant question that begs an answer from Facebook:

The world is a village. You never know when a “significant narcotics trafficker” is going to buy ads on your service. The real question here perhaps is what will these U.S. companies, such as Facebook and Microsoft, do when they find out individuals they are not allowed to do business with are buying their services?

Jke  of KikuyuMoja blog leaves a comment on the post stating:

FB & Mwau: hahahaha, good point! I’d like to see someone from the Embassy reply on this one. Or maybe they will argue that the ads weren’t bought by Mwau but instead by his supporters (which isn’t the same, ama?).

Daudi responds:

@JKE – the act targets traffickers, their related businesses, and their operatives. So friends, friends of friends, supporters etc all count in my book!

The naming of John Harun Mwau as a drug Kingpin back in June created a lot of buzz online.
Reacting to the news at the time, Kenyan Jurist wrote:

The Kingpin designation essentially makes Mwau a pariah and any financial relationship with him becomes toxic particularly when it falls within the jurisdiction of the US. This in essence applies to any foreign transaction, where money may be routed through the US. It is also a warning to the Government of Kenya to take the problem of drug trafficking seriously.

Kenyan Stockholm blog published the letter from Barack Obama on the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, which drew 21 comments.
Following alleged attack on Mwau's vehicle, blogger Wesley Rants wrote:

Then this allusion that Obama is after his personal wealth and consequently the boss’s life is in danger is clutching at straws literally, really?
As for the demand that government accords him extra security, didn’t I just read that there was a driver and a bodyguard in the car? Don’t all Mps have a bodyguard provided at our expense?
Maybe our local bosses can borrow a leaf from Mexico where bosses are building their own battle tanks:

Is the Kingpin Act just a public relations stunt? Kenyans are eager to see what will be the official response to the question raised by Daudi Were.

Kenya's Finance Minister Uses Social Media To Prepare Budget

 *The Minister for Finance in Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta used Twitter and Facebook to solicit public opinion on what to include in the country's budget for year 2010/2011 that was read on June 8, 2011. Interestingly, the budget estimates for the three East African countries were read on the same day. However it is only the Kenyan Finance minister (a copy of the Budget speech is readily available for download on the Ministers Facebook page) who heavily employed social media.

The minister used GoogleDocs (document now removed), Scribd and Facebook to solicit public opinion. He received a massive response. This is the first time that a Kenyan Finance minister used social media to gather public opinion.



Kenyans discussed the contents of the budget on twitter under the hashtags #Budget2011 while the Finance Minister's team used #keBudget2011. Live updates of the budget speech were tweeted by @TeamUhuru and @UKenyatta.

Kenya's netizens discuss the budget in a critical albeit positive light:

@LoiseKare says Uhuru's use of social media shows the difference between a leader and a politician:

..and he involved fellow tweeps in makin the budget..diff btwn a politician and a leader. Kudos @UKenyatta

@MissRipplez is convinced that the use of social media will affect the 2012 Kenya Presidential Elections:

Judging from #kebudget2011 n #teamuhuru I'm convinced that twitter will be a crucial ground for campaigns next year #kenyansontwitter

@Just_Wambui commends the minister and his Twitter team:

I'm thoroughly impressed by the efficiency in #kebudget2011 updates by @Ukenyatta and his team...great job!

Prior to the budget, Zindua Kiongozi had this to say:

Don’t complain that you were not engaged in the budget making process for 2011 or at the least, that’s what Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta will say to any skeptics after Friday’s deadline to submit comments on the 2011 budget making process ends. The Minister has integrated his facebook page with a budget 2011 application that provides some simple instructions on how to pitch into the process
Budget 2011 on facebook
The Google Docs powered application allows citizens to make budget priorities and suggestions by providing a fill in form that categorizes the comments in key sector areas related to the budget. You have less than 48 hours to submit your comments and suggestions since the deadline runs up until the end of Friday the 13th of May.

SportsKenyaoffers some positive critiscism:

Quoting the statement,

"...apart from engaging in these activities, I would also like to encourage them to nurture their talents in the realm of sports. Time and time again, our young people have made this country proud by their exemplary performance in the international tournaments in various disciplines. (... all good so far)

I believe that a clear investment in sports backed by proper management, can turn this activity, which attracts thousands of our young people into a sustainable employer. Our youth should be able to follow their dreams and establish careers in sports ( ....well put Mr. Minister Sir)

To this end, I have allocated KShs. 210 million ( 1 million per constituency) towards competitive sports for youth countrywide. This will be used for purchase of trophies, monetary award to competing teams and compensation for officials overseeing this initiative. ( ...now you sound ambiguous Sir, which sports discipline & that amount's too measly unless you hold 1 tournament per year)

The private companies under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets to match this amount, at least on a shilling-for-shilling basis." (...nice one throwing the challenge to private corporate firms making obscene profits but committing measly amounts to sport BUT that word CSR word just craps me out! )
Not belabouring the points above, we believe there is more that the Ministry could have done to give incentive to the sports industry. Just like we have said before (and he's also quoted), sports can be an employer of many if the right investments and management are put into place.

In his analysis of the budget,Blogger Kebati says that he was impressed by the Ministers words:

I wish to conclude with these are the words used by Hon Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyan Finance minister as he concluded the budget 2011/2012 projections.
“It is important to note that 50% of these submissions were received from Kenyans
between the ages of 18 and 30 and I would like to specifically commend this group of young Kenyans who have taken it upon themselves to embrace technology and engage with the government through IT and social media, which I believe is the new frontier of public engagement. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to encourage you and members of the house who are not yet on these forums to join Facebook and Twitter and other similar platforms through which you can directly and constructively engage with Kenyans in real time”

As more Kenyans embrace social media, it is readily apparent that the citizenry is being empowered to be part of public policy making process. The Kenyan Finance Minister has demonstrated this in his Budget Speech for year 2011. Will more African leaders in Africa take the cue?

*(This post was first published at GlobalVoices)

GlobalVoices Article on the ICC :Ocampo 6 Suspects

Here's an Execerpt from my Article published at the GlobalVoices online website:

Kenya: Netizens React to ICC Charges Against 6 Kenyans 

On 7 and 8 April, 2011, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed charges against six prominent Kenyan individuals whom the ICC prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo believes bear the most responsibility for the post election violence that rocked the country in 2008.
The six individuals are William Samoei Ruto and Henry Kiprono Kosgey (both serving Members of Parliament), Joshua Arap Sang (radio journalist with a popular vernacular station), Francis Kirimi Muthaura (Secretary to Cabinet and Head of Public Service), Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (Deputy Prime Minister and serving Member of Parliament) and Mohammed Hussein Ali (Former Chief of Police).

Post-election violence in Kenya. Image by Daniel McCabe, copyright Demotix (13/02/2009).

The visit of the six to the Hague has drawn mixed reactions and raised political temperatures in the country with part of the coalition government supporting the ICC move and another denouncing it.
Dr Kabera Karanja of the blog Killing Corruption Monster discusses some of the tough conditions set by the court especially with respect to speech inciting to violence. He notes:

With home-coming reception rally planned by the supporters of the two presidential candidates, William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta and their declared onslaught on their main presidential candidate rival Raila Odinga, it will be a difficult or impossible balancing act to require the two to tame their language. If Raila were to utilize this opportunity to deride his opponents, then Ruto and Uhuru could easily argue that the ICC is being used to silence them and therefore ‘working for Raila’.

Ken Opalo observes:

Kenyan politics is currently in flux. Two key presidential candidates, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto may be barred from running for public office next year on constitutional grounds. The key beneficiaries of such an eventuality will most probably be Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, the Premier and Vice President respectively…
Over the last few weeks Uhuru and Ruto have been crisscrossing the country and holding chest-thumping rallies to prove to someone – either the ICC or the Kenyan political and economic elite – that they have the support of the grassroots. They have also issued thinly veiled threats that violence may erupt in the country if they are whisked to the Hague and barred from running for president in next year’s general election.

The Diary of A Gay Kenyan comments on the live proceedings from the ICC:

I'm sitting at home watching Live NTV showing Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya's founding president, appearing at the Hague accused of crimes against humanity. Looks like the penny has just dropped…

A guest post at Bankelele blog offered those travelling to the Hague to witness the proceedings some traveling tips under the post “A Kenyan Guide to the Hague“:

For More please read at the site : here

Nairobi Nights Blog: A Kenyan Prostitutes Building A Brand Online !

The Kenyan blogosphere has just recently been graced by not your usual blogger and not your usual genre: a street prostitute's experience and opinions including how the blogger allegedly escaped arrest by the police. The Blog is Nairobi Nights written by a self confessed Kenyan Prostitute under the pen name "Suzy".

I had the privilege of interviewing her for GlobalVoices online. In this interview she reveals more about her blog, some issues of concern to Kenyan prostitutes including security, legalization and what drives her to blog. here's her takethese issues(this interview was first Published at Global Voices slightly modified)



This is how she describes herself:

My name is Sue. I practice along Koinange Street, Nairobi. These are thoughts, observations and experiences from my prostitution world. Nothing of the soft, sympathy seeking topsy turvy kind. But straight talk, hard facts and real anecdotes. They are worth something.

Koinange Street is a major red-light district in Nairobi, Kenya.



At the time of writing, she had published 12 episodes with titles such as "Of Coming Out Of The Closet", "The Spiritual Role Of A Prostitute", "When Sex Is No Longer Sin" and "Just Call Me Malaya [Malaya means a prostitute in Swahili]".



1. For how long have you been blogging?

For about three weeks now

2. What is it that prompted you to come up with the blog "Nairobi Nights" and to document your experiences online?

I have been writing one or two things, some sort of diary about my work..But a close girlfriend of mine encouraged me to start a blog.



When i started writing my experiences and thoughts just started

flowing. And talking about my experiences and thoughts gives me some sort of relief.

3. I see in the blog you have hardly revealed any information about your identity and prefer going by the pseudo name/title "nairobi nights". What has prompted this? Any particular reasons?

I am not sure how people would react if they knew I am a prostitute. I have family, parents, brothers and sisters. I fear they would get hurt.My parents if they got to know would feel I have let them down. I also don't see any benefit of giving my real identity.

[caption id="attachment_189270" align="alignleft" width="385" caption="A road sign that reads: Attenzione Prostitute. Photo source: Adam Crowe's Photostream on Flickr"][/caption]



4. When i first read you blog, my attention was captured by your use of words, composure and manner of writing. I am sure many readers of your blog and the general audience would like to know what led you specifically to the trade? Correct me if I am wrong, is it a social misconception that the well educated and/or enlightened would get involved with this type of trade?

Sure and I have written about what society expects a prostitute to be. To some extent it is true. But interaction with prostitutes is so business like and at times in not sober circumstances. This does not provide room for men to gauge the prostitute intellectually. Even the 'not read' prostitutes have their experiences and views, but don't necessarily get to talk about to them to clients or friends.

As to why I got into it, I would say its a little complicated but I am planning on writing about it soon. I have started writing about it, but after the first paragraph, I found myself not wishing to write about. My strength and will were gone. But I know very soon I will be over it and write.

5. Often when people leave prostitution they ascribe having been drawn into the trade due to financial difficulties, family problems, rape etc. Is this always the case in your opinion?

Not necessarily, there could be many other reasons. Some with nothing to do with poverty but circumstances which shape a person's character.

6. I have just read your latest post on legalization of prostitution in Kenya. Whats your take on this issue? Do you think that this may be possible in the present "conservative" Kenyan/African environment?

I think there are advantages and disadvantages of legalization. For instance, police and city council harassment would stop if it's legalized, but then there might be so many locational or client restrictions, which may affect things like our income. Same way with the new alcohol laws. Its possible for prostitution to be legalized, but not any time soon. After the passing of the alcohol bill, the country, right or wrong, seems to be moving towards some sort of 'morality'. But it may change in the future.

8. Do you have a lobby group or support group that perhaps is assisting you in pushing forward this agenda?

Lobby group? No and I wouldn't want to be working for such. I speak for myself. If I work for a lobby group I would be speaking for all of us. I have no right to do so.

9. Do you think that prostitution has many inherent dangers as was exhibited in the latest case of the suspected Kenyan serial Killer Mr Philip Onyancha? What are the greatest dangers facing "street" prostitutes at the moment? [Phillip Onyancha is a Kenyan serial killer who is known to have killed people in his pass time]

The constant danger is you can never be sure what will happen when you go out with a man. Rape, death, drugs, non payment, lost of public respect. You can never know.

10. Do you believe that the present Kenyan laws accord prostitutes appropriate human rights, dignity and protection?

I cant exactly blame the law until prostitution is made legal. Maybe we could have some partial legalization. Maybe freedom to operate within certain areas at particular times, or something of the sort.

11. Back to your blog, what normally prompts your post?

I write what is inside me. An experience will come up and I will write about it..Some are more fresh or provoked by 'last night' happenings so I write about it.

12. Where do you see your blog at in the next few years to come?

I started the blog simply, with no really big ambitions. Some readers are encouraging me to be more serious about it but at the moment i have no major plans. I even don't know for how long I will write.

13. I had someone read your blog and they doubted that the blog is being written by a prostitute who plies the streets, if anything perhaps an upmarket call girl in some plush residential place in Nairobi: What is your response about your genuineness?

There is not much difference between the 'upmarket' prostitutes and some of us on the streets. I don't find it necessary or with an obligation to prove my genuineness to anyone at the moment. But time will answer the question about my genuineness, and very soon. When I sort out my conscience I will meet some of the readers who have asked to meet me.

14. I see you have advertisement on your blog, are there problems for you getting advertisers? I am assuming that some might not like to be associated with your content.

The one advertiser I have on the website approached me. I haven't gone out there seeking for ads. I am exactly sure whether I will do it and how advertisers would react. Its not a priority at the moment.



When people pay they will expect something from you, I will be under pressure to satisfy them and my thoughts wont flow as naturally as they do now. They might also be tilted towards making people happy. I did not want that at all. I want to get something out, not necessarily please or answer to someone.

15. You had a subscription model before on your blog, why did you change it?

When my girlfriend who encouraged me to start the blog read some of my pieces, she suggested I should make people subscribe, after a day or two, I felt its not exactly the thing I wanted. I want to write without any pressure.

Thank you Suzy for your opinion and perspectives revealed on this interview

Rising Voices Citizen Media Micro Grant

RisingVoices a Global Voices Project is offering micro grant funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or individuals engaged in Citizen Media projects outreach from underrepresented communities that are poorly positioned to discover and take advantage of tools like blogging, video-blogging, or podcasting . The fund amounts varies up to $4,000 USD.

For detailed application criteria and information on the types of projects eligible for the 2011 Micro grant funding, kindly visit the Rising Voices website for this years press release.
 
Qualified and Interested applicants are invited to submit their online application form at the following  Website Link before the application deadline on 4 February 2011 at 11:59 p.m, GMT.