Article On Daily Nation Website and on my Pro Blog
Wait for a cut down version (part 2) in Africa Review.
In a country desperate for more investment in new ventures, where majority of populations live in dire poverty, emerging technologies are some of the best ways to empower people into reinvesting in their lives, into their futures, giving them hope and direction. New technologies usually tend to be cheaper and create a lot more value and ability in ones hands. So you would imagine those entrusted with leading the country would be enablers in this aspect. Sadly not. Behind the smiles and suits is a sad mendacity. Portrayed in all caveats of government. However, the immediate concern, media and communication. Hereby entrusted to the Ministry of Information. Permanent Secretary here, Bitange Ndemo. The second aspect is that the regulation of Communication and Broadcasting is managed by The Communication Commission Of Kenya (CCK). The Director General is Charles Njoroge. And finally there is Safaricom. Run by Michael Joseph.
These three proponents have decided the fate of the future of mobile broadband in Kenya and sadly, consumers do not have any say in this matter or even any foreseeable benefit into the future, but only take what is dished out to them, no matter how unfair it is. In a country desperate for advances in technology and infrastructure, we find the government is the greatest and sometimes only hindrance to development. By poor regulatory frameworks and advice and the ever missing funds issue. And one can almost imagine why. First, we have a bloated government, which the country obviously cannot afford to keep running, so the government has to tap into each and every cash cow they have and bleed it dry. Legal or not. And while they are at it, gag the media. The assumption, if no-one talks about it, it did not happen. Woe unto Kenyans. The same Kenyans who will complain about not being able to get a half working mobile service. Here is a good example. If you have been on a call on Safaricom, and the call drops, CCK is supposed to respond to this issue and tell Safaricom to pick up the quality of their service. How many dropped calls have you had this year? And last year? What has changed? And here is more practical example. If you are a prepaid customer on Safaricom, have you tried calling the helpline? 100? Do you know why you don’t get through? Where is the CCK in all this? Instead of worrying about the consumer, they are busy censoring the “big bad evil” media. Agreed, the media is not made up of Saints, but don’t fool yourself into thinking the government is proverbial Host Angel. After all, the government does have a lot of skeletons in its closet, and sometimes some Ministers will pray that the media doesn’t find them.
So let us stick to the main point. The main focus here is Mobile Broadband. I don’t think the hard stance taken by the CCK and PS Bitange Ndemo is beneficial for Kenyans. Its serves no real benefit to the common citizen. Who it is intended for. Instead of rapidly adopting the technologies to meet certain goals, like Vision 2030, or X% of Internet connectivity by a certain period in a specific region, the government decides not to look at creative solutions and ignore any targets. Well creative for their pockets. Not ours. But if you were the government and you had a shareholding in Safaricom, would you want to make it easy for your competitors? The CCK has not done a single thing in ensuring Safaricom delivers quality services. Despite their numerous announcements on quality issues, Safaricom still has numerous numbers of calls dropped, and still has the most impossible to reach Customer Service Department I have experienced anywhere in the world. Far worse than the knowledge deprived staffers at Orange who can incidentally solve every problem you don’t have. The CCK (an arm of the government), regulating communication, in which it has a company in there? Then abuse this system, and blame the media saying that they cannot regulate themselves. Conundrum? Conundrum!
I was criticized heavily yesterday, but you need to look behind the smoke screen and start asking yourself what the numbers add up to. If Bitange Ndemo is as progressive as some people say he is, what possible reason and excuse can he come up with on why he would refuse to take and create an alternative solution for the other service providers? If Safaricom is so up to its game, then it should be able to withstand and beat the competitors hands down on 3G or any other services. But they can’t. So, any competitive threat, like number portability, is not really welcome. Michael Joseph said he though portability would be too expensive to implement. So? I don’t recall him being the CEO or spokesman for the CCK. Fair point. It might be expensive. But it benefits Kenyans not Safaricom, so the only say he had on that one, was, that he hopes it is implemented well. If other countries have done it, I don’t see what is so special about the landscape in Kenya that makes is so expensive or impossible. And coming from a recession, I can imagine raising US$ 25 million would be tough, especially to venture in a competitive market (in appearance) which is ideally a monopolistic one. And since the Prime Minister has made all claims that he is so close and at one time even related to US President Barack Obama, with similar leadership traits and what not, I hope he realises that the Obama Administration put in the same situation might create a slightly different solution that stimulates the economy and benefits the citizens. But, he is much rather busy looking at 2012, guised behind trees and ODM.
Kenyans, wake up. There are no rehearsals here. There is no-one coming to help you except you. Definitely not your politicians. This is a 3rd World Country. In a very 3rd World Africa. You live in a 3rd World country. You are amongst the poorest of the poorest. You need to apply for a visa (and pray you get it) for you to leave the 3rd World and be a part of the future you think you see rolling down in sleek Toyota Corolla Dream 90 inherited from a relative who couldn’t sell it. Your leaders are robbing you blind and silly. There is no room in this country or continent for monopolistic regulations. And there is no time. We need to get up and start developing our country to benefit us. Not the government. The government does not care about you. The care about themselves. They are enriching themselves. Not you.
