Summary: The Board of Directors of the "UCC of Kenya" seems to have been dissolved.
I received this on one of the AfriNIC (apologies to folks who are on that forum as well). Rgds, Gerald Read below -------------------------------------------------------------------- Press Release For Immediate Release Tuesday, March 8, 2005 The 7th of March 2005 will go down in history as one of the darkest days in Kenya's and Africa's communications sectors. This is the day that the Kenyan Government, in a totally incomprehensible manner dissolved the Communications Commission of Kenya's Board of Directors and relieved the Director General of his duties. The actions taken by the government can only be construed as intrusive, obstructive shortsighted and diversionary as they come in the midst of an ongoing liberalisation of the sector, end of exclusivity of Telkom Kenya and fast convergence of technologies that are currently presenting regulators worldwide with unforseen challenges. It is our contention, on behalf of the industry, that this was a hurried, unplanned and poorly thought out action. The ongoing disputes within the sector which have been prompted by the newly opened market demand that the country have a stable, objective and level-headed regulator. The immediate former Board of Directors and Director-General had successfully managed Kenya's transition into a competition framework. Besides this, the immediate former Director General is the current Chairman of the International Telecommunications Union Council which oversees telecommunications worldwide. This is due to recognition by the International community of CCK's outstanding efforts to reform Kenya's regulatory environment from one of the worst in the world to the current status where we are being emulated by countries such as South Africa because of our exemplary and progressive regulations. This action by the Government has thrown the entire industry into disarray. The CCK Board plays such a crucial role that now no further licenses can be issued, no disputes can be settled and no formal regulatory interventions can take place and there is no clear communication from the Government as to how affairs within the sector are to be managed. Currently over 100 companies await the processing of their licenses in order to establish business, employ Kenyans and bring communications facilities and services to the economy. This has all been cut short by interference from the very Government that committed itself to economic reforms, improved employment and support for private-sector driven development. The appointment of an acting Director-General from a Ministerial department also raises questions as to the sincerity of the Government in providing for an independent regulator as mandated by the Law (KCA '98). We do not need to emphasise the fact that the same Government has failed in it's primary role of providing policy guidance for the sector over the past 4 years and instead has resorted to frustrating and now completely disabling the only agency that has promoted investment and development within Kenya's communications sector. On hearing this news, the Chairman of the African ISP Association, Mr. W. Stucke, who is based in South Africa reacted by saying "Good grief! Now watch investments in Africa as a whole, not just Kenya wither up and blow away in the wind..." It is our understanding that the position of Director General has tenure of office under the Communications Act '98 and his removal from active duty without any explanation begs the question as to whether the government really respects the Law. This same law has safeguards to protect the regulator from interference but these seem to have been completely ignored by the Government who today are interested parties in the communications sector. We hereby express our outrage at the way in which this matter has been handled and demand an immediate explanation from the Government regarding it's actions and it's plans to restore confidence and stability in the communications sector in the shortest time possible. Mr. Joseph Mucheru, For Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya Chairman For more details, Call +254 20245630 -- Joseph Mucheru Chairman Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK) 14th Floor, Bruce House - Standard Street P O Box 27589 -00506 Nairobi, KENYA Tel: +254-20-245036 Http://www.tespok.co.ke STOP PRESS! Kenyan Govt dissolves CCK Board! > Importance: High > > >I am sitting here writing this email in a state of shock and disbelief. Two >hours ago I received a frantic phone call from a shaken member of the press to >inform me that CCK has been dissolved. > >In a press release that was sent out at 7:45pm this evening, the Minister >for Information and Communication, Raphael Tuju announced that he has >dissolved the CCK Board of Directors and sent the Director General S Kirui on >compulsory leave. The former secretary to the National Communications >Secretariat Dr. J. Kulubi has been appointed as acting DG. > >This is an utter disgrace and has shocked the industry to the core! My phone >has been ringing off the hook. This government interference in our sector has >gone too far! And especially coming the day after a damning report on how the >immediate former Assistant Director was relieved of duty by Minister for >Communications after exposing a massive racket in which Telkom Kenya was being >fleeced of millions of dollars. > >It appears that this most recent development has the 3rd GSM license fiasco as >some kind of smoke screen - maybe to divert Kenyans short attention span from >the very serious questions that the investigative report in yesterday's East >African Standard raises. > >Anyway I now need to go to my arsenal and get ready to do battle. > >Weep for your country dear Kenyans - as we fight to bring sanity into our >nation's affairs! > >Brian >-- >Brian Longwe >Chief Technology Officer >ISP Kenya Ltd. >P.O. Box 43042, Nairobi, Kenya >Tel: +254 2 444 5959; Fax: +254 2 4446772 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Website: www.ispkenya.com <http://www.ispkenya.com> -- Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://afrispa.skybuilders.com/users/Eric/blog.html Slang: "Tomorrow Now" -- _______________________________________________ afrinic-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/afrinic-discuss _______________________________________________ LUG mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug %LUG is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
